Chapter Overview

Between 1818 and 1947 Chhattisgarh (छत्तीसगढ़) passed from Maratha rule to British control, first as a British-run protectorate for the Bhonsles of Nagpur, then as a British division of the Central Provinces with its headquarters at Raipur. Around the British districts lay 14 princely states and many zamindaris, whose chiefs governed most of the forested north and south until they merged into the Indian Union on 1 January 1948. This chapter explains how that map was made. It is a steady source of Prelims one-liners (superintendents, dates, state lists) and of Mains questions on colonial administration.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this chapter, you’ll be able to:

Explain the British superintendency (1818–1830) and match each superintendent (Edmund, Agnew, Sandys, Crawford) with his work
Trace the annexation of Chhattisgarh under the Doctrine of Lapse (1854) and the first British administration under Charles Elliot (1855)
Describe the making of the Central Provinces (1861) and the Chhattisgarh division (1862), and the changes of 1905–1906
List the 14 feudatory (princely) states (सामंती रियासतें), their key facts, and their merger on 1 January 1948
Distinguish a zamindari (ज़मींदारी) from a feudatory state, and explain takoli and the malguzari settlement
Assess British administrative reforms and the impact of the railways for a Mains answer

Prerequisites

Maratha Rule in Chhattisgarh: the Bhonsle system that the British first managed and then replaced
British Expansion in India: the Third Anglo-Maratha War and the Doctrine of Lapse
Kalachuri Dynasty: why Ratanpur was the old capital

Learning Path

Follow these topics in order:

graph TD
    A["1. British superintendency 1818-1830"] --> B["2. Bhonsle restoration 1830-1853"]
    B --> C["3. Annexation 1854 and first Deputy Commissioner 1855"]
    C --> D["4. Central Provinces 1861 and Chhattisgarh division 1862"]
    D --> E["5. 1905 transfers and Durg district 1906"]
    E --> F["6. The 14 feudatory states and the zamindaris"]
    F --> G["7. Malguzari, local government and railways"]
    G --> H["8. Merger of the states, 1 January 1948"]
    H --> I["Quick Revision"]

Topics in This Chapter

#	Topic	What it covers	Read time
1	British Superintendency (1818–1830)	Sitabuldi, Resident Jenkins, superintendents Edmund, Agnew, Sandys, Crawford; Raipur as HQ; Bhonsle restoration	10 min
2	Annexation and the Chhattisgarh Division	Doctrine of Lapse, Charles Elliot (1855), Central Provinces (1861), Chhattisgarh division (1862), 1905 transfers, Durg (1906)	11 min
3	Feudatory States and Zamindaris	The 14 princely states, 1865 sanads, Eastern States Agency, merger of 1948, zamindaris and takoli	13 min
4	Administrative Reforms and Railways	Malguzari settlement, tahsils, courts, Raipur municipality, Rajkumar College, forest laws, the Bengal Nagpur Railway	11 min
—	Quick Revision	Every date, name and list of this chapter on one page	4 min

Where It Is Asked

Exam Focus

Prelims P-I (Chhattisgarh part): match-the-following on superintendents and their events; dates (1818, 1830, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1861, 1862, 1905, 1906, 1948); the list of 14 states and the five that came from Bengal in 1905; the first Deputy Commissioner; railway firsts. Statement traps confuse 1818 (protectorate) with 1854 (annexation), and zamindari with princely state.
Mains P-III GS-I: the evolution of British administration in Chhattisgarh, the feudatory system and the integration of the states, and the economic impact of the railways and land settlements.
Interview: “Why is Raipur, not Ratanpur, the capital?” or “What did the princely states leave behind in your district?”

Quick Reference

Fact	Detail
British superintendency	1818–1830, during Raghuji III’s minority; Resident Richard Jenkins
First superintendent	Captain Edmund (1818)
HQ shifted Ratanpur → Raipur	Col. P. Vans Agnew (1818–1825)
Lormi–Tarenga, English calendar	Sandys (1825–1828)
End of protectorate	Crawford, 1830
Raghuji III’s death	11 December 1853
Annexation	1854, Doctrine of Lapse (Dalhousie)
First Deputy Commissioner	Charles Elliot, from 1 February 1855
Central Provinces / Chhattisgarh division	1861 / 1862 (HQ Raipur)
1905	Sambalpur mostly to Bengal; Surguja, Udaipur, Jashpur, Korea, Chang Bhakar to CP
Durg district	1906
Princely states	14; merged 1 January 1948
Zamindari tribute	Takoli
First railway	Metre gauge to Rajnandgaon, 1882; BNR main line via Raipur–Bilaspur, 1891

Start Learning

Ready to begin? Start with the first topic:

→ British Superintendency (1818–1830)