With reference to the statecraft and economic policies of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, consider the following statements: 1. Ranjit Singh maintained a remarkable degree of secularism in his court and government, employing Hindus, Muslims, and Europeans in high administrative and military positions. 2. His revenue system was based on a fixed cash assessment of the land, completely abolishing the earlier practice of assessment by the division of crops (Batai or Kankut) across his kingdom. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? |ForumIAS

[A] 1 only

[B] 2 only

[C] Both 1 and 2

[D] Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Notes:

Explanation:

Statement 1: Correct. Ranjit Singh’s court and army were famous for their diversity. His Prime Minister was a Hindu (Raja Dhian Singh), his Foreign Minister was a Muslim (Fakir Azizuddin), and he heavily employed European and American officers.
Statement 2: Incorrect. While Ranjit Singh tried to introduce a more rigorous measurement system, he often continued to use the old system of crop-sharing (Batai) or estimation (Kankut) alongside the cash-based system in different areas, often preferring the revenue farmer (Ijaradari) system due to the large size of his empire.