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{{Short description|none}}
{{About|the natural and historical region|the state during the British Raj|Bikaner State}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March
The region of [[Bikaner]], stretching across
It is bounded on the south by [[Marwar]] and [[Jaisalmer state|Jaisalmer]] regions, on the east by [[Ajmer-Merwara]] region.▼
[[Bikaner state]] was a [[princely state]] that was founded in the 15th century in this region. After becoming a [[British protectorate]] in 1818, it persisted until shortly after India's Independence in 1947.▼
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|'''[[Dynasty|Dynasties]]'''
|[[Rathore dynasty|Rathore]]s (1488–1949)
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| '''Historical [[Capital
| [[Bikaner]]
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▲The region of [[Bikaner]], stretching across northern [[Rajasthan State]] in [[India]], was earlier known as '''Jangladesh'''. It included the present-day districts of [[Bikaner District|Bikaner]], [[Churu District|Churu]], [[Ganganagar District|Ganganagar]], and [[Hanumangarh District|Hanumangarh]].
▲It is bounded on the south by [[Marwar]] and [[Jaisalmer state|Jaisalmer]] regions, on the east by [[Ajmer-Merwara]] region.
▲[[Bikaner state]] was a [[princely state]] that was founded in the 15th century in this region. After becoming a [[British protectorate]] in 1818, it persisted until shortly after India's Independence in 1947.
Prior to the mid 15th century, the region that is now Bikaner was a barren wilderness called [[Jangladesh]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.rajasthantourism.gov.in/destinations/bikaner/bikaneroverview.htm
|title=Bikaner
|
|
|
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> [[Rao Bika]] established the city of Bikaner in 1488. He was the son of [[Rao Jodha]] of the Rathor Rajput clan, the founder of [[Jodhpur]] and conquered the largely arid area in the north of Rajasthan.
Provoked by a stray comment by his father, [[Rao Bika|Bika]] left Marwar (Jodhpur) with his uncle [[Rao Kandhal|Kandhmal]] to create his own kingdom. During his journey, [[Rao Bika|Bika]] stopped at [[Deshnoke|Deshnok]] where he consulted the mystic [[Karni Mata]] for her blessings and get prophesied that he would be successful. Encouraged by her support, [[Rao Bika|Bika]] took advantage of the internal rivalries of the [[Jat people
Though it was in the [[Thar Desert]], [[Bikaner]] was considered an [[oasis]] on the trade route between [[Central Asia]] and the [[Gujarat]] coast as it had adequate spring water. Bika's name was attached to the city he built and to the state of Bikaner ("the settlement of Bika") that he established. Bika built a fort in 1478, which is now in ruins, and a hundred years later a new fort was built about 1.5 km from the city centre, known as the Junagarh Fort.<ref name="Ring">{{Cite book|last=Ring|first=Trudy|author2=Robert M. Salkin|author3=Sharon La Boda|title= International Dictionary of Historic Places: Asia and Oceania|work=Bikaner|page= 129|
Around a century after Rao Bika founded Bikaner, the state's fortunes flourished under the sixth Raja, Rai Singhji, who ruled from 1571 to 1611. During the [[Mughal Empire]]'s rule in the country, Raja Rai Singh accepted the [[suzerainty]] of the Mughals and held a high rank as an army general at the court of the Emperor [[Akbar]] and his son the Emperor [[Jahangir]]. Rai Singh's successful military exploits, which involved winning half of [[Mewar|Mewar kingdom]] for the Empire, won him accolades and rewards from the Mughal emperors.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} He was given the [[jagir]]s (lands) of Gujarat and [[Burhanpur]]. With the large revenue earned from these jagirs, he built the Chintamani Durg (Junagarh fort) on a plain which has an average elevation of {{convert|760|ft|m}}. He was an expert in arts and architecture, and the knowledge he acquired during his visits abroad is amply reflected in the numerous monuments he built at the Junagarh fort.<ref name=Ring/><ref name=history/><ref name=Juna>{{cite web|url=http://www.realbikaner.com/palace/junagarh/index.html|title=Junagarh Fort, Bikaner|
Maharaja Karan Singh, who ruled from 1631 to 1669, under the suzerainty of the Mughals, built the Karan Mahal palace. Later rulers added more floors and decorations to this Mahal. [[Anup Singh
During the 18th century, there was an internecine war between the rulers of Bikaner and Jodhpur and also amongst other [[Thakur (Indian title)|thakurs]], which was put down by British troops in the 19th century.<ref name=history/>
Following Maharaja Gaj Singh, Maharaja Surat Singh ruled from 1787 to 1828 and lavishly decorated the audience hall (see illustration) with glass and lively paintwork. Under a [[subsidiary alliance|treaty of paramountcy]] signed in 1818, during Maharaja Surat Singh's reign, Bikaner came under the [[suzerainty]] of the British, after which the Maharajas of Bikaner invested heavily in refurbishing Junagarh fort.<ref name="Ring p.133">Ring p.133</ref>
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==The rise of Rao Bika==
About 1465 [[Rao Bika]], a [[Rathore dynasty|Rathore]] Rajput, and an elder son of [[Rao Jodha]], king of Marwar, provoked by a stray comment by his father, left Marwar (Jodhpur) with a small contingent of Rathore and [[Rajpurohit]] warriors (500 soldier and 100 cavalrymen) to create his own kingdom. He was accompanied by his uncle, Rawat Kandhal
Encouraged by the mystic [[Karni Mata]], whom he had met early in his travels, he took advantage of the internal rivalries of the [[Jat]] clans so that by 1485 he was able to establish his own territory and build a small fort called Rati Ghati at the city which still bears his name. In 1488 he began the building of the city itself. In the beginning, the neighboring Bhati chiefs were suspicious of the new growing power in their vicinity. [[Karni Mata]], who had become the ''kuladevi'' of Rao Bika brought the rivalry between the Rathore & Bhatis to an end by inspiring Rao Shekha
Upon Rao Jodha's death in 1488 Rao Bika stormed [[Mehrangarh Fort]],<ref name="Beny & Matheson. Page 47">Beny & Matheson. Page 47.</ref> an event that was to lead to 200 years of intermittent wars between Marwar and Bikaner.
Remains of the original small fortress Rao Bika built can still be seen around the walled city, near Lakshminath ji temple. The royal family of Bikaner lived there, till Raja Rai Singh Ji built a new fort called "Chintamani" (now Junagarh) between 1589 and
According to legend Bika [[Lunkaran]] consulted a holy man called Jas Nathji, who foretold that Bika's line would reign for 450 years. While Bika was pleased with this prediction, his brother Gharsiji when he heard of the prediction thought a longer period of power should have been prophesied. He confronted the holy man while he was in a deep trance and roused him by thrusting burning incense under his nose.<ref name="Beny & Matheson. Page 47"/> Jas Nathji told him 'All right take 50 years more or less but of trial and tribulation'.<ref name="Crump and Toh. Page 193">{{harvnb|Crump|Toh|1996|pp=193}}</ref>
Rao Bika died in 1504. His successors benefited from the weak rule of Suraj Mal of Marwar and the disruption caused by [[Babur]]'s invasion of India to consolidate and extend their possessions
One of the most successful earlier rulers was
==Mughal era==
[[File:Raja Karan Singh of Bikaner, Auranzeb's ally and enemy.jpg|thumb|Raja Karan Singh of Bikaner, Auranzeb's ally and enemy]]
The return of Humayun to power meant that Bikaner due to its involvement with Sher Shah Suri came into conflict with the Mughals again. However Kalyan Mal by using all the advantages of the harsh desert environment around Bikaner was able to defeat any invading Mughal army.<ref name="Crump and Toh. Page 193"/> The coming of [[Akbar]] to power saw the Mughal empire turn to diplomacy instead of force to bring the individual Rajput states into the empire.
As a result, Raja Rai Singh, the sixth ruler of Bikaner was among the first Rajput Chiefs to make an alliance with the Mughal Empire. As a result, during the reign of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] emperor [[Akbar]] the rulers of Bikaner were esteemed among the most loyal adherents of the empire and held high ranks as Mansabdars of special order in the imperial court. They served as military commanders in various Mughal campaigns all over the
==Early and middle 19th century==
By the middle of the 19th century the years of internal strife together with the financial and military demands put on Bikaner by the British had put the kingdom in debt. A sharp turnaround in the fortunes of the kingdom occurred in 1842 when Maharaja Ratan Singh took advantage of a shortage of pack animals to supply Bikaner's renowned camels at considerable profit to the British for their Afghan expedition.
▲By the middle of the 19th century the years of internal strife together with the financial and military demands put on Bikaner by the British had put the kingdom in debt. A sharp turnaround in the fortunes of the kingdom occurred in 1842 when Maharaja Ratan Singh took advantage of a shortage of pack animals to supply Bikaner's renowned camels at considerable profit to the British for their Afghan expedition. Ths turnaround was such that by 1844 he was able to reduce the dues on goods passing through Bikaner. He also gave assistance in both Sikh campaigns to the British. His son, Sardar Singh (1851–1872), was rewarded for help given during the [[Revolt of 1857]] by an increase of territory. In 1868 a rising of the Thakurs against his extortions led to the despatch of a British political officer, by whom affairs were adjusted.
==Ganga Singh==
[[File:Ganga Singh of Bikaner 1914.jpg|thumb|[[Ganga Singh]] with his son in 1914]]
The reign of Maharaja Ganga Singh was notable for great socio-political and economic development in every sphere of life, namely, education, health, sanitation, water supply, power generation and electricity, irrigation, post and telegraph, roads and railways, trade and commerce, etc
▲The reign of Maharaja Ganga Singh was notable for great socio-political and economic development in every sphere of life, namely, education, health, sanitation, water supply, power generation and electricity, irrigation, post and telegraph, roads and railways, trade and commerce, etc. The state owes to this ruler the opening up of new railways across the great desert, which was formerly passable only by camels and the tapping of the valuable coal deposits that occur in the territory. The railway from Jodhpur had been extended towards [[Bhatinda]] in the [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]]; on the northern border, the Ghaggar canal in the Punjab irrigated about {{convert|5000|acres|0|abbr=on}} (20 km²).
Drought is a common occurrence, and the region faced the most severe [[famine]] in 1899–1900 which was so severely felt that by 1901 it reduced the population to 584,627, a decrease of 30%.
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| [[Rao Jait Singh]] ''Jetasi''
| 1526
|
|-
|-
! 5
| [[Rao Kalyan Mal]]
|
| 1574
|-
|-
! 6
| [[Rao Rai Singh
| 1574
| 1612
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|-
! 9
| [[Rao Karan Singh]] ''Jangalpat Badhshah''
| 1631
| 1667
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|-
! 10
| ''Maharaja'' [[Rao Anup Singh]]
| 1669
| 1698
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|-
! 11
| ''Maharaja'' [[Rao Sarup Singh]]
| 1698
| 1700
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|-
! 12
| ''Maharaja'' [[Rao Sujan Singh]]
| 1700
| 1735
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|-
! 14
| ''Maharaja'' [[Gaj Singh of Bikaner|Rao Gaj Singh]]
| 1746
| 1787
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|-
! 16
| ''Maharaja'' [[Rao Pratap Singh]]
| 1787
| 1787
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|-
! 17
| ''Maharaja'' [[Surat Singh of Bikaner|Rao Surat Singh]]
| 1787
| 1828
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|-
! 18
| ''Narendra Maharaja'' [[Rao Ratan Singh]]
| 1828
| 1851
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|-
! 19
| ''Narendra Maharaja'' [[Rao Sardar Singh]]
| 1851
| 1872
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|-
! 20
| ''Narendra Maharaja'' [[Dungar Singh|Rao Dungar Singh]]
| 1872
| 1887
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|-
! 21
| '''General''' ''Narendra Maharaja Sir'' [[Ganga Singh|Rao Ganga Singh]]
| 1887
| 1943
|-
! 22
| '''Lieutenant-General''' ''Narendra Maharaja Sir'' [[Sadul Singh of Bikaner|Rao Sadul Singh]]
| 1943
| 1950
|-
! 23
| [[Maharaja Karni Singh|Rao Karni Singh]]
| 1950
| 1971
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| [[Maharaja Ravi Raj Singh of Bikaner|Maharaja Ravi Raj Singh]]
| 2003
|
|}
==Notes==
{{reflist
==References==
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Bikanir |volume=3 |page=929}}
*{{cite book|author1=Beny, Roland |author2=Matheson, Sylvia A. | title=Rajasthan
*{{cite book|
*{{cite book|author1=Martinelli, Antonio |author2=Michell, George | title=The Palaces of Rajasthan| year = 2005| publisher=Frances Lincoln| location=London| isbn = 978-0-7112-2505-3| page = 271 pages}}
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[[Category:Princely states of India]]
[[Category:States and territories established in the 15th century]]
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