Jai Singh II

Sawai Jai Singh II was born on 3 November 1688 and ascended to the throne of Amber at the age of eleven after his father Mirza Raja Bishan Singh died on 31 December 1699. During his early reign he served as a vassal of the Mughal Empire and was honoured by Emperor Aurangzeb with the title of "Sawai" before the siege of Vishalgad Fort in the Deccan, a title that signified a superiority of one and a quarter over his contemporaries.

In 1721 he received the title of "Saramad-i-Raja-i-Hindustan" and in 1723 he was further elevated to "Maharaja Sawai, Raj Rajeshwar, Shri Rajadhiraj" during the reign of Emperor Muhammad Shah. These honours reflected his growing influence and the recognition of his sovereignty by the Mughal court.

Jai Singh asserted his independence by performing the ancient Ashvamedha sacrifice, first in 1727 when he moved the capital from Amber to the newly founded walled city of Jaipur, and again in 1734 and 1741. The relocation of the capital marked a significant shift in the political and cultural landscape of the region.

Beyond his administrative duties, Jai Singh was deeply interested in mathematics, architecture, astronomy, astrology, and literature. He commissioned the construction of the Jantar Mantar observatories at several locations, including Jaipur, and had Euclid’s "Elements of Geometry" translated into Sanskrit, demonstrating his commitment to scientific and scholarly pursuits.

Jai Singh II was deposed from the throne of Amber by the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah I, who granted the title of Mirza Raja to Jai Singh’s younger brother, Vijay Singh, and declared him the new Raja of Amber. The emperor’s decision demoted Jai Singh to the status of an ordinary Jagirdar.

In response to this loss of power, Jai Singh formed a political alliance with the Kingdom of Marwar. He also secured a matrimonial alliance with the Kingdom of Mewar. These alliances were aimed at countering the Mughal emperor’s authority.

The combined efforts of the Rajput states led to a rebellion against the Mughal emperor. Through this rebellion, Jai Singh was able to re‑annex the territories that had been lost during his deposition.

Jai Singh II died in 1743, two years after his last major engagement, the Battle of Gangwana. He was cremated at the Royal Crematorium at Gaitore, north of Jaipur, and was succeeded by his son Ishwari Singh.

His reign was marked by a series of reforms that left a lasting imprint on society and culture. He was the first Hindu ruler in centuries to perform ancient Vedic sacrifices such as the Ashvamedha in 1716 and the Vajapeya in 1734, and on both occasions he distributed vast amounts of wealth in charity. Initiated into the Nimbarka Sampradaya of the Vaishnava sect, he promoted Sanskrit learning and enacted reforms that abolished Sati and curtailed extravagant expenditures associated with Rajput weddings. At his insistence, the Jizya tax, imposed on Hindus by Aurangzeb in 1679, was finally abolished by Emperor Muhammad Shah in 1720, and in 1728 he also secured the withdrawal of the pilgrimage tax on Hindus at Gaya.

Jai Singh’s interest in astronomy was sparked by a court controversy in 1719 involving the Mughal emperor’s desire for an auspicious date for a journey. He had been exposed to astronomy early on by his tutor Jagannatha Samrat in 1702. Despite ongoing wars and turmoil, he ordered the construction of five observatories—at Delhi, Mathura, Varanasi, Ujjain, and Jaipur—collectively known as the Jantar Mantar. These observatories employed advanced instruments such as the Ram Yantra, Jai Prakash, Samrat Yantra, Digamsha Yantra, and Narivalaya Yantra, which were superior to those used by European Jesuit astronomers. His observations were remarkably accurate, and he compiled the Zij-i-Muhammadshahi tables to aid others in astronomical calculations.

Perhaps his most enduring legacy is the founding of Jaipur, originally called Jai Nagara. Construction began in 1725, with the foundation stone laid in 1727, and by 1733 Jaipur had officially replaced Amber as the capital of the Kachhwaha. The city was built on an ancient Hindu grid pattern and designed by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, who drew upon Sanskrit manuals on city‑planning and architecture. Jaipur’s fortified walls and a garrison of 17,000 men, including artillery, provided security that attracted merchants from across India. The Sanskrit epic ‘Ishvar Vilas Mahakavya’ by Devarshi Shrikrishna Bhatt chronicles the city’s construction and other significant events of the era.

Jai Singh’s contributions to science and culture earned him the reputation of the most enlightened king of 18th‑century India. His observatories, now known as Jantar Mantar, remain functional in Jaipur, Varanasi, and Ujjain, while the ones at Delhi and Mathura are no longer operational.