PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: Traditionally
founded
by Jagadishwar Bhanj, son of Raja Lakshman Raj Bhanj of
Mayurbhanj around 726AD. More likely founded by Bhujabal
Bhanja, a brother of the Raja of Mayurbhanj around 1200AD.
The conquest of Orissa in 1803 was followed by
consolidation of the British authority in this part of the
country. The movement started in 1804 by three rajas,
namely the Rajas of Khurda, Kanika and Kujang, and it
assumed formidable proportions when a triple alliance,
both offensive and defensive was former among them with a
view to driving out the foreign invader from their soil.
It did not stop also either with the defeat of the rajas
in 1805 or with the dethronement of the Raja of Kanika in
the same year, the death of the regent Jayi Rajaguru in
1806 and the ultimate banishment of Raja Mukunda Deva II
of Khurda from his kingdom in 1807. On the contrary, it
continued to gain momentum. The raja of Khurda was still
regarded as the "Fallen but revered descendant and
representative of their ancient native sovereigns". More
and more rajas came forward to join either openly or
secretly: the storm centre continued to be the same --
Khurda, Kanika and Kujang. These rajas became more and
more defiant and aggressive. And though not an active
participant, the raja of Khurda was the guiding spirit of
the struggle against the British in 1817 which, to quote
British historian G. Toynbee, was a "veritable storm that
burst with such relentless fury as to threaten the
expulsion of the British, if not from the whole of Orissa,
at least from the territory of Khurda". Rulers were...
- Raja BHUJABAL BHANJ,
Raja of Kanika, he lived around 1200.
- Raja BISHWANATH
BHANJ, Raja of Kanika
- Raja TRILOCHAN
BHANJ I, Raja of Kanika
- Raja GOPINATH BHANJ
I, Raja of Kanika
- Raja PARAMANANDA
BHANJ I, Raja of Kanika
- Raja DIBYASINHA
BHANJ I, Raja of Kanika
- Raja NARASINHA
BHANJ I, Raja of Kanika
- Raja TRIBIKRAM
BHANJ I, Raja of Kanika
- Raja GANGADHAR
BHANJ, Raja of Kanika
- Raja GOPAL BHANJ I,
Raja of Kanika
- Raja BASUDEB BHANJ
I, Raja of Kanika
- Raja RAGHUNATH
BHANJ, Raja of Kanika
- Raja LAKSHMAN BHANJ,
Raja of Kanika
- Raja BAIRAGI BHANJ
I, Raja of Kanika
- Raja TRILOCHAN
BHANJ II, Raja of Kanika
- Raja GOPINATH BHANJ
II, Raja of Kanika
- Raja PARAMANANDA
BHANJ II, Raja of Kanika
- Raja SARBASINHA
BHANJ, Raja of Kanika
- Raja BASUDEB BHANJ
II, Raja of Kanika
- Raja DIBYASINHA
BHANJ II, Raja of Kanika
- Raja NARASINHA
BHANJ II, Raja of Kanika
- Raja TRIBIKRAM
BHANJ II, Raja of Kanika
- Raja GADADHAR BHANJ,
Raja of Kanika
- Raja GOPINATH BHANJ
III, Raja of Kanika
- Raja DASARATHI
BHANJ, Raja of Kanika
- Raja GOPAL BHANJ II,
Raja of Kanika
- Raja BAIRAGI BHANJ
II, Raja of Kanika -/1803
- REGENT, Rani Jayi Rajaguru 1803/1805
- Raja BALBHADRA
BHANJ DEO, 28th Raja of Kanika 1803/1817, he
was captured and sent to Midnapur as a prisoner in
July 1805, he was deposed in 1817 and the Princely
State was made a zamindari; married a daughter of the
Raja of Kaladwip Ilaka.
- Raja JAGANNATH
BHANJ DEO, 29th Raja of Kanika 1817/-
- Raja HARIHAR BHANJ
DEO, 30th Raja of Kanika
- Raja BENAYAK BHANJ
DEO, 31st Raja of Kanika
- Raja TRIBIKRAM
BHANJ DEO III, 32nd Raja of Kanika
- Raja PADMANAVA
BHANJ DEO,
33rd Raja of Kanika, married and had adoptive
issue.
- (A) Raja Bahadur Sir Rajendra Narayan Bhanj Deo
Bahadur (qv)
- Raja NRIPENDRANATH
BHANJ DEO, 34th Raja of Kanika -/1896, born
about 1880, he died in 1896, while still a minor.
- Raja Bahadur Sir
RAJENDRA NARAYAN BHANJ DEO Bahadur O.B.E.,
M.R.S., F.R.A.S., 35th Raja of Kanika 1896/1948, born
24th March 1881 (#1) as
Rajkumar Bansidhar Deb, younger brother of Raja
Pitamber Deb of Aul, he
was adopted to Kanika in 1896; educated at Ravenshaw
Collegiate School and Ravenshaw College, Cuttack; he
took charge of the estate on attaining his majority in
1902; he was nominated Member of the Advisory Fishery
Board in 1908; he attended the Royal Coronation in
England at Westminster Abbey in 1911; elected to the
Provincial Council of Orissa in 1912; elected to the
Council of Bihar and Orissa in 1916; President of the
Orissa Landholder's Association; Member, Royal Asiatic
Society, London; Member, Patna University Committee;
Member, Governing Body of Ravenshaw College; Member,
Managing Committee of the Ravenshaw Girls' High
English School, Cuttack; he was granted the title of
Raja in 1910 as a personal distinction, which was made
hereditary in 1919, he was granted the enhanced title
of Raja Bahadur in 1934; he was awarded the O.B.E. in
1934; married 1899, a daughter of Raja Ladu Kishore
Mandhata, Chief of Nayagarh,
and had issue, one son and one daughter. He died 1948.
- Raja Saheb Sailendra Narayan Bhanj Deo Bahadur
(qv)
- Rani Kanak Lata Devi, born 30th September 1909,
M.L.A. (Orissa) 1957/1961; Chairman of Social
Welfare Board; awarded a certificate from Orissa
Sahitya Accademi for her literary work; author of Bhakti
Puspanjali, Tarani Sen, Ram
Bhagaban, Narayan Chandra Biyega, Dukhini
Bharat Mata, Puyusa Dhara, Uchhas
Taranga, Satkosia, Oriyanka
Prathana, Pramila Kabya Sati Kabya,
and Bhaochhwas; interests and pastimes were
Reading. Writing Poems and Drama Books; married
1929, Raja Bahadur Ananta Narayan Mansingh
Harichandan Mahapatra of Narsinghpur, and
had issue, one son and one daughter. She died 14th
February 1986.
- Raja Saheb
SAILENDRA NARAYAN BHANJ DEO Bahadur B.A.,
36th Raja of Kanika 1948/1982, born 29th September
1908, M.L.A. (Orissa) 1946/1971; elected Municipal
Commissioner in 1932; took an active part in Utkal
Sammelani Movement; elected from Rajnagar Mahakalpada
to Cuttack District Board 1934/1937; elected as
Independent Candidate from Landholders' Constituency
in 1946; elected Leader of Opposition 1946/1951;
Member, Orissa Jail Reforms Committee, 1954; he
was nominated as Speaker for a short period when the
new constitution came into operation in 1952;
Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, 1946/1951;
remained in Opposition till 1956, joined the Congress
Party in 1957 and became Minister of works in the
coaliton ministry and took a keen interest in Balimela
and Talcher projects; Appointed Chairman Flood Inquiry
Committee; interests and pastimes were Shooting, Boat
building, Sailing and Reading; married Rani Manjul
Manjari Devi, daughter of Raja Sriram Chandra Singh
Deo of Kharsawan, and
his wife, Rani Giriraj Devi, and had issue, three
sons. He died 19th July 1982.
- Raja Saheb Shri Rabindra Narayan Bhanj Deo Bahadur
(qv)
- Pattayet Saheb Shri Saurendra Narayan Bhanj Deo,
married Kumari Paresh Kumari Devi of Raidih, a
zamindari of Kharswan, and has issue,
one daughter and one son.
- Kumari Jayanti Devi, married Shri Deepak
Samantray, an industrialist, and has issue, one
son and one daughter.
- Kumar Shuvendra Narain Bhanj Deo
- Kumar Saheb Shri Jyotirendra Narayan Bhanj Deo,
married Rajkumari Indu Prabha Devi, daughter of Raja
Birendra Bikram Singh of Payagpur (U.P.), and
has issue, one son and one daughter.
- Kumar Girendra Narayan Bhanj Deo, married
Kumari Durga Devi, only daughter of Thakur Saheb
Pushpendrasinhji Narendrasinhji of Virpur, and has
issue, two sons.
- Kumar Ujendra Bhanj Deo
- Kumar Ajendra Bhanj Deo
- Kumari Vijaya Raj Laxmi, married Kunwar
Ambarish Singh, son of Kunwar Balwant Singh of
Shahpura (Rajasthan), and has issue, one
daughter.
- Raja Saheb Shri
RABINDRA NARAYAN BHANJ DEO Bahadur, 37th Raja
of Kanika 1982/2009, born 1937, Member of the
Executive Committee of Rajkumar College at Raipur;
married and had issue. He died 1st October 2009 at
Bhubaneswar aged 72.
- Raja Shri Shivendra Narayan Bhanj Deo (qv)
- Rani Rajlaxmi Singh Deo, married Col. (Ret'd.)
Raja Chhatrapati Singh Deo, 51st Raja Saheb of
Mandasa (Manjusha),
and has issue, two sons.
- Raja Shri SHIVENDRA
NARAYAN BHANJ DEO Bahadur, 38th and present
Raja of Kanika (see above)
OTHER MEMBERS:
- Rani Indumati Dei, married (as his second wife),
Raja Brajendra Mansingh Bhramarbar Rai of Dompada.
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