DwainKilgore21 at 18:40, 10 March 2026

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{{short description|Raja of Mayurbhanj (1868 - 1882)}}
{{infobox royalty
| title = [[Maharaja]]
| succession = [[Raja]] of [[Mayurbhanj State|Mayurbhanj]]
| reign = {{circa|1868}} – 29 May 1882
| predecessor = [[Shrinath Bhanj Deo]]
| successor = [[Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo]]
| birth_date = {{circa|1840}}
| death_date = 29 May 1882
| issue = {{plainlist|
* [[Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo]]
* [[Shyam Chandra|Shyam Chandra Mardraj Harichandan]]
*Shridam Chandra Bhanj Deo
*Rasal Manjari
*Ratna Manjari
*Labanya Manjari
*Bilas Manjari
}}
| house = {{flagicon image|Flag_of_Mayurbhanj.png}} [[Mayurbhanj State|Mayurbhanj]]
| father = Sitanath Bhanj Deo
| dynasty = [[Bhanja dynasty|Bhanja]]
}}
'''Krishna Chandra Bhanj Deo''' was the [[Raja]] of [[Mayurbhanj State|Mayurbhanj]] from 1868 until his death in 1882.

==Early life and family==
He was born in 1848 to Sitanath Bhanj Deo, the second son of [[Jadunath Bhanj Deo]], the [[Raja]] of [[Mayurbhanj State|Mayurbhanj]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Sarkar |first=Sailendra Nath |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Biography_of_the_Maharaja_Sri_Ram_Chandr/BuUwAQAAMAAJ |title=Biography of the Maharaja Sri Ram Chandra Bhanj Deo |date=1918 |pages=21–23 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Soszynski |first=Henry |title=MAYURBHANJ |url=http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/ips/m/mayurbhanj.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706113757/http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/ips/m/mayurbhanj.html |archive-date=2017-07-06 |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=members.iinet.net.au}}</ref> He married and had issue: three sons, [[Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo]]; [[Shyam Chandra|Shyam Chandra Mardraj Harichandan]], who was adopted by the [[Nilgiri State|Nilgiri]] family; and Shridam Chandra Bhanj Deo; and four daughters.<ref name=":0" /> His daughters were Rasal Manjari, Ratna Manjari, Labanya Manjari, and Bilas Manjari, and they respectively married the [[Raja]] of [[Porahat]], the [[Raja]] of [[Panchkot Raj|Panchkot]], the [[zamindar]] of [[Barapali|Barpali]], and the [[Thakur (title)|Thakur]] of [[Anandapur]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" />

== Succession ==
Since his uncle, [[Shrinath Bhanj Deo]], had no issue to succeed him as the [[Raja]] of [[Mayurbhanj State|Mayurbhanj]], Krishna was considered the [[heir presumptive]] to his uncle’s title, rank, and dignity.<ref name=":3" /> However, his uncle was not fond of him and, to prevent Krishna from succeeding, adopted Jugal Kishore, a [[Brahmin]] boy, as his designated successor.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Samal |first=J. K. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Makers_of_Modern_Orissa/XP_tAxMbvgkC |title=Makers of Modern Orissa: Contributions of Some Leading Personalities of Orissa in the 2nd Half of the 19th Century |last2=Nayak |first2=Pradip Kumar |date=1996 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=978-81-7017-322-9 |pages=126–129 |language=en}}</ref> This decision was not well received, and in fact the then Superintendent of the [[Orissa Tributary States]], T.E. Ravenshaw, strongly advocated Krishna’s claim to the throne of [[Mayurbhanj State|Mayurbhanj]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> Upon [[Shrinath Bhanj Deo|Shrinath]]’s death on in 1868, Krishna succeeded him as the [[Raja]] of [[Mayurbhanj State|Mayurbhanj]].<ref name=":3" />

== Reign ==
The early days of his reign were marked by conspiracies to oust him from the throne of [[Mayurbhanj State|Mayurbhanj]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> These conspiracies were backed by the widow of his deceased uncle.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> Later, after examining all claims, T.E. Ravenshaw wrote to the Secretary of the [[Bengal Presidency|Government of Bengal]], requesting that Krishna’s succession be officially recognised and acknowledged.<ref name=":4" /> Accordingly, the [[List of governors of Bengal Presidency#Lieutenant Governors of the Bengal Presidency (1854-1912)|Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal]] recognised Krishna as the [[Raja]] of [[Mayurbhanj State|Mayurbhanj]].<ref name=":4" /> The sub-division of Bamanghati, which was taken under the direct control of the [[British government of India|British Government]] in 1866 on account of the mismanagement by his uncle, [[Shrinath Bhanj Deo]], was restored to him in 1878.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" /> He instituted a programme of reform in the police, jail, revenue, public works, and judicial departments, among others, and remarkable development was seen in the fields of education, communication, and public health.<ref name=":4" /> He also constructed roads.<ref name=":4" /> In 1879, when the Roman Catholic Missionary made its first settlement in Nangalakata, he granted them 16 sq. miles (approx. 41.43 sq. km) of land.<ref name=":4" /> The mission founded a new village in 1880 and named it Krushnachandrapur after him.<ref name=":4" />

== Philanthropy ==
To raise the [[high school]] at [[Cuttack]] to the status of a [[college]], he donated Rs. 27,000.<ref name=":1" />

== Death ==
He died on 29 May 1882 and was succeeded by [[Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo]] to his title, rank, and dignity.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Solomon |first=R. V. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=47sfj8DUwNgC |title=Indian States: A Biographical, Historical, and Administrative Survey |last2=Bond |first2=J. W. |date=2006 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-1965-4 |pages=700 |language=en}}</ref>

== Honours ==
The hereditary title of [[Raja]] was conferred on him by the [[British government of India|British Government]] by a sanad in 1874.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Orissa |first=India Superintendent of Census Operations |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/District_Census_Handbook_Orissa_Mayurbha/de-zTiQP3dQC |title=District Census Handbook, Orissa: Mayurbhanj |date=1965 |publisher=Superintendent, Orissa Government Press |pages=51–52 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mishra |first=D. P. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/People_s_Revolt_in_Orissa/W8GXSR0SiF8C |title=People's Revolt in Orissa: A Study of Talcher |date=1998 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist |isbn=978-81-7156-739-3 |pages=71 |language=en}}</ref> The title of [[Maharaja]] was conferred on him as a personal distinction on the occasion of the [[Delhi Durbar]] of 1877.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Vadivelu |first=A. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Ruling_Chiefs_Nobles_and_Zamindars_o/LfoxAQAAMAAJ |title=The Ruling Chiefs, Nobles and Zamindars of India |date=1915 |publisher=G.C. Loganadham |pages=391 |language=en}}</ref> It was awarded in recognition of his good governance and liberal public benefactions.<ref name=":1" />

==References==
<references />
[[Category:1848 births]]
[[Category:1868 deaths]]
[[Category:Hindu monarchs]]
[[Category:Maharajas of Mayurbhanj]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian monarchs]]

Krishna Chandra Bhanj Deo - Revision history

DwainKilgore21 at 18:40, 10 March 2026