The Ranpur ruling family claimed descent from the most ancient lineage of the princely rulers of the Orissa Tributary States.

The capital of the state was Ranpur, a small town near Kalupara Ghat railway station where the Raja resided.

The legendary date of its foundation is placed some time in the 18th century BC[3] when the founder, a hunter named Basara Basuk, having defeated a giant demon named Ranasura, established his rule in the area.

The Ranpur state rulers claimed to be the most ancient of all the lineages of the Orissa Tributary States, with a list of generations of rulers covering a period of 3,600 years with the Raja declaring indigenous origin in an inquiry in 1814.

[4] Later the chiefs received the title of Narendra from the Eastern Ganga monarch Ananga Bhimadeva owing to his prowess in battle.