Palace of Clouds

by Rajyashree Kumari Bikaner

  Raja Karan Singh (1631-1639)

  The ninth Maharaja of Bikaner was born on 30 January, 1616, and ascended the gaddi of Bikaner at the young age of fifteen; he was a valiant soldier during the time of Emperor Shah Jahan and continued, like his forefathers, to fight in the Deccan campaigns.

  The motto of the Bikaner family ‘Jai Jangal Darbadshah’ comes from an incident that occurred during the time of Karan Singh’s reign. There were many Hindu and Rajput Generals in the Mughal army for decades. Most of the Mughal emperors were tolerant and respectful of the religion of their Generals and others who served them. However, this was not the case with Aurangzeb who was considered a zealot, and wrought havoc by destroying many Hindu temples and artefacts of both historic and aesthetic importance in India.

  Aurangzeb also went on a crusade against Hindus, converting many of those who served under him. During one of his campaigns, he planned to go as far as Iran and he invited many of the Hindu princes to join him on this campaign. They had reached the banks of the river Indus when one Sayed Fakir of Sahwa informed the princes that the plan to make them cross the Indus was a complex one, plotted by Aurangzeb. Many considered the crossing of the Indus a renunciation of Hinduism and a symbolic acceptance of Islam as their new religion. Greatly alarmed by such subterfuge, they conferred among themselves as to what counter-action should be taken. However, soon a message arrived for the Raja of Amber to say that his mother had passed away. The princes, seeing this as an opportune moment to pause and take stock, declared that they would observe the twelve-day mourning for the Rajmata. The princes at once turned to Raja Karan Singh and asked him to break the boats that were waiting to convey them to the other side of the Indus. Seizing an axe, he wrecked the first boat without hesitation and men from his army began systematically breaking the remaining ones until all the boats were destroyed, much to the chagrin of Aurangzeb’s men. The rest of the princes then proclaimed Raja Karan Singh as the ‘The Raja of Jangal’ and thus was born the Bikaner family motto ‘Jai Jangal Darbadshah’, which literally means, ‘Emperor of the Forest’.

  By this act Raja Karan Singh became a legendary figure in the history of Bikaner and there was not a single Rajput boy who was not aware of his heroic deeds. Aurangzeb decided to shelve his plan to advance on Iran and returned home. However, he was smarting from the pain of Raja Karan Singh’s open defiance. The incident may have been forgotten in time but it was not forgiven and realising the danger that his state faced from the revengeful Emperor, Karan Singh voluntarily left Bikaner and went into exile, leaving the gaddi in the capable hands of his eldest son Prince Anup Singh. He left for Aurangabad and remained there till the time of his death in 1669. His sacrifice was quite monumental; he preferred voluntary exile rather than subject his state to any revengeful invasions by Aurangzeb.

  His three redoubtable sons, the princes Padam Singh, Kesari Singh and Mohan Singh continued the tradition and fought alongside Aurangzeb and were his close allies in the wars of succession fiercely fought between the Mughal brothers, the sons of Shah Jahan. In appreciation of their valour and particularly distinguished conduct in the battle of Khajwa, Aurangzeb described the Bikaner brothers as ‘warriors as brave as any sprung from the Rathore stock’. It is said that the Emperor with his own hands took a handkerchief and brushed the dust from their armour. Raja Karan Singh is without doubt one of my most admired and favourite ancestors and one for whom I have a great deal of respect.

  Maharaja Anup Singh (1669-1698)

  The tenth Maharaja of Bikaner, and the son of Raja Karan Singh, he was the first ruler of Bikaner to be given the title of Maharaja. Anup Singh was associated with almost every important battle in Aurangzeb’s long Deccan campaign and the latter counted him as one of his most dependable supporters. His most notable achievements were the capture of the impregnable forts of Bijapur in 1689 and Sukkar in 1693. Emperor Aurangzeb also conferred on him the insignia of Mahi Maratib, the highest honour of the Mughal Court.

  Anup Singh was a great patron of the arts and was himself a distinguished scholar of Sanskrit, an outstanding mathematician and proficient in the sciences of medicine and astrology. He also brought to Bikaner many artists and artisans from the Deccan who flourished at his court and it was the golden age of the Bikaner school of miniature painting. Appalled by the destruction of ancient Hindu manuscripts and statues and other artefacts at the orders of Aurangzeb, Maharaja Anup Singh rescued thousands of documents from the Deccan, together with several hundred statues depicting the many images from the pantheon of Hindu Gods and brought them safely to Bikaner.

  These priceless manuscripts were later gathered together and catalogued in the time of Maharaja Ganga Singh who then vested them in the Anup Sanskrit library, named after his ancestor who had brought them to Bikaner. Housed in the archival wing of Lallgarh Palace today, it is a rare and important collection of work ranging over a diverse range of subjects. Had it not been for the timely intervention of the Maharaja, they would surely have been destroyed. There are almost 6,682 manuscripts in Sanskrit and their main subjects are history, religion and literature; these are further divided into sixty-five sub-categories such as astrology, Vedas, Upanishads, the Ramayana and the Gita. There are also 554 Hindi manuscripts divided into twenty-three sub-categories such as drama, history, yogashastra, astrology and poetry. The beautiful statues made up of a composite of ‘serv dhatu’ or seven metals are absolutely sublime and thanks to the wisdom and foresight of Maharaja Anup Singh, they are still present to delight all who see them. There are some several hundred of these small statues and are today housed in the Junagarh Fort.

  The rulers of Bikaner gave their wholehearted support to the Mughal emperors for over two centuries. There was no important campaign in Hindustan or the Deccan where the Rathores of Bikaner did not shed their blood. Holding responsible posts as Governors and Imperial representatives during difficult diplomatic negotiations, the rulers of Bikaner achieved distinction for themselves and glory for the empire. The various Firmans addressed to the rulers of Bikaner by the emperors showed the exceptional dignity which they enjoyed at the Mughal Court. There was no honour, which the Mughals did not bestow on them. Hereditary titles of Raja, Maharaja, Maharajdhiraj, Raj Rajeshwar and Narendra Shiromani were conferred on them by successive Mughal Emperors.

  A multi-faceted personality, Maharaja Anup Singh was a brave warrior, who at the same time, was a poet at heart; art and culture flourished under his reign and it is quite rightly referred to as the ‘Golden Age of Bikaner’.

  Maharaja Surat Singh (1787-1828)

  The seventeenth Maharaja of Bikaner, Maharaja Surat Singh had viewed the progress of British in India with much interest, and their presence did not cause him any alarm. It seemed perfectly natural to him that they would wish to safeguard their commercial interests with the presence of British troops. Indeed, the British trade routes were constantly under threat and the British traders were very keen to enter into alliances with the different rulers in order to seek their protection. At the same time, Maharaja Surat Singh was under considerable pressure from the lawlessness that had been unleashed in the wake of the collapse of the Mughal Empire. It seemed that the British very neatly filled the vacuum that had been created and slowly but surely replaced the Mughal central authority in the subcontinent.

  The preceding rulers of Bikaner had entered into an alliance with the Mughals from time to time and it appeared the perfectly natural thing for Maharaja Surat Singh to do the same with the British, who were appreciative of the value of such a treaty. Thus, in 1817, after receiving several messages from the British, the Maharaja dispatched his aide, Kashinath Ojha, to negotiate and enter into a treaty with the British East India Company. The necessity for such a treaty was even more pressing since the Maharaja was also facing open rebellion from many of his nobles within the state. The ruler, however, had made it abundantly clear to Ojha that any such treaty would be based on friendship and mutual co-operation, and that under no circumstanc
es would the issue of sovereignty be discussed, nor for that matter would Bikaner pay any tribute to the British.

  This marked a shift from the other treaties drawn up with neighbouring states. The British, seeing the value of such a treaty, agreed immediately to the terms and conditions set by Maharaja Surat Singh. The treaty was duly signed in March 1818, between C.T. Metcalfe on behalf of the British East India Company and Kashinath Ojha on behalf of the Bikaner state. This treaty was ratified on 21 March, 1818. The treaty was mutually agreeable to both parties as this gave protection to the British who were from time to time facing attacks from freebooters and at the same time, lent support to Maharaja Surat Singh in quelling any rebellions from nobles within his state.

  Maharaja Surat Singh continued maintaining close ties with the central powers in India. Thus far, it had been the Mughals but in their absence, it was the British that were becoming the dominating power and the astute Maharaja steered his state with a steady hand in the right direction. Maharaja Surat Singh was, in fact, the first Maharaja of Bikaner to sign an agreement with the British. It was a very significant treaty in the history of the state and is often referred to the ‘Magna Carta of the Bikaner State’. The Maharaja died in 1828, having set the course for his kingdom and his people in the new dawn of the subcontinent’s history.

  Maharaja Sardar Singh (1851-1872)

  The nineteenth Maharaja of Bikaner, Maharaja Sardar Singh ascended the throne in the face of internal and external problems. The state was threatened from disorder within as well as on the borders, and the state treasury was steadily depleting due to the salaries paid to the large armies needed for the maintenance of stability. As regards the activities of the British, the Maharaja was not too concerned about their expansion in the subcontinent so long as their expansionist aims did not affect the integrity and territory of his kingdom. Amenable to any sensible viewpoint put to him, Maharaja Sardar Singh was receptive. When in 1854, Sir Henry Lawrence wrote to the Maharaja on the subject of sati, he immediately ordered a royal proclamation abolishing sati and making it punishable to those who aided and abetted this heinous practise. He also concurrently banned the practise of samadhi, whereby sadhus and mendicants chose to be buried alive. The Earl of Dalhousie was the greatest protagonist on the British side, seeking a ban on the tragic practise and meting out severe punishment as and where such incidents occurred.

  Most tellingly, it was during the reign of Maharaja Sardar Singh that the treaty between Bikaner and the East India Company was most tested. When the Indian Mutiny broke out in 1857, Maharaja Sardar Singh was quick to grasp the situation and took a crucial and immediate decision to march his forces to support the British. It was clear to him that the British had lost control and were in danger of suffering total annihilation. The Maharaja personally led his troops and cavalry against the mutineers at Hissar, Tosham, Mangali, Jamalpur, Hansi and Sirsa and completely routed them. The mutineers had not only launched ferocious attacks upon British military but had turned their anger on Europeans of any and every description to include innocent women and children. The Maharaja was notable in offering sanctuary to numerous British and other Europeans who were being persecuted in every village and town under British control. The fleeing Englishmen and their families found a safe haven within Bikaner. The efforts of the Maharaja and his government were greatly appreciated by the British. General Van Cortland and Brigadier General P Lawrence were effusive in their praise and gratitude to the Maharaja and around forty-one villages in Hissar were conferred upon him. Queen Victoria wrote to the Maharaja, describing him as ‘among the most steadfast of friends’.

  The reign of Maharaja Sardar Singh was significant as he was at the helm of affairs when the terrible Indian Mutiny took place. Mayhem and murder could have resulted in and around Bikaner and the consequences could have been catastrophic for the British had it not been for the quick action of the Maharaja by way of not only assisting them with his troops but providing safe passage and refuge to the many British and Europeans who were in imminent danger. The Maharaj died on 16 May, 1872.

  The Chattargarh Line

  This chapter would not be complete without a mention of my ancestors from the Chattargarh branch of the family. Though I am the direct descendant of Rao Bika, not all my ancestors were Maharajas. There were many adoptions that took place from time to time within the agnates. When Maharaja Sardar Singh died without any issue to succeed him, it was the prevalent Rajput custom to adopt from the collateral branch of the family closest to the ruler. The choice then fell on the descendants of Maharaja Gaj Singh, the fourteenth ruler of Bikaner. One of his sons, Chattar Singh (1779-1838) held a grant of Surpura and Chattargarh, and had died in the lifetime of his father and his son Dalel Singh (1779-1838) who was an infant upon his father’s death, had inherited the Jagir.

  At the time of Maharaja Sardar Singh’s demise, the nearest kin was Maharaj Lall Singh, the great grandson of Maharaj Chattar Singh, and a cousin of the Maharaja. It was the custom that the Maharaja had to adopt someone in his lifetime to be his heir, however, if he were to die without indicating whom he wanted to succeed him, then the senior most dowager, the Rajmata, made the final choice as to who would succeed her dead husband. In this case the Rajmata felt that someone younger should be appointed to the gaddi and therefore exercised her preference for Maharaj Lall Singh’s eldest son Dungar Singh who was then proclaimed the twentieth Maharaja and so from 1872 onwards the Rulers of Bikaner have belonged to the Chattargarh branch of the family.

  Maharaja Ganga Singh (1887-1943)

  Cassius describes Julius Caesar in William Shakespeare’s seminal play Julius Caesar (Act 1 Scene 2) thus: ‘Why man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a colossus. ‘Whereas I cannot speak for the rest of the world, as far as Bikaner is concerned, my great grandfather Maharaja Sir Ganga Singh, the twenty-first Maharaja of Bikaner, was certainly a towering figure and his achievements were so grand and awe-inspiring that since his time we have been living in the shadow of his glorious reign. He was a very difficult act to follow, leaving behind deep footprints in the history of his state that no one can possibly hope to fill. He was a legend in his own lifetime, and remains so to this day and his achievements continue to inspire us.

  Though vast volumes have already been written on my great grandfather, I will try to keep his many achievements confined to a few pages. I am afraid it would rather be a bit like caging a tiger.

  Maharaja Dungar Singh, his elder brother, had no children and he had decided in his lifetime to adopt his younger brother Ganga Singh, my great grandfather, who was born on 13 October, 1880, at the ancestral Junagarh Fort. Upon the unexpected demise of Maharaja Dungar Singh, he ascended to the gaddi at age seven. He was playing with his toys one day when solemn looking officials garbed in white arrived and took him away to a lifetime of duty. Leaving his toys behind forever; he devoted the rest of his life to the responsibilities that bound him to Bikaner. His formal coronation took place on 31 August, 1887. His early education was at Mayo College in Ajmer. Sir Brian Egerton was appointed as his guardian and tutor by the Regency Council. Sir Brian had earlier also been the tutor to Osman Ali, the Nawab of Hyderabad; he brought up his young ward in a manner befitting the onerous responsibilities awaiting him. Maharaja Ganga Singhji affectionately used to refer to Sir Brian as ‘Guruji’ (revered teacher) and kept his photograph on his office desk. In 1899, Ganga Singh assumed full powers as ruler of Bikaner at the age of eighteen.

  The first major hurdle he faced was the severe famine ‘chappania kaal’ that lasted six years from 1899–1900, during which period he had to face a calamity of unexpected magnitude in which the vast majority of the population and livestock of his state were affected. It was his initiative and ability that saved the situation. He personally toured on camel back all the famine-affected regions and organised relief campaigns. The Maharaja, at a very young age of 19, was one of the first ruling princes who went overseas to fight in the China wars of 1900-1901. He had pers
onally commanded the Bikaner camel corps, the famous Ganga Risala, during the Boxer Rebellion. He took active part in various battles including the siege of Potingfu and the victory of Pitang.

  The machinery of the Government he had inherited was almost medieval: his state, though extensive, was mostly arid land. An unruly feudal nobility only further added to his troubles as they did pretty much as they pleased in their Jagirs or fiefdoms, causing grave internal problems. There was only eighty-seven miles of railway track at the time, no organised judiciary or police and medical facilities hardly existed. The young Maharaja certainly had his work cut out for him, but he was determined to overcome all the obstacles that lay before him. He re-organised the executive machinery of government; enforced law and order throughout the state; and the lands were properly settled and assessed. He enunciated a clear railway policy, the object of which was to connect Bikaner, hitherto an inaccessible area, with the surrounding territories. A scientific exploitation of the mineral resources was taken in hand. Within a few years, the Maharaja converted what was in effect a medieval administration, into a modern state capable of multi- faceted activities in the interest of his people.

  He faced great opposition from the chiefs and nobles to the reforms he had initiated, and understandably so, as until then they had been fairly autonomous in their little fiefdoms and not subject to any law except their own. A few of them tried to orchestrate open rebellion against him to curb the reforming zeal of the Maharaja, who without hesitation, put down these insurgents with a firm hand. Whereas the Maharaja appreciated the strength that a loyal aristocracy gave to the state and encouraged the nobles to take their full share in the work of the government, he made it clear that the days of feudal anarchy were past and could not be revived by threats and intimidation.