History of Bikaner

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Bikaner (princely state) was founded in the 15th century and persisted until shortly after India's Independence in 1947. Earlier this region was known as Jangladesh which was a region of northern Rajasthan state in India. It included the present-day districts of Bikaner, Churu, Ganganagar, and Hanumangarh.

[edit] Early history

Prior to Bika annexed the Jangladesh it was occupied by communities who elected Bika as their sovereign, had been stabilized therein for ages. According to James Tod as mentioned in his book "Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan (1829)" the Jangladesh region was inhabited by Jats or Jits, who had for ages been established in these arid abodes. At every stage of invasion to India the invaders had to encounter with the Jats of this region. At what period the Jats established themselves in the Indian desert is not known. By the 4th century they had spread upto Punjab in India.

Nearly the whole of the territory forming the boundaries of Bikaner was possessed by the six Jat cantons namely:—

1. Poonia, 2, Godara, 3. Saran 4. Asiagh 5. Beniwal 6. Johiya, or Joweya

Each canton bore the name of the community, and was subdivided into districts. Besides the six Jat cantons, there were three more simultaneously wrested from Rajpoot proprietors ; namely Bhagore, the Kharriputta, and Mohilla. The six Jat cantons constituted the central and northern, while those of the Rajpoots formed the western and southern frontiers. Cantons : Number of villages in each canton and Districts included in them were as under :


1. Poonia : Villages - 300 Districts : Bahaderan, Ajltpoor, Scedmookh, 'RaJgurh', Dadrewoh, Sankoo, etc.

2. Beniwal : Villages - 150 Districts : Bookurko, Sondurie, Munohurpoor, Kooie, Bae, etc.

3. Johiya : Villages - 600 Districts : Jaetpoor, Koombanoh, Mahain, Peepa sir Uodigoor, etc.

4. Asiagh : Villages - 150 Districts : Raotsir, Birmsir, Dandoosir, Gundaeli

5. Saran : Villages - 100 Districts : Kaijur, Phoag, Boochawas, Sowae, Badinoo Sirsilah, etc.

6. Godara : Villages - 700 Districts : Poondrasir, Gosensir (great), Shelihsir Gursisir, Garibdesir, Rungaysir, Kaloo, etc.

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2200 villages Total in the six Cantons

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7. Bhagore : Villages - 300 Districts : Bikaner, Nal, Kailah, Rajasir, Suttasir Chatturgarh, Rindsir, Betnokh Bhavanipur, Jeimulsir, etc.

8. Mohil : Villages - 140 Districts - Chaupur (capital of Mohil), Saondan, Herasir, Gopalpur, Charwas, Beedasir, Ladnoo, Mulasir, Khurbooza ra kote

9. Kharri-putta or The Salt District 30

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2,670 villages Grand Total in all Cantons

[edit] Rule of Bika and after

In the 15th century the Jangladesh region was occupied by Rajput clans, Jats, and Muslims. About 1465 Bika, a Rathor Rajput, sixth son of Rao Jodha, king of Marwar, started out to conquer the country. By taking advantage of the rivalries of the clans he succeeded; in 1485 he built the small fort at the capital which still bears his name, and in 1488 began the building of the city itself. He died in 1504, and his successors gradually extended their possessions. In the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar the kings of Bikaner were esteemed among the most loyal adherents of the empire, and in 1570 Akbar married a daughter of Rao Kalyan Singh. Kalyan's son, Rai Singh, who succeeded him in 1571, was one of Akbar's most distinguished generals and the first Raja of Bikaner; his daughter married Salim, afterwards the emperor Jahangir. Two other distinguished chiefs of the house were Raja Karan Singh (1631-1669), who in the struggle of the sons of Shah Jahan for the throne threw in his lot with Aurangzeb, and his eldest son, Anup Singh (1669-1698), who fought with distinction in the Deccan, was conspicuous in the capture of Golconda, and earned the title of maharaja.

From this time forward the history of Bikaner was mainly that of the wars with Marwar, which raged intermittently throughout the 18th century. In 1802, during one of these wars, Mountstuart Elphinstone passed through Bikaner on his way to Kabul; and Maharaja Surat Singh (1788-1828), applied to him for British protection, which was, however, refused. In 1815 Surat Singh's tyranny led to a general rising of his thakurs, and in 1816 the maharaja again applied for British protection. On 9 May 1818 a treaty was concluded, and order was restored in the country by British troops. Ratan Singh, who succeeded his father in 1828, applied in vain in 1830 to the British government for aid against a fresh outbreak of his thakurs; but during the next five years banditry became so rife on the borders that the government raised a special force to deal with it (the Shekhawati Brigade), and of this for seven years Bikaner contributed part of the cost. Henceforth the relations of the maharajas with the British government were increasingly cordial. In 1842 Ratan Singh supplied camels for the Afghan expedition; in 1844 he reduced the dues on goods passing through his country, and he gave assistance in both Sikh campaigns. 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.

Sardar Singh had no son, and on his death in 1872 his widow and principal ministers selected Dungar Singh as his successor, with the approval of the British government. The principal event of his reign was the rebellion of the thakurs in 1883, owing to an attempt to increase the dues payable in lieu of military service; this led to the permanent location at Bikanir of a British political agent. Dungar Singh died in 1887 without a son; but he had adopted his brother, Ganga Singh (born 1880), who succeeded as 21st ruler of Bikaner with the approval of the government. He was educated at the Mayo College at Ajmer, and was invested with full powers in 1898. He attended King Edward's coronation in 1902, and accompanied the British army in person in the Chinese campaign of 1901 in command of the Bikaner Camel Corps, which also did good service in Somaliland in 1904. For his conspicuous services he was given the Kaisar-i-Hind medal of the first class, made an honorary major in the Indian army, a G.C.I.E., a K.C.S.I., and A.D.C. to the Prince of Wales.The military force consisted of 500 men, besides the Imperial Service Corps of the same strength.

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; on the northern border, the Ghaggar canal in the Punjab irrigated about 5000 acres (20 km²).

Drought is a common occurrence, and the region faced the most severe famine in 1899-1900. In 1901 the population was 584,627, showing a decrease of 30% due to the results of famine. The schools included a high school affiliated to the University of Allahabad, a school for the sons of nobles, and a girls school called after Lady Elgin. The famine of 1899-1900 was severely felt.

When Maharaja Ganga Singh died in 1943 he was succeeded by the last reigning Maharaja, Sadul Singh, who acceded his kingdom to newly-independent India on 7 April 1949.

Bikaner was founded by Rao Bikaji, second of the 16 sons of Rao Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur in 1488. Encouraged and provoked by his father, Prince Bika moved out of Marwar (Jodhpur). On as ambitious military adventure, with a small contingent of Rathore warriors (500 soldier and 100 cavalrymen). His brave uncle, Rawat Kandhal, who always stood by him as his guardian and politico-strategic adviser, supported him. Those were the days when different clans of Jats & Rajputs inhabited this land and their chiefs enjoyed fairly good amount of autonomy, of course owing their allegiance to the sultanate of Delhi. Bika subdued all the contemporary chiefs and the Indian union after the British left this country in 1947 AD.

In the beginning the neighboring Bhati chiefs were suspicious of the new growing power in their vicinity. Karni Mata, the kuladevi of Rao Bikaji brought the rivalry between the Rathore & Bhatis to an end by inspiring Rao Shekha - the powerful Bhati chief of Pugal, to give the hand of his daughter in marriage to Rao Bika. This consolidated the power of Rathore in this region and proved to be a mile stone in the history of the state.

A small fortress by the name of Rati ghati was established by Bikaji(remains 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 to 1593 AD. The rule of Bikaner had a prominent and glorious role in history of India. They held high ranks as Mansabdars of special order in the court of the imperial Mughals. As imperial military commander of various campaigns of the Mughals, they were posted all over the Indian sub-continent. Raja Rai Singhji is the sixth ruler of Bikaner was among the first Rajput Chiefs to join the Mughal alliance. The Mughal power in India declined with the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 AD, the bonds of Mughals-Rajput relationship slowly dissolved. The new era of Rajput-British relationship with the advent of “British East India Company” ushered in. this European contact later played a vital role in the history of Bikaner as the ideas of industrial west started floating in. The reign of Maharaja Sri Ganga Singhji is marked for great Socio-Political and economic development in every sphere of life viz. – Education, Health, Sanitation, Water Supply, Power Generation & Electricity, Irrigation, Post & Telegraph. Roads & Railways, Trade & Commerce and so on- there is no subject untouched by this foresighted Maharaja. When the British left this country, this state was ruled by Maharaja Sadul Singhji.

After the end of the British Raj, Maharaja Sadul Singh was one of the first rulers of the princely states, to sign the instrument of accession with India, and Bikaner became a part of India. After the reorganisation of states in 1960, Bikaner became a part, and the largest desert city in the state of Rajasthan.


[edit] References

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