The Kingdom and Princely State of Bastar

Bastar, also written as the kingdom and later princely state of Bastar, was a large forested realm of central-eastern India, in what is now Chhattisgarh, long ruled by a dynasty that traced its descent, by tradition, to a Kakatiya line. Governed from its capital at Jagdalpur, Bastar was one of the great forested and largely tribal states of the subcontinent, distinguished by its vast forests, its hills and rivers, and its deep tribal, or Adivasi, heritage. The realm is renowned above all for the Danteshwari temple, revered as a Shakti Pitha by tradition, and for the famous Bastar Dussehra, a festival observed over some seventy-five days that is among the most distinctive in India. As a long-ruling dynasty with roots in the wider history of regional kingdoms, including the Deccan lines described in our guide to the Vijayanagara Empire, its story belongs to the broader world of Indian dynasties, and this account keeps to broadly established history, treating descent claims as tradition and describing the tribal communities with respect.

Key Takeaways

• Bastar was a large forested realm of central-eastern India, in present Chhattisgarh, a kingdom and later princely state.
• It was long ruled by a dynasty that traced its descent, by tradition, to a Kakatiya line.
• Its capital was Jagdalpur, and it was one of the great forested and largely tribal states of the subcontinent.
• The Danteshwari temple at Dantewada is revered as a Shakti Pitha by tradition.
• The famous Bastar Dussehra is observed over some seventy-five days and is among the most distinctive festivals in India.
• Bastar acceded to the Indian Union after independence in 1947.

Read on for the history, culture, and legacy in detail.

Quick Facts

What Was the Kingdom of Bastar?

The kingdom of Bastar was a large forested realm of central-eastern India, in what is now Chhattisgarh, a long-ruling kingdom that later became a princely state under British paramountcy. Ruled by a dynasty that traced its descent, by tradition, to a Kakatiya line, and governed from its capital at Jagdalpur, Bastar was one of the great forested and largely tribal states of the subcontinent. It was distinguished by its vast forests, hills and rivers and by its deep tribal, or Adivasi, heritage. The realm is renowned above all for the Danteshwari temple and the famous Bastar Dussehra. As a long-established kingdom of great extent and distinctive character, Bastar held a notable place among the realms of central-eastern India. The kingdom of Bastar occupies a particular place in the history of the regional dynasties and the tribal heritage of present Chhattisgarh.

Where Is Bastar Located?

Bastar is located in the southern part of what is now Chhattisgarh, in the hilly and densely forested country of the Bastar plateau in central-eastern India. The capital, Jagdalpur, served as the seat of the ruling dynasty amid this setting of vast forests, hills, rivers and waterfalls. The Bastar region is a land of great forests, plateaux and tribal communities, famed for its natural beauty and distinct in character from the open plains of the surrounding country. The position of the realm in the Bastar plateau made it one of the great forested states lying toward the frontier between central India and the eastern country. The terrain and forest setting shaped the life, economy and character of the realm and its people. Bastar’s location in the forested plateau country of present Chhattisgarh is central to understanding its identity as a large, forested and largely tribal kingdom.

Who Ruled Bastar?

Bastar was ruled by a long-established dynasty that traced its descent, by tradition, to a Kakatiya line, governing the forested realm from its capital at Jagdalpur. The Kakatiya descent is best understood as the traditional account of the dynasty, reflecting the way ruling houses traced their lineage to ancient and prestigious origins. The ruling house of Bastar was closely bound up with the religious life of the realm, especially the worship of the goddess Danteshwari, who was revered as the protecting deity of the dynasty and the land. Governing a vast and predominantly tribal country, the ruling house maintained its authority over the forested realm for a very long period. As one of the great ruling houses of central-eastern India, the dynasty of Bastar held a distinctive and honoured place. Their long rule gave the realm its distinctive character, its religious traditions and its famous festival of Dussehra.

What Is the Kakatiya Tradition of the Bastar Dynasty?

The Kakatiya tradition of the Bastar dynasty holds that the ruling house of Bastar descended, by tradition, from a Kakatiya line, connecting the realm to the heritage of a well-known dynasty of the Deccan and southern country. According to this tradition, the founders of the Bastar line established their rule in the forested country after the fortunes of their earlier house, carrying with them the worship of the goddess Danteshwari. Such descent claims are best understood as the traditional genealogies of the ruling house and are treated by historians as tradition rather than established fact. The tradition reflects the way kingship, lineage and sacred authority were understood in the region. The Kakatiya tradition links the long-ruling dynasty of Bastar to the wider history of regional kingship. It forms the claimed ancestral foundation of the ruling house of Bastar and is bound up with the worship of its guardian goddess.

How Did the Kingdom of Bastar Originate?

The kingdom of Bastar originated, by tradition, with the establishment of a ruling line in the forested country of the Bastar plateau, a dynasty that traced its descent to a Kakatiya origin and brought with it the worship of the goddess Danteshwari. According to the traditions of the dynasty, the ruling house established its authority over the vast forested and largely tribal country and governed it from its capital, in time settled at Jagdalpur. The precise details of the realm’s early history are drawn from the traditions and genealogies of the ruling house and are treated by historians with appropriate caution. What is broadly clear is that a long-ruling dynasty governed this great forested realm over a very long period. The origin of Bastar as a forested kingdom connects it to the wider history of the regional dynasties of central-eastern India. The realm thus took shape as one of the great forested kingdoms of present Chhattisgarh.

Who Were the People of Bastar?

The people of Bastar belonged largely to the tribal, or Adivasi, communities of the region, whose rich and distinctive heritage has long defined the character of the forested realm. The great majority of the population lived in the forests, hills and valleys of the Bastar plateau, with a deep culture of their own, closely tied to the land and the forest. These communities maintained their own traditions of custom, belief, festival, music, dance and craft, including celebrated forms of metalwork and other folk arts, which form a rich and distinctive part of the heritage of central-eastern India. The tribal communities also played an honoured part in the great festival of Bastar Dussehra. The people of Bastar are rightly honoured for their vibrant and enduring culture. Their presence gave the realm its particular identity as a great tribal kingdom. The people of Bastar remain central to the heritage and character of present Chhattisgarh.

What Is the Danteshwari Temple?

The Danteshwari temple is the most revered religious site of Bastar, a temple at Dantewada dedicated to the goddess Danteshwari, who was venerated as the guardian deity of the ruling dynasty and the land. The temple is revered, by tradition, as a Shakti Pitha, one of the sacred sites associated with the worship of the goddess in the wider tradition of Indian devotion. The worship of Danteshwari was closely bound up with the ruling house of Bastar, which regarded the goddess as its protecting deity, and her veneration is central to the religious life of the realm. The temple draws devotees and is deeply tied to the identity and festivals of Bastar, above all the famous Dussehra. The Danteshwari temple reflects the deep devotional heritage of the region. It remains among the most important sacred sites of central-eastern India and a defining landmark of the heritage of Bastar.

What Is Bastar Dussehra?

Bastar Dussehra is the famous festival of the realm, a great celebration observed over some seventy-five days that is among the most distinctive festivals in India. Unlike the Dussehra observed elsewhere, the Bastar festival is bound up with the worship of the goddess Danteshwari and the traditions of the ruling house and the tribal communities of the realm, rather than with the usual themes associated with the festival in other regions. Observed over a long period, it brings together the dynasty, the temple and the many communities of the forested country in a great cycle of rituals, processions and ceremonies. The festival is celebrated for its distinctive traditions, its grand chariot and its deep tribal and devotional character. Bastar Dussehra is regarded as one of the longest and most remarkable festivals in the country. It remains the best-known cultural tradition of Bastar and a living expression of the heritage of the forested realm.

Why Is Bastar Dussehra Unique?

Bastar Dussehra is unique because it is observed over some seventy-five days, far longer than the Dussehra celebrated elsewhere, and because it is bound up with the worship of the goddess Danteshwari and the traditions of the ruling house and tribal communities rather than with the usual themes of the festival. In other regions, Dussehra is commonly associated with particular legends, but the Bastar festival follows its own distinctive traditions, centred on the goddess, the dynasty and the many communities of the forested realm. The long cycle of rituals, processions and ceremonies, including the famous chariot, draws together the temple, the ruling house and the tribal communities in a shared celebration. This distinctive character makes Bastar Dussehra one of the most remarkable festivals in India. Its uniqueness lies in its great length, its devotional focus and its deep tribal heritage. Bastar Dussehra is the defining cultural tradition of the forested realm.

What Was the Capital of Bastar, Jagdalpur, Like?

Jagdalpur, the capital of Bastar, lay in the forested country of the Bastar plateau and served as the seat of the ruling dynasty and the centre of the realm. The town was the political, administrative and cultural centre of the kingdom, adorned with the palace and institutions of the ruling house and closely tied to the religious life centred on the goddess Danteshwari. Set amid the forests and hills of the Bastar region, Jagdalpur served as the focus of the court, the administration and the great festivals of the realm, above all Bastar Dussehra. The town was a meeting point of the ruling house, the temple and the many tribal communities of the forested country. Its heritage reflected the status of the dynasty and the distinctive character of the region. As the capital, Jagdalpur was the heart of the life of the realm. The town remains the enduring centre of the heritage of Bastar in present Chhattisgarh.

What Was the Culture and Heritage of Bastar Like?

The culture and heritage of Bastar were shaped above all by the rich traditions of the tribal, or Adivasi, communities who formed the great majority of its people, set alongside the devotional life centred on the goddess Danteshwari and the court culture of its ruling house. The festivals, music, dance, custom, belief and celebrated crafts of the tribal communities, including distinctive folk arts, gave the region a vibrant cultural life closely tied to the forest and the land. The great festival of Bastar Dussehra, observed over some seventy-five days, drew together the dynasty, the temple and the communities of the realm. This combination of a long-ruling dynasty, a guardian goddess and a vibrant tribal heritage gave Bastar a distinctive identity. The cultural traditions of the region are rightly celebrated as part of the heritage of central-eastern India. The heritage of Bastar remains among the richest and most distinctive of present Chhattisgarh.

How Was Bastar Governed?

Bastar was governed by its ruling dynasty through a system that combined the authority of the ruler with the service of officials and local functionaries who managed the affairs of the great forested realm. At the head stood the ruler, whose authority was bound up with the worship of the guardian goddess Danteshwari, supported by officers responsible for revenue, justice and administration. The realm comprised the capital at Jagdalpur and the vast forested and largely tribal country of the Bastar plateau. Revenue came chiefly from the land, the forest and the produce of the country, in keeping with its agrarian and forest character. Local leadership within the tribal communities also played a part in the life of the forested country. Within the framework of British paramountcy, the administration of the state developed over time. This system allowed the dynasty to maintain its authority over the great forested realm for a very long period.

What Were Bastar's Relations with the Great Powers?

Bastar, as a great forested realm of central-eastern India, engaged over its long history with the wider political order and with the great powers that rose and fell across the region, including the Marathas, who were prominent in the surrounding country, and later the British. Like other realms, it navigated the shifting balance of power while preserving its own authority over its vast forested territory. Its position in the remote and densely forested Bastar plateau shaped its relations within the wider order and long preserved a measure of its distinctive character. The rulers of Bastar managed their dealings to safeguard the interests of the realm across changing times. Through such dealings, the dynasty preserved its long rule over Bastar. The realm’s relations with the great powers form an important strand in its history and illustrate the place of the great forested kingdoms within the wider order of central-eastern India.

How Did Bastar Become a Princely State under the British?

Bastar became a princely state within the framework of British paramountcy that took shape across India during the nineteenth century, when the long-ruling kingdom entered into arrangements that recognised its dynasty while acknowledging the overarching authority of the colonial power. As British power extended over the subcontinent, Bastar was counted among the princely states of central-eastern India, in the group of states associated with the Bastar and Chhattisgarh country, retaining its own ruler, administration and internal governance. This status allowed the ruling house to continue governing the great forested, largely tribal realm under the paramountcy of the British crown. The princely-state framework shaped the modern history of Bastar until the independence of India. Within this arrangement the realm preserved its traditions, its guardian goddess and its famous festival. Bastar’s transition from an ancient kingdom to a princely state is an important part of its long history before independence.

How Did Bastar Join Independent India?

Bastar, like the other princely states, acceded to the Indian Union after the independence of India in 1947, when the states were integrated into the new nation. With the end of British paramountcy, the rulers of the princely states joined India, and their territories were brought into the republic through the great process of integration that reshaped the political map of the subcontinent. Bastar became part of independent India and was in time absorbed into the surrounding country, which later formed part of the state of Chhattisgarh. This transition ended the era of Bastar as a separately governed realm, though the ruling family retained its historical standing and its deep association with the goddess Danteshwari and the heritage of the land. The integration of the states was one of the defining achievements of the early years of independent India. Bastar thus became part of the modern nation and, in time, of the state of Chhattisgarh.

The State of Bastar Today

Bastar is remembered and known today for its vast forests, its deep tribal heritage and its remarkable religious and cultural traditions, above all the Danteshwari temple and the famous Bastar Dussehra, observed over some seventy-five days. The festivals, music, dance, custom and celebrated crafts of the tribal communities draw visitors interested in the heritage of central-eastern India, and the heritage of the former kingdom survives in its palace, its temple and its living traditions. The former ruling family retains its historical association with the realm and its guardian goddess. The living culture of the tribal communities and the great festival of Dussehra continue to define the identity of Bastar, and this heritage is rightly honoured. For readers of Indian history, Bastar offers a vivid example of a great forested tribal kingdom and princely state. Its legacy endures in the Danteshwari temple, the Bastar Dussehra and the forested heritage of present Chhattisgarh.

Sources & Further Reading

• Archaeological Survey of India (asi.nic.in).
• Ministry of Culture, Government of India (indiaculture.gov.in).
• Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India (tribal.nic.in).

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the kingdom of Bastar?

Bastar was a large forested realm of central-eastern India, in present Chhattisgarh, a long-ruling kingdom that later became a princely state. It was ruled by a dynasty that traced its descent, by tradition, to a Kakatiya line, with its capital at Jagdalpur, and is renowned for the Danteshwari temple and the famous Bastar Dussehra.

What is the Danteshwari temple?

The Danteshwari temple is the most revered religious site of Bastar, a temple at Dantewada dedicated to the goddess Danteshwari, the guardian deity of the ruling dynasty and the land. It is revered, by tradition, as a Shakti Pitha, one of the sacred sites of the worship of the goddess.

What is Bastar Dussehra?

Bastar Dussehra is the famous festival of the realm, observed over some seventy-five days, making it among the longest and most distinctive festivals in India. Unlike the Dussehra elsewhere, it is bound up with the worship of the goddess Danteshwari and the traditions of the ruling house and the tribal communities.

Who ruled Bastar?

Bastar was ruled by a long-established dynasty that traced its descent, by tradition, to a Kakatiya line, governing from its capital at Jagdalpur. The ruling house was closely bound up with the worship of the goddess Danteshwari, regarded as the protecting deity of the dynasty and the land.

Why is Bastar Dussehra unique?

Bastar Dussehra is unique because it is observed over some seventy-five days, far longer than the Dussehra celebrated elsewhere, and because it centres on the goddess Danteshwari and the traditions of the ruling house and tribal communities rather than the usual themes of the festival. It draws together the dynasty, the temple and the many communities of the realm.

What happened to Bastar after independence?

Bastar acceded to the Indian Union after independence in 1947 and was in time absorbed into the surrounding country, which later formed part of the state of Chhattisgarh. This ended its era as a separately governed realm, though the ruling family retained its heritage and its association with the goddess Danteshwari.