| Anup Singh | |
|---|---|
| Maharaja | |
 An 1852 painting of Anup Singh | |
| Ruler ofBikaner State | |
| Reign | c. 1669-1698 |
| Predecessor | Karan Singh |
| Successor | Swarup Singh |
| Born | 1638 Junagarh Fort,Bikaner,Rajputana |
| Died | 1698 Adoni,Deccan Subah,Mughal Empire |
| Spouse |
|
| Issue |
|
| House | Bikawat-Rathore |
| Father | Karan Singh |
| Mother | Chandrawatji (Sisodiniji) Kishor Kanwarji d.of Kunwar Rukmangad ofRampura inMalwa[citation needed] |
Maharaja Anup Singh (IAST: Anūpa-siṃha, 1638–1698) was theRathore Rajput ruler of the Kingdom ofBikaner during 1669–1698. Like his predecessors he was a vassal of the imperialMughal Empire and participated in several Mughal campaigns in theDeccan region. He led the Mughal charge that resulted in the fall of theGolconda Sultanate for whichMughal Emperor Aurangzeb conferred the title of "Maharaja" upon him. He was a patron of scholars, poets, painters and musicians. He collected several manuscripts and established the Anup Sanskrit Library in his capital city of Bikaner.
Anup Singh was the eldest son of his predecessor and father Karan Singh, a Mughal vassal. In July 1667, while Karan Singh was still alive, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb conferred on Anup Singh the right to rule Bikaner after his father's death. In 1669, Karan Singh died inAurangabad during the Mughal campaign in theDeccan region, and Anup Singh succeeded him on the throne of Bikaner.[1]
Anup Singh was an absentee ruler, and spent much of his life at the Mughal court or in Mughal campaigns away from Bikaner. He participated in the Mughal campaign against theMaratha kingShivaji, as a subordinate of the Mughal general Mahabat Khan.[1] As a general of Aurangzeb, Anup Singh led several campaigns in the Deccan region during the 1680s and the 1690s.[2] In 1687, he led the Mughal army to capture theGolconda Sultanate, for which Aurangzeb granted him the titleMaharaja.[3] Aurangzeb also granted him the royal honour ofMahi Maratib, and raised hismansabdar rank, first to 3500, and then to 5000.[1]
After the Mughal army capturedBijapur Sultanate in the mid-1680s,Siddi Masud - the Bijapuri governor ofAdoni - ruled the Adoni area independently. A Mughal army led by Anup Singh captured Adoni in 1689, and Aurangzeb appointed him the governor of Adoni. Anup Singh held this post until his death in 1698.[2]Bellary was also placed under his charge.[1]
In the 1670s, while Anup Singh was away in Deccan, the Bhatis of Kharbara and Raimalwali rebelled against his administration. They established their base at Churaia (a fort to the north of Bikaner), where the local Johiyas joined them. Mukund Singh, amahajan (merchant class) official of Anup Singh, suppressed the rebellion. Later, the fort of Churaia was demolished, and in 1678, it was replaced by a larger fort namedAnupgarh after Anup Singh.[1]
In 1678, Anup Singh's half-brother Banmali, who was Karan Singh's son by a concubine, claimed half of Bikaner State on the basis of afirman issued by the Mughal emperor. Banmali's wife, who was a slave-girl, apparently poisoned him to death at the instructions of Anup Singh, who made the emperor believe that Banmali had died of natural causes.[1]
Anup Singh died in 1689 at Adoni.[1] Several women from his harem committed sati (suicide by immolation), including 2 queens (ranis), 9common law wives, and 7 maids.[4]
Anup Singh's eldest son Sarup Singh (r. 1698–1700), who was nine-year old at the time, succeeded him on the throne. He died of chicken pox at Adoni. Anup Singh's younger son Sujan Singh (r. 1700–1735) then became the ruler of Bikaner.[1]
Anup Singh was a Sanskrit scholar, mathematician and astronomer.[1] He collected a large number of Sanskrit-language manuscripts during his time in Deccan, and established the Anup Sanskrit Library.[5] He also patronized many Sanskrit writers including Manirama Dikshita, Vidyanatha, and Joshiraya (apparently same as Virasimha Ganaka). The authorship of Josiraya'sAnupa-karana is falsely attributed to him (as Anūpasiṃha).[6]
During his years as a Mughal general in Deccan, Anup Singh set up a court there, and employed several painters. His finest artist was Ruknuddin, who had already been in Bikaner's service since the 1660s; several of his relatives also joined the Bikaner service. During this period, theMughal style influenced theBikaner style of painting.[7]
Besides the construction ofAnupgarh,[1] Anup Singh made several additions to theJunagarh Fort. He added decoration to the Karan Mahal, which was built by his father as the public audience hall (diwan-i-aam). In 1690, he commissioned the Anup Mahal as the private audience hall (diwan-i-khas); the later ruler Surat Singh added much of the structure's interior decor.[8]