Rao Jait Singh

Rao Jait Singh (also called Jaitsi) was the ruler of Bikaner from 1526 to 1541, reigning through one of the most dramatic periods in north Indian history: the Mughal conquest under Babur and Humayun. Jait Singh navigated the dangerous politics of Rajputana during the early Mughal period with considerable skill. When Babur defeated Rana Sanga of Mewar at Khanwa (1527), Bikaner's position became more vulnerable. Jait Singh's most serious conflict was with his Rathore kinsmen at Marwar: the aggressive Rao Maldev of Jodhpur was expanding his territories in all directions, and in 1541 led a campaign against Bikaner. At the Battle of Saheba (1541), Rao Jait Singh was killed in combat against Rao Maldev's forces, his kingdom temporarily overrun. His son Kalyan Mal was forced to seek refuge outside Bikaner, aligning first with Sher Shah Suri and later with the Mughal Emperor Akbar to reclaim his inheritance.