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IX. BARDIC AND OTHER LITERATURE (1550-1800) Bards of Mcwar.— The succession of bards in the various kingdoms of Rajputana and other parts of Hindustan was continued right down to modern times, and Mewar was one of the states where great en- couragement was given to them. A chronicle of the time of Rana Jagat Singh, of Mewar, who reigned from 1628 to 1654, called the Jagat Bilds, was written by an unknown bard. The successor of Jagat Singh, Rana Raj Singh (1654-1681), who was the famous opponent of Aurangzeb, was a great patron of poets. The chronicle of his time, called Raj Prakds, was also written by an anonymous bard. At the suggestion of Rana Raj Singh his poet-laureate, Md7i (fl. 1660), wrote the Raj Dev Bilds, which describes the struggle between Aurangzeb and Raj Singh. Another poet who lived at his court was Saddsiv (fl. 1660), who wrote his patron's life under the title Rdj Rat7idkar. The son of Raj Singh was Rana Jai Singh (1681-1700) and he also was a patron of poets. A work which he had written by poets at his court was the Jai Dev Bilds^ which is a series of lives of the kings whom he had conquered. Another author of a bardic chronicle of Mewar, entitled Rdj Pattand, was Ran Chhor, whose date is doubtful. Bards of Marwar. — In Marwar also great patronage was given to poets. Maharaja Sur Singh is said in one day to have distributed six lakhs of rupees to six poets at his court. His son Gaj Singh was also a patron of poets, as well as his grandson Amar Singh. 6