Mayurbhanj district
Mayurbhanj district is one of the 30 districts of Odisha state in eastern India and the largest in the state by area, nearly equivalent to Tripura. The district's headquarters is located in Baripada, with other major towns including Rairangpur, Karanjia, and Udala., Mayurbhanj ranks as the third-most populous district in Odisha, following Ganjam and Cuttack. The district also known for the Similipal National park.
Etymology
The district owes its name to two medieval ruling dynasties, Mayura and Bhanja. It is believed that the native ruling Bhanja dynasty underwent socio-cultural exchange with the Mayura dynasty during their shifting of capital, adopting their name alongside Bhanja and renaming the state to Mayurbhanj. The peacock motif was later embraced by the Bhanjas and featured on the coat of arms of Mayurbhanj. Although the previous name of the territory remains uncertain, it was referred to as Khijjinga mandala and colloquially Bhanjabhumi, signifying the land of Bhanja. In popular culture, it is commonly termed Mayura, with Bhanja as the reigning dynasty. The name of Mayurbhanj state is noted as Mohurbunge, Morebunge, and Morbhanj in many British India records.History
Prehistory
The archaeological evidence suggest that human settlements in the Mayurbhanj district date back to the Lower Paleolithic era of the Stone Age. These settlements thrived alongside the Budhabalanga River and its tributaries. The presence of a consistent water source attracted wildlife from the Similipal forest, facilitating the hunting of smaller animals from the safety of caves by supporting early human inhabitants. The region's thin forest cover also provided edible roots and fruits.
The tools used by these early settlers were quite basic, resembling split pebbles with minimal flaking, similar to those found in Paleolithic industries in Africa. These tools evolved over time to include handaxes, cleavers, scrapers, knives, rostrocarinates, and points, varying in complexity, shape, and size. Stratigraphy does not provide a means to categorize them into distinct groups for understanding their technical development. Typo-technological analysis suggests the presence of two specific tool types with manufacturing techniques akin to European Abbevilian, Acheulian, and Clactonian industries.
Mediaeval to modern history
The Bhanja family, which ruled Mayurbhanj State, holds a significant place in the district's history. The Bhanjas of Khijjinga mandala governed the western region of the present-day Mayurbhanj district, including parts of Kendujhar and West Singhbhum districts, with their headquarters at Khiching after the fall of the Buddhist Bhauma-Kara dynasty. The progenitor of present-day Bhanjas of Khijjinga mandala divided the territory into two segments, each led by one ruler, effectively forming two full-fledged states. One relocated the capital from Khiching to Haripur and subsequently renamed the territory as Mayurbhanj State, while the other moved it to Kendujhargarh and named it Keonjhar State after Delhi Sultanate Feroz Shah Tughlaq plundered the kingdom during his invasion of Odisha in 1361 CE, when he marched through Manbhum, Singhbhum, and Mayurbhanj.In 1508, the state came under Mughal rule. During Mughal conquest from 1592 to 1751, Mayurbhanj was an extensive domain that comprised 12 Zamindari, 42 kila in total, and, according to Raja Man Singh, 18 forts within the state, including Bhanjbhum, Mantri, Hariharapur, Dewalia, Purunia, Karkachua, Bamanghati, and Sarhonda. The state also held sway over several surrounding Zamindari Estates, including Nilgiri, Porahat, Saraikela, Kharsawan, Barabhum, Patharhai, Narsinhpur, Dipa Kiarchand, Jhamirapal, Jamkunda, Chargarh, Talmunda, Tamar, and Birkul in Medinipur, during the early period of Mughal rule. All of these territories encompassed present-day Kendujhar, Balasore, Singhbhum, and large parts of the undivided Midnapore districts. Raja Krushna Chandra Bhanja took advantage of the disturbed conditions around the last years of Shah Jahan and enlarged his territory to the coast of the Bay of Bengal, covering the area from Jaleswar to Bhadrak. He was however defeated and executed by Khan-e-Dauran, the general of Emperor Aurangzeb.
In 1751, it came under Maratha rule. During the expansion of the Maratha Empire, the state lost most of its territories along the coast as well as the Nilgiri State. The loss of the sea ports along the Balasore coast severely affected the state finances. It was around this time that the capital was shifted to Baripada. The river Subarnarekha served as the natural border between Mughal-controlled Bengal and Maratha-controlled Odisha after a number of conflicts between 1742 and 1751. In 1803, the state submitted to the British who had conquered coastal Odisha and the state was recognised as a feudatory state – a position midway between a princely state and a Zamindari. At that time, the state lost some zamindaris, including two northeastern bordering territories: Gopiballavpur and Nayagram. However, the state remained semi-independent and acted as a buffer state between Maratha and British rule by maintaining friendly relations with British authorities. The left-out westernmost territory of the Mayurbhanj state, stretching up to the Porahat estate, retained its nominal independence during both Mughal and Maratha invasions. It was primarily inhabited by the Ho, a significant aboriginal group, who asserted their dominance over the indigenous Bhuiyan tribe during their settlement period. Though the state had de jure rights over that territory, de facto control was held by the Porahat estate due to geography and demographic nature, especially after the relocation of the state capital from Khiching to Haripur. In 1820, the Porahat estate acknowledged British authority, eventually leading to the gradual annexation of these left-out independent areas into the British-administered Singhbhum district following a series of conflicts between Kol and British army. In the 1830s, further territorial concessions were made to the British when large parts of Bamanghati area, such as Thai, Bharbharia, Anla, Lalgarh, Khuchung, and Haladipokhari were handed over to the British administrated Singhbhum district as a consequence of persistent Kol uprisings. However, by the end of the 19th century, only two zamindaris, Bamanghati and Kaptipada, had merged with the state. Thereafter, there were no further changes to the territorial boundaries. In 1912, the Mayurbhanj state became part of the Bihar and Orissa Province of British India as a feudatory state. In 1936, with the partition of the province, it became a part of Orissa Province.
File:Chota Nagpur region 1912.jpg|thumb|Mayurbhanj State under Bihar and Orissa Province of Bengal Presidency, 1912.|center
The state was modernised during the short reign of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo in the early 20th century, a legacy continued by his succeeding rulers Purna Chandra Bhanj Deo and Pratap Chandra Bhanj Deo till the merger of the state with Odisha. During Sriram Chandra's reign, major infrastructure and administrative developments took place, including the construction of the narrow-gauge railway from Rupsa to Baripada and from Gorumahisani mines to Jamshedpur. The circular road connecting four sub-divisional headquarters was also built, which is now part of SH-19, SH-49 and NH-18. Similarly, Maharaja established the Baripada Municipality and Udala Sub-divisional headquarters for effective governance. In a notable judgement during his reign, the Calcutta High Court held that the Mayurbhanj State as well as all other feudatory states of Odisha were practically not parts of British India, thus elevating them to the status of full princely states. Mayurbhanj was the largest and most populous of all princely states in Odisha and the Maharaja enjoyed a salute of 9 guns.