PRINCELY STATE OF BASTAR
PRINCELY STATE OF BASTAR
Present day MP
DYNASTY: BHANJ
ACCESSION: 1948
Short History: Traditionally the area is mentioned as Dandakaranya in the epic Ramayana, and part of the Kosala Kingdom in the Mahabharata. Around 450 AD, Bastar state was ruled by Nala King, Bhavadatta Varman, who is mentioned to have invaded the neighbouring Vakataka kingdom, during the reign of its King, Narendrasena (440-460) [2]
The princely state of Bastar was established around 1324 AD, when Annama Deva, brother of the last Kakatiya King, Pratapa Rudra Deva (r. 1290-1325), left Warangal and established his kingdom at Bastar under the tutelage of local goddess, 'Dantheshwari', who still is the tutelary deity of Bastar region, her famous Dantheshwari Temple stands today at Danthewada, also named after her [3].
Annama Deva ruled till 1369 when he was followed successively by Hamir Deva (r. 1369-1410), Bhaitai Deva (1410–1468), Purushottama Deva (1468–1534) and Pratapa Raja Deva (1602–1625) after which the Bastar branch of the dynasty became extinct in the third generation with Dikpala Deva (1680–1709), after which a descendant of the younger brother of Prataparaja Deva, Rajapala Deva became the next King in 1709. Rajapala Deva had two wives, first a Baghela Princess, married, who had a son, Dakhin Singh, secondly, a Chandela Princess, who has two sons, Dalapati Deva and Pratap, trouble however struck again when after the death of Rajapala Deva in 1721, the elder queen ousted other claimants and placed her brother on the throne of Bastar, Dalapati Deva took refuge in the neighbouring kingdom of Jeypore and finally regained his throne a decade later in 1731 [4][5][6].
Its capital was Jagdalpur, where Bastar royal palace built by its ruler, when its capital was shifted here from old capital Bastar [4].
Later at some point in the 15th century Bastar was divided into two kingdoms, one based in Kanker and the other ruled from Jagdalpur.[7] The present Halba Tribe claims to descend from the military class of these kingdoms.
Until the rise of the Marathas , the state remained fairly independent until 18th century. In 1861, Bastar became part of the newly formed Central Provinces and Berar, and in 1863, after years of feud, over the Kotapad region, it was given over to the neighbouring Jeypore state in 1863, on the condition of payment of tribute of Rs. 3,000, two-thirds of which sum was remitted from the amount payable by Bastar. By virtue of this arrangement the tribute of Bastar was, reduced to a nominal amount.
Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo (1929–1966), the 20th and the last ruling head of the Bastar state, ascended the throne in 1936, before it acceded to India in 1948 during the political integration of India[5].
Maharaja Chandra Bhanu Deva was immensely popular among the tribals. He was shot dead in a "police action" in 25th March 1966 while leading a tribal movement in Bastar. He was executed on the steps of his own Palace in Jagdalpur. Scores of other tribals and courtiers too were murdered by the police.
Founded in the 15th century, the 11th largest Princely State by area. Rulers were...
Raja ANNAM DEV, 1st Raja of Bastar 1324/1369, traditional founder, brother of the Kakatiya Raja of Warangal, Pratap Rudra Dev, said to have established himself at Bastar, defeating the Nagvanshi Raja, and established his capital at Mudhota under the protection of the goddess, Danteshwari, still the family deity.
Raja HAMIR DEV, 2nd Raja of Bastar 1369/1410
Raja BHAITAI DEV, 3rd Raja of Bastar 1410/1468
Raja PURUSHOTTAM DEV, 4th Raja of Bastar 1468/1534, he shifted his capital to Old Bastar.
Raja PRATAP RAJ DEV, Raja of Bastar 1602/1625, married and had issue, extinct in the 3rd generation,
PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: Founded in the 15th century, the 11th largest Princely State by area. Rulers were...
Raja ANNAM DEV, 1st Raja of Bastar 1324/1369, traditional founder, brother of the Kakatiya Raja of Warangal, Pratap Rudra Dev, said to have established himself at Bastar, defeating the Nagvanshi Raja, and established his capital at Mudhota under the protection of the goddess, Danteshwari, still the family deity.
Raja HAMIR DEV, 2nd Raja of Bastar 1369/1410
Raja BHAITAI DEV, 3rd Raja of Bastar 1410/1468
Raja PURUSHOTTAM DEV, 4th Raja of Bastar 1468/1534, he shifted his capital to Old Bastar.
Raja PRATAP RAJ DEV, Raja of Bastar 1602/1625, married and had issue, extinct in the 3rd generation,
Raja DIGPAL DEO, Raja of Bastar 1680/1709
Raja RAJPAL DEO, Raja of Bastar 1709/1721, descended from the younger brother of Raja Pratap Raj Dev, married 1stly, a Baghela Princess, married 2ndly, a Chandel Princess, and had issue.
oRajkumar Dakhin Singh (by 1st wife)
oRaja Dalpat Deo (by 2nd wife) (qv)
oRajkumar Pratap Singh (by 2nd wife)
Raja MAMA, Raja of Bastar 1721/1731
Raja DALPAT DEO, Raja of Bastar 1731/1774, moved his capital to Jagdalpur; he married (amongst 7 wives), 1stly, a daughter of Raja Goor Sai Deo of Kanker, and had issue.
oRajkumar Ajmer Singh (by 1st wife), usurped the gaddi for a short time.
oRaja Daryao Deo (by 2nd wife) (qv)
Raja DARYAO DEO, Raja of Bastar 1774 and 1777/bef 1819, married and had issue.
oRaja Mahipal Deo (qv)
Raja MAHIPAL DEO, Raja of Bastar fl. 1819, married and had issue.
oRaja Bhopal Deo (qv)
oLal Dalganjan Singh, Dewan of Bastar 1846/1863, married and had issue. He died 1863.
Lal Kalendra Singh, Dewan of Bastar 1882/-; deported to Illichpur for his part in the Bastar rebellion of 1910, where he died. He died 1916 at Illichpur.
Kunwar Chakar Singh
Raja BHOPAL DEO, Raja of Bastar 1830/1853, married and had issue, as well as further issue.
oRaja Bhairam Deo (qv)
oKunwar Durjan Singh (by a secondary union), Dewan of Bastar -/1881, died February 1881
Raja BHAIRAM DEO, Raja of Bastar 1853/1891, born 21st May 1839, succeeded 27th August 1853 (#1), recognized as a Feudatory Chief by the British Government in 1865; he married (amongst others), Senior Rani Subra Kanwar, died October 1910 at Raipur, (a) Nawabai (concubine), and had issue, as well as illegitimate issue. He died 28th July 1891.
oRaja Rudra Pratap Deo (qv)
oMaharanidhirani Padmalaya Devi, married Maharajadhiraj Nahar Deo of Kanker, and had issue.
oKunwar Bahadur Singh (by a secondary union)
oKunwar Arjun Singh (by a secondary union)
Raja RUDRA PRATAP DEO, Raja of Bastar 1891/1921, born 5th March 1885, succeeded 20th July 1891, installed January 1908, educated at Rajkumar College, Raipur; married 1stly, Rani Kusumlata Devi, daughter of Raja Sir Basudeb Sudhal Deb of Bamra, she died 18th August 1911, married 2ndly, Rani Chandra Kumari, she died sp, and had issue, one son and one daughter. He died 1921.
Rani Prafulla Kumari Devi, Rani of Bastar 1921/1936, born 10th February 1910, married 1927, Lal Sahib Prafulla Chandra Bhanj Deo of Mayurbhanj, born 23rd May 1909, Member of the Lok Sabha, died 5th March 1959, and had issue. She died 28th February 1936 in London.
o Rajkumari Kamla Devi (by Rani Prafulla Kumari Devi), born 2nd February 1928, married in Bijwa U.P. She died 1st January 1954.
o Maharaja Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo (qv)
o Rajkumari Geeta Kumari Devi, born 29th October 1930, married Raja Saheb Kadamba Keshri Chandra Deo of Bonai, and had issue. She died 17th December 2002.
o Maharaja Vijay Chandra Bhanj Deo (qv)
Maharaja PRAVIR CHANDRA BHANJ DEO, Maharaja of Bastar 1936/1966, born 12th March/25th June 1929, educated at Rajkumar College, Raipur; succeeded 28th October 1936, deposed by the Indian authorities in 1961, M.L.A. (Madhya Pradesh), married 4th July 1961, Maharani Shubhraj Kumari, born 1930, died sp 11th September 1996, daughter of Rao Sahib Udaya Singhji of Patan. He died sp 25th March 1966 (#2).
Maharaja VIJAY CHANDRA BHANJ DEO, Maharaja of Bastar 1966/1970, born 4th March 1934, married Maharani Hitendra Kumari, daughter of Thakore Saheb Surendrasinhji Karansinhji of Sayla, and had issue. He died 12th April 1970.
o Maharaja Bharat Chandra Bhanj Deo (qv)
o Maharajkumar Shri Devesh Chandra Bhanj Deo (+), married and had issue.
Rajkumar Mohit Chandra Bhanj Deo
Rajkumari Juhika Devi Bhanj Deo
o Maharajkumar Shri Harihar Chandra Bhanj Deo, educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot (1974); a practising lawyer in the capital Jagdalpur, married and had issue.
Rajkumar Suryaveer Chandra Bhanj Deo
o Rani Saheba Puspa Devi, married Raja Rajendra Chandra Deb Birabara Harichandan Mahapatra, 25th Raja Saheb of Talcher, and has issue, two sons.
Maharaja BHARAT CHANDRA BHANJ DEO, Maharaja of Bastar 1970/1996, born 1954, educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot (1972); married a Maharani from Tharad, and had issue. He died 1996.
o Maharaja Kamal Chandra Bhanj Deo (qv)
o Rajkumari Gayatri Devi Bhanj Deo
Source: HENRY SOSZYNSKI website
Present day MP
DYNASTY: BHANJ
ACCESSION: 1948
Short History: Traditionally the area is mentioned as Dandakaranya in the epic Ramayana, and part of the Kosala Kingdom in the Mahabharata. Around 450 AD, Bastar state was ruled by Nala King, Bhavadatta Varman, who is mentioned to have invaded the neighbouring Vakataka kingdom, during the reign of its King, Narendrasena (440-460) [2]
The princely state of Bastar was established around 1324 AD, when Annama Deva, brother of the last Kakatiya King, Pratapa Rudra Deva (r. 1290-1325), left Warangal and established his kingdom at Bastar under the tutelage of local goddess, 'Dantheshwari', who still is the tutelary deity of Bastar region, her famous Dantheshwari Temple stands today at Danthewada, also named after her [3].
Annama Deva ruled till 1369 when he was followed successively by Hamir Deva (r. 1369-1410), Bhaitai Deva (1410–1468), Purushottama Deva (1468–1534) and Pratapa Raja Deva (1602–1625) after which the Bastar branch of the dynasty became extinct in the third generation with Dikpala Deva (1680–1709), after which a descendant of the younger brother of Prataparaja Deva, Rajapala Deva became the next King in 1709. Rajapala Deva had two wives, first a Baghela Princess, married, who had a son, Dakhin Singh, secondly, a Chandela Princess, who has two sons, Dalapati Deva and Pratap, trouble however struck again when after the death of Rajapala Deva in 1721, the elder queen ousted other claimants and placed her brother on the throne of Bastar, Dalapati Deva took refuge in the neighbouring kingdom of Jeypore and finally regained his throne a decade later in 1731 [4][5][6].
Its capital was Jagdalpur, where Bastar royal palace built by its ruler, when its capital was shifted here from old capital Bastar [4].
Later at some point in the 15th century Bastar was divided into two kingdoms, one based in Kanker and the other ruled from Jagdalpur.[7] The present Halba Tribe claims to descend from the military class of these kingdoms.
Until the rise of the Marathas , the state remained fairly independent until 18th century. In 1861, Bastar became part of the newly formed Central Provinces and Berar, and in 1863, after years of feud, over the Kotapad region, it was given over to the neighbouring Jeypore state in 1863, on the condition of payment of tribute of Rs. 3,000, two-thirds of which sum was remitted from the amount payable by Bastar. By virtue of this arrangement the tribute of Bastar was, reduced to a nominal amount.
Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo (1929–1966), the 20th and the last ruling head of the Bastar state, ascended the throne in 1936, before it acceded to India in 1948 during the political integration of India[5].
Maharaja Chandra Bhanu Deva was immensely popular among the tribals. He was shot dead in a "police action" in 25th March 1966 while leading a tribal movement in Bastar. He was executed on the steps of his own Palace in Jagdalpur. Scores of other tribals and courtiers too were murdered by the police.
Founded in the 15th century, the 11th largest Princely State by area. Rulers were...
Raja ANNAM DEV, 1st Raja of Bastar 1324/1369, traditional founder, brother of the Kakatiya Raja of Warangal, Pratap Rudra Dev, said to have established himself at Bastar, defeating the Nagvanshi Raja, and established his capital at Mudhota under the protection of the goddess, Danteshwari, still the family deity.
Raja HAMIR DEV, 2nd Raja of Bastar 1369/1410
Raja BHAITAI DEV, 3rd Raja of Bastar 1410/1468
Raja PURUSHOTTAM DEV, 4th Raja of Bastar 1468/1534, he shifted his capital to Old Bastar.
Raja PRATAP RAJ DEV, Raja of Bastar 1602/1625, married and had issue, extinct in the 3rd generation,
PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: Founded in the 15th century, the 11th largest Princely State by area. Rulers were...
Raja ANNAM DEV, 1st Raja of Bastar 1324/1369, traditional founder, brother of the Kakatiya Raja of Warangal, Pratap Rudra Dev, said to have established himself at Bastar, defeating the Nagvanshi Raja, and established his capital at Mudhota under the protection of the goddess, Danteshwari, still the family deity.
Raja HAMIR DEV, 2nd Raja of Bastar 1369/1410
Raja BHAITAI DEV, 3rd Raja of Bastar 1410/1468
Raja PURUSHOTTAM DEV, 4th Raja of Bastar 1468/1534, he shifted his capital to Old Bastar.
Raja PRATAP RAJ DEV, Raja of Bastar 1602/1625, married and had issue, extinct in the 3rd generation,
Raja DIGPAL DEO, Raja of Bastar 1680/1709
Raja RAJPAL DEO, Raja of Bastar 1709/1721, descended from the younger brother of Raja Pratap Raj Dev, married 1stly, a Baghela Princess, married 2ndly, a Chandel Princess, and had issue.
oRajkumar Dakhin Singh (by 1st wife)
oRaja Dalpat Deo (by 2nd wife) (qv)
oRajkumar Pratap Singh (by 2nd wife)
Raja MAMA, Raja of Bastar 1721/1731
Raja DALPAT DEO, Raja of Bastar 1731/1774, moved his capital to Jagdalpur; he married (amongst 7 wives), 1stly, a daughter of Raja Goor Sai Deo of Kanker, and had issue.
oRajkumar Ajmer Singh (by 1st wife), usurped the gaddi for a short time.
oRaja Daryao Deo (by 2nd wife) (qv)
Raja DARYAO DEO, Raja of Bastar 1774 and 1777/bef 1819, married and had issue.
oRaja Mahipal Deo (qv)
Raja MAHIPAL DEO, Raja of Bastar fl. 1819, married and had issue.
oRaja Bhopal Deo (qv)
oLal Dalganjan Singh, Dewan of Bastar 1846/1863, married and had issue. He died 1863.
Lal Kalendra Singh, Dewan of Bastar 1882/-; deported to Illichpur for his part in the Bastar rebellion of 1910, where he died. He died 1916 at Illichpur.
Kunwar Chakar Singh
Raja BHOPAL DEO, Raja of Bastar 1830/1853, married and had issue, as well as further issue.
oRaja Bhairam Deo (qv)
oKunwar Durjan Singh (by a secondary union), Dewan of Bastar -/1881, died February 1881
Raja BHAIRAM DEO, Raja of Bastar 1853/1891, born 21st May 1839, succeeded 27th August 1853 (#1), recognized as a Feudatory Chief by the British Government in 1865; he married (amongst others), Senior Rani Subra Kanwar, died October 1910 at Raipur, (a) Nawabai (concubine), and had issue, as well as illegitimate issue. He died 28th July 1891.
oRaja Rudra Pratap Deo (qv)
oMaharanidhirani Padmalaya Devi, married Maharajadhiraj Nahar Deo of Kanker, and had issue.
oKunwar Bahadur Singh (by a secondary union)
oKunwar Arjun Singh (by a secondary union)
Raja RUDRA PRATAP DEO, Raja of Bastar 1891/1921, born 5th March 1885, succeeded 20th July 1891, installed January 1908, educated at Rajkumar College, Raipur; married 1stly, Rani Kusumlata Devi, daughter of Raja Sir Basudeb Sudhal Deb of Bamra, she died 18th August 1911, married 2ndly, Rani Chandra Kumari, she died sp, and had issue, one son and one daughter. He died 1921.
Rani Prafulla Kumari Devi, Rani of Bastar 1921/1936, born 10th February 1910, married 1927, Lal Sahib Prafulla Chandra Bhanj Deo of Mayurbhanj, born 23rd May 1909, Member of the Lok Sabha, died 5th March 1959, and had issue. She died 28th February 1936 in London.
o Rajkumari Kamla Devi (by Rani Prafulla Kumari Devi), born 2nd February 1928, married in Bijwa U.P. She died 1st January 1954.
o Maharaja Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo (qv)
o Rajkumari Geeta Kumari Devi, born 29th October 1930, married Raja Saheb Kadamba Keshri Chandra Deo of Bonai, and had issue. She died 17th December 2002.
o Maharaja Vijay Chandra Bhanj Deo (qv)
Maharaja PRAVIR CHANDRA BHANJ DEO, Maharaja of Bastar 1936/1966, born 12th March/25th June 1929, educated at Rajkumar College, Raipur; succeeded 28th October 1936, deposed by the Indian authorities in 1961, M.L.A. (Madhya Pradesh), married 4th July 1961, Maharani Shubhraj Kumari, born 1930, died sp 11th September 1996, daughter of Rao Sahib Udaya Singhji of Patan. He died sp 25th March 1966 (#2).
Maharaja VIJAY CHANDRA BHANJ DEO, Maharaja of Bastar 1966/1970, born 4th March 1934, married Maharani Hitendra Kumari, daughter of Thakore Saheb Surendrasinhji Karansinhji of Sayla, and had issue. He died 12th April 1970.
o Maharaja Bharat Chandra Bhanj Deo (qv)
o Maharajkumar Shri Devesh Chandra Bhanj Deo (+), married and had issue.
Rajkumar Mohit Chandra Bhanj Deo
Rajkumari Juhika Devi Bhanj Deo
o Maharajkumar Shri Harihar Chandra Bhanj Deo, educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot (1974); a practising lawyer in the capital Jagdalpur, married and had issue.
Rajkumar Suryaveer Chandra Bhanj Deo
o Rani Saheba Puspa Devi, married Raja Rajendra Chandra Deb Birabara Harichandan Mahapatra, 25th Raja Saheb of Talcher, and has issue, two sons.
Maharaja BHARAT CHANDRA BHANJ DEO, Maharaja of Bastar 1970/1996, born 1954, educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot (1972); married a Maharani from Tharad, and had issue. He died 1996.
o Maharaja Kamal Chandra Bhanj Deo (qv)
o Rajkumari Gayatri Devi Bhanj Deo
Source: HENRY SOSZYNSKI website
