page_title: History of Bikaner
section_title: Mughal era
hierarchical_section_title: History of Bikaner / Mughal era
caption_attribution_description: The Raja with a nimbus around his head and wearing an orange jama and with gold sword and turban and fine jewellery, attributed below in nasta'liq to Chitarman, retouched areas in ground and possibly face, mounted on card with blue margins with gold floral meander, green outer border.
context_page_description: The region of Bikaner, stretching across northern Rajasthan State in India, was earlier known as Jangladesh. It included the present-day districts of Bikaner, Churu, Ganganagar, and Hanumangarh.
  It is bounded on the south by Marwar and Jaisalmer regions, on the east by Ajmer-Merwara region.
  Bikaner state was a princely state that was founded in the 15th century in this region. After becoming a British protectorate in 1818, it persisted until shortly after India's Independence in 1947.
  Prior to the mid 15th century, the region that is now Bikaner was a barren wilderness called Jangladesh. Rao Bika established the city of Bikaner in 1488. He was the son of Rao Jodha of the Rathor clan, the founder of Jodhpur and conquered the largely arid area in the north of Rajasthan.
  Provoked by a stray comment by his father, Bika left Marwar with his uncle Kandhmal to create his own kingdom. During his journey, Bika stopped at Deshnok where he consulted the mystic Karni Mata for her blessings and get prophesied that he would be successful.
context_section_description: The return of Humayun to power meant that Bikaner due to its involvement with Sher Shah Suri came into conflict with the Mughals again. However Kalyan Mal by using all the advantages of the harsh desert environment around Bikaner was able to defeat any invading Mughal army. The coming of Akbar to power saw the Mughal empire turn to diplomacy instead of force to bring the individual Rajput states into the empire. 
  As a result, Raja Rai Singh, the sixth ruler of Bikaner was among the first Rajput Chiefs to make an alliance with the Mughal Empire. As a result, during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar the rulers of Bikaner were esteemed among the most loyal adherents of the empire and held high ranks as Mansabdars of special order in the imperial court.  They served as military commanders in various Mughal campaigns all over the Indian sub-continent. 
  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. 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.
  With the decline of Mughal power in India with the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 AD, the bonds of Mughals-Rajput relationship slowly dissolved. Sujan Singh (1700–35) formally broke the connection with the Mughal throne and from 1719 based himself within his kingdom.
caption: Raja Karan Singh of Bikaner, Auranzeb's ally and enemy
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