Bikaner State Explained

Today:Rajasthan, India
Religion:Hinduism [1]
Event End:Independence of India
Population Estimate Year:1931
Population Estimate:936,218
Year End:1947
Year Start:1465
S1:India
Flag S1:Flag of India.svg
Official Languages:Rajasthani and Hindi
National Motto:"Jai Jungaldhar Badshah"
Demonym:Bikaner
Native Name:बीकानेर रियासत
Conventional Long Name:State of Bikaner
Area Km2:60391

Bikaner State was a princely state in the Rajputana from 1465 to 1947. The founder of the state, Rao Bika, was the eldest son of Rao Jodha, ruler of Jodhpur. Rao Bika chose to build his own kingdom instead of inheriting his father's. Bika defeated the Jat clans of Jangladesh along with his uncle Rao Kandhal and his adviser Vikramji Rajpurohit and founded his own kingdom. Its capital was the city of Bikaner in the northern area of present-day Rajasthan State in India. Karni Mata has been designated as the kuldevi of the royal family of Bikaner.

The state was noted for the Bikaner style of painting.[2]

Covering an area of 60391km2, Bikaner State was the second largest state under the Rajputana Agency after Jodhpur State with a revenue of Rs.26,00,000 in 1901.[3] Heeding the 1947 call of Vallabhbhai Patel to integrate the princely states into the new independent India, Bikaner's last king, Maharaja Sadul Singh, advised by his dewan K. M. Panikkar, a respected historian, was one of the first rulers of a princely state to display willingness to join the Indian Union. By issuing a public appeal in April 1947 to his fellow princes to join the Constituent Assembly of India, the Maharaja of Bikaner set an example for other heads of the native states to follow.[4]

History

See main article: History of Bikaner. The state of Bikaner was founded in 1465. It became a British protectorate on 9 March 1818. They were accorded a 17 gun salute by the British authorities. Around the time of Indian Independence and the partition of India, the territory of the state of Bikaner came to share a border with Pakistan. The accession to the Indian Union was signed by the Maharaja on 7 August 1947.[5]

Rulers

The rulers were Rathor Rajputs and related to the ruling family of Jodhpur.[6]

Rao/Raja's

Maharajas

Titular Rulers

Dewans

The Dewans and Chief Ministers of the state were:

Chief ministers

Dewans

The post of Dewan was reinstated in 1927.

Family tree of the rulers of Bikaner

[7]

Orders of chivalry

The Royal House of Bikaner awards two dynastic orders, the Order of the Star of Honour and the Order of Vikram Star. Maharaja Ganga Singh established the Order of the Star of Honour in six grades in order to "mark his golden jubilee on the throne". The Order of the Vikram Star was established in 1944 by Maharaja Sadul Singh of Bikaner in five grades "to recognize services to the state." The first grade (Grand Commander) includes a cordon with jewel, along with a breast star.[8] The breast star features "Twelve alternate petals of gold and silver overlapping and radiating from a central motif showing the Goddess Karni blessing Rao Bikaji who is standing with lance in hand next to his horse."[9] A red enamelled diamond in the center of the breast star, which is surrounded by a wreath, contains the inscription in the Devanagari script Shri Karni Aasisadi Bikatothirraj (Blessing by Karni Mati for his Perpetual Rule).[9]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bikaner State, Part I, Vol-I, Rajasthan – Linguistic Survey Of India. LSOI. 23 April 2021.
  2. Harle, J. C., The Art and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent, 2nd edn. 1994, Yale University Press. (Pelican History of Art). .
  3. Web site: Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 8, page 214 – Imperial Gazetteer of India – Digital South Asia Library.
  4. [Ramachandra Guha]
  5. William Barton, The princes of India. Delhi 1983
  6. Web site: Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 8, page 204 – Imperial Gazetteer of India – Digital South Asia Library.
  7. News: 2022-04-12 . Raviraj Singh Bhati's Health Deteriorated In Jaipur In The Morning, Breathed His Last In SMS Hospital, Last Rites In Bikaner Tomorrow . Dainik Bhaskar . 2022-05-13.
  8. Haynes . Ed . The Awards of the Indian Pincely States: A Survey in a Broad Historical Context . JOSMA . 2014 . 65 . 5 . 29–30.
  9. Book: McClenaghan . Tony . Indian Princely Medals: A Record of the Orders, Decorations, and Medals of the Indian Princely States . 1996 . Lancer Publishers . 978-1-897829-19-6 . 81 . en.

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