Bikaner is a city in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located 330 kilometres northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. It is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division. Formerly the capital of the princely Bikaner State, the city was founded by Rao Bika, a Rajput chief of the Rathore dynasty in 1488 CE and from its small origins it has developed into the fourth largest city in Rajasthan.