https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Rai_Singh_of_BikanerRai Singh of Bikaner - Revision history2026-11-05T06:53:05ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rai_Singh_of_Bikaner&diff=528161&oldid=prevNADEEM BALLOCH: Starting2026-02-01T21:04:12Z<p>Starting</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Raja of Bikaner from 1571 to 1612}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}{{Use Indian English|date=March 2024}}<br />
{{Infobox royalty<br />
| name = Raja Rai Singh<br />
| image = Unknown artist - Portrait of Maharaja Rai Singh of Bikaner (reigned 1574–1612) - 2021.11 - Cleveland Museum of Art.jpg<br />
| caption = Portrait of Maharaja Rai Singh of Bikaner, [[Cleveland Museum of Art]] c.1610<br />
| succession = [[Raja]] of [[Bikaner State|Bikaner]]<br />
| reign = 1571 – 20 January 1612<br />
| predecessor = Rao Kalyan Mal<br />
| successor = Rao Dalpat Singh<br />
| birth_date = {{birth date|1541|07|20|df=yes}}<br />
| death_date = {{death date and age|1612|01|20|1541|07|20|df=yes}}<br />
| death_place = [[Burhanpur]], [[Khandesh Subah]], [[Mughal Empire]]<br />
| spouse = {{Unbulleted list|<br />
| Sisodiniji Jaswant Deiji of [[Mewar]]<br />
| Bhatiyaniji Ganga Deiji of [[Jaisalmer]]<br />
| Tomarji Dhrupad Deiji of Lakhasar in [[Bikaner]]<br />
| Sodhiji (Parmarji) Bhan Deiji of [[Amarkot]]<br />
| Nirbanji (Chauhanji) Chatra Deiji of [[Khandela]]<br />
| Bhatiyaniji Jasoda Deiji of [[Pugal]] in [[Bikaner]]<br />
| Bhatiyaniji Amolak Deiji of [[Pugal]] in [[Bikaner]]<br />
}}<br />
| issue = {{Unbulleted list|<br />
| Bhupat Singh<br />
| Dalpat Singh<br />
| Sur Singh<br />
| Hanwant Singh<br />
| Kishan Singh<br />
| Sujas Deiji m.to [[Mughal Emperor]] [[Jahangir]]<br />
| Yash Deiji (m.to Raja Virbhadra Ju Dev of [[Bandhavgarh]])<br />
| Dev Deiji (m.to [[Raisinhji I of Halvad|Rana Rai Singh]] of [[Kingdom of Jhalavad|Halvad]])<br />
}}<br />
| house = [[Bikaner State|House of Bikaner]]<br />
| father = Rao Kalyan Mal<br />
| mother = Songariji (Chauhanji) Bhagwat Deiji d.of Rao Akhairaj of [[Pali, Rajasthan|Pali]] in [[Jalore]]<br />
| succession1 = [[Subahdar]] of [[Subah of Lahore|Lahore]]<br />
| reign-type1 = Term<br />
| cor-type1 = [[Mughal Emperor|Emperor]]<br />
| coronation1 = [[Akbar I]]<br />
| predecessor1 = [[Bhagwant Das]]<br />
| suc-type1 = <br />
| successor1 = [[Khawaja Shamsuddin Khawafi]]<br />
| dynasty = [[Rathore dynasty]]<br />
}}<br />
'''Raja Rai Singh''' (20 July 1541 – 20 January 1612) was the Bikawat [[Rathore (Rajput clan)|Rathore Rajput]] ruler of [[Bikaner State|Bikaner]] between 1571 and 1612. He served [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] [[Emperor]] [[Akbar]] first as the [[Subahdar]] of the province of [[Subah of Lahore|Lahore]].<ref name="Husain1970">{{cite journal |last1=Husain |first1=Afzal |date=1970 |title=Provincial Governors Under Akbar (1580-1605) |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=32 |pages=269–277 |jstor=44141074}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ali |first1=M. Athar |date=1970 |title=PROVINCIAL GOVERNORS UNDER SHAH JAHAN—AN ANALYSIS |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=32 |pages=288–319 |jstor=44141077}}</ref> He participated in the imperial Mughal campaigns in [[Gujarat]] and [[Malwa]], and later served as the imperial governor in [[Burhanpur]] and [[Lahore]].He was also the father-in-law of [[Mughal Emperor|Mughal Emperor Jahangir]]. <br />
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==Biography==<br />
[[File:Nur Muhammad - Portrait of Maharaja Rai Singh of Bikaner (reigned 1571-1612) - 1987.1100 - Cleveland Museum of Art.jpg|left|thumb|Portrait of Maharaja Rai Singh of Bikaner by Nur Muhammad c.1605]]<br />
He was born in 1541. After the death of his father in 1571, Rai Singh assumed the rule of Bikaner. In 1576, when the emperor [[Akbar]] was visiting the shrine at [[Ajmer]], he went there with 6000 horse and paid homage to the emperor.{{sfn|Powlett|1874|p=22}}<br />
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Subsequently, Rai went on to join the force against the Gujarat Sultanate. In the [[Mughal conquest of Gujarat|Gujarat campaign]], Bikaneri forces suffered heavy losses. On the completion of the campaign, Rai Singh received the title of [[Raja]] as well as a grant of 52 [[Pargana|parganas]].{{sfn|Powlett|1874|p=22}}<br />
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In 1585, he was sent to [[Khandesh]] in the Deccan. Between 1587 and 1592, he was the general in command on the Deccan front. In 1593, when a large force was assembled against [[Burhan Nizam Shah II]], he served as the principal advisor to Prince [[Daniyal Mirza]]. He was made the governor of Burhanpur.{{sfn|Goetz|1950|p=41}}<br />
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By the 1590s, tension had grown between Rai and the minister [[Karam Chand Bachhawat]], who was at the helm of affairs in Bikaner while Rai served in imperial campaigns. In 1595, after a plot to assassinate Rai was discovered, Karam Chand had to flee Bikaner.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jain |first=Shalin |date=2007 |title=The Centre and the 'Locality' in Mughal India: The Case of Mantri Karam Chand Bachhawat of Bikaner |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44147844 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=68 |pages=332–339 |jstor=44147844 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref><br />
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In 1604, the emperor Akbar died and Jahangir ascended the Mughal throne. The same year, Karam Chand also died. Rai was once again dispatched as governor to Burhanpur, where he proceeded with his son Sur Singh. In 1612, he died in Burhanpur. Three of his queens and three concubines performed [[Sati (practice)|sati]] on his pyre.{{sfn|Powlett|1874|p=28}}<br />
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==Legacy==<br />
[[File:Bikaner-Junagarh-26-2018-gje.jpg|thumb|[[Junagarh Fort]] was constructed during his reign]]<br />
Rai was among the highest ranked [[Hindus|Hindu]] nobles of the Mughal court. His reign is regarded as a turning point in the history of Bikaner. Revenues from the fiefs granted to the Rai, as well as war exploits made the state wealthy. The capital grew into an opulent town, and several important buildings were commissioned. These include the [[Junagarh Fort]]. Exploits from the campaigns, including idols from Gujarat and [[Sirohi]], as well as [[Indian Miniature Paintings|miniature paintings]] collected by Rai, were brought back to Bikaner. During his reign, a rudimentary school of painting developed which evolved into the [[Bikaner style of painting|Bikaner school]].{{sfn|Goetz|1950|p=43}}<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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==Bibliography==<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Sehgal |first=K. K. |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.146804/mode/2up |title=Rajasthan District Gazetteers: Bikaner |publisher=Bharat Printers |year=1962 |location=Jaipur}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Powlett |first=P. W. |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.547015/mode/2up |title=Gazetteer of The Bikaner State |year=1874 }}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Goetz |first=Herman |url=https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.14228/ |title=Art and Architecture of Bikaner State |year=1950 |publisher=Bruno Cassirer}}<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
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[[Category:Maharajas of Bikaner]]<br />
[[Category:Mughal generals]]<br />
[[Category:Mughal Subahdars]]<br />
[[Category:Subahdars of Lahore]]<br />
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[[Category:1541 births]]<br />
[[Category:1612 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:16th-century Mughal Empire people]]<br />
[[Category:17th-century Mughal Empire people]]</div>NADEEM BALLOCH