. BIKANIR, long. 73° 22' E., lat. 27° 56' N., is the chief town of a sovereignty, chiefly in the great Indian desert, which has an area of 17,676 square miles. The population was estimated by Tod in the beginning of the 19th century at about 539,000, and the revenue at about six lakbs of rupees. In 1874, Major Powlett estimated the population at 300,000. The ruling family are of the Rahtor tribe of Rajputs, who have held sway there since 1439. Bikanir maintains a force of 2100 cavalry, and about 1000 infantry and 30 guns. Bikanir was originally inhabited by various small tribes of Jots and others, the quarrels among whom led to the conquest of the country in 1458 by Bika Singh, a son of raja Jodh Singh of Jodhpur. After con solidating his power, he conquered Bagore from the Bhattee of Jeysulmir, and founded the city of Bikanir; he died in A.D. 1505. Rai Singh, the fourth in descent from Iiika Singh, succeeded to " power in 1573, and in his time the connection of Bikanir with the Dehli emperors began. Rni Singh became a leader of horse in Akbar's service, and received a grant of 52 parganas, including Hausi and Hissar. The earliest treaty with the British Government was in 1801. Sirdar Singh succeeded to power in 1852. He did good service during the mutinies, both by sheltering European fugitives, and by co-operating against the rebels in the districts of Hansi and Hissar. He received
a salute of 17 guns and the right of adoption. The Oswal and the Mahesri Rajputs form the chief part of the population ; the Sewak are ser vants of the temples. On the side of the tank where the dead aro burned are the cenotaphs of twelve chiefs. The wells at the city are 300 feet deep. The territory was once populous and wealthy ; but the plundering Beedawat bands, with the Salmi, the Khasa, and Rajur robbers in the more western desert, so destroyed the kingdom, that while formerly there were 2700 towns and villages in Colonel Tod's time, not one-half of these remained. Three-fourths of the population are the aboriginal Jit, the rest are their conquerors, —the descendants of Bika, including Sarsote (Saraswati) Brahmans, Charans, Bards, and a few of the servile classes. A list is given of 37 fiefs, the chieftains, retainers of Bikanir, holding 43,572 foot and 5402 horse.—Tod's Rajasthan, i. p. 240, ii. p. 98 ; Priusep's Antiquities, p. 259 ; Aitchesou's Treaties, iv. p. 147 ; Elphinstone's Caubul, p. 10.