princely state · Indian princely states
Surguja State
Origins
Surguja was ruled by a Rakshel family whose traditions trace their arrival to the hill country of northern Chhattisgarh centuries earlier. The register dates the state to around 1600. In the 18th century it came under Maratha pressure from the Bhonsles of Nagpur.
Rule and society
The Maharajas governed a vast upland of sal forest, with Oraon, Gond, Kanwar and other Adivasi communities forming much of the population. Under British paramountcy from 1818, Surguja was one of the Chota Nagpur tributary states, transferred to the Central Provinces in 1905 and later to the Eastern States Agency.
Decline and legacy
Surguja merged into the Central Provinces and Berar in 1948, later Madhya Pradesh. Since 2000 its territory has been in Chhattisgarh, where Surguja is a district with its seat at Ambikapur.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Surguja State was a protectorate of Company rule in India1818 CE – 1858 CE
- Surguja State was a protectorate of British Raj1858 CE – 1947 CE
More states of Indian princely states →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Surguja State. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/surguja-state
- MLA
- “Surguja State.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/surguja-state. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Surguja State.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/surguja-state.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Surguja State’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/surguja-state (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻