Skip to content
The Indian Historyv0.1
⌘K
ErasPeopleEventsLocationsPowersDynasties
ErasPeopleEventsLocationsPowersDynasties

The Indian History

A relational, temporal, and geospatial archive of the Indian past. Connecting the lives, events, places, and dynasties that shaped the subcontinent across six grand epochs.

Explore Curation

  • Era Timelines
  • Historical Figures
  • Turning Points
  • Geospatial Places
  • Sovereign Powers
  • Ruling Dynasties

Archive Resources

  • Geospatial Index

“History is not a catalog of dead events, but a living web of relations, a tapestry of human choices and geographic crossings.”

© 2026 · The Indian History Archive

An immersive digital repository

Grant of Minting Rights to Bikaner(1754 – 1759)

Maharaja Gaj Singh became the first ruler of Bikaner granted the right to mint his own coinage by the Mughal emperor — sovereignty conceded by an empire with little else left to give.

GO

What you need to know

Gaj Singh was the first ruler of Bikaner granted the right to strike his own coinage
  • The privilege was conferred by the Mughal emperor
  • The right to mint coin is a core attribute of sovereignty
  • The grant coincided with the effective collapse of Mughal central authority
  • Gaj Singh had already assumed the style Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Shiromani in 1752
  • The grantor is identified as Alamgir II in some sources and as Padshah Alamgir in others

    • Participants

    • Maharaja Gaj Singh of Bikaner

      Grantee

      Maharaja Gaj Singh of Bikaner

      30s at this event

      Grantee

      30s at event

      Maharaja Gaj Singh of Bikaner

      Fourteenth ruler of Bikaner, 1746–1787. Came from a collateral line, faced down a Jodhpur invasion backing his rival brother, refused to partition the state, and won the right to mint his own coin.

    Theatres

    • B

      AFFECTED_TERRITORY

      Bikaner

      AFFECTED_TERRITORY

      Bikaner

      Walled desert city founded in 1488 by Rao Bika; capital of Bikaner State until 1947.

    • Delhi

      SEAT_OF_POWER

      Delhi

      SEAT_OF_POWER

      Delhi

      Imperial capital of the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals and modern India.

    Powers

    • B(

      Bikaner (Rathor Kingdom)

      Bikaner (Rathor Kingdom)

      Rathor Rajput kingdom of the Thar desert. Watan-jagir vassal of the Mughals from 1570 under Rai Singh.

    • Mughal Empire

      Mughal Empire

      Mughal Empire

      One of the wealthiest empires of the early modern world.

    • Key Points
    • Participants
    • Theatres
    • Powers
    Facts at a glance
    Start
    1754s
    End
    1759s
    Tags
    Bikaner, Gaj Singh, coinage, Mughal, sovereignty, Alamgir II

    Significance · REGIONAL

    Report an error
    Start
    1754s
    End
    1759s
    Tags
    Bikaner, Gaj Singh, coinage, Mughal, sovereignty, Alamgir II

    Significance · REGIONAL

    Report an error