The Coins of India

Map Bikanir Mint

Bikaner – 17 gun state

Rulers

Rao Bika (1488-1504)

Rao Naro (1504)

Rao Lunkaran (1504-26)

Rao Jet Singh (1526-41)

Rao Kalyan Singh (1541-71)

Raja Rai Singh (1571-1611)

Raja Dalpat Singh (1611-13)

Raja Sur Singh (1613-31)

Raja Karan Singh (1631-69)

Maharaja Anup Singh (1669-98)

Maharaja Sarup Singh (1698-1700)

Maharaja Sujan Singh (1700-35)

Maharaja Zorawar Singh (1735-45)

Maharaja Gaj Singh (1745-88)

Maharaja Raj Singh (1788)

Maharaja Paratp Singh (1788)

Maharaja Surat Singh (1788-1828)

Maharaja Ratan Singh (1828-51)

Maharaja Sardar Singh (1851-72)

Maharaja Dungar Singh (1872-87)

Maharaja Ganga Singh (1887- )

History [1].

Lying between 27o 12’ and 30o 12’ N. and 72o 12’ and 75o 41’ E., and with an area of well over 23,000 square miles, this is the second largest state in Rajasthan, but it is sparsely populated (and always has been) consisting, as it does, largely of arid desert and semi desert land. Only the northeast section is at all fertile, and most of the rest is a flattish, dry but not unattractive sandy plain, with large dunes in the west and north, the driest part, the Thar Desert. Here the state borders on Bahawalpur State, now in Pakistan. To the south-west is Jaisalmer: Marwar is to the south, Jodhpur, Loharu and Hissar are to the southeast and east, and Ferozepur is to the northeast.

The state is an old one, having been founded by a Rathor Rajput named Bika (born in about 1439AD, the sixth son of Jodha, the Marwar chief). Accompanied by others of his clan, he began to conquer the country in the mid-1450s, from the Jats, the Muslim Bhatti clan and other Rajput clans who occupied it. He formed an alliance with the powerful Bhattis by marrying a daughter of the chief.

In 1485 Bika built himself a fort on one of the rare eminences in the desert, and a few years later, Bikaner city, the capital, was founded (in 1488) and leant its name to the state, which was the second largest in Rajputana.. He died in 1504. His successors continued to expand the territories until, in 1541, Maldeo of Marwar invaded the area and took half of it from the Rao, Jet Singh, who was killed. In 1544, Kalyan Singh, Jet Singh’s son retook the fort. Jet Singh joined his forces with the Imperial Mughal army, which was marching against Jodhpur, whose army it defeated near Ajmer.

In 1570 Kalyan Singh and his son Rai Singh waited on Akbar at Nagaur, where the imperial army was encamped, and having had his loyalty accepted by Akbar, he gave his daughter in marriage to the emperor. Rai Singh succeeded in 1571, and is known as one of Akbar’s most successful generals, being rewarded by the award of Hansi, Hissar and other districts. In 1586 he gave his daughter to prince Salim (later to be emperor Jahangir). He built the main fort of Bikaner.

(Other chiefs need to be identified and put in here)

In 1631 Karan Singh came to the gadi, and was fortunate enough to have sided with the successful contender for the Mughal throne, Aurangzeb Alamgir. Karan died in 1669 and was followed by his eldest son, Anup Singh, who, like his father, took an important part in Aurangzeb’s eventual reduction of the Deccan. For this, he was awarded the title of Maharaja, which title his successors continue to hold.

The eighteenth century saw constants war with Jodhpur, in which much territory was alternatively won and lost. Surat Singh came to the throne in 1788 and witnessed the eighth recorded invasion by Jodhpur. He also entertained Elphinstone who was travelling to Kabul, and began negotiations to bring Bikaner under British protection, which could not then be granted because of the current British policy of non-interference in the quarrels and policy of independent states. Surat Singh was a cruel, avaricious and murderous chief, and eventually his Thakurs, exhausted and exasperated by his depradations on his people, revolted in 1815. Surat Singh called again for British protection in 1816. Since Amir Khan with his Pindaris was also involved, the British, who were at great pains to curb, and if possible extirpate the Pindaris, concluded a treaty with Surat Singh in 1818AD. British forces then quelled the revolt and reinstated the Bikaner Durbar in control of its own state.

Surat Singh died in 1828, to be succeeded by his son, Ratan Singh.. During his reign, the British were forced to intervene in an altercation between Bikaner and Jaisalmer, which threatened to engulf the surrounding states in their quarrel. British assistance, however, was refused when a later row involved only internal Bikaner politics and factions. Ratan Singh died in 1851, and his son, Sardar became Maharaja. He assisted the British during the Mutiny of 1857/58, and was rewarded with the addition of Tibi in Sirsar to the Bikaner territory in 1861. During the years up to 1868, the state finances dissolved into chaos and the Maharaja enforced such exactions as once again caused a revolt of his Thakurs. This time the British installed a Political Officer and peace was restored. Sardar Singh died in 1872. He had been granted a sanad of adoption in 1862, and his widow now adopted Dungar Singh to succeed him, Dungar was installed in 1873. In 1883 he, like two of his predecessors, caused a revolt by his Thakurs over money. The Political Agent called in a British force from Najibabad, but peace had broken out before the battalions had taken any action. Dungar Singh died in 1887, and his brother, Ganga Singh, an adopted son, succeeded, and was installed in 1898. He ruled until 1942AD when he died and was succeeded by Sadul Singh, who ruled until Indian independence in 1947AD.

Coinage (taken verbatim from Ref 1, p 361-362)

The state had formerly a silver and copper coinage of its own, the privilege of coinage having been granted by one of the Dehli kings (Alamgir II or Shah Alam II) about the middle of the eighteenth century; the mint was always located at the capital. All the coins bore the names of Shah Alam until 1859 when that of Her late Majesty was substituted, and, as each chief had a special symbol of his own, the various issues can easily be recognised. The marks were the following:- of Gaj Singh a pataka or flag; of Surat Singh a trisul or trident; of Ratan Singh a kirnia or turban-star; of Sardar Singh a chhata or umbrella; of Dungar Singh a chaori or fly-whisk; and of Ganga Singh a morchhal or peacock feather fly-whisk. The silver coins were well struck and were amongst the best in Rajputana, but the copper were, up to the time of Sardar Singh, indifferently turned out and often varied a good deal in weight. The first three of the chiefs above mentioned minted no silver coin smaller then a rupee, but Maharajas Sardar Singh and Dungar Singh issued eight-anna, four-anna and two-anna pieces. The local and British rupees appear to have been of much the same value, as 100 of the former are said to have usually exchanged for from 101 to 105 of the latter. Act IX of 1876 empowered the Governor General in Council to declare coins of native states of the same fineness and weight as the Government coins to be, subject to certain conditions, a legal tender in British India, and authorised native states to send their metal to the mints of the Government of India for coinage. The only states throughout India which availed themselves of the opportunity afforded by this act were Alwar and Bikaner. The latter applied for the substitution of silver and copper coins struck in a British mint for its then existing currency in September 1890, and the proposal being accepted, an agreement was drawn up and the necessary dies were prepared. The Darbar proceeded to call in its silver coins and despatch them to the Bombay mint, whence they were re-issued as rupees which became legal tender in British India; similarly the copper coins were sent to Calcutta where they were reminted. The number of rupees coined for the state has been 707,072 [though the Darbar claimed that 1,110,605 rupees were recoined in 1892 and 1897], namely 102,030 in 1892-93, 493,836 in 1893-94 and 111,206 in 1897-98; while that of copper coins has exceeded 6 ½ millions, all of which were struck in 1894-95. The currency bears on one side the effigy of Her late Majesty and the words “Victoria Empress” in English; and on the other side the value and “Bikaner State” in English, the date in Perisan, the words “Maharaja Ganga Singh Bahadur” in both Persian and Hindi, and a couple of morchhals. Under the agreement, which is dated 16^th February 1893, the Darbar, among other things, abstains from coining silver and copper in its own mint for a period of thirty years.

THE COINAGE OF BIKANER.

Bikaner was never a Mughal mint, and the first coinage known is a series of copper and silver coins struck by Gaj Singh in the name of Alamgir II. The coins were struck irregularly from about AH1159 for the first few years of Alamgir II’s reign and thereafter only a rupee bearing the regnal year 37 is known. The first issue was a fair copy of the imperial rupee, thought to be dated AH1159 and 1160, although fully dated coins are rare or unknown.

There followed a much cruder, undated rupee, also starting with the RY1 of Alamgir II, and thereafter it was struck, according to the coins, in RYs 6 and 37, although the regnal year is usually absent from these coins, and other dates are assumed to exist. There was also an undated broad flan rupee on which are the regnal years 2 and 6 (one of which could be a retrograde error for the other) are known. This is often referred to as a Nazarana, but these coins are not very scarce, and are probably just a better-produced currency coin. A copper paisa with regnal year 36 is also reported. Nazarana coins (if that is what they are, as the same remarks as above apply here as well) are also known for the erroneous date “AH114x”, without a regnal year, in the name of Shah Alam II.

Under Surat Singh, coins continued to be struck in the name of Alamgir II, but carried the regnal years of Shah Alam, II. Haphazard dating remains a bug-bear of all Bikaner dump-style coinage, only the British milled rupees bearing genuine dates, except by accident.or in the case of accession years. The first of these are copper paisas and halves bearing RYs 42 and 47 of Shah Alam II. The calligraphy is very crude.

The rupees bear the reported dates 1204/28, and 1229/42, 43, 47, 51 and 52. Others are known to exist, and there is a “Nazarana” rupee bearing the date 1204.

Next follow the coins of Ratan Singh in the name of Shah Alam II. First thereare undated uniface copper paisas, round or square, bearing Ratan Singh’s symbol, the Kiriana*. There follows an undated copper paisa and half paisa. These coins have the RY 41 which, when engraved very badly, looks like “21”. It also carries the Kiriana on the reverse. There is also a Nazarana rupee dated AH1229/25, which date falls within the reign of his predecessor, Surat Singh. Ratan Singh also has a series struck in the name of Muhammad Akbar II consisting of silver rupees only. These are all dated 1229AH and were struck irregularly, with regnal years between 21 and 52.

Sardar Singh’s coinage in the name of Alamgir II consists of a copper half paisa with RY 18, and silver quarter, half and full rupees. When the dates are visible, all coins bear the date AH1229 with RY 18 or 21. The full rupee bears the regnal years of Bahadur Shah Zafar.

The Indian Mutiny of 1857/58AD then intervenes, and the next series, following the declaration that the British crown has taken over the former British East Indies Company former holdings throughout the sub-continent, are Regal Issues in the name of Queen Victoria, with the date 1859AD and the equivalent, VS1916. Copper paisas and silver 1/8, ¼, ½ and full rupees and a Nazarana rupee are known.

Coins with the dates VS1916/1859AD and in the name of Queen Victoria continue under Dungar Singh. They can be distinguished from the preceding issues by the addition of Dungar Singh’s symbol. Denominations remain unchanged except that paisas, not half paisas are struck.

Under Ganga Singh the same series and denominations continued to be struck, with the same dates and in the name of Queen Victoria. This is the last dump series, after which the British rupee became the only legal tender. The coins are exactly similar to those of those struck for British India as a whole, the state name engraved on the reverse around the denomination being the only detail different therefrom. Copper half pice and quarter annas dated 1894 and 1895 respectively, and silver rupees dated 1892ADwere struck.

These were the last currency coins of this state, but medallic silver “rupees” and gold “mohurs” were struck to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the start of Ganga Singh’s reign in 1937AD, which also bear the equivalent VS or SE date, 1994.

Proof versions were struck of most British coins, in a variety of metals, but since these are not currency coins in any real sense, they do not concern us here.

From this series, right to the end of the production of hand-struck coinage, the coins bear the symbol of the current ruler, beside those of some or all the preceding monarchs. The symbols are as follows:

Gaj Singh {} || Twig with three berries, Altar lamp.

Surat Singh < > + Three varieties of flag.

Ratan Singh [] Kiriana. (The number of dots varies.)

Sadar Singh X Altar with lamp

Dungar Singh Y Fly whisk

Ganga Singh A Ostrich feather fan.