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Rajputana (Bikaner)
Bikaner was one of the
Rajput kingdoms of
Rajasthan which existed in sixteenth century
India in the
modern north-west of the country. The Rajputs were Hindu
warrior clans, and the word 'rajput' itself literally means 'the son of the
king', with the people being known for their valour. This particular state was
centred around the city of Bikaner,
with its territories lying in the north-west of the modern state of
Rajasthan. It was a region of wilderness until Rao Bika established a city
there in the late fifteenth century.
There were a number of small Rajput kingdoms which
emerged between the sixth to thirteenth centuries, including Amer,
Bundi,
Jaisalmer,
Jodhpur,
Malwa,
Kannauj,
Mewar,
and all were eventually conquered by the
Moghuls.
(Information by Abhijit Rajadhyaksha.) |
1465 - 1504 |
Rao Bika |
Born 1438. Of the Rathore clan and founder of Bikaner. |
1465 |
Rao Bika is a member of the Rathore clan and is the son of Rao Jodha of
Jodhpur.
Following a disagreement with his father he leaves Jodhpur and founds the
city of Bikaner after building his fort, Rati Ghati, on the site. He ends
the rivalry between his clan and the Bati clan by marrying the daughter of
their ruler. When refused the family heirlooms (the sandalwood throne, 'Pugal',
plus an umbrella, a sword, and a horse) by his brothers, he marches to Fort Mehrangarh and subdues his brothers. He does not harm them, simply regaining
his rightful property.
During his reign he also subdues the
Jats, Pathans, Bilochis, and Kyamkhanis and annexes their territory to
his kingdom. He eventually dies at his fort. |
1504 - 1505 |
Rao Naroji |
Son. Lost control over some of his nobles. |
1505 - 1526 |
Rao Lunkaranji succeeds Naroji and subdues the rebelling
nobles. He later defeats a
Moghul
army under Prince Kamran, but dies in battle against the nawab of Narnaul. |
1505 - 1526 |
Rao Lunkaranji |
Brother. Married the daughter of the ruler of
Mewar. |
1526 - 1542 |
Rao Jait Singhji |
Son. |
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Jait Singhji defeats the Bidwats, Chahals,and Johiyas, and expands the kingdom's territory by taking portions of
Marwar.
He is subsequently killed in battle by Marwar's forces under Rao Maldev.
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Bikaner Fort was founded by Rao Bika at the same time as he
founded the kingdom
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1542 - 1571 |
Rao Kalyan Singh |
Son. |
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Kalyan Singh is forced to flee his kingdom by the forces of
Marwar, but he
soon recovers it from Rao Maldev thanks to the help of Sher Shah
Suri. He also
resists an onslaught by the
Moghul
emperor, Akbar. |
by 1570 |
The
Moghul
emperor, Akbar, gains the submission of Bikaner, along with the other
Rajputs of Bundi,
Jaisalmer, and
Jodhpur. |
1571 - 1611 |
Raja Raj Singh I |
Son. Subdued
Jodhpur. Died in the Deccan at Burhanpur. |
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Raj Singh marries the princess of
Jaisalmer, and later
becomes Emperor Akbar's general. His own daughter is married to Prince Salim,
son of Akbar (and later the
Moghul
Emperor Jehangir). |
1611 |
On his deathbed, Raj Singh passes over Dalpat in
favour of his younger brother, Sur Singh. Dalpat rebels and declares himself
king. |
1611 - 1614 |
Raja Dalpat Singh |
Son. Usurped the throne. Served as a commander in
Moghul
army. |
1614 |
Sur Singh takes his brother prisoner and seizes
his throne. Dalpat Singh is killed at Ajmer while trying to escape from
captivity. |
1614 - 1631 |
Raja Sur Singh |
Brother. |
1631 - 1669 |
Raja Karan Singh |
Son. Deposed. |
1646 |
Differences have arisen between the king of
Golconda and
the
Moghul governor of the Deccan, Emperor Shah Jahan's son, Aurangzeb.
Aurangzeb's own son is Prince Muhammed, and he is deputed to attack Golconda. Anup
Singh, son of Raja Karan Singh, aids him, winning the fort of Golconda. |
1658 |
A war of succession erupts when
Moghul
Emperor Shah Jahan falls ill. With Karan Singh as one of his supporters,
Aurangzeb defeats Dara
Shukoh in battle using a mixture of guile and bravery and subsequently
seizes power. Karan Singh's later reward is to be deposed by Aurangzeb for
dereliction of duty at Attock. He is exiled to Aurangabad in the Deccan,
where he dies. |
1669 - 1698 |
Maharaja Anup Singh |
Son. Died at Adoni in Deccan. |
1698 - 1700 |
Maharaja Sarup Singh |
Son. Succeeded aged 9. Died of smallpox at Adoni. |
1700 - 1736 |
Maharaja Sujan Singh |
Brother? Succeeded aged 10. Broke off ties
with declining
Moghuls. |
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Sujan Singh assists Emperor Aurangzeb in the Deccan, and successfully wards
off attacks from
Jodhpur and Nagaur. Once it becomes clear that
Moghul power is fading, Sujan Singh breaks off ties (and Moghul
control). |
1736 - 1745 |
Maharaja Zorawar Singh |
Son. |
1739 |
Wars against
Marwar
are triggered when Abhai Singh of Marwar attacks Bikaner. The capital is saved
through the intervention of Raja Sawai Jai Singh II of
Jaipur,
although Zorawar Singh has to quell rebellions by his own nobles. |
1745 - 1787 |
Maharaja Gaj Singh |
Nephew and adopted son. |
1745 |
Maharaja Gaj Singh makes peace with
Marwar
against the wishes of his nobles. He is also the first of his line to mint
his own coins. |
1787 |
Maharaja Raj Singh II |
Son. Reigned for 13 days. |
1787 |
Maharaja Pratap Singh |
Son. Succeeded aged 6. Died same year, perhaps killed by
uncle. |
1788 - 1828 |
Maharaja Surat Singh |
Uncle, and regent during Pratap's short reign. |
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Surat Singh's reign is one of mixed fortunes. He resolves border disputes
with
Jaipur,
and concedes the payment of indemnity to the
Marathas
after their attack, incurring huge debts in the process. He later applies
for
British protection after an internal rebellion. |
1828 - 1851 |
Maharaja Narendra Ratan Singh |
Son. |
1839 |
Narendra Ratan Singh supplies camels to the
British in
India during their
Afghan campaign. |
1844 - 1845 |
The
British
in India annexe
Sindh in 1844, and the
Sikhs attack British
divisions at Ferozepur. The First Anglo-Sikh War is triggered in
1845. The Sikhs fight well, but eventually succumb to the disciplined
British army following betrayals by some of their Dogra generals. Narendra
Ratan Singh supplies help to the British for this campaign. |
1851 - 1872 |
Maharaja Sardar Singh |
Son. |
1857 - 1858 |
The Indian Mutiny (or Great Sepoy Rebellion) against
British
rule erupts among
East India Company
native army units at Meerut, near Delhi, but after some hard fighting in
places it is suppressed, with Sardar Singh providing support. The British
Parliament
places India under the direct control of the empire's
Viceroys. |
1872 - 1887 |
Maharaja Dungar Singh |
Adopted son. Succeeded aged 18. |
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Dungar
Singh is the first to introduce electricity to Rajasthan. he also sets up
a police force, a hospital and a modern administrative system. |
1887 - 1943 |
Maharaja Sir Ganga Singh |
Brother. Succeeded aged 7. |
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Sir Ganga Singh accompanies the British army in its campaign into
China. He
later proves to be an excellent administrator like his brother and ushers
in an economic revolution complete with judicial system, banking system,
a boosted infrastructure, and public utility works. |
1943 - 1950 |
Maharaja Sadul Singh |
Son. Born 1902. Acceded to the
Indian
union. |
1948 - 1949 |
India achieves independence from
Britain
and begins the process of taking control of the princely states.
Mewar is one
of the first of the princely states to merge with the new dominion. Later in
1949, twenty-two princely states of Rajasthan merge to form the Union of
Greater Rajasthan, acknowledging the maharana of Udaipur in Mewar as their
head. |
1950 - 1988 |
Maharaja Karni Singh |
Son. Born 1924. |
1956 |
On 1 November, the state of Rajasthan comes into being. The Rajasthan rulers
give up their sovereignty but enjoy privy purses. |
1970 - 1971 |
In 1970 the
Indian
Parliament decides to abolish the institution of royalty, and the following
year the rulers of the former princely states are de-recognised and their
privy purses and titles snatched away from them. |
1988 - 2003 |
Maharaja Narendra Singh |
Son. Born 1946. |
2003 - Present |
Maharaja Raviraj Singh |
Son. |
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