Jagdalpur

Jagdalpur became the capital of Bastar under Dalpat Deo after a Maratha invasion around 1750. The former capital, also called Bastar, stood north of the Indravati; the new royal centre lay south of the river. This move formed part of a troubled reign. After the death of Rajpal Deo in 1721, rival claimants had displaced Dalpat, who sought refuge in Jeypore before recovering the throne in 1731.

The court at Jagdalpur governed a kingdom whose chiefs and village communities retained considerable local importance. Danteshwari, worshipped at Dantewada, remained the ruling family's tutelary goddess. Under Dalpat's successor Daryao Deo, the Halba rising brought further conflict within the state. Maratha influence did not amount to continuous direct administration throughout the forest country. The royal settlement stood within a network of local authorities and sacred centres extending well beyond the palace.