Midnapore district

Midnapore district was a district of  British India. This district was bifurcated on 1 January 2002 into the Purba Medinipur district and the Paschim Medinipur district. On 4 April 2017, the Jhargram subdivision of Paschim Medinipur district (which formed part of the undivided Midnapore district) was converted into Jhargram district.

Pre colonial
In 1568, the Afghan King of Bengal, Sulaiman Kararani, conquered Odisha up to Chilka Lake, but their rule lasted only until 1592 when it became part of the Mughal Empire. Odisha was described in the Ain-i-Akbari of 1594-95 as divided into five sarkars, including Midnapore. Shah Jehan's reign brought Odisha under Bengal's governance, with a reorganization into 12 sarkars, including six that were later joined to Bengal around 1658. Further changes in 1722 by Murshid Kuli Khan introduced parganas, increasing the total in Bengal and Odisha. Chaklas were formed, and in 1751, southern Odisha was ceded to the Marathas, leaving the remainder, though officially Odisha, functionally part of Bengal under comprehensive provincial regulations, with a significant portion centered around Midnapore.