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Bonai Stateବଣାଇ
Princely State of British India
16th century–1948
Bonai State in the Imperial Gazetteer of India
Area
• 1892	8,907 km (3,439 sq mi)
Population
• 1892	24,026
History
• Established	16th century
• Accession to the Union of India	1948
Succeeded by India

Bonai State (Odia: ବଣାଇ) was a minor princely state during the British Raj in what is today India. It was one of the Chota Nagpur States and had its capital at Bonaigarh, located in the present-day Sundergarh district of Odisha. It had an area of 8,907 square kilometres (3,439 sq mi) and a population of 24,026 in 1892 with an average annual revenue of Rs.60,000 in 1901.

History

Origins of the Kadamba dynasty of Bonai

As per legend, the founders of the dynasty claimed numerous obscure origins but lack of written archival records dispute them as untenable due to the mythical legends which shrouds the ancestry of the founding clans. Most research into the origins of the dynasty points that the founders of the Bonai State belonged to the head of the Bhuyan clans of the region which was later acquired mythical characteristics.

The founding of the Bonai State led to the establishment of the Kadamba dynasty, named after the flowers of the Kadamba tree (Neolamarckia cadamba) which is also present in the founding legendary myths of the dynasty and also remains the symbol of one of its collateral branch of Athmallik State. The Kadamba tree also plays a central element in the legends of the dominant Bhuyan clans of the region demonstrating the close relationship that the clans play in the royal traditions and rituals of the dynasty. Reconstruction of the court records points that the founder of the dynasty Pratap Bhanu Deo founded the State with the help of local Bhuyan landlords and subjugated the region. The local Bhuyan landlords maintained a strong presence at the royal court, administrative levels and socio-religious traditions of the kingdom.

Modern period

On 1 January 1948 the last ruler of Bonai signed the accession to the Indian Union after independence and following which it merged with the state of Odisha forming a part of the Sundergarh district.

Rulers

The rulers of the Bonai State of Kadamba dynasty:

• Pratap Bhanu Deo
• ...
• Dayanidhi Chandra Deo (1804–1851)
• Chandra Deo (1851–12 September 1876)
• Indra Deo (12 September 1876 – 1898)
• Nilambar Chandra Deo (1898 – 19 February 1902)
• Dharani Dhar Deo (19 February 1902 – 1 January 1948)

Titular

• Dharani Dhar Deo (1948)
• Kadamba Keshari Chandra Deo (1948 – 17 December 2002)
• Bir Keshari Deo (17 December 2002 – current)

See also

• Eastern States Agency
• Chota Nagpur States

References

1. Malleson, G. B.: An historical sketch of the native states of India, London 1875, Reprint Delhi 1984
2. Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 9, p. 8.
3. Hermann Kulke (1976), Kshatriyaization and social change: A Study in Orissa setting (PDF), Popular Prakashan, p. 404, archived from the original (PDF) on 24 June 2021, retrieved 8 March 2021
4. David Gilmartin, Pamela Price, Arild E Rudd (24 July 2019), South Asian Sovereignty: The Conundrum of Worldly Power, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 9781000063820{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
5. Uwe Skoda (2012), The history of the Royal family of Bonai (from Voices from the Periphery: Subalternity and Empowerment in India), Routledge, ISBN 9781000365696
6. ODISHA DISTRICT GAZETTEERS SUNDARGARH (PDF), GAD, Govt of Odisha, 2014, p. 47-51
7. Rashmi Pramanik (January 2013), Chronicles of the Royal Family of Bonai, Odisha, Manohar Publishing Company
8. Cornelia Mallebrein (2010). "Sitting on the Tribal Chief's Lap Coronation Rituals in Ex-Princely States of Orissa". University of Tubingen.
9. Princely States of India A-J

21°45′N 84°58′E / 21.75°N 84.97°E / 21.75; 84.97

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• States and territories established in the 16th century
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