Chhattisgarh

The earliest reference to Chhattisgarh can be pointed to the kingdoms of Dasarna and Mekala, touching Pulinda in the west and kingdoms of Magadha, Munda and Karusa in far north and northeast. During the Vedic age, the region was hardly populated with any township. Proceeding towards the pre-Mauryan era, the region was again inhabited by thick forests and a land bordered by Vidarbha to the west and Kalinga in the far-east. Mentioned by Kautilya's Arthashastra in the 4th century BC, the region is marked by Indravana. Alexander the Great doesn't mention the region at all although tribes such as Molindai, Souarois and Modoubais are mentioned as neighbours. Between 20 BC to 5 BC, the single-most largest empire touching its boundary to the east would be the Mahameghavahanas of Kalinga, but still, the region would be untouched. It's only during the middle-ages when the kingdom of Dakshina Kosala (दक्षिण कौशल) would be established with dynasties such as Kalachuris, Somavanshis and Banas intersecting throughout the region. Major townships such as Pali, Sripura and Chakrakuta can be found between the 8th and 10th centuries AD. With the rise of Islam, the early Arabs had little knowledge about Chhattisgarh and would mention the entire region as part of the Vindhya mountains. 

Jumping to the 12th century, during the period of the Delhi Sultanate in northern India, Dakshina Kosala would be ruled by the Haihayas or Haihaiyavanshis with their capital at Ratanpur (in today's Bilaspur district). At this time, Dakshina Kosala would be surrounded by the Yadavas in the southwest, the Kalachuris in the west and the Eastern Gangas on the east coast of Odisha. While the Islamic campaigns were rapidly growing in the surrounding areas with the fall of the Delhi Sultanate, the Haihayas were virtually untouched. With the disintegration of the Delhi Sultanate in the north, the region is now mentioned as Gondwana; a country made up of numerous tribal states surrounded by dynasties such as Ballar Shahis and Chindaka Nagas. Even at this point, Chhattisgarh would be untouched by any Islamic conquest and the Haihayas would exist even while the Bahmani Sultans would clash with the Gajapati Dynasty of Odisha on the eastern coast. Even the disintegration of the Bahmani Empire into Barar, Golkonda and Bidar would have no effect on the political administration of Chhattisgarh. 

As we approach the 16th century, the rise of Mughals would be the first campaign that would have its effect seen in Gondwana, that too on the western borders. In 1564, partial conquest and Gondwana's integration into the Mughal Empire would slowly begin. As the Mughal Empire expanded, the region has numerous tribal states and chiefdoms who would acknowledge the Mughal suzerainty and paid occasional tribute during the 17th century. 

The European settlements of the modern age would practically have no effect on Gondwana. The early European cartographers for the lack of knowledge about this region would place Delhi (spelt as Delli) as a neighbour to Odisha (spelt as Orixa), eliminating the entire Chhattisgarh region. Moreover, the early cartographers would mention the name 'Indostan' as the region connecting Delhi and Bengal, which is hard to place due to geographical incorrectness. 

The actual reference to the name 'Chhattisgarh' would come during the Maratha reign when the Bhonsle clan of the Confederacy would be established at Nagpur in 1743 under Raghuji Bhonsle, who would control the entire region till Odisha. At this time the territory of Bastar would be landlocked between the Nizam's Dominions in the west and the East India Company's Northern Circars in the east. With the rise of the Marathas, Bastar would now be part of the Nagpur Territory that would be virtually independent to the Maratha Peshwas post-1768. At this time, constant wars with the English would cost them losing a heavy deal of territories in 1803 and later in 1817. 

Moving towards the mid-19th century, the British would finally cede Nagpur Territory in 1853 along with Bastar, which would be now part of the Bengal Presidency. Interestingly, the British maps would show Chhattisgarh as Berar that would extend from Nagpur (spelt as Nagpour) in the west to Cuttack (spelt as Cattack) in the east, bordering the Ganga River at Allahabad (today's Prayagraj) in the north and the Godavari River in the south that would make the border of the Nizam's Dominions. The European trade posts of Circars would become its eastern border. Towns such as Ruttunpour (Ratanpur), Raypour (Raipur), and Kyragur (Khairagarh) were already mentioned on European maps of the 19th century. 

The demarcation of administrative divisions in 1857 would mention the following districts as part of Nagpoor (Nagpur) Territories: 

1. Bustur (Bastar)
2. Chutteesgurh (referring to the western part of today's Chhattisgarh state)
3. Korea
4. Sirgoojah (Sirguja)
5. Nowgudda
6. Sukti (Shakti)
7. Burgurh
8. Ryegurh (Raigarh)
9. Sarungarh (Sarangarh)
10. Odeipore (Udaipur)
11. Mundla (Mandla, parts of)

During the 1857-58 rebellion, Chhattisgarh was virtually neutral and nothing significant happened in the entire region. Proceeding towards the end of the 19th century, Central Provinces was created by adding Nagpur territory of Bengal Presidency with Sagar and Narbada territories (spelt as Saugor and Nerbudda Territories) of NW Provinces (the precursor to United Provinces or Uttar Pradesh). In 1903, Berar was merged with Central Provinces to form the province of Central Provinces and Berar. The heartland of Chhattisgarh would now be administrated from Nagpur. In the year 1933, Eastern States Agency was created that would consist of the following Princely States of the Chhattisgarh division: 

1. Changbhaker (today part of Koriya district)
2. Korea (Koriya)
3. Surguja (combining today's Balrampur, Surajpur and Surguja districts)
4. Jashpur
5. Kawardha
6. Chhuikhadan (today part of Raj Nandgaon district)
7. Khairagarh (today part of Raj Nandgaon district)
8. Nandgaon (today part of Raj Nandgaon district)
9. Udaipur (today part of Raigarh district)
10. Raigarh 
11. Sakti (today part of Raigarh district)
12. Sarangarh (today part of Raigarh district)
13. Kanker (distributed between today's Kanker, Narainpur and Kondagaon districts)
14. Bastar (combining today's Bijapur, Bastar, Dantewara and Sukma districts)

The districts of Central Provinces that were managed directly under the British and were part of the Chhattisgarh division were: 

1. Bilaspur (combining today's Bilaspur, Korba, Mungeli, Janjgir-Champa, Baloda Bazar and parts of Mahasamund districts)
2. Drug (combining today's Durg, Balod, parts of Raj Nandgaon, Bemetara, Kanker and Narainpur districts)
3. Raipur (combining today's Raipur, Dhamtari, Mahasamund, Gariaband, Kondagaon and parts of Bastar district)

This division remained even after independence and there was a demand of combining the Orissa States and Chhattisgarh States (both part of Eastern States Agency) to be administrated as a single union - the Eastern States Union. The demand was rejected by Sardar Vallabbhai Patel on the grounds of language differences. Chhattisgarh (and almost entire central India) was once again untouched by the political independence movements rising in other parts of India, majorly because of the large number of Princely States which were under the suzerainty of the British. There wasn't even a single Congress session held in Chhattisgarh all throughout the 20th century British era. 

When the air of independence was spread and it was known that 1947 would be the year of achieving it, several proposals to create a unified India was created before the actual partition into India and Pakistan. One of the proposals led by Dr Syed Abdul Latif clubbed the northern part of Chhattisgarh with Orissa as Orissa while the southern part would combine with Chanda (or Chandrapur) district and would be an extended projection of Andhra division. This proposal was, however, rejected as well. 

Soon after independence when colonial names were replaced by Indian names, Central Provinces became Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh was part of it till 1956 when the state was properly reorganised. The Princely States of Eastern India Agency were distributed into Central Provinces and Orissa states in 1948-49. Being part of Madhya Pradesh, the region had the following districts: 

1. Surguja
2. Bilaspur
3. Raigarh
4. Raipur
5. Durg
6. Bastar

And finally, in the year 2000, the region would get its recognition and on the 1st of November, the territory of Gond, Teli, Kawar, Maria etc. would form the state of Chhattisgarh. 

Below here is a map of the Princely States of Eastern States Agency with modern-day Chhattisgarh's boundary highlighted.