| Conventional Long Name: | Ranpur State |
| Common Name: | Ranpur |
| Nation: | British India |
| Subdivision: | Vassal state of Maratha Confederacy (1751 - 1803) Princely State |
| Year Start: | 17th cen |
| Year End: | 1948 |
| Event End: | Accession to the Union of India |
| S1: | India |
| Flag S1: | Flag of India.svg |
| Image Map Caption: | Ranpur State in the Imperial Gazetteer of India |
| Stat Area1: | 526 |
| Stat Year1: | 1931 |
| Stat Pop1: | 47,711 |
Ranpur State was one of many small princely non-salute states of India during the period of the British Raj. It was one of the four native states located in present-day Nayagarh district, Odisha.
The state was bounded in the west by Nayagarh State and in all other directions by Puri district. It was very close to the seashore but had no coastline. Its southwestern part was thickly forested and was mostly uninhabited. The Ranpur ruling family claimed descent from the most ancient lineage of the princely rulers of the Orissa Tributary States. The capital of the state was Ranpur, a small town near Kalupara Ghat railway station where the Raja resided.[1] [2]
According to legendary tradition, Ranpur State is of very ancient origin. The legendary date of its foundation is placed some time in the 18th century BC[3] when the founder, a hunter named Basara Basuk, having defeated a giant demon named Ranasura, established his rule in the area. The name of the place is derived from the demon's name and was initially known as Ranasurapura, shortened to Ranpur in the course of time.
The Ranpur state rulers claimed to be the most ancient of all the lineages of the Orissa Tributary States, with a list of generations of rulers covering a period of 3,600 years with the Raja declaring indigenous origin in an inquiry in 1814.[1] According to the family history, the founder of the kingdom was Biswabasab, a Sabara who hailed from the Nilagiri hills region, established his rule in the region after subduing the Bhuiyas of the neighbouring villages. Later the chiefs received the title of Narendra from the Eastern Ganga monarch Ananga Bhimadeva owing to his prowess in battle.
In July 1764, Bhawani Bandit arrived in Orissa with a force of 5,000 horsemen. From the day of his arrival, Chirnna Sau entrusted the administration of Orissa to Bhawani Bandit, effectively making him the de facto Subahdar. Under Bhawani Bandit's leadership, the region saw a stabilization of power, including the suppression of the rebellious zamindar of Ranpur, thereby reinforcing Maratha control and ensuring a more orderly governance of the territory.[4]
The state became a British protectorate in 1803 after the British defeated the Marathas in the Second Anglo-Maratha War and took over the region. The last Raja of Ranpur signed the instrument of accession to the Indian Union, on 1 January 1948, merging his state into Odisha
The rulers of Ranpur State:[5]
