[1] It was primarily led by Gunda Dhur,[2] a tribal leader, as well as by a diwan and cousin of the king, Lal Karendra Singh.

However, the Bastar princely state was ruled by Rajputs who claimed descent from Annamaraja, a brother of the last Kakatiya King Prataparudra II, who fled to the region after the Delhi Sultanate conquered Warangal in the early 14th century.

Even after adopting settled agriculture, the tribals still relied heavily on collecting minor forest products such as tendu to supplement their livelihoods.

However, starting in 1871, the British colonial government began interfering in this procedure by establishing reserve forests in areas especially rich in natural resources.

Since the rajas are the high priests of Maa Danteshwari, a goddess sacred to the Adivasis, there is a much closer relationship between the tribals and their rulers than a typical princely state.

In 1876, the resentment over changes to the monarchy boiled over when the diwan attempted to organize a meeting between the Prince of Wales, who had arrived in India, and the Raja of Bastar.

The people demanded the raja dismiss the current diwan and high court judge since they were oppressive and not leave them in charge of administration if he left.

[3] Other hardships for the tribals included: an influx of outside traders into adivasi lands, such as Telugu and Chhattisgarhi moneylenders, who had exploitative relationships with the communities in which they worked, the exploitative system of begar, or forced labour, implemented by officials, suppression of their ghotul culture in the education system, and suppression of their traditional religion by banning home-brewing of alcohol.

[4] In 1908, troops attacked a Duruwa community near the capital of Jagdalpur, killing the inhabitants and committing acts of rape against the village women.

He was supported by the senior rani, Kumari Devi, once questions about Rudra Pratap Deo's legitimacy were raised, and the tribals' faith in the raja was further reduced by the propaganda they led.

The plan was to set up an "Independent revolutionary government" led by Gunda Dhur that would take over once the foreign administration was deposed.

[4] In January symbolic messages, consisting of red chilis, bows and arrows, mango leaves, lumps of earth, were sent all around the state to alert people to the coming war.

Meanwhile the diwan, who had been alerted to the general rising of the Madias throughout south Bastar, fled to the neighbouring princely state of Chanda.

The colonial government were alerted on 7 February of the uprising by Rudra Pratap Deo, who requested their assistance to deal with Madias and Murias who were "rioting."

[4] In the northwest of the state, rebel leaders began killing forest officials and moneylenders and arming their followers with guns.

On 9 March, the Abhuj Madias attacked a British Indian Army force near Chhote Dongar led by Commander Drury.