Origin

Chhattisgarh is one of the states of India located in the central part of the country. The state is surrounded by Jharkhand state on northwest, Orissa on the east, Andhra Pradesh on the south, and Maharastra on the southwest. It has been formed from the state of Madhya Pradesh. The origin of the name of Chhattisgarh has an interesting and long story.

During the ancient period Chhattisgarh was called Dakshin Kosala. We can get an evidence of it in the inscriptions and literary works of the early writers. During the Mughal reign the region was called Ratanpur territory and not Chhattisgarh. The word Chhattisgarh gained popularity during the rule of the Marathas. It was used for the first time in 1795, in an official document.

J.B. Beglar, the British historian put forward an interesting concept on the origin of the name Chhattisgarh. He has linked it with the contemporary caste division of the region. Beglar is of the view that Chhattisgarh is the original name and not Chhattisgarh. As per the traditional saying, long years back thirty six families of dalits moved towards south from Jarasandha’s kingdom and settled in this region, which was named after the as Chhattisgarh. Another accepted fact regarding the source of the name of the state was that it refers to the 36 forts that were supposed to be in the region. Historians do not accept this because the 36 forts could not be located. Another theory proposed by the historians in this regard is that Chhattisgarh is derived from ‘Chedisgarh’ or the political base of the Chedis. Thus the origin of the name of Chhattisgarh is a blend of thesis and antithesis.