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About Bikaner

Archaeological surveys have proved the existence of a flourishing civilization even before the Harappan period. A large number of statues, coins, stone carvings and clay stands belonging to that era can still be found lying here, which are just enough to remove any doubt that might occur in the mind of historians about the glory it once had in antiquity.

However, it was Rao Bikaji who was credited with the foundation of the modern city of Bikaner way back in 1488 AD. Before that the region was uninhabited and was known by the name of Jungladesh. Rao Bikaji was a Rajput prince of Rathor clan and a descendant of Rao Jodha ji, the founder of Jodhpur. Soon after the establishment of the kingdom of Bikaner, the city started to grow by leaps and bounds and became a rival to the Jodhpur kingdom, also known as Marwar kingdom.

The attack by Rao Bikaji on the Mehrangarh Fort after the death of Rao Jodha ji initiated a series of wars with the Marwar rulers, which continued intermittently for the next two hundred years.

Upon the death of Rao Bika ji in 1504, Bikaner passed into the hands of his successors who accepted loyalty to the Mughal rulers of Delhi. Rai Singh, the chieftain who succeeded in 1571, was declared the first Raja of Bikaner by the Mughal emperor Akbar. During the eighteenth century when the Mughal power was on a decline in contrast to the rising power of the British, the latter started to gain ground in the region.

Moreover, the sporadic war between Bikaner and Jodhpur acquired a serious dimension in this century, which could only be stopped once and for all by the interference of the British. As a result of a treaty signed in 1818, the supremacy of the British was established in the region who sought military support to restore order in this part of the county. Later in 1883, the princely state of Bikaner was merged with the Rajputana agency in order to counter the rebellious behavior of the local chiefs and thakurs.

There has been a long list of rulers who played significant roles in upholding the tradition begun by the founder of the city. Some of these have made their mark in the history of Bikaner with their profound knowledge and unmatched valor. Raja Rai Singh, Raja Anup Singh, Maharaja Ganga Singh and Maharaja Sardul Singh are among those who have glorified the name of Bikaner during their tenure of rule.

The princely state of Bikaner joined the Indian Union in 1947 and became a district in the state of Rajasthan in 1949. Presently, the city is making fast strides in the realm of industrial and commercial development. Tourism has immense scope here and the city has started to realize its potential in it. Bikaneri sweets are famous all across the country.