Orissa Province was a province of British India created in April 1936 by the partitioning of the Bihar and Orissa Province and adding parts of Madras Presidency and Central Provinces. Its territory corresponds with the present-day state of Odisha.

On 22 March 1912, both Bihar and Orissa divisions were separated from the Bengal Presidency as Bihar and Orissa Province. On 1 April 1936, Bihar and Orissa Province was split to form Bihar Province and Orissa Province. Parts of the Ganjam district and the Vizagapatam district of Madras Presidency were transferred to Orissa Province along with portions of the Vizagapatam Hill Tracts Agency and Ganjam Hill Tracts Agency and Khariar region of Central Provinces and Berar.Provinces of British India

Odisha today still retains these exact borders, making it the only Indian state to keep its pre-independence borders.

History In 1803 Orissa was occupied by forces of the British East India Company during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, coming in 1858 under direct administration by the British government along with the company's other territories. Under the British Raj, it was a division of the Bengal Presidency with its capital in Cuttack. It had an area of 35,664 km2 and 5,003,121 inhabitants in 1901. The province included the Orissa Tributary States. On 1 April 1912, the province of Bihar and Orissa was detached from Bengal, and the Orissa Tributary States were placed under the authority of the governor of Bihar and Orissa. In 1936, Orissa became a separate province with five districts,Joseph E. Schwartzberg, ed. A historical atlas of South Asia, New York/Oxford 1992, comprising an area of 83,392 km2.

Governors 1 April 1936 – 11 August 1938 Sir John Austen Hubback (1st time) (b. 1878 – d. 1968) 11 Aug 1938 – 8 December 1938 G. T. Boag (acting) (b. 1884 – d. 1969) 8 December 1938 – 1 April 1941 Sir John Austen Hubback (2nd time) (s.a.) 1 April 1941 – 1 April 1946 Sir William Hawthorne Lewis (b. 1888 – d. 1970) 1 April 1946 – 15 August 1947 Sir Chandulal Madhavlal Trivedi (b. 1893 – d. 1981)

Prime Ministers of Orissa

1 April 1937 – 19 July 1937 Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deo (b. 1892 – d. 1974) Non-party (1st time) 19 Jul 1937 – 4 November 1939 Bishwanath Das (b. 1889 – d. 1984) INC 4 November 1939 – 24 November 1941 Governor's Rule 24 Nov 1941 – 29 June 1944 Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deo (s.a.) Non-party (2nd time) 29 Jun 1944 – 23 April 1946 Governor's Rule 23 Apr 1946 – 15 August 1947 Harekrushna Mahatab (b. 1899 – d. 1987) INC

Ministries The Government of India Act provided for the election of a provincial legislative assembly and a responsible government. Elections were held in 1937, and the Indian National Congress took a majority of the seats but declined to form the government. A minority provisional government was formed under Krushna Chandra Gajapati, the Maharaja of Paralakhemundi.

MinisterPortfolioKrushna Chandra GajapatiHome, Finance, Law and CommerceMandhata Gorachand PatnaikRevenue, Education and CommerceMaulavi Latifur RahmanPublic Works, Local Self-Government and Forests

The Congress reversed its decision and resolved to accept office in July 1937. Therefore, the Governor invited Bishwanath Das to form the government.

MinisterPortfolioBishwanath DasPrime Minister, Home, Finance and EducationNityanand KanungoRevenue, Local Self-Government, Public Works and HealthBodhram DubeyLaw and Commerce

In November 1939, along with Congress ministries in other provinces, Das resigned in protest of the Governor-General's declaration of war on Germany without consulting with Indian leaders, and Orissa came under Governor's Rule till 1941 when Krushna Chandra Gajapati was again made the Premier. This government lasted till 1944.

MinisterPortfolioKrushna Chandra GajapatiPrime Minister, Home Affairs, Local Self-Government and Public WorksGodabarish MishraFinance, Home Affairs (Publicity), Development and EducationMaulavi Abdus Sobhan KhanLaw and Commerce, Revenue and Health

Another round of elections were held in 1946, yielding another Congress majority, and a government was formed under Harekrushna Mahatab.

MinisterPortfolioHarekrushna MahatabPrime Minister, Home, Finance, Publicity, Planning and ReconstructionsNabakrushna ChoudhuriRevenue, Supply and TransportNityanand KanungoLaw, Local Self-Government and DevelopmentLingaraj MisraEducation, Forest and HealthRadhakrushna BiswasrayPublic Works, Commerce and Labour

Administration The administrative geography of Orissa was established through two major historical milestones: the creation of a linguistically separate British province on 1 April 1936 under the Government of India Act 1935, the integration of 24 tributary princely states (Garhjats) between 1948 and 1949.

Year Date Action Type Resulting District Parent Territory and Specific Garhjat Inclusions 1936 1 April Provincial Founding Cuttack Coastal Cuttack Division detached from the Bihar and Orissa Province Puri Coastal Puri Division detached from the Bihar and Orissa Province Balasore Coastal Balasore Division detached from the Bihar and Orissa Province Sambalpur Sambalpur Division, previously transferred from the Central Provinces in 1905 and Khariar region from Central Provinces in 1936 Ganjam Northern taluks detached from the Madras Presidency Koraput Jeypore Zamindari and hill agency tracts detached from the Vizagapatam district of the Madras Presidency 1949 1 January Princely Integration Mayurbhanj Integrated as an intact, standalone district from the single large Bhanja princely state of Mayurbhanj 1 November Balangir Consolidated via the merger of Patna State and Sonepur State Dhenkanal Consolidated from the merger of six distinct Gadajata princely states: Dhenkanal, Talcher, Hindol, Athmallik, Athgarh, and Tigiria Kalahandi Established by merging Kalahandi State (Karond) with the Nuapada subdivision Keonjhar Established directly within the territorial boundaries of the former Keonjhar princely state Phulbani Formed by integrating Baudh State with the legacy British-administered Khondmals and Baliguda agency tracts Sundargarh Consolidated from the merger of two major western Garhjat princely states: Gangpur State and Bonai State

See also Eastern States Agency Orissa Tributary States

References