Ram Singh II

Additionally, he aimed to transform Jaipur into a modern city, introducing schools, colleges, gas lights, and piped water supply.[3][5] However, Rober Stern argues that much of his pro-reform stances derived from a tendency to acquiesce to British preferences in exchange for titles and honors, thus ensuring his seat of power.[7] According to Jadunath Sarkar, the greatest contribution of Ram Singh was "to the cause of economic progress was the construction of metalled and bridged roads, with good staging bungalows at intervals".[12] Ram Singh was passionate about art and photography; he captured (and developed) numerous photographs of women, junior functionaries (like tailors) and nobles of his court.[13] Many of the photographs taken by him were of elite women who so-far lived an entirely secluded private life in the zenanas of his palace; captured in a western artificial setting, consisting of elegant backdrops, Victorian furniture and Persian carpets.[3] Laura Weinstein, an acclaimed art curator argues that the photographs served as an important tool to engage in the widespread discourse about Indian women behind the purdah and they stood out as a rare group of photographs that did not mirror oriental conceptions of Indian domestic life.[3] Rather than reforming the purdah system or associated woman issues, his photographs were modern tools that staunchly defended the tradition, much more than it breached, by portraying an apparent normalcy.[3] Ram Singh had also commissioned numerous self-portraits in a variety of poses ranging from a Hindu holy man to a Rajput warrior to a Western gentleman.[3] The glass negatives that produced the portraits, the albumen print photograph collection and his own self-portraits are now displayed at the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum in Jaipur.
Coinage of Jaipur under Ram Singh. In the name of Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Empress of India. Sawai Jaipur mint.
Self-portrait as a Shaivite , c. 1870
Self portrait with dogs, c. 1870
MaharajaJaipurMaharaja of JaipurJai Singh IIIMadho Singh IIJaipur StateRajputanaJodhpurAhmadnagarBaghelkhandBikanerMadhogarhKachwahaSheopurKachwaha RajputbakshisepoysJadunath SarkarKarauliMandawarCalcuttaBritish IndiaRam Niwas GardenEden GardensJaipur Zoological GardensAlipore Zoological GardenCalcutta Medical CollegeMaharaja of RewaMaharaja of JodhpurTakht SinghthakurMan Singh IIShaivitezenanaspurdahalbumen printRosie Llewellyn-JonesThe TribuneThe CaravanHindustan TimesLalsotRajasthanSarkar, JadunathPrithviraj Singh IPuranmalBhim SinghRatan SinghAskaranBharmalBhagwant DasMan Singh IBhau SinghJai Singh IRam Singh IBishan SinghJai Singh IIIshvari SinghMadho Singh IPrithvi Singh IIPratap SinghJagat SinghBhawani Singh