Bikaner

Bikaner, in north-western Rajasthan, arose from a desert tract once known as Jangladesh, a barren wilderness inhabited by scattered Jat and Rajput communities. In 1488 CE, Rao Bika, a Rathore prince and son of Rao Jodha of Jodhpur, founded a new city here, carving out his own kingdom instead of inheriting Marwar. The settlement was named Bikaner – “the city of Bika.”

Though set in the Thar Desert, Bikaner prospered as an oasis on caravan routes linking Central Asia with Gujarat ports, thanks to dependable groundwater. Rao Bika’s early fort (now ruined) was replaced a century later by the magnificent Junagarh Fort (Chintamani), built between 1589–1594 under Raja Rai Singh, a distinguished Mughal general.

Bikaner’s rulers became important allies of the Mughal Empire, then later signed a protectorate treaty with the British in 1818, continuing as a princely state of Rajputana until accession to independent India in 1949. In the 20th century, canals like the Ganga Canal transformed agriculture and supported urban growth, turning historic Bikaner into one of Rajasthan’s major cultural and economic centres.