▁do ctors ▁to ▁whom ▁aff lic ted ▁people ▁often ▁came ▁for ▁c ure ▁and ▁who ▁asked ▁them ▁affection ately ▁in ▁somewhat ▁H indi , ▁" K anha ▁thee ?" ▁meaning ▁to ▁say , ▁" where ▁are ▁you ▁from ?" ▁Grad ually ▁the ▁c ure - se ek ing ▁people ▁coming ▁from ▁distant ▁places ▁came ▁to ▁identify ▁this ▁un named ▁place ▁by ▁those ▁two ▁words ▁" K anha ▁thee ", ▁and ▁in ▁course ▁of ▁time ▁the ▁words ▁merged ▁into ▁one ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁vir gin ▁or ▁A hal ya ▁land ▁a ▁name . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Cont ai ▁was ▁originally ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁Hij li ▁Kingdom , ▁a ▁trib ut ary ▁state ▁of ▁Or issa ▁ruled ▁by ▁the ▁H indu ▁king ▁G op in ath ▁P attan ay ak . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁the ▁East ▁India ▁Company ▁of ▁British ▁India ▁announced ▁Cont ai ▁as ▁a ▁Sub - Div ision ▁consisting ▁of ▁six ▁police ▁stations ▁- ▁Cont ai , ▁K he j uri , ▁Ram n agar , ▁Bh ag wan pur , ▁E gra ▁and ▁Pat ash pur . ▁But ▁the ▁Government ▁continued ▁working ▁from ▁Neg ua . ▁The ▁Sub - Div ision ▁that ▁covered ▁ ▁was ▁the ▁second ▁largest ▁in ▁Beng al ▁. ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁when ▁N im ak ▁Mah al ▁( the ▁salt ▁factory ▁and ▁business ▁center ) ▁at ▁Cont ai , ▁in ▁the ▁teeth ▁of ▁a ▁serious ▁crisis , ▁ceased ▁function ing , ▁the ▁Sub - Div is ional ▁office ▁was ▁shift ed ▁from