Ganjam formed part of the ancient kingdom of Kalinga. Its early history is involved in obscurity, and it was not till after the Gajapati dynasty ascended the throne of Orissa, that this tract became even nominally a part of their dominions. Owing to the nature of the country, the rising Mahometan power was long kept at bay; and it was not till nearly a century after the first invasion of Orissa that a Mahometan governor was sent to govern the Chikakol Sarkârs, which included the present district of Ganjam. In 1753 Chikakol, with the Northern Sarkârs, were made over to the French by Salabat Jang for the maintenance of his French auxiliaries. In 1759 Masulipatam was taken by an English force sent from Bengal, and the French were compelled to abandon Ganjam and their other factories in the north. In 1765 the Northern Sarkârs (including Ganjam) were granted to the English by imperial firman, and in August 1768 an English factory was founded at Ganjam, protected by a fort. The present district of Ganjam was constituted in 1802. In the earlier years of British rule considerable difficulty was experienced in administering the district. The country was continually in a state of confusion and disturbance; and on more than one occasion, the refractory large lan ’.holders had to be coerced by means of regular troops. In 1816 Ganjam was overrun by the Pindâris; and in 1836 occurred the Gùmsur campaign, when the British first came into contact with the aboriginal Kandhs, the suppression of whose practice of human sacrifice was successfully accomplished. A petty rising of a section of the Kandhs occurred in 1865, which was, however, suppressed without the aid of regular troops.

The census of 1872 gives the area at 8500 square miles, including 3359 square miles occupied by the Mâliyâ or mountain region, and the population at 779,112 males and 740,976 females,—total, 1,520,088 (with 4562 villages, and 341,404 houses), classified thus according to religion Hindus, 1,513,673; Mahometans, 4826; Christians, 1043; Buddhists or Jains, 45; “others,” 501. The Kandhs and Sauras are the aboriginal tribes inhabiting the mountains. Of the plains population two-thirds are estimated as belonging to the Urugâ race, the remainder being mostly Telegus. Of the plains country, with an area of 5141 square miles, or 3,290,240 acres, about one-third is under cultivation, one-third cultivable, and one-third waste. A considerable extent of land is under cultivation in the Maliyas, but no revenue is derived from this tract. Rice forms the staple product, and is largely exported. The other crops are cereals of various sorts, pulses and oilseeds, fibres, sugarcane (said to be the best in India), tobacco, indigo, chilies, &c. Holdings are small, and the peasantry are generally poor and in debt to the village money-lender. Five towns contain a population exceeding 5000 :—Berhampur, 21,670; Parla Kimidi, 15,958; Chikakol, 15,587; Bâruvâ, 6739; Takkali Raghunandapuram, 5206. Ganjam town, the former administrative headquarters of the district, has a population of only 4163. The means of internal communication consist of 661 miles of road in the plains, and 323 miles of hill roads, besides a short tidal canal 9 miles long, connecting the Chilkâ lake with the Rushikuliyâ river. Salt manufacture is a Government monopoly, yielding about £200,000 annually. The revenue has rapidly increased of late years, having advanced from £216,196 in 1860-61 to £338,705 in 1875-76. The chief receipts are the salt and land revenue, which yielded £196,396 and £117,348 respectively in 1875-76. The expense of administering the district amounted to £23,970 in 1860-δl, and to £28,123 in 1875-76. For the protection of person and property there were, in 1875-76, 27 magisterial and 13 civil and revenue courts. Murder is unusually prevalent in Ganjam, no less than 26 caseshaving occurred in 1875. Education is backward, only about 3 ’ 3 per cent, of the population of the plains being able to read and write. In 1875 there were 334 Government or aided schools in the plains, attended by 6909 pupils, besides 17 schools in the hills, with 860 pupils.