The Bargarh region was incorporated into a kingdom established by Balaram Deo in 1570 AD, after acquiring his share from Narasingh Deo, the twelfth King of Patna, either through familial affection or conflict. The River Ang served as the boundary line. Despite the interesting story behind the kingdom's creation, the prevailing political climate indicated that Narasingh Deo allowed Balaram Deo to establish a new kingdom to safeguard the Bargarh-Sambalpur region from the covetous gaze of the Kalachuri King Kalyan Sahai. Balaram Deo then constructed a fort on the banks of the River Jira at Bargarh and founded the Bargarh Kingdom. According to legend, the place was originally called "Badgaon" and there was a fort there already under the ownership of two brothers of the Sahanra caste named Varna and Ujara. They were skilled archers who had amassed a sizable fortune through hard work. They had excavated a large pond called Varna Kanta, now known as Khajurkanta, located near Khajurtikra, in front of George High School. Balaram Deo defeated and executed them at Shuliapadar to the east of Bargarh with the help of influential Gauntias, Birtias, Bhitrias, and Khamaris. To prevent potential public backlash, he pacified the Brahmins by gifting them the villages of Ambapali,Dumerpali, Brahmachari, and Sauntpur.Balaram Deo renamed the village"Badagada" (Big Fort), now known as Bargarh. Thus, the area was most likely named "Bargarh" during the reign of Balaram Deo, the Chauhan Raja of Sambalpur, who established it as his headquarters and built a large fort to protect it.The old fort walls can be traced near the "Jira" river, towards the Ambapali plain. Until the creation of the short-lived Bargarh Kingdom, there was no kingdom or capital city called "Bargarh". One of the Rastrakuta Inscription shows the political significance of Bargarh in the 12th century CE, when it was known as Baghar Kotta.