Saraikela State

Saraikella State
ଷଢ଼େଇଖଳା ରାଜ୍ୟ
Princely State of British India
Flag of Saraikella
Flag
Saraikela State in a 1909
Imperial Gazetteer of India map
CapitalSaraikela
Area 
• 1892
1,163 km2 (449 sq mi)
• 1901
1,162 km2 (449 sq mi)
• 1941
1,210 km2 (470 sq mi)
Population 
• 1872
66,347
• 1891
93,839
• 1901
104,539
• 1941
154,844
History 
• Established
1620
15 August 1947
13 December 1948
• Merged with Bihar
1 August 1949
Succeeded by
India
Today part ofSaraikela Kharsawan district, Jharkhand

Saraikela State also spelt Seraikela, Saraikella or Seraikella, was a odia princely state in India during the British Raj, in what is now the Seraikela-Kharsawan district of the Jharkhand state. Its capital was at Saraikela.

The state had an area of 1163 km2 which yielded an average revenue of Rs. 92,000 in 1901, and was one of the nine Chota Nagpur States, a group of small, non-salute states (minor princely states), under the authority of the governor of Bengal Presidency. The last ruler of the state, Raja Aditya Pratap Singh Deo, signed the merger agreement acceding to the Indian Union on 18 May 1948.

History

The state was founded in 1620 by Raja Bikram Singh, from Rathore clan of Rajputs. The state came under the influence of the Maratha rulers of Nagpur in the 18th century, and became a princely state of British India in 1803, at the conclusion of the Second Anglo-Maratha War at Deogaon of Orissa. After the war, the East India Company included the Saraikela princely state under the governance of the Chhota Nagpur Commissioner.[citation needed]

Raja of Saraikela state (1903).

In 1912 Saraikela came under the authority of the province of Bihar and Orissa, which was newly created from the eastern districts of Bengal. In 1936 the state was placed under the authority of the Orissa Province.

Post independence

Saraikela, along with 24 other princely states of the Eastern States Agency, acceded to the Government of India on 1 January 1948, with a will to merge the princely state with Orissa province of the Indian Republic.

As a result, both Saraikela and Kharsawan princely states were merged with Orissa in 1948. On 1 January 1948 itself, the tribals of these two princely states, who were in a majority, revolted against the merger with Orissa. This was supported by Patayet Sahib Maharajkumar Bhoopendra Narayan Singh Deo, third son of Raja Aditya, as a result of which he was imprisoned to ensure the popular movement died down. The central government appointed a commission under Mr. Baudkar to look into the matter. On the basis of the Baudkar commission report, Saraikela and Kharsawan princely states were merged with Bihar on 18 May 1948.

These two princely states became part of Jharkhand when the state was carved out of Bihar on 15 November 2000. From 18 May 1948 onward, many non-tribal Oriyas of the districts of Saraikela Kharsawan, East Singhbhum, and West Singhbhum have migrated and settled permanently in Odisha.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
189193,839—    
1901104,539+11.4%
1911109,794+5.0%
1921115,192+4.9%
1931143,525+24.6%
1941154,844+7.9%
Source: Census of British India

Communities

According to the 1941 Census, the Seraikela State covered an area of 466 square miles (1,210 km2) and had a population of 154,844. The state was primarily inhabited by tribal communities, including Santal (20.78%), Ho (15.18%), Bhumij (7.11%), Munda (1.43%), Oraon (0.57%), Mahli (0.5%), and Gond (0.02%). The overall literacy rate stood at 6.39%, with 8,948 literate males and 946 literate females.

Religious demographics of Seraikela State (1941)
  1. Tribal beliefs (52.0%)
  2. Hinduism (46.8%)
  3. Islam (1.21%)
  4. Sikhism & Jainism (0.04%)
  5. Christianity (0.02%)
Total population: 154,844

Language

Linguistic breakdown of Seraikela State (1931 Census)
  1. Bengali (27.5%)
  2. Odia (23.2%)
  3. Ho (19.3%)
  4. Santali (17.1%)
  5. Bhumij (3.99%)
  6. Hindustani (3.77%)
  7. Mundari (3.36%)
  8. Oraon (0.55%)
  9. Others (1.11%)
Excludes the neighboring Kharsawan State dataset. Total population: 143,525.

Bengali formed the largest single language group at 27.50%, serving as a prominent language across the eastern and rural boundaries of the princely state. This was followed by Odia at 23.23%, which held a significant historical presence and served as an administrative anchor within the state territory.

Austroasiatic languages also made up a robust portion of the population, dominated by Ho at 19.34% and Santali at 17.15%, aligning with the large tribal population within the state's boundaries. The remainder of the population spoke Bhumij (3.99%), Hindustani (3.77%), Mundari (3.36%), Oraon (0.55%), and other unclassified tribal or regional tongues (1.11%).

Rulers

The rulers were Rajputs of the Rathore clan and bore the title of 'Kunwar' until 1884. The rulers are descendants of the Porahat royal family.

Kunwars

Rajas

Titular Rajas

See also

References

  1. "The Unfinished Task of Orissa Formation" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  2. ↑ Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 22, page 83 – Imperial Gazetteer of India – Digital South Asia Library. Dsal.uchicago.edu. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "District Seraikela Kharsawan, Government of Jharkhand | India". Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  4. ↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Chota Nagpur" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 272.
  5. 1 2 Archer, W.G. (1941). Tables, Volume-VII, Bihar - Census 1941 (PDF) (Report). Director of Census Operations, Bihar.
  6. ↑ Princely States of India

Bibliography

22°41′52″N 85°58′28″E / 22.69778°N 85.97444°E / 22.69778; 85.97444