Jai Singh II

The Mahârâja Sawâî Jai Singh II (November 3rd 1688 - September 21st 1743) is born with Amber, then capital of the clan Râjput of the Kachhwâwâ, traditional combined, because of its position close to Delhi and Âgrâ, of the Empire moghol. It assembles on the throne in 1699 at the 11 years age, following the death of his father the mahârâja Bishen Singh. The emperor moghol Aurangzeb grants the title to him of “sawâî” - literally that which is worth more a one Quarter - in other words exceptional. This title will remain the privilege as of its descendants starting from this date.

Sawâî Jai Singh continues its research of knowledge all along its life and studies the Religion, the Philosophie, the Art S, the Architecture, the Astronomie and the Astrologie. It is interested particularly in astronomies of the schools Hindou are, Greek, Musulman be and European. It translates into Sanskrit (title of the translations between brackets) and studies the Almageste Ptolémée ( Siddhantasurikaustubha ), the Tabulae astronomicae, Ludovici Magni jussu and munificentia exaratae ( Mithiajeevachayyasurnidu ) of Philippe of Hire, the Historia coelestis Britannica of John Flamsteed, the Principia of Newton, the Éléments of Euclide and the Zij Ulugh Begi , tables astronomical of Ûlûgh Beg ( Turusurni ) which it recomputes as well as the chiefs of work of Âryabhata, of Varahamihira, of Brahmagupta and Bhāskarācārya.

In 1719, it is pilot of a discussion animated at the court of the emperor moghol Muhammad Shâh in connection with astronomical calculations to carry out to determine a favourable date for the beginning of a voyage of the emperor. These calculations indeed play a big role in a a whole part of the daily life of the Indian world, so much for the determination of the dates of Hindu holidays or Moslem women or the dates favourable with a certain number of events. Jai Singh decides that an significant effort is to be made for the development of astronomy in the Empire and plans the construction of large astronomical observatories, the Yantra, in five cities of India of North: Delhi, Jaipur, Mathurâ, Ujjain and Vârânasî. As of 1724, the first observatory is finished in Delhi. Today, that of Mathurâ disappeared, that of Vârânasî is incomplete but the others, in particular that of Jaipur, are groups of monuments which deserve the visit for the gigantism of their instruments, of a precision without equal at the time.

Muhammad Shâh appoints it governor of the Mâlvâ in 1732, a province which it yields to the Marathe S two later with the agreement of the emperor moghol.

The other great project of Jai Singh is the displacement of its capital of the Fort of Amber in the new city of Jaipur - literally the city, pure , of the victory, jai - whose construction proceeds in 1727 - 1728. Jai Singh is known to have been one of the “modern” râjas to have followed some ritual vedic of which the Ashvamedha.

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