It was established in 1882 by Raja Basudev Sudhal Dev, the ruler of the princely state of Bamra (also known as Bamada).
Originally known as Raja Kumar High School and based in a royal palace, it later moved to its own premises and was renamed as Raja Basudev High School after its founder, Basudev, who was an educationalist and one of the pioneers of the modern Odisha and the Oriya language.
The ruler kept close contact with the veteran educationalists of Bengal and recruited good scholars for the posts of teachers in the high school.
There are many scholars who graduated from this high school and are spread across the globe in universities, multinational companies and government departments.
Sir Basudev Sudhal Dev – The Pioneer of Modern Orissa".