Samantabhum was the name given to the tract of country in the Chhatna

Chhatna

Chhatna is an administrative division in Bankura Sadar subdivision of Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Chhatna police station serves this block. Headquarters of this block is at Chhatna.-Geography:...

 area in present Bankura district

Bankura District

Bankura district is one of the seven districts of Burdwan Division in the Indian state of West Bengal. The district has been described as the “connecting link between the plains of Bengal on the east and Chota Nagpur plateau on the west.” The areas to the east and north-east are low lying alluvial...

 in the India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n state

States and territories of India

India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...

 of West Bengal

West Bengal

West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...

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History

Tradition has it that this tract was conquered in 1403 AD by Sankha Ray, a samanta or general of the emperor of Delhi. His son, Hamir Uttar Ray, enlarged the territories. His son, Bir Hambir Ray, was attacked by one Bhawani Jharah, with the assistance of the Raja of Panchakot, and nearly finished off the royal family. Twelve sons of Bir Hambir Ray escaped, later returned, killed the usurper and regained the kingdom. For some time ruled the kingdom but later married one of their daughters to Nisanka Narayan, a kshatriya from Sikari Fatehpur, and made him the Raja. The family ruled for many years but finally lost formal control.