During 15th century when Rao Bika, son of Rao Jodha arrived at Bikaner, the the region was possessed by seven Jat cantons namely Sihag, Dhaka, Punia, Godara, Saran, Beniwal, Johiya and Kaswan. Rao Bika used the mutual rivalry existing between Jat clans to carve out space for his own kingdom. According to James Tod, the spot which Bika selected for his capital, was the birthright of a Nehra Jat, who would only concede it for this purpose on the condition that his name should be linked in perpetuity with its surrender. Naira, or Nera, was the name of the proprietor, which Bika added to his own, thus composing that of the future capital, Bikaner.
Rathore Rulers of Bikaner:
- Rao Bika(Beeka) (1465-1504)
- Founder of kingdom of Bikaner
- Branch of Rathores – Bika rathores.
- Married daughter of Bhati (jaisalmer)
- Rao Naroji (1504-1505)
- Rao Lunkaran (1505-26)
- Rao Jait Singh (1526-42)
- Killed fighting Marwar forces under Rao Maldeo.
- Rao Kalyan Singh (1542-71)
- Marwar forces Kalyan Singh to flee but he takes help of Sher Shah Suri and defeats Rao Maldeo
- Resists attack by Mughal, Akbar till 1570, when Akbar gains submission.
- Raja Raj(Rae) Singh I (1571-1611)
- He and Akbar, each married a princess of Jaisalmer.
- Rai Dalpat Singh Dalip (1612-1613)
- Rai Surat Singh Bhuratiya (1613-1631)
- Rao Karan Singh Jangalpat Badhshah (1631-1667)
- Deposed by Aurangzeb
- Maharaja Rao Anup Singh (1669-1698)
- 1st to be granted the title ‘Maharaja’ by Aurangzeb
- Served in the Deccan campaign at Salher in 1672, Bijapur in 1675, and the siege of Golconda in 1687.
- He was administrator of Aurangabad 1677-1678
- Maharaja Rao Sarup Singh (1698-1700)
- Maharaja Rao Sujan Singh (1700-1735)
- Maharaja Rao Zorawar Singh (1735-1746)
- Maharaja Rao Gaj Singh (1746-1787)
- First of his line granted permission to mint his own coinage by Emperor Alamgir II
- Maharaja Rao Rai Singh II Raj Singh (1787-1787)
- Maharaja Rao Surat Singh (1787-1828)
- Entered the protection of the East India Company with asubsidiary alliance in 1818.
- Maharaja Rao Ratan Singh (1828-51)
- Maharaja Rao Sardar Singh (1851-72)
- Provided support to British against Indian mutiny of 1857
- Maharaja Rao Dungar Singh (1872-1887)
- First to introduce electricity to Rajasthan.
- He also sets up a police force, a hospital and a modern administrative system.
- Launched a special drive in the state to identify students eligible for education. A special grant was also allocated to establish schools to accommodate all students.
- Maharaja Dungar Singh had opened the first formal school in 1872 to impart education in Sanskrit, Urdu, Farsi, Hindi and English.
- Maharaja Sir Rao Ganga Singh (1887-1943)
- 1st World war in France & Flanders 1914-15
- Signed the Treaty of Versailles on behalf of India on 28 June 1919.
- Introduced the country’s first Right to Education Act in 1929. The Act defined its objective as, ‘To attain a level where an age-specific student can have a meaningful reading, writing and do a simple calculation.’ The act was motivated by the education model in Britain. The act intended to create a classless society with equal economic opportunities for all.
- To ensure strict compliance with the Act, a nine member school committee was formed comprising four teachers to monitor the learning outcome of students.
- A post of ‘director of education’ was created for the first time in the country, especially for the implementation of the RTE Act. Also, an integrated new education policy was introduced in 1929 for the said purpose.
- He stressed the need to educate girls by opening a girls’ school in 1891.
- Maharaja Sir Rao Sadul Singh (1943-1950)
- Signed the instrument of accession to the Dominion of India on 7 August 1947.
- Merged his state into the present state of Rajasthan, India on 30 March 1949.
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