Creation of Odisha Province (1936): The Struggle for a Linguistic State

On 1st April 1936, Odisha became the first province in British India to be carved out on a linguistic basis — a full two decades before the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. This achievement was the culmination of a prolonged struggle spanning over seven decades, driven by visionary leaders, socio-political associations, and the indomitable spirit of the Odia-speaking people.

The Problem: A Divided People

After the fall of the Gajapati dynasty in 1568, Odisha was fragmented into several regional kingdoms. Under successive Mughal, Maratha, and British rule, the Odia-speaking territories were split across three different administrative units:

• Southern Odisha (Ganjam) — under Madras Presidency

• Coastal Odisha (Cuttack Division) — under Bengal Presidency

• Western Odisha (Sambalpur) — under Central Provinces

This arbitrary division created severe problems:

1. Linguistic Suppression

The Odia language was treated as a minority tongue in all three provinces. Bengali scholars like Rajendralal Mitra and Kantilal Bandopadhyaya refused to recognise Odia as a distinct language and pressured the government to replace it with Bengali in schools. In Ganjam, Telugu was imposed; in Sambalpur, Hindi was made compulsory.

2. Administrative Neglect

The devastating Famine of 1866 exposed the fatal consequences of division — three governments could not coordinate simultaneous relief measures, resulting in the death of nearly one-third of Odisha’s population.

3. Economic Exploitation

Trade suffered as the ports of Pipli and Chandbali silted up without political will for restoration. Economic resources were divided among three administrations with no unified development plan.

The Oriya Movement Begins (1866–1903)

The Famine of 1866 became the catalyst for the Odia national awakening. Key early milestones:

Year | Event

1868 | Secretary of State Strafford Northcote admits that reuniting Odia-speaking people would reduce neglect

1875 | Raja Shyamanand De of Balasore presents memorandum to Government

1885 | Madhusudan Das at Cuttack submits memorial for reunion

1895 | C.P. Government issues Notification No. 227 replacing Odia with Hindi in Sambalpur

1897 | Madhusudan Das meets British Parliament members

1900 | Madhusudan Das calls on Viceroy Curzon at Simla

1902 | Raja Baikuntha Nath De submits memorial to Viceroy demanding reunion

The Sambalpur Victory (1905)

The 1895 notification replacing Odia with Hindi in Sambalpur provoked fierce opposition. Leaders like Dharanidhar Mishra, Braja Mohan Patnaik, Balabhadra Supkar, and Madan Mohan Mishra fought against it. Viceroy Curzon directed Chief Commissioner Andrew Fraser to conduct an inquiry. Fraser recommended the inclusion of Sambalpur with the Odisha Division.

The result: the famous Risley Circular (1905) — restoring Odia as official language in Sambalpur and transferring it to the Odisha Division of Bengal.

Formation of Bihar-Odisha Province (1912)

After the revocation of the Partition of Bengal, the Odisha Division was joined with Bihar to create the Bihar-Odisha Province in 1912. The Odias saw this as creating a new problem — they would be dominated by the Biharis. Madhusudan Das called it a “political earthquake.”

Role of Utkal Sammilani (1903–1920)

The Utkal Union Conference (Utkal Sammilani), established in 1903, became the vehicle for the amalgamation demand. Under Madhusudan Das’s dynamic leadership, it passed numerous resolutions demanding unification of all Odia-speaking territories.

In 1917, a delegation including Madhusudan Das, Gopabandhu Das, and Rajendra Narayan Bhanja Deb presented a memorial called ‘Odia Movement’ to Montague, demanding a sub-province for Odia-speaking people.

Critical Milestones (1920–1936)

Sachchidanand Sinha Resolution (1920)

On 20th February 1920, Sachchidanand Sinha moved a resolution in the Imperial Legislative Council recommending the “amalgamation of Odia-speaking tracts.” Bihar-Odisha gave a favourable reply, but Madras was rigid about Ganjam.

Philip-Duff Committee (1924)

This committee visited several places and confirmed the “genuine, long-standing and deep-seated desire” of Odias to come under one administration.

Simon Commission & Attlee Sub-Committee (1928)

The Utkal Union Conference, led by Raja of Kanika, welcomed the Simon Commission at Patna. A sub-committee under C.R. Attlee (future British PM) recommended a separate province consisting of Odisha Division, Angul, Khariar, Ganjam, and Agency tracts.

O’Donnel Boundary Commission (1930)

At the Round Table Conference, Krushna Chandra Gajapati (Raja of Paralakhimedi) made an impressive speech for a separate province. The Boundary Commission under Samuel O’Donnel examined 400 witnesses and recommended a province of 33,000 sq. miles with a population of 82.77 lakhs.

Hubback Administrative Committee (1933)

Recommended:

• Cuttack as capital, Puri as summer headquarters

• A High Court for Odisha

• Joint official cadre with Bihar

• New district of Koraput

• Two new sub-divisions: Nawapara and Gunupur

The Day of Triumph: 1st April 1936

The Government of India Act, 1935 made provision for the new state. By the King Emperor’s Order-in-Council dated 3 March 1936, the province was inaugurated on 1st April 1936.

Sir John Hubback took oath as the first Governor of Odisha.

The new province included:

• Odisha Division

• Angul

• Padampur

• Khariar

• Odia-majority parts of Ganjam including Berhampur

• Jeypore

• Parts of Parlakhimedi

Political Life After 1936

Elections were held in January 1937 under the Government of India Act, 1935:

• Congress won 36 out of 56 elective seats

• First non-Congress ministry under Maharaja of Parlakhimedi (1 April 1937)

• First Congress ministry under Biswanath Das (19 July 1937)

Key Leaders of the Freedom Movement in Odisha:

• Gopabandhu Das — Father of Odisha’s national movement

• Madhusudan Das — “Kulabruddha” (Grand Old Man) of Odisha

• Harekrushna Mahtab — Later Prime Minister who achieved merger of princely states

• Ramadevi and Saraladevi — Women’s movement pioneers

• Krushna Chandra Gajapati — Presented case at Round Table Conference

Legacy

The creation of Odisha province demonstrated that linguistic identity could be a legitimate basis for administrative reorganization — a principle that would later reshape the entire map of India. The state was renamed from “Orissa” to “Odisha” by the 113th Constitutional Amendment (2011), and its language from “Oriya” to “Odia.”

Utkal Divas (Odisha Day) is celebrated every year on 1st April to commemorate this historic achievement.

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This article is part of the DailyIAS Odisha History series for OPSC preparation. For detailed revision notes, check our Notes section.