The Raj Imarat, 1900–40: From Jacob to Chiman Lal

By the turn of the 20th century, Jaipur’s architectural story was entering a new phase. Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, who had become synonymous with the city’s architectural experiments, was beginning to step back from his official role.

On 1 April 1902, Jacob was seconded to special duties, preparing for the Maharaja’s visit to Britain for the coronation of King Edward VII. In his absence, the post of Superintending Engineer was handed over to his deputy, C. E. Stotherd, who had joined the Jaipur Public Works Department in 1896.

Jacob, however, never truly severed ties with Jaipur. After working as a consultant on irrigation for the Government of India and spending a period of leave in Kashmir, he chose to retire in 1905 at the age of sixty-four—but crucially, he remained in Jaipur as a consultant to the darbar. This meant that he continued to influence ongoing projects such as the Lallgarh Palace in Bikaner, and even advised on new works in British India. Notably, in 1912, he assisted Sydney Crookshank on the design of Lucknow University and the King George and Queen Mary Hospital and Medical College, and in 1913 he personally designed St. John’s College, Agra—a confident statement in the Indo-Saracenic idiom.

Jacob’s reputation also brought him briefly into the orbit of Edwin Lutyens. In 1913, he was appointed as special advisor to Lutyens for the design of New Delhi, with the unenviable task of encouraging the famously reluctant architect to incorporate Indian motifs. Lutyens bristled at this interference and largely ignored Jacob’s guidance, but by then Jacob was already in his seventies and ready to withdraw completely from public life. He died in 1917, leaving behind a legacy that stretched across both princely and imperial India.

Meanwhile, back in Jaipur, the PWD’s architectural momentum slowed under Stotherd, who was far more interested in roads and irrigation than in buildings. Within a few years, the department’s design output had dwindled. But Jaipur was not left without architectural leadership. Instead, another institution rose to prominence: the Raj Imarat, the Maharaja’s own construction department.

Since 1886, the Raj Imarat had been directed by Chiman Lal, a man who had trained under Jacob himself. Under his leadership, the Raj Imarat gradually assumed responsibility for the city’s most important architectural works, ensuring that Jaipur’s tradition of innovation in design and building continued well into the 20th century.

Thus, as Jacob faded into retirement, Jaipur’s architectural story passed seamlessly from the colonial PWD into the hands of a locally-led department—one that would continue to shape the built fabric of the city in the decades to come.

Mubarak Mahal: A Jewel of the Jaipur Palace Complex

Echoes of Transition: Jacob’s Legacy and the Raj Imarat’s Architectural Journey

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Jeypore portfolio of architecture details : Part-1 Coping and Plinths

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