Establishment in Odisha
The area of Boudh is regarded as the ancestral home of the Kuiltas. From there they migrated and settled in different parts of Odisha. The writings of Cobden Ramsay about the Kuiltas substantiate this contention. He writes that the Kultas worship the goddess Ramachandi, whose principal shrine is situated at Sarsara.
The Raja of Boudh gave one family of Dumal and four families of Kuiltas to the Raja of Patnagarh during the marriage of his daughter. In other words the Raja of Boudh provided a group of agriculturists to help alleviate the agricultural situation and brought food relief to Patnagarh.
Some Kuiltas might have migrated from Patnagarh to Bargarh Gaisama area during the last phase of the reign of Raja Ajit Singh of Sambalpur (1725–1766); but some of them migrated much earlier, in the first half of the sixteenth century AD during the reign of Raja Balaram Dev who constructed a fort in Bargarh and made it for some time his headquarters. There is a Kuilta dominated village named Kamgaon situated 13 km north of Bargarh. This village is a very old one and is said to have been established by the Kuiltas, when they migrated to this part of Bargarh from Boudh in around the first part of the sixteenth century AD. It contains a temple of Ramachandi, which is held in great veneration by the Kuiltas. Their chief families, the Bhois and the Pradhans, are its priests.
One Kuilta gauntia (village headman) of Patnagarh fled away with his men and property, crossed the border, which was the Ong River, and entered into the territory of Sambalpur. Thereafter, they marched further and reached Gaisama, situated 13 km southeast of Bargarh, and settled there. Bargarh was than an important seat of power and one of the eighteen garhas (forts) of Odisha. It was a flourishing centre of trade and commerce. It is known that Kuiltas were living in large numbers in the Bargarh area in the basins of the rivers, namely the Mahanadi, the Jira, the Ong and the Tel.
Regarding migration of Kuiltas to Gaisama/ Gaisima we find an interesting narrative. As per the tradition, there was a Kuilta gauntia family in Patnagarh in the reign of Raja Raisingh Dev as mentioned earlier. The surname of this family was Sahu. The gauntia had two sons named Kuvera Sahu and Amar Sahu and also a beautiful daughter. An influential noble of the royal family of Patnagarh was smitten with surpassing beauty of his only daughter and wanted her hand; but the proposal was not readily acceptable to the reigning beauty and her family. Apprehending trouble, one night the old gauntia left the territory of Patnagarh with his family and belongings loaded in one hundred carts and a thousand cows and bullocks. When exactly they left is difficult to say due to want of evidence. However, the Sahu family marched relentlessly throughout the whole night and crossed the river Ang/Ong. Reaching the territory of Sambalpur kingdom early in the morning, they heaved a sigh of relief. The old gauntia stood there and pointing his right hand towards the rising sun, took an oath that in future he or his descendant would never cross the river Ang/Ong. Thereafter, they proceeded further north, passed through Barpali, crossed the river Jira and spent the night on the northern bank of the river. At that time, Sambalpur was also passing through a phase of political turmoil. Raja Ajit Singh (1725-1766) the ruler of Sambalpur was an indolent and weak ruler. He was completely under the evil influence of his Dewan who was virtually ruling over Sambalpur kingdom. The ruler was taking very little interest in the administration of Sambalpur and his authority was grossly misused by the wicked and corrupt Dewan whose integrity was always doubted. From this, it can be inferred that the Kuiltas did not want to proceed further and finally decided to settle down there on the northern bank of the river Jira. In order to justify and legitimize their decision and for the concurrence of their ideas and opinions, probably the Kuiltas manufactured a myth which may be narrated in the following manner. At night, the old gauntia had a strange dream. A female deity appeared and told him not to proceed further. She told the old gauntia to settle down there with the lands as far as his cows and bullocks were then taking rest. Consequently, a new human settlement started at that place. Since the limits of this settlement were determined by the presence of the cows it was popularly called Gai-sima - Gai means cow and sima refers to boundary. Later on, Gaisama came to be known as Gaisama. The place Gaisama was named either after the creation of the myth or the myth might have been created so after the name of this place Gaisima/Gaisama. Subsequently, other sections of Kuiltas probably migrated to Bargarh area. Thus, it is known from history that the Kuiltas have been living in large number in Bargarh areas. The myth, however, is most important one and throws significant light on the socio-economic and political history as well as culture of Kosal region during the eighteenth century AD.
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