PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: The Sonepur Copper Plate of Satrubhanja Dev, son of Silabhanja mentions the name Khinjali Mandala for the first time and on this basis it is believed that Silabhanja Dev was the founder of Bhanja Kula of Khinjali Mandala. Their capital was Dhirtipura, which has been identified with Baudh town. Raja Satrubhanja Dev II, was defeated and killed by the Somavansi ruler of South Kosala, Raja Janmeyjaya I. The Bhanja’s were driven out from the Baudh region which was renamed as Odra Desa. Raja Yayati I, the son and successor of Janmejaya I established his capital in Odradesa at Yayatinagara, which has been identified with modern Jagati in Baudh District. The Somavansi then occupied and migrated towards Utkala leaving their original home land of South-Kosala in charge of viceroys. In course of time Kosala was lost to them and was occupied by the Telugu-Chodas and the Kalachuris. The imperial Gangas of Kalinga, after their occupation of Utkala, entered into a protracted struggle with the Kalachuris for one hundred years for the occupation of Kosala region. It is evident from the Chatesvar Inscription ( 1220 AD) that the struggle finally ended in favour of the Gangas during the reign of Anangabhima Deva III and there after Baudh along with Sonepur came under the Ganga Rule and was administered by the Ganga Administrators. In course of time, the Ganga Administrators became semi-independent and ruled over this territory hereditarily. So far tradition goes, there emerged a Brahmin ruling family in Baudh. Gandhamardan Dev, the last Brahmin ruler of this family, being childless adopted one, Ananga Bhanja of Keonjhar royal family. He succeeded Gandharmardhan Dev and laid the foundation of the rule of the Bhanjas in Baudh in the first half of fourteenth century AD. He changed his surname from Bhanja to Dev and was known as Ananga Dev. In 1498-99, the then Raja of Baudh state had made a gift of Dasapalla territory extending from Kamaimuhan near Kantilo to Udandi muhan in the east to his younger brother, Narayan Dev, who asserted his independence and made Dasapalla a separate state. Again the strip of territory lying between the Kharang river on the west of Boudh and Amaimuhan was given by Raja Madan Mohan Dev in 1599-1600 as dowry to his daughters who married in the Chauhan royal family of Patna State. After the British conquest of Orissa in 1803, Raja Biswambar Dev of Boudh submitted to the British and entered into a treaty agreement with the East India Company on the 3rd March, 1804. The rulers were...

• Raja ANANGA BHANJA, adopted from Keonjhar, he changed his surname to Dev.

• Raja SIDDHABHANJA DEV (Siddheswar Dev), he was forced to cede the Sonepur region by the Raja of Sambalpur, and which later was made a separate state by the Chauhan rulers in 1640.

• Raja PRATAP DEV, little is known of the history of Baudh during the Mughal occupation of Orissa, but it is believed that Baudh maintained friendly relations with the Mughal subedars in Cuttack, for which the Raja was granted the title of Swasti Sri Dhirlakhya Dhumbadhipati Jahrkhand Mandaleswar, which was used by the rulers of Baudh till the time of Raja Banamali Deb.

• Raja BISHWAMABAR DEV 1778/1817, during his reign, Baudh, which lay on a vital line of communication between Nagpur and Cuttack, came to the notice of the Maratha governors at Cuttack, to whom the Raja was paying tribute. Relations were cordial until 1800, when the Marathas attacked Baudh and defeated the Raja. He was allowed to rule as a feudatory Raja by paying regular tribute to the Marathas; after the British conquest of Orissa, he submitted to them and entered into a treaty with the East India Company on 3rd March 1804; he married and had issue. He died 1817.

  • Raja CHANDRA SEKHAR DEV (qv)

• Raja CHANDRA SEKHAR DEV 1817/1839, in 1821, he received a fresh Sanad from the British Government fixing the annual tribute of Baudh at 800Rs; he married and had issue. He died 1839.

  • Raja PITAMBER DEO 1839/1874 (continued below)

1. Raja PITAMBER DEO 1874/1879, born 1821, during his reign, Khondmal was separated from Baudh and was annexed to British India on 15th February 1855; the Raja remained loyal to the British, and cooperated with them in suppressing human sacrifice and a Khondh rebellion in Khondmal for which he was rewarded with a separate sanad, formally recognizing his title of Raja on 21st May 1874 ^(#1); married and had issue. He died 1879.

   • Raja JOGENDRA DEO (qv)

   • Raja Dinabandhu Mahendra Bahadur, he was adopted by Maharaja Bhagirath Mahendra Bahadur, Raja of Dhenkanal.

2. Raja JOGENDRA DEO 1879/1913, born about 1857, succeeded 5th October 1879, a benevolent and generous ruler, he introduced English education into the state for the first time during his reign; married and had issue, one son and seven daughters. He died 1913.

   • Raja NARAYAN PRASAD DEO (qv)

   • Rajkumari (name unknown) (eldest daughter) [Maharani Saheb of Patna], married Maharaja Prithviraj Singh Deo of Patna.

   • Rajkumari (name unknown) (second daughter) [Rani Saheb of Khariar], married Raja Vir Vikram Singh Deo of Khariar.

   • Rajkumari (name unknown) (third daughter), married a brother of Raja Vir Vikram Singh Deo of Khariar.

   • Rajkumari (name unknown) (fourth daughter), married the Zamindar of Thuamal Rampur.

   • Rajkumari (name unknown) (fifth daughter), married the Zamindar of Lanjigarh.

   • Rajkumari (name unknown) (sixth daughter) [Rani Saheb of Tarla], married the Raja Saheb of Tarla.

3. Raja NARAYAN PRASAD DEO 1913/- , C.B.E., born 14th March 1904 and succeeded 10th March 1913, though the administration of the state was managed by the court of wards until his formal installation on 14th March 1925, educated at Rajkumar College, Raipur; during his reign, he successfully put down a political agitation organized in Boudh in 1930/1931 and adopted stern measures against the Prajamandal Movement in 1945. He developed the Jagti village (Yayatinagar) and renamed it Narayan Nagar; he married Rani Satyavati Devi, daughter of Raja Bibhudendra Deo Samant of Athmalik.

4. Raja NABIN PRASAD DEO (+), born as Rajkumar Nabin Chandra Deb, youngest son of the Raja of Parikud. He was adopted to Baudh and succeeded there as Raja Nabin Prasad Deo; he married Rani Surokalolini Devi [now Rajmata Surokalolini Devi of Baudh], born 1954, daughter of Raja Soubhagya Chandra Dev Birabar Harichandan Mahapatra of Talcher, and his wife, Rani Manjushree Devi, and had issue, one son and one daughter.

   • Raja DEBENDRA PRASAD DEO (qv)

   • Kumari Chitrangada Devi, married Kumar Anand Singh Deo, the only son of Kumar Rabindra Naryan Singh Deo of Nua Pacca II, Seraikella.(Bhubaneswar, India)

5. Raja DEBENDRA PRASAD DEO (see above)