Balasore Knowledge Guide

History

Baleshwar district was part of the ancient Kalinga kingdom which later became a territory of Utkal, till the death of Mukunda Dev. It was annexed by the Mughal Empire in 1568 and remained as a part of their suzerainty up until the 1700s. The British East India Company (EIC) established a factory at Balasore in 1633. In 1719, the Trieste Company merchants established a trading post there. As Calcutta rose in importance, Balasore became the center for river pilot services for vessels seeking to ascend the Hooghli River. The Marathas then occupied this part of Odisha and it became a part of the dominion of the Bhonsle Maratha Rajas of Nagpur. They ceded this part through a treaty called the Treaty of Deogaon in 1803 and it became a part of Bengal Presidency until 1912. Balasore as a separate district was created in October 1828 while it was in the Bengal Presidency. On 7 November 1845, all of Danish India was sold to the British, who made it part of British India. With the creation of Bihar Province, Odisha was diverted along with Balasore district from Bengal to Bihar. But with the creation of Odisha as a separate State on 1 April 1936, Balasore became an integral part of Odisha State. The national movement of independence surged ahead with the visit of Mahatma Gandhi in 1921. Similarly Praja Andolan was initiated against the ruler of Nilagiri State. The state of Nilagiri merged with state of Odisha in January 1948 and became a part of Balasore district. On 3 April 1993, Bhadrak sub-division became a separate district and from this day Balasore remains a district of Odisha with two Sub-divisions namely Balasore and Nilagiri having eight Tehsils, namely Balasore, Soro, Simulia, Nilagiri, Jaleswar, Basta, Baliapal and Remuna and 12 blocks namely Bhograi, Jaleswar, Baliapal, Basta, Balasore, Remuna, Nilagiri, Oupada, Khaira, Soro and Bahanaga. The name of the district is being derived from the name of the town. Balasore is where the famous freedom fighter Jatindranath Mukherjee, also known as Bagha Jatin, was injured and died fighting the British.