Berhampur

Berhampur—also written as Brahmapur—grew from a small settlement in southern Odisha into one of the region’s key administrative and commercial centres, shaped strongly by colonial-era politics and trade. The city sits in Ganjam district, a historically important coastal belt that connected Odisha’s hinterland with ports and routes toward the south.

A major turning point came in the 18th century, when southern Odisha fell under British control and administration. After the British imposed authority over the region (then linked to the Madras Presidency), the district headquarters of Ganjam began operating from Potagarh Fort in 1768. An epidemic in 1815 prompted authorities to shift key civil and military functions to Berhampur, helping the town expand as a cantonment-style centre with military lines, parade grounds, and associated infrastructure. However, tensions and resistance meant the collectorate did not remain permanently—administrative headquarters later moved to Chhatrapur in the 19th century.

Colonial revenue changes also affected local power structures around Berhampur. Accounts note the prominence of local zamindaris (including the Mohuri/Mahuri estate) and later British interventions such as auctions and the introduction of the ryotwari-style revenue approach in parts of the region—processes that altered land control and governance patterns.

Civic growth accelerated when Berhampur was declared a municipality in 1867—often cited as one of the earliest municipal formations in the area—giving the town a formal urban administrative framework. With colonial administration tied to Madras, the city also saw significant movement of people and traders from the south, contributing to a long-lasting blend of Odia and Telugu linguistic-cultural life—something still associated with Berhampur’s borderland identity.

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, connectivity strengthened further. The railway reached the city (with the station functioning by around 1900 in many references), supporting trade, mobility, and the rise of Berhampur as a regional marketplace—later celebrated for silk and handloom commerce and popularly called “Silk City.”

Berhampur also played a notable role in Odisha’s language and identity movements. Sources describe how public mobilization in and around the city fed into early 20th-century efforts to secure recognition of the Odia language in education and administration, and it hosted meetings connected to broader campaigns that eventually influenced the formation of a separate Odisha province.

Alongside political history, the city’s cultural life remains central to its story—especially community festivals such as the Thakurani Yatra associated with the Budhi Thakurani tradition, reflecting Berhampur’s distinctive urban culture in southern Odisha.