ORISSA, a tract of India, in the province of Bihar and Orissa, consisting of a British division and 24 feudatory states. The historical capital of Cuttack is the headquarters; and Puri, with its temple of Jagannath, is world-famous. Orissa is inhabited by a distinctive race, the Oriyas, with a separate language, Oriya. The language is archaic in form and vocabulary, and the written character has been determined by an archaic writing material. This, till little over a century ago, consisted of strips of palm leaves on which the scribes wrote with an iron stylus. The country was long isolated from the rest of India. In 1899 it was brought into communication with Bengal and Madras by means of the railway.
The DIVISION OF ORISSA consists of five districts, viz., Cuttack, Puri and Balasore, which constitute the delta of the Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani, and the inland districts of Sambalpur and Angul. Total area 13,736 sq.m. ; pop. (1921) 4,968,873. Of these Sambalpur was a state which lapsed to the British govern ment in 1849 on the death of the chief without heirs, and in accord ance with his own wishes. Part of Angul was another small state which was confiscated in 1847 on account of the Raja's misrule and disloyalty. The other part, the Khondmals, was notorious for the human sacrifices offered by the aboriginal Khonds ; it was nominally under the Raja of Baud and was annexed in 1855. The other three districts have a distinct history. They were under Hindu kings till their conquest by the Mohammedans in the 16th century and developed a civilization and culture of their own. Splendid memorials of the art attained between the 8th and 13th centuries are found in the temples at Bhuvaneswar, Konarak and Puri, which are distinguished for grandeur of design, fine elabora tion of details and beautiful stone carving. The Orissan style of architecture of which they are specimens, has been described by Fergusson as "one of the most complete and interesting styles of Indian architecture." Orissa remained under the rule of Moham medan deputy governors, subject to the nawab of Bengal, with their capital at Cuttack, till 1751. It was then ceded by Ali Vardi Khan to the Marathas and for nearly half a century was subject to their tyranny and oppression. It was invaded and conquered
by the British in 1803 during the second Maratha war.
In 1866 it suffered from an appalling famine, followed by destructive floods, during which a million persons are estimated to have perished, largely owing to the isolation of Orissa, for the unbridged roads were impassable in the rains, and supplies brought by sea could not be landed on its surf-beaten coast. The danger of the recurrence of such a famine has been averted by the Orissa canal system and the railway, as well as by the increased prosperity of the people. The occurrence of floods still occasion ally causes distress. The beds of the deltaic rivers have been raised by the volumes of silt brought down and their outlets are obstructed by shoals and sand bars. Consequently, when high floods occur they are not discharged by the natural channels and are liable to burst the embankments and inundate the low-lying country on either side. Orissa differs from Bihar in having temporary settlements of land revenue : the "permanent settle ment" of Bengal had been made ten years before it came under British rule. The last settlement was made in 190o, for 3o years.
The FEUDATORY STATES OF ORISSA occupy the hills between the British districts on the south-east, and the Central Provinces on the west, and Chota Nagpur on the north. Area, 28,046 sq.m.; pop. (1921) 3,807,172. The States may be classed in five groups, according to situation, viz., (I) to the north-east Keonjhar, May urbhanj and Nilgiri; (2) to the north-west, Bonai and Gangpur ; (3) to the west, Bamra, Kalahandi, Patna, Rairakhol and Sonpur; (4) the central States of Athmallik, Baud, Pal Lahara and Tal cher ; (5) to the south-east, Athgarh, Baramba, Daspalla, Dhen kanal, Hindor, Khondpara, Narsinghpur, Nayagarh, Ranpur and Tigiria. Bamra, Kalahandi, Patna, Rairakhol and Sonpur were formerly attached to the Central Provinces, and Bonai and Gang pur to Chota Nagpur. The other 17 states, which used to be called the Tributary Mahals, or Garhjats, were ceded to the British by the Marathas after the conquest of Orissa in 1803.
On Apr. I, 1936, Orissa became a separate province, with an estimated area of 32,000 sq.m. and an estimated pop. of 8,500, 00o. See INDIA: History.