Maharaja School of Art and Craft (Madarsa-a-hunari) was founded by:

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:
Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II is correctly identified as the founder and the principal patron of the institution originally named Madarsa-a-hunari. Established in 1857, the school's primary objective was to preserve and promote the indigenous arts, crafts, and industrial design of the Jaipur state, following the example of other art schools being set up in British India. Sawai Ram Singh II was a progressive ruler known for his passion for arts, photography, and urban development, ensuring the school received significant royal support and flourished during the mid-19th century. The institution remains functional today as the Government Art School, Jaipur, a testament to his vision of blending traditional Rajasthani craftsmanship with modern educational practices.

The incorrect option is 2:
Maharaja Jai Singh, more specifically Sawai Jai Singh II, was one of Jaipur's most significant rulers, but he lived much earlier than the school's founding. He reigned from 1699 to 1743 and is famously known as the founder of the city of Jaipur itself and for commissioning the astronomical observatories, the Jantar Mantars. His reign predates the establishment of the Maharaja School of Art and Craft by over a century, as it was founded in 1857, making him historically too early to be the founder. While he was a patron of learning and architecture, this specific art school was not his creation.

The incorrect option is 3:
Maharaja Man Singh I's tenure as a ruler of Amber (not yet Jaipur) was during the height of the Mughal Empire, from 1589 to 1614. He was a celebrated general of Emperor Akbar, and his era is far too early in history to be associated with the founding of this institution. The establishment of formal art schools in India, like the Madarsa-a-hunari, was a phenomenon of the 19th century, often influenced by British colonial policy and the need for industrial design training.

The incorrect option is 4:
Maharaja Prithvi Singh's connection to the school's founding is historically unfounded. There were multiple rulers by this name in the lineage. For instance, Prithvi Singh II of Jaipur had a very brief reign around the 1770s, which is still too early. The Madarsa-a-hunari was a significant educational development of the mid-19th century, a time when Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II was actively ruling and modernising the state.