Rao Lunkaran

Rao Lunkaran (also called Lon-Karan) was the son and successor of Rao Bika, ruling Bikaner from 1505 to 1526. His reign was a period of consolidation after the energetic founding years of his father. He maintained the kingdom's territorial integrity and continued the tradition of seeking Karni Mata's patronage. Lunkaran's reign fell in the turbulent opening years of the 16th century when the Lodi Sultanate at Delhi was weakening, the Mewar kingdom under Rana Sanga was at its height, and new powers like Ibrahim Lodi and then Babur were reshaping north India. Bikaner under Lunkaran maintained a careful neutrality while consolidating domestic administration. He died in 1526 — the same year Babur won the First Battle of Panipat and established Mughal rule in Delhi — and was succeeded by his son Rao Jait Singh.