https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Zorawar_Singh_of_BikanerZorawar Singh of Bikaner - Revision history2026-11-04T13:26:54ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zorawar_Singh_of_Bikaner&diff=546605&oldid=prevAnanyareddy: creating basic bio added tags2025-11-28T01:29:49Z<p>creating basic bio added tags</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Maharaja of Bikaner from 1735 to 1746}}<br />
{{Infobox royalty<br />
| name = Zorawar Singh<br />
| image = <br />
| succession = [[Maharaja]] of [[Bikaner State|Bikaner]]<br />
| reign = 16 December 1735 – 15 May 1746<br />
| predecessor = Sujan Singh<br />
| successor = [[Gaj Singh of Bikaner|Gaj Singh]]<br />
| birth_date = 14 January 1713<br />
| birth_place = Junagarh Fort, Bikaner<br />
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1746|05|15|1713|01|14|df=y}}<br />
| death_place = Anoopura Bikaner<br />
| spouse = {{Unbulleted list|<br />
| Kachwahiji (Shekhawatji) Udai Kanwarji of [[Khandela]] in [[Jaipur]]<br />
| Bhatiyaniji (Derawarji) Abhai Kanwarji of [[Derawar]] in [[Jaisalmer]]<br />
| Tanwarji Umaid Kanwarji of [[Lakhasar]] in [[Bikaner]]<br />
}}<br />
| house = Bikawat-Rathore<br />
| father = Sujan Singh<br />
| mother = Bhatiyaniji (Derawarji) Fateh Kanwarji granddaughter of Rawal Ramchandra of [[Jaisalmer]]<br />
}}<br />
'''Maharaja Zorawar Singh''' (14 January 1713 – 15 May 1746) was the ruler of the Kingdom of [[Bikaner State|Bikaner]] between 1735 and 1746. During this period, the Kingdom was a vassal state of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] empire.<br />
<br />
==Biography==<br />
Zorawar Singh was born in 1712. He was the son of his predecessor Sujan Singh.{{sfn|Powlett|1874|pp=44}}<br />
<br />
===As crown prince===<br />
In 1733, when the forces of [[Kingdom of Marwar|Marwar]] invaded Bikaner, Yuvraj Zorawar Singhji was stationed at [[Nohar]] with about 22,000 men. He marched with his men in defense of the capital, and fought with the invading forces at Talao Najasar. The Marwar army, about 15,000 strong and led by Kunwar [[Bakht Singh of Marwar|Bakht Singh]], was defeated.{{sfn|Powlett|1874|pp=42}}<br />
<br />
Subsequently, Zorawar Singji disputed with his father over Zorawar's dislike for a man named Khawas Anand Ramji. Maharaja Sujan Singhji had sought to humour the crown prince, but Zorawar Singh would not accept anything less than the killing of Anand Ram. Upon not being granted this, he left Bikaner to reside at Nohar. From there, he had dispatched assassins who murdered Anand Ram at night. He then moved with his force to Bikaner, encamping at a nearby village. Maharaja Sujan Singhji's advisers prompted him not to fight the crown prince, and therefore a reconciliation was arranged. Two queens of Sujan Singh met with Zorawar Singh, who agreed to pay homage to his father. His position and powers were reinstated by the Maharaja.{{sfn|Powlett|1874|pp=42–43}}<br />
<br />
===Reign===<br />
Zorawar was crowned in 1735, upon the death of his father. He began his reign by expelling Marwari troops who had occupied some stations on the border with Bikaner. He then ousted Sangram Singh, the Thakur of [[Churu, Rajasthan|Churu]] from his position.<br />
<br />
====Siege of Bikaner====<br />
Maharaja [[Abhai Singh of Marwar]] invaded the Bikawat-Rathore territory of [[Bikaner]] .The capital was plundered, and the fort besieged. At the request of Zorawar Singh, Maharaja [[Sawai Jai Singh]] of [[Jaipur]] invaded Marwar. The siege of Bikaner was therefore raised and Maharaja Abhai Singh marched in haste towards his own kingdom, pursued by Bikaneri troops.<br />
<br />
====Occupation of Churu and Hissar====<br />
Subsequently, the Maharaja engaged himself in putting down rebels in his territory, with Jaipuri assistance. [[Churu, Rajasthan|Churu]] was occupied, with the rebels expelled, and was later granted to the son of Sangram Singh. The last military campaign of Zorawar was to take back [[Hisar (city)|Hissar]] from the [[Bhatti]] and [[Johiya]] tribes who had held it. A force was sent under the prime minister to occupy [[Hansi]], while Zorawar himself occupied Hissar.<br />
<br />
===Death and cremation===<br />
After the taking of Hissar, Zorawar was struck by an illness, and died four days later. It was also suspected that he might have been poisoned. He was cremated at Annupura. At his funeral, a large number of people were burned alive in accordance with the tradition of [[Sati (practice)|sati]]. These included two queens, one ''khawas'' (higher ranked concubines), eleven concubines, five slave-girls of the Maharaja, two slave-girls of the concubines, and one [[brahmin]] employed in the cooking department. The queens and one concubine burnt at Bikaner, with the Maharaja's turban. The rest burned at Annupura with the corpse.{{sfn|Powlett|1874|pp=48}}<br />
<br />
==See it==<br />
* [[Maratha Empire]]<br />
* [[Maratha Mandir]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==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 |date=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 |date=1874 }}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Goetz |first=Hermann |author-link=Hermann Goetz |url=https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.14228/ |title=Art and Architecture of Bikaner State |date=1950 |publisher=Bruno Cassirer}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}<br />
<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2024}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Maharajas of Bikaner]]<br />
[[Category:1746 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:1713 births]]</div>Ananyareddy