kingdom · South Asia
Kingdom of Khurda
Origins
After the Karrani Afghans overthrew independent Odisha in 1568, Ramachandra Deva I, of the Bhoi family, established himself at Khurda near Puri. Akbar's general Man Singh recognised him as Raja of Khurda in 1592, and his successors took the Gajapati title of the former kings.
Rule and society
The Khurda rajas were acknowledged as the first servants of Jagannath at Puri, a role that gave them prestige across Odisha. They ruled a small hill-and-forest territory with paika militia soldiers who held land for service. They paid tribute to the Mughal Empire and, from 1751, to the Marathas of Nagpur.
Decline and legacy
The British East India Company took Odisha in 1803. The raja Mukunda Deva II joined a revolt and Khurda was annexed in 1804. Resentment over land settlements led to the Paika Rebellion of 1817. The Puri Gajapati family still holds ritual rights at the Jagannath temple.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Kingdom of Khurda was a vassal of Mughal Empire1592 CE – 1751 CE
- Kingdom of Khurda was a vassal of Maratha Empire1751 CE – 1803 CE
- Kingdom of Khurda was conquered by Company rule in India1804 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Khurda. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-khurda
- MLA
- “Kingdom of Khurda.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-khurda. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Khurda.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-khurda.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Khurda’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-khurda (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻