Sawai Jai Singh (1699–1743) founded the city of Jaipur. On which theme did he commission numerous paintings?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Radha and Krishna
Option (1) Rama and Sita — Incorrect. Rama’s story was painted in the Jagat Singh Ramayana of Mewar and in Man Singh’s Ramayana set at Jodhpur.
Option (2) Radha and Krishna — Correct. Drawn to the Vaishnavite sect, Jai Singh commissioned numerous paintings on Radha and Krishna. His artists painted sets on Rasikapriya, Gita Govinda, Baramasa and Ragamala.
Option (3) Elephant fights and hunts — Incorrect. Elephant fights and boar and tiger hunts were painted for his successor Sawai Ishwari Singh, as scenes of his leisure pursuits.
Option (4) Dhola and Maru — Incorrect. Dhola-Maru was a set painted at Jodhpur under Man Singh.
NCERT (2026-27): “Jaipur School of Painting …Sawai Jai Singh (1699–1743), an influential ruler, established a new capital city Jaipur named after him in 1727 and shifted from Amer. …He was drawn to the Vaishnavite sect and commissioned numerous paintings on the theme of Radha and Krishna. Artists during his reign painted sets based on Rasikapriya, Gita Govinda, Baramasa and Ragamala, where the hero’s figure is in striking resemblance with the king. …Sawai Ishwari Singh (1743–1750) extended the same patronage to art. Apart from religious and literary texts, he got scenes of his leisure pursuits painted, such as elephant rides, boar and tiger hunts, elephant fights, and so on.” |