In the 4th century CE, the Allahabad inscription records Samudra Gupta defeated Mahendra of Kosala, corresponding roughly to present day Chhattisgarh plains and western Odisha.

[1] In the 6th century, the Sarabhpuriyas from Sarabha (now identified as Sirpur in present-day Chhattisgarh) came to prominence.

They were succeeded by the Panduvamshis, whose king, Tivaradeva, tried to expand east of Kosala into Utkala, now coastal Odisha.

His son Yayati was blocked by the Kalachuris when attempting to expand into the north and west of Kosala, but Bargarh was in his realm.

Kosala fell into Telugu Choda hands, who had aided a rival king who defeated the Somvamshis.

During Kalachuri reign was issued a copper plate, c. 1131, that mentions the town Vagharakotta which some scholars associate with Bargarh.

However, the state faced constant attack by the Marathas of Nagpur, who attempted to subdue the kingdom by force.

After the Third Anglo-Maratha war in 1817, Sambalpur officially became British territory and the Chauhans were restored to the throne.

Incensed by the breach of custom of letting a woman rule, many of the Gond and Binjhal landlords, threatened by caste Hindu favourites of the rani, supported a rival claimant Surendra Sai.

[1] During the 1857 rebellion, mutineers stationed in Sambalpur broke Surendra Sai and his companions, including Madho Singh out of jail, and they soon raised an army against the British.

Bargarh district lies in the western part of Odisha bordering Chhattisgarh.

According to the 2011 census Bargarh district has a population of 1,481,255,[4] roughly equal to the nation of Gabon[5] or the US state of Hawaii.

[7] All-season irrigation from Hirakud dam on the Mahanadi makes the northern half of Bargarh District rich in agriculture, mostly paddy.

[citation needed] The following are the five Vidhan sabha constituencies[8][9] of Bargarh district and the elected members[10] of that area