| Conventional Long Name: | Patna State |
| Common Name: | Patna |
| Nation: | British India |
| Subdivision: | Vassal state of Maratha Confederacy (1775 - 1803) Princely State |
| Year Start: | 1360 |
| Year End: | 1948 |
| Event End: | Accession to the Indian Union |
| S1: | India |
| Flag S1: | Flag of India.svg |
| Stat Area1: | 6503 |
| Stat Year1: | 1892 |
| Stat Pop1: | 257,959 |
| Footnotes: | Indian Princely States K-W |
Patna State was a princely state in the Eastern States Agency of India during the British Raj. It had its capital at Balangir. Its area was 6503km2.[1]
The foundation of the Patna kingdom was laid by Ramai Deva of the Chauhan dynasty in 1360 CE when he overthrew Hattahamir Deb, the administrator of the region as the Eastern Ganga Empire started weakening following invasions from the northern part of the subcontinent.[2] [3] The Chauhan reign eventually extended over the region under its cadet branches which included the kingdoms of Sambalpur State, Sonepur State and the zamindaries of Khariar and Jarasingha. The history of the Chauhan rule in the region is also obtained from the 16th century palm-leaf manuscript Kosalananda Kavya.
Ramchandra Deo, the posthumous son of Pruthviraj Singh, ascended to the throne of Patna in 1765 as a baby, with his mother and ministers managing the kingdom's affairs. During his minority, Patna suffered from mismanagement, allowing Sitaram Raju of Vizianagaram to extend his influence temporarily. By 1775, the Marathas had occupied Patna. Upon reaching adulthood, Ramchandra Deo took a more assertive role, establishing zamindary tenures and the Khorakposakdari tenure of Jarasingha. The political landscape shifted dramatically during the Second Anglo-Maratha War; in 1803, Col. Broughten occupied the fort of Sambalpur on December 31 and dispersed Maratha troops in the Sonepur area. By January 1804, the fort of Sambalpur fell to the British, and Major Forbes defeated the Marathas at the Barmul pass on November 2, 1803. Following these defeats, the Rajas of Sonepur, Patna, and Boudh submitted to British authority, leading to treaties being finalized by Lt. Col. Harcourt.[4]
After Indian independence, Patna's last ruler Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo acceded to the newly independent Dominion of India, on 1 January 1948 with the state forming much of the present day Balangir district. Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo, built a new career as an elected politician and served as Chief Minister of Orissa from 8 March 1967 to 9 January 1971.[1]
The rulers of Patna state of the Chauhan Dynasty:[5]