Daspalla State Explained

Native Name:ଦଶପଲ୍ଲା
Conventional Long Name:Daspalla State
Common Name:Daspalla
Nation:British India
Subdivision:Vassal state of Maratha Confederacy (1751 - 1803)
Princely State
Year Start:1498
Year End:1948
Event End:Accession to the Union of India
S1:India
Flag S1:Flag of India.svg
Image Map Caption:Daspalla State in the Imperial Gazetteer of India
Stat Area1:1471
Stat Year1:1901
Stat Pop1:51987

Daspalla State (Oriya: ଦଶପଲ୍ଲା) was one of the princely states of India during the period of the British Raj. Its capital was Kunjabangarh, located in present-day Nayagarh district, Odisha.

History

The region of Daspalla used to be part of Baudh State ruled by the kings of Bhanja dynasty. Around 1498, the Raja of Baudh made his brother Naren Bhanja the chieftain of the region. Eventually due to political intrigues, he seceded from the Baudh kingdom and laid the foundation of the Daspalla state along with help from the neighbouring rulers of Khandpara State.[1]

Maratha Rule

The Raja of Dashapalla was exempt from paying tribute, a privilege granted in exchange for supplying all the timber needed annually for the construction of the cars used in the festival of Lord Jagannath at Puri. This arrangement highlights a unique form of tribute that was not monetary but rather a provision of essential resources. It suggests that the system for collecting tribute from feudatory chiefs lacked a consistent principle, with exemptions and obligations potentially tailored to specific local agreements and necessities. The case of Dashapalla exemplifies the varied and pragmatic approaches taken by the ruling powers to manage and extract resources from their subordinate territories.[2]

The state acceded to India in 1948 following independence and merged into the Nayagarh district of Odisha.

Rulers

The rulers of Daspalla of the Bhanja dynasty:

Titular

See also

References

20.35°N 135°W

Notes and References

  1. https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V11_200.gif Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 11, p. 200.
  2. Book: Ray, Bhabani Charan . Orissa Under Marathas 1751-1803 . 128. 1960.