In Jaipur style under which Maharaja more than fifty artists were employed ?

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Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:
Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh (reigned 1778–1803) is widely celebrated as the foremost patron of the Jaipur style of painting. His deep dedication to the arts, particularly his devotion to Lord Krishna, led to an unprecedented expansion of the royal painting workshop, known as the *Suratkhana*. Historical records and art studies confirm that his court employed a large number of artists—often cited as fifty or more—which included master painters like Sahib Ram. This patronage allowed for an enormous volume of work, including grand portraits, extensive series of religious paintings, and illustrated texts, thereby bringing the unique characteristics of the Jaipur school to its artistic zenith. The Maharaja’s enthusiasm for poetry, under the pen name ‘Brijnidhi’, further fuelled the artistic activity in his court, making his reign the golden age for painting in Jaipur.

The incorrect option is 2:
Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (reigned 1699–1743) was the brilliant founder of the city of Jaipur and a major patron of architecture and astronomy, but the peak period for employing a highly numerous group of over fifty court painters belongs to a later generation. While he laid the foundations for the Jaipur school, the massive scaling up of the atelier occurred after his time.

The incorrect option is 3:
Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I (reigned 1750–1768) was indeed a patron of the arts and father of Pratap Singh, and important artists like Sahib Ram began their work during his reign. However, his period did not witness the dramatic expansion of the *Suratkhana* to the large number of artists specified. This peak level of employment and artistic output is consistently attributed to his son's longer and more fervent reign.

The incorrect option is 4:
Maharaja Sawai Prithvi Singh II had an extremely short reign in 1778 before his younger brother Pratap Singh ascended the throne. A reign of such brief duration would not have allowed for the administrative or financial undertaking required to employ and manage a staff of more than fifty dedicated artists. Therefore, he is not credited with this significant phase of the Jaipur painting style.