Continuity in change: An analytical study of Balangirs economic structure from 1568 to 1956
Author(s): Padmini Padhan
Abstract: This paper examines the long-term economic development of Balangir from the Chauhan period to the early years after independence. Using historical writings, colonial records, settlement surveys, and economic reports, the study shows that although political authority changed from the Chauhans to the Marathas and later to the British, the basic structure of the economy remained rooted in agriculture and forest resources. Indigenous irrigation practices, caste-based production systems, and a mixed barter-and-currency economy helped sustain the region for centuries. More than seventy percent of the population continued to depend on agriculture even by the middle of the twentieth century. Major changes such as the shifting of the state headquarters in 1872, railway arrival in 1932, and post-1947 administrative reforms affected economic orientation but did not alter the core agrarian character. Limited irrigation, poor transport, and weak industrial investment slowed modernization. By 1956, Balangir stood in transition, showing institutional growth but still dominated by traditional economic structures.
Padmini Padhan. Continuity in change: An analytical study of Balangirs economic structure from 1568 to 1956. Int J Hist 2025;7(12):22-24. DOI: 10.22271/27069109.2025.v7.i12a.582
