Bikaner State


Bikaner State was a princely state in the Bikaner region 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 found his own kingdom instead of inheriting his father's. Bika defeated the Jat clans of Jangladesh and founded his own kingdom. Its capital was the city of Bikaner in the northern area of present-day Rajasthan State in India.
The state was noted for the Bikaner style of painting.
Covering an area of, Bikaner State was the second largest state under the Rajputana Agency after Jodhpur State with a revenue of Rs.26,00,000 in 1901. 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.

History

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. By the time of Indian Independence, the territory of the state of Bikaner shared a border with Pakistan. The accession to the Indian Union was signed by the Maharaja on 7 August 1947.

Rulers

The rulers were Rathor Rajputs. Related to the ruling family of Jodhpur.

Rao/Raja's

The Dewans and Chief Ministers of the state were:
The post of Dewan was reinstated in 1927.