Chatra

Chatra lies in the forested country of Jharkhand, at the transition between the Chota Nagpur plateau and the plains to the north. The district’s landscape includes rocky hills, mixed woodland and streams, with the Grand Trunk Road passing through part of the wider region. Forest cover made the area less open than the neighboring plains, while clearings supported agriculture and small settlements. Control of the roads and hill forts mattered as much as possession of individual villages.

In ancient times the district and adjoining lands belonged to several states collectively called the Atavika forest states. They accepted Maurya suzerainty during the reign of Ashoka. Samudragupta later campaigned through Chota Nagpur. During Muhammad bin Tughluq’s reign the region came into contact with the Delhi Sultanate, and it later formed part of the Mughal province of Bihar. Such references describe the wider territory rather than a single continuous ruler of every forest settlement.

The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries brought stronger local military control. In 1660 Daud Khan, Mughal governor of Bihar, occupied the fortified hilltop of Kunda and destroyed its strong position. Kunda later belonged to the Raja of Ramgarh. In 1734 Aliwardi Khan moved against the rebel zamindars of Tikari and demolished Chatra Fort. British contact began in 1769. Forests, forts and roads therefore form the district’s historical geography.