GOVT. COLLEGE, LIEil^RY KOTA (Raj.) For Official use only GAZETTEER OF INDIA RAJASTHAN BIKANER RAJASTHAN DISTRICT GAiZETTEERS BIKANER By K, K. SEHGAL DIRECXORATE, DISTBICST GAZETTEERS GOVERNMENT OF RAJASTHAN, JAIPUR, Obtainable from : (1) DIRECTORATE, DISTRICT GAZETTEERS, RAJASTHAM, JAIPUR (INDIA) (2) PUBLICATIONS BRANCH, GOVERNMENT CENTRAL PRESS, JAIPUR (INDIA) Criitted at ; BHARAT PRINTERS, M. I. ROAD. JAIPUR (Rajasthak) PREFACE The District Gazetteer of Bikaner is the tenth in the series of District Gazetteers being published by the Government of Rajas- than in collaboration with the Central Gazetteers Unit of India. The area now comprising the district of Bikaner formed a part of the erstwhile princely State of Bikaner, which was founded by Rao Bika, a Rathor prince, in the fifteenth century A.D. The antiquity of the tract is, however, much older and a reference about it is available in the Mahabharata. For sometime the area remained the cradle of the migrant Yaudheyas. When the Rathors appeared on the scene, the territory was inhabited by various Jat clans. For about half-a-millennium the descendants of Rao Bika ruled over this region with Bikaner town as the seat of their Government. Under the Rathors the State witnessed various upheavals. The ramparts of Bikaner fort remind us even today of the saga of many a fierce battle. With the growth of Mughal power under Akbar, Bikaner became one of the leading states of Rajputana, Its brave soldiery, known for its chivalrous deeds, constituted the flower of the Mughal army. After the disintegration of the Mughal empire the Bikaner House suffered a set-back and there was a slow decline in its prosperity and power. In the beginning of the 19th century, the State sought British protection owing to internecine feuds with its own nobility and the neighbouring states. Bikaner remained a great centre of learning during the medic* val period. The town still possesses one of the biggest collections of rare manuscripts in the country. Known connoisseurs of art and literature, the Bikaner rulers gave patronage to many renowned litterateurs, painters and architects in their courts. The first Gazetteer of the Bikaner State, written by Captain P.W. Powlett, was published in 1874. Erskine’s Gazetteer of Western Rajputana States and Bikaner Residency was published about three de'cadcs later in 1909. A brief description of the State and its constituent parts was also included in the Imperial Gazetteer of India and its provincial scries. The Gazetteers of the pre-indepen- dence days contained onl}- such information as would prove useful to a colonial$OYcrnmcni in administering a country of .continental 11 were prepared dimensions. In the princely States the Gazetteers State officials and the solely for the use of the Darbars, the publications merely political officers accredited to' them. These of the highlighted the customs and traditions of the upper echelons society while completely ignoring the lower strata. .transformations have taken place in India, in political, • Mighty during the past -.few decades. The social . and economic sphere country, has experienced far-reaching changes, lUndcr the impact of forces. old _ Gazetteers, internal and international _ social The although a valuable source material for the scholars and historians, have become out-of-date in the changed circumstances. The work of revising and rewriting the Gazetteers was, therefore,. taken, up as a national project which is being implemented by the Government of India, State Governments and the Administrations of, the. Union Territories. The new series of District Gazetteers gives an all-sided and inter-connected account of the- emerging democratic pattern of life in the country since Independence. The material available in. the, old Gazetteers has, been used freely particularly in chapters dealing with subjects like topography, rivers, geology etc. where no change in the text was required. The bulk of the information had, however, to be collected,from a, number of publications. Government and private, and from pther sources. The data included in the volume, unless specifically mentioned in the text otherwise, pertain to the period ending. 1965-66. I am greatly indebted to the various departments of the State and Central Government. Semi-Government institutions and indi- , viduals who have helped us by extending their -co-operation and making the necessary material ..available. 1 must , make a special mention and express my .thanks to Dr. P-U. Chopra, M.. A, Ph, D., Editor, District Gazetteers and the staff of Central Gazetteers Unit, . Union Ministry of Education -and Youth Services, -New Delhi, for their effective role in planning arid co-ordinating the work of pre- paration of the District Gazetteers. The Unit .scrutinised the draft of this volume with great care and-madc several helpful suggestions .with a view to improving the standard and quality of the publication, lam also indebted . to Shri Maya Ram, the then Director, who prepared the first draft of this- Gazetteer and sent it to Central Gazetteer* Vmt, New Delhi. I makc grateful acknowledgement of my in obligations to Sliri K.P.U Menon and Shri Z. S. Jhala, the ex-Chief Secretaries and Shri S.L. Khurana the present Chief Secretary to the Government of Rajasthan, for guiding and helping us in the work. My thanks are also due to the staff of the Gazetteers Depart- ment who worked as a team to help me in the difficult task of compilation of the Gazetteer. I must record my genuine appreciation for the services rendered by them. K. K. SEHGAL Director. District Gazetteers, Rajasthan’, Jaip’Ur. GAZETTEER OF BIKANER DISTRICT PLAN OF CONTENTS CHArTERS Pag gs I—General 1—18 11—History 19—82 III—People 83—123 IV—^Agriculture and Irrigation 124—155 V—Industries 156—184 VI—Banking, Trade and Commerce 185—206 VII—Communications 207—220 VIII—Miscellaneous Occupations 221—237 IX—Economic Trends 238—260 X—General Administration 261—265 XI—Revenue Administration 266—291 XII—Law and Order and Justice 292—309 XIII—^Other Departments 310—320 XIV—Local Self-Government 321—339 XV—Education and Culture 340—364 XVI—Medical and Public Health Services 365—382 XVII—Other Social Services 383—3X8 XVITI—Public Life and Voluntary Social Service Organisations 389—410 XIX—^Places of Interest 411—422 Bibliography 423—425 Glossary 426—428 Index 429—451 Plates CONVERSION TABLE Length 1 inch=2.54 centimetres 1 foot=: 30.48 centimetres 1 yard=91.44 centimetres 1 raile=1.61 kilometres Area 1 square foot— 0.093 square metre 1 square yard=0.836 square metre 1 square mile=2.59 square kilometres 1 acre =0.405 hectare Volume 1 cubic foot=0.028 cubic metre Capacity I gallon (Iraperial)=4.55 litres 1 seer (80 tola)=0.937 litre Weight 1 tola = 11.66 grams 1 chhatank=58.32 grams 1 scer=933.10 grams 1 maund =37.32 kilograms 1 seer (24 tolas)=279.93 grams 1 ounce =28.35 grams 1 pound=453.59 grams I ton=l,016;05 kilograms Temperatute t* Fahrcnhcit=9/5 (1° centigrade) 0 f 32 Metric Weights & Measures Length 10 miUimctrcs=l centimetre 100 centimctrcs=l metre 1,000 mcttcs^l kilometre Area 100 square Tnillimetres=l square centimetre 10.000 square centimelres=l square metre or centiare 100 square metres = I are 100 ares=l hectare 100 hectares or 1,000,000 square metres=l sq. kflometre Volume 1,000,000 cubic centimetres=l cubic metre Capacity1,000 1.000 millilitres=l litre 1,000 litres — 1 kilolitre 1,000 Weight 1,000 milligrams=l gran grams=l kilogram 100 kilograms =1 quintal kilcgrams = l tonne 200 milligrams=',i carat TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I General INTRODUCTORY—Origin of the name of the district. Location, boundaries, area and population. History of the district as an administrative unit; TOPOGRAPHY; RIVER SYSTEM AND WATER RESOURCES—Lakes, rivers and tanks, Underground water; GEOLOGY— Geological formation, Minerals-Fuller’s Earth {MnUani Mini), Lignite, Gypsum, White Clay, Yellow ochre. Glass sand, Sandstone, Limestone, Grit {Bajri)-, Seismicity of Bikaner; FLORA—Forests, Revenue from Forest Depart- ment, Protected and Private Foiests-Research Institute-; FAUNA—Animals. Reptiles, Birds, Game Sanctuaries; CLIMATE—Rainfall, Temperature, Humidity, Cloudiness, Winds, Special Weather Phenomena; APPENDICES I to V, 1 - 18 CHAPTER II History PRE-HISTORY; PROTO-HISTORY; ANCIENT HISTORY— The Yaudheyas. the Gurjara-Pratiharas, the Chahamanas and the Bhatis; MEDIEV AL PERIOD-Rao Lunkaran, Rao Jet Sigh, Rao Kalyan Singh, Raja Rai Singh, Maharaja Dalpai Singh. Sur Singh, Karan Singh. Maharaja Anup Singh, Swamp Singh, Sujan Singh, Maharaja Zorawar Singh, Maharaja Gaj Singh, Maharaja Raj Singh, Maharaja Pratap Singh; MODERN PERIOD—Maharaja Surat Singh, Maharaja Ratan Singh, Maharaja Sardar Singh, Maharaja Dungar Singh, Maharaja Ganga Singh. Maharaja Sadul Singh, Political Awakening in Bikaner, Bikaner Conspiracy Case (1932); APPENDICES 1 to VII — ] 11 CHAPTER III People POPULATION—Total population, Growth of population, Sex Ratio, Age, Urban and Rural population. Emigration and Immigration, Displaced Persons; LANGUAGE— Bilingu- alism; RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL GROUPS—Hindus- Brahmans, Mahajans, Jats, Rajputs, Nayaks or Thoris, Meghwals, Bishnois, Darogas, Alakhgirs-, Mohammedans, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Religious Beliefs and Practices, Nomenclature; SOCIAL LIFE—Joint family system. Inheritance, Adoption, Polygamy, Restrictions on Marri- age, Marital Status, Marital Reforms, Marriage Customs, Dowry, Divorce, Widow Remarriage-Position of women-, Prostitution, Drinking-Daily life-, Home-life-House-holds-, Furniture, Dwellings, Dress, Ornaments, Food, Communal Life-Fairs & Festivals, Festivals, Fairs, Mokama Fair, Kolayat Fair, Deshnoke Fair, Teej Fair. Shiv Bari Fair, Naginiji Fair, Nar Singh Chautrdashi Fair, Sujandesar Fair, Ken, ara Fair, Jetha Bhutta Fair, Kodemdesar Fair, Ridmalsar Fair, Dada-ji-ka-Mela-, Dance, Music, Folk lore. Songs, Amusements-Sports and Games, Other Recreation, Puppets, Cinemas, Clubs-, Impacf of Recent Social and Economic Changes ••• *“ <S3-!23 CHAPTER IV Agriculture axd Irrigation General, Co-operative Movement, Afforestation; IRRIGA- TION—Irrigation fay Lakes & Tanks—Gajner Lake, Kolayat Tank.