RAS question
Which Kachhwaha ruler of Amber was given the title 'Mirza Raja' by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan?
Correct answer: (C) Jai Singh I.
Jai Singh I of Amber was the Kachhwaha ruler who received the title "Mirza Raja" from Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.
Explanation
The answer is Jai Singh I of Amber. Shah Jahan gave him the title "Mirza Raja", a distinctive pairing of a Mughal-style honorific with Rajput rulership, and he became one of the strongest nobles at the Mughal court. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, A Guide to Amber identifies him by describing Jai Singh I as "better known as Mirza Raja Jai Singh" and placing him in imperial service under Emperor Shah Jahan. A Guide to Amber also treats him as a major Amber figure, noting his power and influence in the Mughal world. That is why the title belongs to Jai Singh I, not merely to any prominent Kachhwaha ruler of Amber.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Ram Singh I is wrong because the IGNCA account says he succeeded Jai Singh I and received the title of Raja from Aurangzeb, not the title "Mirza Raja" from Shah Jahan.
- (B) Man Singh I is wrong because the IGNCA source lists Man Singh I separately from "Mirza Raja Jai Singh I", so the title identifies Jai Singh I rather than Man Singh I.
- (D) Bhagwan Das is wrong because Shah Jahan's "Mirza Raja" title belongs to Jai Singh I, and the IGNCA source uses that honorific with Jai Singh I, not Bhagwan Das.
Concept
This tests the Amber Kachhwaha lineage and Mughal-Rajput court titles, where a single honorific can separate otherwise familiar rulers. It recurs in RAS because Rajasthan history questions often link local dynasties with Mughal imperial politics.