Chhattisgarh
British Rule, Princely States and Zamindaris
Feudatory States and Zamindaris of Chhattisgarh
The 14 princely states of Chhattisgarh, the 1865 sanads, the 1905 additions, the zamindaris and takoli, and the merger of 1 January 1948 into CP and Berar.
Prerequisites
- Annexation and the Chhattisgarh Division: the British districts that surrounded the states, and the 1905 transfer
- Maratha Rule in Chhattisgarh: the khalsa and tributary (zamindari) areas the British inherited
- Tribes of Chhattisgarh: many chiefly families and most of their subjects were Gond, Kanwar, Oraon and other tribal communities
The Hook: Palaces in Jagdalpur, Kawardha and Khairagarh
Connect
In Jagdalpur the old Bastar palace still hosts the rituals of Bastar Dussehra (बस्तर दशहरा). Kawardha still has its royal palace, and Khairagarh’s palace became the home of Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, the music and fine-arts university. These are reminders that, until 1 January 1948, much of Chhattisgarh was not British India at all. It was a patchwork of fourteen princely states, with dozens of zamindaris inside the British districts.
Which were these states, how did they differ from zamindaris, and how did they become part of India?
Why it matters: Prelims loves lists (the 14 states, the five that came from Bengal in 1905, the largest state, the dynasty of Bastar or Nandgaon) and the merger date. Mains GS-I asks about the feudatory system and the integration of the states.
Feudatory States (Princely States)
How they were created
- Under the Marathas, Chhattisgarh was divided into khalsa (खालसा) land, administered directly, and the hilly fringe held by tributary chiefs who paid a fixed tribute called takoli (टकोली).
- After 1861 the Central Provinces government examined the status of these chiefs. Richard Temple, Chief Commissioner of the CP, reported on the zamindaris and petty chiefs in 1863.
- In 1865 the Government of India decided that the larger zamindaris would be treated as feudatory states (सामंती रियासतें). Their chiefs received sanads (सनद), deeds that recognised their status, allowed succession by adoption, and fixed their obligations. The rest remained ordinary zamindaris inside British districts.
- In 1905 five more states, transferred from Bengal’s Chota Nagpur, were added. Together these gave Chhattisgarh its 14 princely states.
The 14 princely states
| Group | States | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Central Provinces feudatories (9) | Bastar, Kanker, Nandgaon (Rajnandgaon), Khairagarh, Chhuikhadan, Kawardha, Sakti, Raigarh, Sarangarh | With the CP since the 1865 settlement |
| Former Chota Nagpur states (5) | Surguja, Udaipur (Dharamjaigarh), Jashpur, Korea, Chang Bhakar | Transferred from Bengal to the CP in 1905 |
Facts examiners pick
| State | Capital / seat | Fact to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Bastar (बस्तर) | Jagdalpur | Largest of the Chhattisgarh states in area. Ruled by the Kakatiya line, traditionally founded in the 14th century by Annamdev, a brother of the Kakatiya king Prataparudra II of Warangal. Scene of the Bhumkal (भूमकाल) rebellion of 1910 |
| Kanker (कांकेर) | Kanker | Joined Bastar district after the 1948 merger |
| Nandgaon (नांदगांव) | Rajnandgaon | Ruled by Bairagi (बैरागी) mahants. Mahant Ghasi Das was recognised as feudatory chief by the British in 1865, with a sanad and the right of adoption |
| Chhuikhadan (छुईखदान) | Chhuikhadan | Also ruled by Bairagi mahants |
| Khairagarh (खैरागढ़) | Khairagarh | Ruled by a Nagvanshi line; its palace later housed Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya |
| Raigarh (रायगढ़) and Sarangarh (सारंगढ़) | Raigarh, Sarangarh | Ruled by Gond chiefs. Raigarh’s court was a noted centre of Kathak (the “Raigarh gharana”) |
| Surguja (सरगुजा) and Udaipur (उदयपुर) | Ambikapur, Dharamjaigarh | Ruled by branches of the Raksel line; came from Bengal in 1905 |
| Korea (कोरिया) and Chang Bhakar (चांग भखार) | Baikunthpur (Korea) | Ruled by Chauhan lines; came from Bengal in 1905 |
| Jashpur (जशपुर), Kawardha (कवर्धा), Sakti (सक्ती) | Jashpur, Kawardha, Sakti | Remember them as members of the list; each gave its name to a present-day district (Kawardha’s is now Kabirdham) |
How the states were governed
- Internal autonomy, external control. Chiefs ran their own revenue, police and courts, but under the supervision of the British. They had no independent foreign or military policy and paid tribute.
- Political control lay first with the Central Provinces government. From 1 April 1933 it passed to the Eastern States Agency, which also covered the Orissa states.
- Minority administration. When a chief was a minor or was judged to be misgoverning, the British appointed a Diwan or an administrator. In Bastar this produced resentment against outside officials and forest rules, which fed the Bhumkal of 1910 (see Freedom Movement in Chhattisgarh).
The merger of 1948
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 15 December 1947 | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and V. P. Menon met the rulers of the Chhattisgarh states at Nagpur. The rulers agreed to merge their states with the adjoining province in return for privy purses |
| 1 January 1948 | The 14 Chhattisgarh states merged into the Central Provinces and Berar |
| 1948 | New districts were formed: Bastar (Bastar + Kanker), Surguja (Surguja + Korea + Chang Bhakar), Raigarh (Raigarh + Sarangarh + Jashpur + Udaipur + Sakti). Nandgaon, Khairagarh and Chhuikhadan joined Durg district |
| 26 January 1950 | CP and Berar became Madhya Pradesh |
The privy purse bargain
Under the merger agreements the rulers gave up all governing powers. In return they kept their personal property and received an annual privy purse, generally fixed at about 10 per cent of the state’s 1947 revenue, subject to a ceiling. Privy purses were abolished later by the 26th Constitutional Amendment (1971).
Zamindaris
What a zamindari was in Chhattisgarh
- A zamindari (ज़मींदारी) in Chhattisgarh was a hereditary estate, usually in the hilly and forested fringe, held by a chief who paid a fixed takoli (tribute) rather than a full land-revenue assessment.
- Many zamindars were from tribal or local chiefly families (Gond, Kanwar, Binjhwar and others), not landlords planted by the state, as in the Bengal Permanent Settlement.
- Unlike the feudatory states, zamindaris lay inside British districts (Raipur, Bilaspur, and from 1906 Durg). The Deputy Commissioner’s courts and police had jurisdiction, and the British could revise the takoli.
Examples to know
| District (British era) | Zamindaris (examples) |
|---|---|
| Raipur | Sonakhan (Veer Narayan Singh’s estate), Bindranawagarh, Fingeshwar |
| Bilaspur | Korba, Champa, Pendra, Kenda, Matin, Uprora, Lafa, Chhuri |
| Durg (and earlier Raipur) | Gandai, Thakurtola, Dongargarh (scene of the 1818 rising) |
Feudatory state vs zamindari
| Point | Feudatory (princely) state | Zamindari |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Outside British India; ruler recognised by sanad (1865, or by transfer in 1905) | Inside British India, part of a British district |
| Courts and police | Ruler’s own, under British supervision | British district courts and police |
| Payment | Tribute to the paramount power | Takoli to the district treasury, revisable |
| End | Merged 1 January 1948 into CP and Berar | Abolished by the Madhya Pradesh Abolition of Proprietary Rights (Estates, Mahals, Alienated Lands) Act, 1950 |
Analysis: The Feudatory System and Integration (Mains)
Why the British kept the chiefs:
- Cheap control of difficult terrain: forests and hills of Bastar, Surguja and Jashpur were costly to administer directly.
- Loyal intermediaries: chiefs who owed their status to sanads had a stake in British rule.
- Buffer and revenue: tribute flowed without the expense of a full district administration.
Costs for the people:
- Double burden: subjects paid both the chief and, indirectly, the paramount power. Begar (forced labour) and forest restrictions were common grievances.
- Uneven development: most states lagged behind the British districts in schools, roads and hospitals. Some rulers were exceptions, for instance in patronage of the arts at Raigarh and Khairagarh.
- Resistance: the Bhumkal of 1910 in Bastar and praja mandal activity in the 1930s–40s show that the system was challenged from below.
Integration: the speed of the 1947–48 merger, achieved through negotiation within about two weeks of the Nagpur meeting, brought the whole region under one democratic administration for the first time. That administrative unity, within Madhya Pradesh and later as a state, is part of the background to Formation of Chhattisgarh.
Memory Tricks
The nine CP feudatories: "BK-NKC-KS-RS"
Read it as four groups, south to north and west to east:
- Bastar, Kanker: the south (both went into Bastar district)
- Nandgaon, Khairagarh, Chhuikhadan: the west (all went into Durg)
- Kawardha, Sakti: the Maikal side and the east
- Raigarh, Sarangarh: the east (both went into Raigarh district)
The five 1905 states: "SUJ-KC"
Surguja, Udaipur, Jashpur, Korea, Chang Bhakar. All in the north, all from Chota Nagpur (Bengal), all in 1905. Dynasties come in pairs: Raksel (Surguja, Udaipur) and Chauhan (Korea, Chang Bhakar).
The Bairagi pair
Nandgaon and Chhuikhadan, both ruled by Bairagi mahants. Think “Not Crowned kings but monks”.
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Feudatory state: outside British India, sanad, own courts | Zamindari: inside a British district, pays takoli | |
| 1865: sanads to the CP feudatories | 1905: five Chota Nagpur states join from Bengal | |
| 1 January 1948: merger of the 14 states | 1950 Act: abolition of zamindaris and malguzari proprietary rights | |
| Udaipur (Dharamjaigarh), Chhattisgarh | Udaipur in Rajasthan (Mewar) | |
| Nandgaon (state, Bairagi rulers) | Rajnandgaon (its capital town; later a district, 1973) | |
| Takoli: tribute paid by zamindars | Privy purse: payment to rulers after 1948 |
Common Mistakes
Trap 1: counting the states
Chhattisgarh had 14 princely states, not 15 or 36. The “36 forts” (छत्तीस गढ़) is a traditional explanation of the region’s name, not a count of states. The CP’s 1865 list also included states outside today’s Chhattisgarh, so do not use that list as the count.
Trap 2: Sonakhan was a zamindari, not a princely state
Veer Narayan Singh was the zamindar of Sonakhan, an estate inside the British Raipur district. That is why the British could arrest, try and execute him in 1857 under their own courts.
Trap 3: the merger date
The states merged on 1 January 1948, not on 15 August 1947 and not on 26 January 1950. 15 December 1947 is the date of the Nagpur meeting where the rulers agreed.
Practice
These are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- The princely states of Chhattisgarh merged into the Central Provinces and Berar on ________.
- The tribute paid by a Chhattisgarh zamindar is called ________.
- The largest princely state of Chhattisgarh by area was ________.
Answers
- 1 January 1948
- Takoli (टकोली)
- Bastar
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements:
- Surguja, Korea and Jashpur were transferred from Bengal to the Central Provinces in 1905.
- The Nandgaon state was ruled by Bairagi mahants.
- Sonakhan was one of the 14 princely states of Chhattisgarh.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(b) 1 and 2 only. Statement 3 is wrong: Sonakhan was a zamindari inside British Raipur district, held by Veer Narayan Singh. It was never a princely state.
Q2. Match List-I (Princely state) with List-II (Ruling line):
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| A. Bastar | 1. Chauhan |
| B. Khairagarh | 2. Kakatiya |
| C. Korea | 3. Bairagi mahants |
| D. Chhuikhadan | 4. Nagvanshi |
(a) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3 (b) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3 (c) A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3 (d) A-2, B-4, C-3, D-1
Answer and explanation
(a) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3. Bastar: Kakatiya line, traced to Annamdev. Khairagarh: Nagvanshi. Korea: Chauhan (as was Chang Bhakar). Chhuikhadan: Bairagi mahants (as was Nandgaon).
Q3. After the 1948 merger, which of the following former states were combined to form Surguja district?
(a) Surguja, Jashpur, Udaipur (b) Surguja, Korea, Chang Bhakar (c) Surguja, Udaipur, Korea (d) Surguja, Sakti, Chang Bhakar
Answer and explanation
(b) Surguja, Korea, Chang Bhakar. Jashpur and Udaipur, together with Raigarh, Sarangarh and Sakti, went into the new Raigarh district. Bastar and Kanker formed Bastar district.
Q4. Which of the following is not correctly matched?
(a) Sanads to feudatory chiefs of the CP – 1865 (b) Chhattisgarh states placed under the Eastern States Agency – 1933 (c) Nagpur meeting of rulers with Sardar Patel – 15 December 1947 (d) Merger of Chhattisgarh states into CP and Berar – 26 January 1950
Answer and explanation
(d). The merger took effect on 1 January 1948. On 26 January 1950, CP and Berar (which by then included the merged states) became the state of Madhya Pradesh under the new Constitution.
Q5. Which one of the following correctly distinguishes a Chhattisgarh zamindari from a feudatory state under British rule?
(a) Zamindars had their own courts; feudatory chiefs did not (b) Zamindaris lay within British districts and paid takoli; feudatory states lay outside British India (c) Zamindaris were abolished in 1948; feudatory states in 1950 (d) Only zamindars received sanads in 1865
Answer and explanation
(b). Zamindaris were estates within British districts, paying a revisable takoli and subject to district courts. Feudatory chiefs held sanads and ran their own internal administration outside British India. The states merged in 1948; zamindari proprietary rights were abolished by the 1950 Madhya Pradesh Act.
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. Distinguish between feudatory states and zamindaris in British-era Chhattisgarh. (60 words)
Model answer outline
Feudatory states (14, such as Bastar, Nandgaon, Surguja) lay outside British India; their chiefs held sanads (1865, or came via the 1905 transfer), ran their own courts and police under British supervision, and merged on 1 January 1948. Zamindaris (Sonakhan, Korba, Pendra) lay inside British districts, paid takoli, came under district courts, and were abolished by the 1950 Act.
Q2. Examine the role of the feudatory states in the history of Chhattisgarh and the process of their integration. (150–200 words)
Model answer outline
Intro: On the eve of independence, Chhattisgarh was three British districts and 14 princely states.
Body:
- Origins: Maratha-era tributary chiefs; larger ones made feudatory states by sanads in 1865; five Chota Nagpur states added in 1905.
- Governance: internal autonomy under British paramountcy; political control under the Eastern States Agency from 1933; Diwans during minority rule.
- Contribution: patronage of culture (Raigarh Kathak, Khairagarh music, Bastar Dussehra); preservation of local institutions.
- Problems: begar, forest restrictions, uneven development; resistance such as the Bhumkal of 1910 in Bastar and the praja mandal movements.
- Integration: Patel and V. P. Menon’s Nagpur meeting (15 December 1947); merger on 1 January 1948 with privy purses; new districts of Bastar, Surguja and Raigarh.
Conclusion: Integration ended a fragmented polity and created the territorial base on which Chhattisgarh’s later identity and statehood rested.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Number of princely states | 14 |
| CP feudatories (9) | Bastar, Kanker, Nandgaon, Khairagarh, Chhuikhadan, Kawardha, Sakti, Raigarh, Sarangarh |
| From Bengal, 1905 (5) | Surguja, Udaipur, Jashpur, Korea, Chang Bhakar |
| Sanads | 1865, after Richard Temple’s inquiry |
| Largest state | Bastar (Kakatiya line, capital Jagdalpur) |
| Bairagi-ruled | Nandgaon, Chhuikhadan |
| Political control from 1933 | Eastern States Agency |
| Nagpur meeting | 15 December 1947, Patel and V. P. Menon |
| Merger | 1 January 1948, into CP and Berar |
| New districts (1948) | Bastar (Bastar + Kanker); Surguja (Surguja + Korea + Chang Bhakar); Raigarh (Raigarh + Sarangarh + Jashpur + Udaipur + Sakti) |
| Zamindari tribute | Takoli |
| Zamindari examples | Sonakhan, Bindranawagarh, Fingeshwar, Korba, Champa, Pendra, Gandai, Thakurtola |
| Zamindari abolition | MP Abolition of Proprietary Rights (Estates, Mahals, Alienated Lands) Act, 1950 |
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- Chhattisgarh had 14 princely states: nine CP feudatories recognised by sanads in 1865 and five Chota Nagpur states added in 1905.
- Bastar was the largest; it was ruled by the Kakatiya line. Nandgaon and Chhuikhadan were ruled by Bairagi mahants.
- Zamindaris lay inside British districts and paid takoli; Sonakhan was a zamindari, not a state.
- The states merged on 1 January 1948 after the Nagpur meeting of 15 December 1947.
- Zamindari and malguzari proprietary rights were abolished by the 1950 Madhya Pradesh Act.
What’s Next
- Administrative Reforms and Railways: what British rule built in the districts
- 1857 and the Freedom Movement in Chhattisgarh: Sonakhan, the Bhumkal and the praja mandals
- Tourism and Heritage: palaces and heritage of the former states
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