Surguja State

Chhattisgarh, India

---

Surguja State was a princely state located in what is now the Surguja district of Chhattisgarh, India. It was ruled by Rajput kings of the Raksel dynasty and covered a mountainous area inhabited by many tribal groups.

Surguja served as an overlord to neighboring smaller states like Udaipur, Jashpur, Koriya, and Changbhakar. The ruling chief was granted the hereditary title of Maharaja in 1820, with Amar Singh Deo being an important ruler who modernized the state by establishing schools, post offices, telegraph offices, and courts.

The state faced invasions including from the Marathas in the mid-18th century and later came under British protection after the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818. Surguja remained a princely state during British India until it acceded to the Indian Union in 1948. The region boasts ancient archaeological sites, tribal culture, and a complex history of regional power struggles and governance.