Lunkaran

Lunkaran (12 January 1470 – 30 March 1526) was the third Rao of Bikaner, ruling from 1505 to 1526. He spent much of his two-decade long reign consolidating and expanding the territories of his relatively new kingdom. He was the younger son of Rao Bika, the founder of Bikaner and the younger brother of his predecessor Rao Naro Singh who died without any children.

Lunkaran
Rao
Rao of Bikaner
Reign	23 January 1505 – 30 March 1526
Predecessor	Nara
Successor	Jait Singh
Born	(1470-01-12)12 January 1470 Deshnoke (in present-day Bikaner district, Rajasthan, India)
Died	30 March 1526(1526-03-30) (aged 56) Dhosi (in present-day Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan, India)
Spouse	Daughter of Raimal, Rana of Mewar (m. 1514)
Issue	Jait Singh Several others
Dynasty	Rathore
Father	Bika
Mother	Rang Kanwar of Pugal

Background

Lunkaran was born on 12 January 1470, a younger son of Rao Bika, the eponymous founder of the kingdom of Bikaner. His mother, Bhatiyani Rani Rang Kanwar, was the daughter of Rao Shekha, the Bhati ruler of Pugal.^[1]

Reign

In January 1505, Lunkaran ascended the throne at the age of 35 following the premature death of his elder brother Nara.^[1] His first military engagement was the suppression of nobles who, after having lost lands under Bika, had revolted during the reign of Nara. Later, in 1509, he marched against Man Singh Chauhan of Dardrewa, defeating him after a siege of seven months and absorbing his lands.^[2][1] In 1512, he invaded Fatehpur, which was being ruled by the Kayam Khani king Daulat Khan. Taking advantage of a feud between Khan and another ruler, Lunkaran swept into the region and annexed 120 villages.^[2] The following year, he defeated the Khanzada ruler of Nagaur in battle^[1] and also conquered extensive territory from Chayal Rajputs near Hisar and Sirsa.^[2]

In early 1526, he became involved in a dispute with Rawal Jait Singh of Jaisalmer. Allegedly, the contention arose when Jait Singh insulted Lunkaran's clan, the Rathores, publicly in court. When chided by a noble visiting from Bikaner, the Rawal mocked them further by stating that he would bestow to the Brahmins of his kingdom as much land as the Rathors could ride over. When the noble reported the exchange to Lunkaran, he took up the challenge and, with his riders, invaded the Rawal's territory. His forces penetrated as far as the city of Jaisalmer itself and laid siege to it, capturing Jait Singh in the process. He only lifted the siege and released the captive king after the latter pledged to give his daughter in marriage to one of Lunkaran's sons.^[1]

Death

In March that same year, Lunkaran and four out of his 5 sons: Rajkumar Ratan Singh (eldest), Rajkumar Pratap Singh, Rajkumar Nait Singh & Rajkumar Bhairi Sal Singh along with Rao Ranmal, Ahir Chief of Nasibpur, rode into battle against the Nawab of Narnaul.^[1] However, while fighting in the village of Dhosi, several of his supporters withdrew from the battle. As a result of this, the Bikaner forces were overwhelmed, with Rao Lunkaran, three of his sons and his purohit Devidas being killed. Rao Lunkaran had left behind his second son Rajkumar Jait Singh at Bikaner so that the throne would not be heirless in an event where he and all his sons who rode into battle died. Upon news of the Rao and his sons' valiant death in battle, including the eldest prince Rajkumar Ratan Singh, Rajkumar Jait Singh was crowned the 4th Rao of Bikaner so that the kingdom would not be without a leader. However everyone's presumption turned out to be incorrect as after a few days a wounded eldest prince Rajkumar Ratan Singh returned to Bikaner to learn that his younger brother had already been crowned King as he was presumed dead with his father and other brothers. He chose not to quarrel with his younger brother and accepted him as the King whilst he received the estate of Mahajan as his share of the patrimony and embraced the title of Maharaj which means the brother of a Rao/Raja/Maharaja. He is thus the ancestor of the Ratansinghot subclan within the Bika Clan of the Rathore dynasty and Mahajan serves as the ancestral seat of this particular subclan.^[2][3]

Rao Lunkaran and his sons' cenotaph can be found at the Bika Ji Ki Tekri in the Old City of Bikaner along with the cenotaphs of his father and elder brother Rao Bika and Rao Naro Singh respectively.

Issue

Sons

• Ratan Singh – ancestor of the chiefs of Mahajan
• Jait Singh, Rao of Bikaner
• Pratap Singh (killed in Narnaul)
• Barsi (killed in Narnaul)
• Tejsi
• Netasi (killed in Narnaul)
• Kishan Singh
• Ram Singh
• Suraj Mal
• Kushal Singh
• Roop Singh
• Karamsi

^[4]

Daughters

• Rajkumari Bala Bai: married Prithviraj Singh I, Raja of Amber^[5]
• Unnamed daughter: married Nahar Khan, Kayam Khani ruler of Fatehpur (son of Daulat Khan)^[6]
• Unnamed daughter: married Maharawal Bairi Lunkaran Singh Bhati of Jaisalmer
• Unnamed daughter: married Rana Sriraj Ranoji Singh of Halvad

Ancestry

Ancestors of Lunkaran
8. Ranmal, Rao of Marwar[7] 4. Jodha, Rao of Marwar[8] 9. Kodamde Bhatiyani of Pugal[7] 2. Bika, Roa of Bikaner[1] 10. Jaits Sankhala of Roon[8] 5. Navaranga De Sankhli of Roon[8] 1. Lunkaran, Rao of Bikaner 12. Bairsal, Rao of Pugal[9] 6. Shekha, Rao of Pugal[1] 3. Rang Kanwar Bhatiyani of Pugal[1]