princely state · Indian princely states

Bamra State

1545 CE – 1948 CE (approx.) · capital Deogarh

A princely state of the Sambalpur hills in western Odisha whose 19th-century Raja made its capital Deogarh a centre of Odia printing and literature.

Origins

The ruling family claimed descent from the Eastern Ganga dynasty, and tradition dates the state to the mid-16th century. It was one of the chiefships in the orbit of Sambalpur State.

Rule and society

Bamra, also called Bamanda, was a hilly, forested state. It came under the Bhonsles of the Nagpur Kingdom and later British supervision. Raja Basudeb Sudhal Deb (r. 1869–1903) set up a printing press at Deogarh that published an Odia newspaper and books, and introduced schools and public works.

Decline and legacy

Bamra merged into Orissa on 1 January 1948, and Deogarh is now the headquarters of Deogarh district.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Lineage

Bamra StateDominion of India 1947 CE – 1950 CE

Connections (2)

Bamra State was a protectorate of Company rule in India1803 CE – 1858 CE
Bamra State was a protectorate of British Raj1858 CE – 1947 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bamra State. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bamra-state
MLA: “Bamra State.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bamra-state. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Bamra State.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bamra-state.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bamra State’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bamra-state (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻