Since prehistoric days the land of Odisha has been inhabited by various people. The earliest settlers of Odisha were primitive hill tribes. Although prehistoric communities cannot be identified, it is well known that Odisha had been inhabited by tribes like Saora or Sabar from the Mahabharata days. Saora in the hills and the Sahara and Sabar of the plains continue to be an important tribe distributed almost all over Odisha. Most of the tribal people have been influenced by Hindus and have adopted Hindu manners, customs and rituals. Bonda Parajas of Koraput district are the best example of these tribes.

Several pre-historic sites have been excavated in Odisha since the arrival of Britishers. Kaliakata of Angul, Kuchai & Kuliana of Mayurbhanj, Vikramkhol near Jharsuguda, Gudahandi and Yogimath of Kalahandi, Ushakothi of Sambalpur, Similikhol near Bargarh etc.
The Kalinga and Utkal tribes had played a prominent role in the region's history, and one of the earliest references to the ancient Kalingas appears in the writings of Vedic chroniclers. In the 6th century BC, Vedic Sutrakara Baudhayana mentions Kalinga as being beyond the Vedic fold, indicating that Brahminical influences had not yet touched the land. Unlike some other parts of India, tribal customs and traditions had played a significant role in shaping political structures and cultural practices right up to the 15th century. In the Ramayana, Lord Rama's mother, Queen Kaushalya is the daughter of the king of Koshal. In the Mahabharata, the Pandavas spent the one year as 'Agyantavasa' as servants of King Virata, ruler of Matsa
261 BC
Odisha has past focuses with the war of Kalinga in which the people of Kalinga come into head on consion with Ashoka, the powerful mouryan emperor from Magadha. A hundred thousand were killed, another hundred and fifty thousand are taken captives while an equal number die as an a ftermath of the war. The bloody carnage leave Ashoka with such a better teste in his mouth that he turns his back on violence forever and embrace the Budhism faith of peace and compassion. Budhism spreads under his patronage and becomes the state religion.
232 BC
Ashoka dies. The Mauryan empire lasts upto 185 BC.



1st Century BC
Kalinga drifts out of the Mauryan rules under the first Chedi King Mahameghavahan in the early port of the 1st Century BC .


49 BC
The third Chedi king Kharavela comes to power, and conducts extensive military campaigns. The greatness of his power is felt from the eastern coast to western coast of India and from Mathura in the North to the Pandya kingdom in the south. Jainism flourishes under him.

2nd Century AD
Early in the 2nd Century AD Kalinga is occupied by the Sata bahana King Goutamiputra Satakami from the west (Nasik), and continues to remain under the Satabahanas probablu upto the rule of Yajansri Satakami, (AD 174-202).


3rd century AD
After the death of .Yajansri Satakami (202 AD), the history of Kalinga sinks into obsecurity. Some minor dynasties like the Kusanas of North India. The foreign Indo- scythian Murundas, and thereafter the Nagas are believed to have ruled in the land until the time of SamudraGuptas south India campaign.

350 AD
Samudragupta of Magadha sets out on his campaign of the south and conquers parts of Kalinga. The claims of Samudragupta regarding his South Indian conquests are subject to doubt.Brahminism starts reasserting itself.

350-498 AD
Soon after the invasion of Samudragupta to new ruling power called Marathas raises its hand (from modern Parlakhemundi) and continues to rule over Kalinga till 498 AD. Kalinga under the Marathas enjoys a prosperous economic life because of her flourishing trade and commerce. Brahminism consolidates.
500 AD
The reign of first group of the eastern Gangas begins.
6-7 Century BC
A new dynasty called Sailodbhava raises its hand in the coastal region of Orissa extedning from Mahanadi in t he North to the Mahedragiri in the South.It is during the region of the Saillodhavas that Kalingas overseas trade floarishes largly with the rulers bunching their colonial adventure in the Suvarnadweepa i,e, modern myanmar.
621 AD
Harshavardhana of Thaneswar (Modern Haryana)invades Utkal and occupies till Chilika Lake. Budhism gets a remewal.
630 AD
Huen Tsang visits Orissa.



647 AD
The last Hindu emperor of India Harshavardhana dies. Bhuama era begins with the region Unmattasimha alias sivakardeva who occupies the Saillodhava kingdom. The Bhuamas give patronage to Budhism. The dynasty is marked by a few illustrious women rulers like Tribhubana Mahadevi and Dandi Mahadevi, side side with the ruler Bhaumalaras some semi independent principalities known as the Mandalas develop in between the kingdoms of the Bhauma rulers.
931 AD
The reign of somavamsis begins. Somavamsis continue to raid till 1110 AD. Temple building activities reach a considerable degree of perfection during the reign of the Somavamsls with Bhubaneswar as the chief Center . Somavamsi king Mahasivagupta Yayat II comes to the thron, and with him begins the most briliant epoch in the history of Orissa. Yayat II unites Kalinga, Kangoda, Utkal and Koshala in the imperial tradition of Kharavela. He is believed to have constructed a 38 temple for Lord Jagannath at Puri. He is also known to have laid the foundations of the famous Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneswar.
1038 AD
The eastern Ganga lying low since the end of 5th century AD come into prominence again with the rise of Vajrahasta V who defeated Soma Vamsi ruler Kama Deva and establishes the Ganga Supremacy over Kalinga.
1050 AD
The construction of Lingaraj Temple at Bhubaneswar is finished by Lalatendu Keshari of the Soma dynasty.
1078 AD
Chodaganga Dev of Ganga dynasty comes to the throne.
1112 AD
Chodaganga Dev invades Utkal and brings it under his rule. A great champion of Vaishnavism, he is believed to have built the monument of Jagannath Temple at Puri. It is the during of Chodaganga Dev that the facous mediaval saint Ramanujacharya is known to have visited Orissa.

1147 AD
Chodoganga Dev dies. About 15 kings rule the Ganga empire at him.
1211 AD
Anangabhima Dev III ascends to the throne. He is believed to have finished the construction work of Jagannath Temple at Puri. Anangabhima Dev establishes a new city called Avinaba Baranasi Katak ( Modern Cuttack) at the bifurcation of the river Kathajodi and Mahanadi.


1238 AD
Anangabhima Dev dies in 1238 AD. His son Narshimha Dev comes to throne. He is reputed to built the Temple of the Sun God at Konark.


1244 AD
Narsimha Dev invades Bengal.
1361 AD
Sultan Firjuz Shah Tugluq invades the Ganga Kingdom and occupies Varanasi Katak.
1557
Suleiman Karrani, the sultan of Bangal invades Orissa.
1568
Ramachandra Bhanja, the feudatory of saranga Garh rises in rebilion and proclaims himself as the king, Mukunda Dev dies in a battel with Ramachandra Bhanj, Soon thereafter Ramachandra Bhanja also meets his defeat and death in the hands Bayazid , the son of Suleiman Karrani. He succeeds in conquering Orissa there beginning Afgan rule in Orissa.
1590-1595
Orissa becomes an arena for the battels between the Mughals and the Afghans when the already AFghans refuse to acknowledge the suzeraintly of the Mughals ruling over Delhi. The operation continues from 1590 to 1595 resulting in the complete defeat of Afghans.
1592-1751
Mughal rule in orissa begins with sthe arrival of Raja Manasingh, Akbars Raajput General , who destroys the Afghans resistants. On the instruiction of the Akbar Orissa is divided into five sarkars : Jaleswar (including madinipur), Bhadrak , Cuttack, Chika Khol, and Raja Mahendry Dandpat. Orissa is thus acquired for Mughal empire and ;is governed as a part of the bengal Subah for sometime. It is during the Mugha lrule that the marchants carry on their brisk overseas trade & commerce and attract the attention of Europe traders. The Portugees, the Dotch, The English and The FRench discover Orissas economic potential for markets outside.During the rule of Akbars son & successor,Jahangir, Orissa is constitute into a separate provinces, with Cuttakc as capital and is placed inder a subahdar.
1670
Kavi Samrat Upendranath Bhanj is believed to have been bom around 1670.
1728
The Nizam of Hydrabad occupies the whole of Ganjam & Chikakol (Srikakulam) & declares them as the North sarkar.
1751-1803
Maratha Administration of Orissa begins with Raghuji Bhonsla-I as the new chief ofthe territory - Marathas continue to rule till 1803 the year in which Orissa possess on the hands of the British Marathas administration is said to have proven fatal to the welfare and prosperity of the land and presents a picture of misrule, anarchy and weakness, repacity and violence. Marathas rulers however patronise religion and religious institutions, thus making Orissa center of attration, Oriya literature also makes rapid progress.
1633
East India company set up trade Hariharpur and Balasore.
1757-1764
After the battel of plassey in 1757 & Buxar in 1764 the British empire builders look for acquiring more Indian territories. Orissa being the neighbouring state of Bengal naturally comes to be included in their design.
Modern upto 1948.
1803
British army under Col.Harcourt begins its March from Ganjam in the South, and occupies the mugalbandi districts of Cuttack, Puri, Balasore, thereby completing the conquesting of Orissa.
The first book to be printed in Oriya "New Testament" published by the serampore Baptist Mission Press.
1817
Under the leadership of Bakshi Jagabandhu Biddyadhar, the paikas of khurda rises up against the British in what is known as the famous pikas revolt of 1817. It is primarily an agrarian revolt against thef wrong policies of land settlement and revenew administration adpoted by the British.

1822
Missionaries arrive in Orissa.
1837
Missionaries esgtablish Cuttack Mission Press.
1839
Oriya is adopted as the language of the court replacing persian.
1843
Fakir Mohan Senapati is born.


1848
Kulabrudha Madhusudan Das is born.


1849
Missionaries bring out the first Oriya Magazine -"JNANARUNA"
1853
Madhusudan Rao is born.


1855
Appearance of saint poet Bhima Bhoi.
Surendra of Sambalpur, Chaki Khuntia of Puri, and ARjun Singh of Podahat join hands with sepoys in what is known as the country-wide "sepoy Mutiny


1862Poet Gangadhar Mehar is born.
1866
A failure of reign in 1865 resulted in the loss of usual crops and brought about a catastropic famine in 1966-67 whioch laid to the death of about one million people in Orissa. Gross negligence, indifferent administration, lack of communication and in adequate attention caused atleast one man every three in Orissa die in famine. Cuttack printing press, the second in the state is established by the initiative of the people of the province. The first news paper Utkal Deipika is brought out by the Cuttack printing company.
1866-1900
It was during this late 19th century that a new conciousness began to take shape. The growth of modern education rise of a middle class inteligetia advent of the printing press publication of the journals and periodicals nationalistic literary activities of writers like Fakir Mohan Senapati and Radhanath Ray, rise of numerous socio religious and cultural socities formation of the Indian National Congress all these took the shape of a political movement to untile all the Oriya-speaking areas under one administration.
1950
With the coming of independence, the princely states in and around Orissa surrender their sovereignty to the Governemtn of India. By the states merger (Governers provinces) order, the princely states of Orissa are completely merged with the Orissa on 19th August 1949, and the new orissa becomes nearly twice its size by the addition of more people to its population.