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Jijnäsa
The tradition was maintained during the reign of Jagat Singh and Jai Singh III also and many good poems were written by the court-poets and others. Padmakar, the famous Hindi poet, flourished in the court of Pratap Singh and Jagat Singh.
Sawai Ram Singh's time was a period of alround progress in Jaipur. The collections of Pothikhānā became richer with the addition of new writings and important printed books.
A catalogue of the Khās-muhar collection has been prepared, title and authorwise index to the registers has been published. The manuscripts of the other two collections are above 5000 in number and they are yet to be catalogued.
A cursory survey of these manuscripts will show that though mostly eulogical, they cover a wide range of subjects and provide much data for study in various branches of learning. A few notes given below, may be of interest to scholars.
The earliest dated manuscript is a copy of Bhuvan Dipak-Vritti by Simhatilaka Sūri written at Bijapur in 1326 V.S. (1269 A.D.). The next oldest copy is that of Vidyānanda-Vyakarana dated 1441 V.S. (1384 A.D.).
There are copies of the Sanhitäs of all the four vedas and Sāyana's commentary dated as early as the last quarter of the 17th century. But the collections are richer with manuscripts on Vedic rituals, the copies of which primarily belong to the time of Sawai Jai Singh.
Works on Dharmaśāstra are numerous. Some of them were compiled for Sawai Jai Singh and the earlier works seem to have been collected for reference. Almost all the Smritis and works by distinguished authors are available.
There are copies of the Puränas and Upapurāṇas written in a fine handwriting. The Vaisnavatukachandrikä, commentary on Vişnu Purāņa by Ratnagarbha Bhattacharya, scribed in 1702 V.S. (1645 A.D.) in the reign of Jai Singh I at Aurangabad, is very important and rare, commentaries on Bhāgavatam by all the eminent authors are found in the collections. An index to various Puräņas, prepared by the court pandits, is very useful.
Besides the Upanişads, general philosophy (Vedānta, Nyāya, Sankhya and Yoga) and devotional philosophy had been a subject of much interest to Sawai Jai Singh. He collected all the principal works of the founder exponents of the different Vaisnava Sects, including their commentaries on Vyāsa-sūtras, Bhāgavata and Gītā. These manuscripts form a unique source for the study of the subject.
Works written under the patronage of the rulers are also interesting and full of information.
The Daman Mañjari, a drama in Sanskrit), composed by Mohan Kavi, contains an internal evidence that it was staged in the court of Raja Man Singh I (1590-1614 A.D.) and that Karnāta artists adored his court. It also provides information about some social customs and court etiquette.
In Mānsinhapratāpa Kallola (Sanskrit), a poem by Trimalla Kavi, a description of the royal insignia of Raja Man Singh is given e.g., Chhatra, Chanwar, horses, elephants etc.
The most important are the two poems, Mānacharita (in Bhäsha) by Amritrai and Narottam Kavi". They deal with the life and achievements of Raja Man Singh. The description in them can be taken as contemporary evidence for many historical events. They also contain important references to the socio-economic conditions of the time. Amritrai wrote his poem in 1642 V.S. (1585 A.D.), the twenty-ninth year of Akbar's reign, and the manuscript was scribed in 1670 V.S. (1613 A.D.), just one year before the death of Raja Man Singh. Narottam's work is more detailed and it was scribed by Manohar Mahätmä, a favourite lekhaka of Mirza Raja Jai Singh, in 1697 V.S. (1640 A.D.). In both
