RAS question
The Treaty of 1818 between the British and Mewar was signed by which Rana?
Correct answer: (D) Maharana Bhim Singh.
Maharana Bhim Singh of Mewar signed the 13 January 1818 treaty with the British East India Company, accepting British protection.
Explanation
The Treaty of 1818 between the British and Mewar belongs to the subsidiary-alliance phase of Rajputana history. Maharana Bhim Singh was the ruler of Mewar and, by 13 January 1818, had to sign a treaty with the British East India Company accepting its protection. This directly supports option D. The exam-relevant frame is that Mewar was the first major Rajput state to accept British paramountcy, after which other states followed quickly. For RAS, the key is to connect the date, the state and the ruler: 13 January 1818, Mewar, Maharana Bhim Singh.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Maharana Swaroop Singh was not the ruler identified with the 13 January 1818 Mewar treaty; Maharana Bhim Singh was.
- (B) Maharana Fateh Singh belongs to a later period, whereas the treaty in question was signed in 1818 by Maharana Bhim Singh.
- (C) Maharana Sajjan Singh came later than the 1818 treaty, so he cannot be the Rana who signed it.
Concept
This tests British expansion in Rajputana through subsidiary alliances and the acceptance of British paramountcy by Rajput states. It recurs in RAS because treaty dates, rulers and states are standard markers for Rajasthan's transition into the princely-state order.