Sawai Jai Singh II ( 1688 - 1743 ) - Maharaja Dhundhara , founder of Jaipur , also known as the organizer of astronomical observatories in Delhi , Benares , Ujjain , Jaipur ( Jantar Mantar Observatory) and Mathura .
The instruments of these observatories were modeled on the instruments of the Maragha and Samarkand observatories. So, the Ram-Yantra cylindrical instrument, the Jai Prakash hemispherical instrument, and the Samrat-Yantra instrument, which is a stone wall in the form of a rectangular triangle, whose hypotenuse is parallel to the axis of the globe, have survived to the present day in the observatory in Delhi. on the sides of the wall are attached two arcs of 1/8 of a circle that make up the quadrant ; the wall serves as a gnomon whose shadow falls on the arcs of a quadrant, graduated in hours and minutes, as well as in degrees.
Although Jai Singh was a Hindu, he wrote in Sanskrit as well as in the widespread at the court Mughal emperors of Farsi . He dedicated padishah Muhammad Shah (1719-1748) written in Farsi "Zij Muhammad Shah." The theoretical introduction to this zij is in three parts: 1) About the calendar; 2) On spherical trigonometry and astronomical observations; 3) On the movement of the stars. The third section contains information about modern Western astronomy: it sets out the doctrine of planetary motion along ellipses and indicates observations of Saturn's rings and the moons of Jupiter . Jai Singh also wrote A Treatise on Astrolabe.
Jai Singh is the last ruler to have performed ashwamedha : the horse’s ritual sacrifice described in the Vedas .
Literature
- Rosenfeld B. A. Astronomy of the countries of Islam / Historical and astronomical research. - No. 17, 1984. - Ss. 67-122.
- Sharma VN Sawai Jai Singh and his astronomy . Motilal Banarsidass, 1995.