page_title: Kingdom of Jeypore
section_title: British India
hierarchical_section_title: Kingdom of Jeypore / History / British India
caption_attribution_description: English: 2916669
context_page_description: The Kingdom of Jeypore was a kingdom in the Kalinga region that existed from the mid-15th century to 1947. The kingdom was ruled by a dynasty who claimed to belong to the mythical Suryavansh dynasty and hence have been referred to as the Jeypore Suryavanshis. For some years a tributary state and described as a "little kingdom", it became a zamindari under British rule from 1776 to 1947.
context_section_description: Jeypore was the largest of the "little kingdoms" in southern Orissa, covering an area of around 10,000 sq mi (26,000 km²) and assessed to pay a tribute of 16,000 rupees in the 1803 permanent settlement. In regional political terms it was rivalled only by Parlakimedi and the comparatively low assessment reflected the importance that the British attached to the kingdom at this time. Vikram Dev II (r 1758-1781) had joined other little kings of the region in military opposition to the British colonial influence, leading to an attack by the British in 1775 which destroyed the fort at Jeypore. His son, Rama Chandra Dev II (r 1781-1825) reversed the strategy, preferring co-operation to resistance and being favoured by the British for that stance. An additional factor in the vastly improved status of the dynasty was that the British fell out with Vizianagaram, another little kingdom and one with which Jeypore had long rivalled. Flushed with confidence, Rama Chandra Dev arranged for a new capital and palace to be built at Jeypore, some distance away from the ruined fort.
  Vikram Dev III (1889–1920), also known as His Highness Maharajah Sir Sri Sri Vikram Dev, was aged 14 when his father died and could not legally assume his responsibilities as ruler until he turned 28. His father had made arrangements for his education to be continued by a Dr. Marsh until that time. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) and granted the title of  His Highness for use by him and his successors. The British Raj granted him and his successors the right to use the title Maharajah from 1896, which was originally held by his ancestors. In 1893, he was married to the princess of Surguja State. He laid the foundation of the new palace known as Moti Mahal and was a liberal philanthropist, donating to many institutions that helped the public. He funded the construction of bridges over the rivers of Kolab and Indravati. He died in 1920.
  Ramchandra Dev IV (1920–1931), also known as His Highness Lieutenant Maharajah Ramchandra Dev, ascended the throne in 1920. He received the rank of a Lieutenant for his aid in the First World War by sending his navy's twelve ships and a small unit of his troops. The king died in Allahabad in 1931 without any issue and was succeeded by his uncle, who was also named Vikram Dev. Although he died unexpectedly and early, he is known for building the grand Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds on the beach of Visakhapatnam.
  Vikram Dev IV (1931–1951), known as Sahitya Samrat HH Maharajah Vikram Dev, was crowned as the last king of the kingdom in 1931. He was a scholar, poet, playwright and leader. Being a prolific writer and proficient in five different languages, Telugu, Odia, Hindi, Sanskrit and English, he earned the literary epithet of Sahitya Samrat, meaning the "Emperor of Literature", and a doctorate degree (D.Litt.) from Andhra University. He donated large amounts to Andhra University and served as the vice-chancellor of Andhra and Utkal Universities. He married his daughter to an aristocratic family of Bihar and made his son-in-law Kumar Bidyadhar Singh Deo look after the affairs of his kingdom. His daughter gave birth to two sons and, as per traditional vedic rule which suggests that the younger son belongs to the mother, eventually Ram Krishna Dev, being the younger prince, was appointed as the crown prince. He was the last king as the kingdom merged into the newly formed Union of India.
caption: Maharajah Sir Sri Sri Vikram Dev III
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