Previous Year Question

The Mewar ruler Rana Kumbha was not merely a powerful ruler and patron of architecture; he was also a serious scholar and author on musicology.

Among Rana Kumbha's important works on music, Sangita Raja occupies a prominent place. Government and institutional academic material explicitly associates “Rana Kumbha — Sangita Raja.”

Sangita Raja belongs to the important medieval tradition of Indian musicological literature. It dealt with the theory of music, ragas, notes and various technical aspects connected with music.

Rana Kumbha's scholarship was not confined to a single work. Historical material available through IGNCA lists Sangitaraja, Sangita Mimamsa and Rasika Priya among his works on music. Rasika Priya was his commentary on Jayadeva's celebrated Gita Govinda. The same material also records his commentary on the Sangita Ratnakara.

His scholarship in music and dramaturgy was so highly regarded that he was also associated with the title “Abhinava Bharatacharya.” This makes it clear that Rana Kumbha was not merely a patron of music but was himself actively engaged in musicological writing.

The name Man Singh can cause some confusion because Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior was also an important patron of music and music flourished at his court. However, the question asks which of the given Rajput rulers is known to have written a book on music; in this context, the clear answer is Rana Kumbha.