History of Dhenkanal District is not very clear as there are lack concrete evidences. However, it is true that the district was the centre of pre-historic habitations. The Nasik Rock inscription shows that, during 2nd Century AD, Dhenkanal was a part of the Sattabahana Empire. Further, in the 3rd and 4th Centuries AD, it was a part of the Gupta Empire in India. In the 6th and 7th Centuries AD the region remained under the control of the Bhauma Kara Dynasty. The Sulki dynasty ruled over some parts of Dhenkanal in 8th and 9th Centuries AD.
According to the historical evidences of Dhenkanal District, Somvanshi Kshatriyas ruled over some part of this region. After them the Ganga vansis occupied the area and drove away the Stamvas from the western part of the district. When the Suryavanshis emerged in the political field of Orissa, by that time Dhenkanal was scattered in several small kingdoms. Further, by 16th AD, a tribal chief called `Dhenka` was ruling over Ghumuranali, Dudianali and Kantanali. However, Sridhar Bhanja of Besalia defeated and killed him. His kingdom was annexed. He named the kingdom "Dhenkanal" after the the name of `Dhenka`. Subsequently, Hari Singh Vidyadhar who was a commander of Gajapati Prataparudra Deva defeated the Bhanja kings and occupied Dhenkanal and Karamul, its capital in 1529 AD. Afterwards, the capital was shifted from Karamul to Dhenkapidha and the kingdom was named Dhenkanal.
The kings who ruled over Dhenkanal are Hari Singh Vidyadhar (1530-1594 AD), Loknath Ray Singh Bharamarbar (1594-1615 AD), Balabhadra Ray Singh (1615-1641 AD), Nilakantha Ray Singh (1641-1682 AD), Nrusingha Bhramarbar (1682-1708 AD), KunjaBehari Bhramarbar (1708-1728 AD), BrajaBehari Bhramarbar (1728-1741 AD), Damoodar Bhramarbar (1741-1743 AD), Trilochan Singh (1743-1785 AD), Dayanidhi Mohindra Bahadur (1785-1796 AD), Ramachandra Mohindra Bahadur (1796- 1807 AD), Krushna Chandra Mohindra Bahadur (1807-1822 AD), Shyamchandra Mohindra Bahadur (1822-1830 AD), Bhagiratha Mohindra Bahadur (1830- 1873 AD), Pitambar Deo (1873- 1877 AD), Dinabandhu Mohindra Bahadur (1877-1885 AD), Surya Pratap Mohindra Bahadur (905-1918 AD) and Shankar Pratap Mohidra Bahadur (1918-1947 AD).
The history of Dhenkanal District states that these 18 kings ruled over Dhenkanal and brought about several administrative, political, socio-economic and cultural evolutions of the district. In the year 1947 when the country gained freedom, the princely state of Dhenkanal was merged in the Indian Union.
