History

According to various historical literary works, inscriptions and records penned by foreign tourists, the name Chhattisgarh has originated from Dakshin Kosala, as the region was called in the ancient times. In fact, the oldest Indian epic, Ramayana, also supports the fact, where it is mentioned that Lord Ram, in the course of his exile, stayed in this land. Interestingly, during the Mughal rule, the region was popular as Ratanpur territory. Again, another theory supports the fact that the state got its name from the thirty six princely states from olden eras as the very name indicates so (Chhattis meaning thirty-six and Garh referring to fort, in Hindi). It was during the rule of the Marathas that the place got its name as Chhattisgarh and first exercised in an official certificate in 1795.

There were various aspects accountable for the formation of this state. A heterogeneous blend of different social, cultural, political, historical and economic issues has been part of the cause of the evolvement of the state. Chhattisgarh is by and large considered as a tribal subjugated state. It houses a major population of the tribes in its territory. It is noted that in spite of the contemporary avant-garde influence prevailing in every nook and corner of the country, the tribal people of Chhattisgarh have retained their original culture and traditions. As per the 1991 census, the approximate tribal population according to the respective districts recorded at that time was as follows: Raipur – 18.6%, Bilaspur – 23.4%, Durg – 12.6%, Rajnandgaon – 25.3%, Surguja – 54.8%, Bastar – 67.7% and Raigarh – 45.5%. The most familiar tribes found in the state are Muria, Baiga, Kamars, Halbas, Gonds, Bhumja, Kawars etc. Out of these, few tribal families like the Gonds have exchanged cultural practices with the local Hindus, whereas on the other hand the orthodox tribes like the Baigas and the Kamars have maintained their originality till date. The state has seen many tribal upheavals from the late 18th century to the initial few decades of the 20th century. The rebellions varied from time to time, place to place; however the reasons behind these revolts remained almost the same. The main idea behind this political, social and economical unrest was the demand for the conventionally immutable right of the tribal societies on the natural and confined wherewithal, land and jungle. Some of the significant tribal revolts were: the Halba Rebellion (1774-79), the Bhopalpatnam Struggle (1795), the Paralkot Rebellion (1825), the Tarapur Rebellion (1842-54), the Maria Rebellion (1842-63), the First Freedom Struggle (1856-57), the Koi Revolt (1859), the Muria Rebellion (1876), the Rani Rebellion (1878-82) and the Bhumkal Movement (1910).