Kachhwahas of Amber-Jaipur: The Pragmatic Architects of Rajput-Mughal Alliance

Man Singh I (1589–1614 CE): Akbar's Commander

Raja Man Singh I of Amber represents the apex of Rajput-Mughal cooperation. He held:

• Mansab of 7,000 zat — one of the highest granted to any Rajput noble, matched only by Mirza Raja Jai Singh I later
• Governor of Bengal (1589–1594 CE, 1605–1606 CE), Bihar, Kabul, and Orissa at various times
• Led Akbar-era campaigns against the Afghans of Bengal and the Ahoms of Assam

Military Role at Haldighati

Man Singh I commanded Akbar's forces at Haldighati (1576 CE) against Maharana Pratap. The contrast between Man Singh's accommodation with the Mughals and Pratap's resistance is a central tension in Rajasthan's 16th-century political history — RPSC examiners draw on this contrast frequently.

Architecture Patronage

• Man Singh Palace at Amber (1592 CE): Amber Fort's earliest palace wing, featuring the Sheesh Mahal (Hall of Mirrors) and the Ganesh Pol gate; much of the fort seen today was added by Mirza Raja Jai Singh I (r. 1621–1667 CE)
• Man Mandir Palace, Gwalior (c. 1486–1516 CE): Built by Man Singh Tomar of the Tomar dynasty — not to be confused with Man Singh I Kachhwaha of Amber; features blue-and-yellow tile work and bracketed balconies
• Funded the Govinddev temple at Vrindavan (c. 1590 CE) — a 7-storey red sandstone temple, one of Mughal-period Rajasthan's major religious constructions outside the state

Sawai Jai Singh II (1699–1743 CE): Statesman, Astronomer, City Builder

Sawai Jai Singh II is the most intellectually accomplished of all Rajasthan's rulers in the examined period. The title Sawai ("one-and-a-quarter") was conferred by Aurangzeb, signifying his exceptional abilities.

Political Career

• Navigated the post-Aurangzeb Mughal collapse; held governorships of Agra (1722 CE) and Malwa (1724 CE)
• Attempted to unify a Rajput confederacy but was defeated by Marathas at Mandsaur (1733 CE) — the first major Rajput military setback against the Marathas
• Drafted the Jat Treaty with Churaman Jat and later expelled the Jats from the Agra region temporarily

Jaipur City (1727 CE)

Jai Singh founded Jaipur as the first purpose-built planned city in 18th-century India. Key features:

Feature	Detail
Architect	Vidyadhar Bhattacharya (Bengali architect)
Year founded	1727 CE; population established by 1733 CE
Plan	Grid plan, 9 sectors (chowkris) based on Vastu Shastra
Block size	Each sector ~740 × 590 metres; streets 33–111 feet wide
Hawa Mahal	Built 1799 CE by Maharaja Pratap Singh; not Jai Singh's commission
City Palace	Construction began 1729 CE under Jai Singh
Pink colour	City painted pink in 1876 CE for Prince of Wales visit; NOT Jai Singh's initiative
UNESCO	Inscribed as World Heritage Site in 2019 CE

Source: Giles Tillotson, Jaipur Nama (2006); ASI Jaipur City Report

Jantar Mantar Observatories

Jai Singh built 5 observatories:

Location	Year Built	Current Status
Jaipur	1734 CE	UNESCO World Heritage (2010); best preserved
Delhi	1724 CE	Operational; maintained by ASI
Ujjain	1725 CE	Operational
Varanasi	1737 CE	Operational
Mathura	c. 1728 CE	Destroyed; no remains

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Nomination File, Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010)

The Jaipur Jantar Mantar's largest instrument, Samrat Yantra, is the world's largest sundial — its gnomon is 27 metres tall and measures solar time accurate to 2 seconds.

Astronomical Scholarship

• Authored Zij-i-Muhammad Shahi (1738 CE) — astronomical tables correcting Ulugh Beg's Zij-i-Sultani (1437 CE) and La Hire's European tables (1702 CE); named in honour of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah
• Convened the Jaipur Astronomical Conference (c. 1727–28 CE), inviting astronomers from Portugal, England, and across India to compare methods
• Corresponded with Portuguese Jesuit astronomers at Goa and consulted European telescopic data

Religious and Legal Reform

• Conducted the Ashvamedha Yajna (1734 CE) — the last performance of this Vedic horse sacrifice by an Indian ruler
• Attempted (unsuccessfully) to reform usury rates and polygamy laws among Rajputs

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