Kurjhadi

The rulers of Kurjhadi are descendants of Maharaj Devi Singhji, son of Maharaja Gaj Singhji of Bikaner. The Chief is a noble of the former Bikaner State, and the Rajvis of Kurjhadi are traditionally addressed as the Haveliwale Rajvi of the Gajsinghot clan nobles of Bikaner State. Rajvi Prithvi Singhji was formally conferred with the Kurjhadi Thikana.

Origin and Genealogy

The historical lineage of the Kurjhadi Thikana is deeply intertwined with the ruling house of the Bikaner State. Maharaja Gaj Singhji, who ruled Bikaner from 1746 to 1787, was a powerful ruler of the Rathore dynasty. His son, Maharaj Devi Singhji, established a prominent lineage within the royal family. The descendants of Maharaja Gaj Singhji are collectively known as the Gajsinghot Rajvis.

In the court hierarchy of Bikaner, the title of Rajvi was exclusively designated for the paternal kinsmen of the Maharaja, placing them at the highest echelon of the state's nobility. The Kurjhadi branch came to be known as the Haveliwale Rajvi, a term referring to their ancestral havelis (mansions) located within the capital of Bikaner, which served as prominent centers of local administration and cultural patronage.

Establishment of Kurjhadi Thikana

The Kurjhadi estate was formally granted as a Thikana (noble fief) to Rajvi Prithvi Singhji. As a primary noble house, the rulers of Kurjhadi enjoyed hereditary rights over their estate, including revenue collection and local judicial administration. They were classified among the Tazimi nobles of Bikaner, a status that afforded them specific honors and protocols during ceremonial court durbars presided over by the Maharaja.

British Period and State Relations

During the period of the British Raj, Bikaner State maintained a treaty of subsidiary alliance with the British Crown, signed in 1818. Throughout this era, the Kurjhadi Thikana remained loyal to the Bikaner Durbar, contributing military levies and administrative support during times of state emergencies. The Gajsinghot Rajvis of Kurjhadi played active roles in the administrative machinery of Bikaner, especially during the modernizing reigns of Maharaja Ganga Singhji and Maharaja Sadul Singhji.

Post-Independence and Modern Era

Following India's independence in 1947, Maharaja Sadul Singhji signed the Instrument of Accession, leading to the merger of Bikaner State into the United State of Greater Rajasthan in 1949. With the subsequent passage of the Rajasthan Land Reforms and Resumption of Jagirs Act in 1952, the feudal and administrative privileges of the Kurjhadi Thikana were officially dissolved.

Today, the descendants of the Kurjhadi noble family continue to reside in Rajasthan, preserving their ancestral heritage, historical records, and traditional socio-cultural roles within the regional community.