Boudh is a district of Orissa, India.

The early history of Boudh is obscure. However, the discovery of remarkable Buddhist statues from this district led some scholars to believe that it was the important Buddhist centre of Orissa. From epigraphic records it is known that in the middle of the Eighth Century, the Boudh region was under the occupation of the Bhanja rulers and was a part of Khinjali Mandala.

The earliest known ruler of this Bhanja family was Nettabhanja who controlled the Dhenkanal region as an independent. His successor migrated towards the Boudh-Sonepur region and established Khinjali Mandala and ruled there as the feudatory of the Bhauma Karas of Tosali. The Sonepur Copper Plate of Satrubhanja Dev, son of Silabhanja, mentions the name Khinjali Mandala for the first time and on this basis it is believed that Silabhanja Dev was the founder of Bhanja Kula of Khinjali Mandala.

Their capital, Dhirtipura, has been identified with Boudh town. Satrubhanja Dev II, a ruler of this family was defeated and killed by the Somavansi ruler of South Kosala, Janmeyjaya I. The Bhanja’s were driven out of the Boudh region which was renamed Odra Desa.

Yayati I, the son and successor of Janmejaya I established his capital in Odradesa at Yayatinagara, which has been identified with modern Jagati in Boudh district. The Somavansi then migrated towards and occupied Utkala, leaving their original home South-Kosala, in charge of viceroys. In the course of time Kosala was lost to them and was occupied by the Telugu-Chodas and the Kalachuris.

The imperial Gangas of Kalinga, after their occupation of Utkala, entered into a protracted struggle with the Kalachuris over a hundred years for the occupation of the Kosala region. It is evident from the Chatesvar Inscription (1220), that the struggle finally ended in favour of the Gangas during the region of Anangabhima Deva III and thereafter Boudh along with Sonepur came under the Ganga rule and

In the course of time, the Ganga administrators became semi-independent and ruled over the territory hereditarily. According to tradition, there emerged a Brahmin ruling family in Boudh. Gandhamardan Dev, the last Brahmin ruler of this family, being childless, adopted one Ananga Bhanja of the Keonjhar Bhanja royal family.

He succeeded Gandharmardhan Dev and laid the foundation of the rule of the Bhanjas in Boudh in the first half of the Fourteenth century. He changed his surname from Bhanja to Dev and was known as Ananga Dev. The new line of kings continued to rule over this region until the merger of Boudh State with the Orissa province in 1948.

Their kingdom comprised of modern Athmallik, Boudh and Sonepur regions with its capital headquarters at Swarnapura ( Sonepur). But later on, due to the expansionist policy followed by the Chouhan rulers of Patna (Patnagarh in Bolangir District), they shifted their capital to Boudh.

In the first half of the Seventeenth century, Boudh was a very powerful kingdom and Sonepur remained under its direct administration. During this period the Chouhan rulers of Sambalpur had already established their supremacy over almost entire western Orissa. Balabhadradeva (1605-1630), the Chouhan ruler of Sambalpur, defeated Siddhabhanja Dev (Siddheswar Dev) of Boudh and forced him to cede the Sonepur region which was made a separate state by the Chouhans in 1640.

In the meantime Orissa was occupied by the Muslims and though no details are known about the relationship between the rulers of Boudh and the Muslim subedars in Cuttack, it is believed that Boudh maintained friendly relations with the Muslims. For this, Raja Pratap Dev of Boudh, had secured from him and the Muslim powers the title “Swasti Sri Dhirlakhya Dhumbadhipati Jahrkhand Mandaleswar”. This title was used by the rulers of Boudh until the time of Raja Banamali Deb.

The Maratha contact with the Boudh State was felt more during the Maratha rule in Orissa than under Muslim rule. As the vital line of communication between Nagpur and Cuttack passes through the Boudh state, it drew special attention from the Maratha governors at Cuttack. The Raja of Boudh was paying tribute to the Maratha and maintained cordial relations with them. In 1800 this relationship became strained. The Maratha

During the early year of the region of Raja Biswamabara Dev (1778-1817), the Panchara Pragana lying between Baghanadi and Meheruni jore was separated from the Boudh State. It is said that in 1780-81, the Raja of Boudh had obtained a loan from the Raja of Sonepur and for the liquidation of the debt he had ceded the above pragana to Sonepur.

It is also said that the pragana (see above), was given to the Raja of Sonepur for rendering military help to Boudh in time of trouble and in lieu thereof to enjoy revenue rights of the pragana. But when the Sonepur Raja occupied it permanently a dispute arose for the possession of this tract, which was settled by the Superintendent of Tributary Mahals in favour of Sonepur.

During the reign of Sidhabhanja Dev (Siddheswar Dev), the Sonepur region was taken from Boudh by the Chouhan ruler of Sambalpur. The process of carving-up the territories of Boudh state had started earlier. In 1498-99, the then Raja of Boudh state had made a gift of Dasapalla territory extending from Kamaimuhan near Kantilo to Udandi Muhan in the east to his younger brother Narayan Dev, who asserted his independence and made Dasapalla a separate state.

The strip of territory lying between the Kharang river in the west of Boudh and Amaimuhan was given by Raja Madan Mohan Dev in 1599-1600 as a dowry to his daughters who married into the Chouhan royal family of Patna State. However, Athmallik and Khondhmal remained part of Boudh state for sometime.

After the British conquest of Orissa in 1803, Raja Biswambar Dev of Boudh submitted to the British and entered into a treaty agreement with the East India Company on 3rd March, 1804.

After the third Anglo-Martha War, the British Government permanently occupied Boudh from the Marthas and included this state in the South West Frontier Agency until 1837, when it was brought under the supervision of Tributary Mahals, Cuttack.

In 1817, Raja Biswambar Dev died and was succeeded by his son Chandra Sekhar Dev. In 1821, he received a fresh “Sanand” from the British Government fixing the annual tribute of Boudh at Rs. 800/-. After his death, his son Pitambara Dev ascended the throne in 1839. During his reign, on 15th February 1855, Khondmal was separated from the Boudh state and was annexed with the British territory.

Raja Pitambar Dev remained loyal to the British Government and cooperated with the British Agency in suppressing human sacrifice and the Khondh rebellion in Ghumsur and Khondhmal. Chakra Bisoi, who had remained in Boudh state since 1855 and organized the Khondhas, was ultimately driven out of the state and order was restored. The British Government recognized his title Raja, by a separate Sanand granted to him in 1875.

The Athmallik state was a part of Boudh state and the chief of Boudh was the Raja of Boudh and Athmallik. The Chief of Athmallik was called a Zamidar and was addressed as a Samanta. In 1875, the Chief of Athmallik was officially recognized as a Raja and Athamallik became a separate state in 1894.

Raja Pitambar Dev died in 1880 and was succeeded by his son Jogindra Dev. He was a benevolent and generous ruler and introduced English education in the state. At the time of his death in 1913, his eldest son Narayan Dev was a minor and hence the administration of the state was managed by the Court of Wards and the Dewan. His formal coronation took place on 31st March, 1925.

From his reign, the power and function of the ruler was reduced to a considerable extent and for all practical purposes, it appears that the state was under the grip of a political agent. Raja Narayan Dev successfully suppressed political agitation organized in Boudh in 1930-31 and adopted stern measures against the Prajamandal Movement in 1945. He had also developed the Jagti village (Yayatinagar, the Somavamsi Capital) and renamed it Narayan Nagar. He was the last ruler of the Boudh State and on 1st January 1948, the state merged with the Orissa province.

Since then Boudh was a sub-division of the newly created District of Boudh-Kondhamals. It was raised to the status of a District Headquarters of Orissa on 2nd January, 1994.