Chhattisgarh
(2001 pop. of new state 20.8 million). Chhattisgarh, a region of central India with an area of 97,612 square kilometers, is noted for its distinct tribal populations. It has also been called Gondavana, "the land of the Gonds," who form the largest tribal entity. Other important groups include the Baiga, Birhor, Kamar, Kanwar, Oraon, and Saura. In very early times the region was known as South Kosala; the name "Chhattisgarh" is scarcely two centuries old. The region was ruled by the Kalchuries of Ratanpur until the mid-1800s and then occupied by the Bhonsales of Nagpur. After the fall of the Delhi sultanate in 1857, the region came under British rule, and with the British administration came railways and substantial population growth. The region was known as the Chhattisgarh division in a greater administrative unit known as the Central Provinces.
Chhattisgarh today is also the name of a new state created in 2000 from the eastern third of the state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies exactly in the Chhattisgarh region and has an area of 169,452 square kilometers. This state consists of sixteen districts taken from the older Madhya Pradesh state, with Raipur as the capital. Totally landlocked, Chhattisgarh is surrounded by the states of Jharkhand, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. Probably India's richest state in terms of its natural and mineral resources, in 1998–1999 Chhattisgarh's net domestic product was nevertheless in the range of only $210–$299.
Further Reading
Fuchs, Stephen. (1960) The Gond and Bhumia of Eastern Mandla. Bombay, India: Asia Publishing House.
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