Ranchi

Ranchi lies on the high plateau of Chota Nagpur, among forests, hills and streams that descend from the uplands. Munda and Oraon communities inhabited this country alongside the territories of the Nagvanshi rulers. Near the town, the Jagannath temple stands on a hill, its form recalling the celebrated temple at Puri in Odisha.

Thakur Ani Nath Shahdeo built the Jagannath temple in 1691. Its annual chariot festival brought worshippers together around the image of Jagannath in a procession through the temple grounds. In the early nineteenth century, changes in landholding and the demands of outsiders contributed to discontent across the plateau. The Kol uprising of 1831–32 spread through the Ranchi country, and its suppression was followed by a reorganisation of Company administration in Chota Nagpur.