The place played an important role in the First War of Independence when the Zamindar of Ghess, Madho Singh, fought against the British along with Veer Surendra Sai, the King of Sambalpur. All male members of the Zamindar family were hanged or jailed or shot by the British. Madho Singh had four sons: Hatey Singh (hanged), Kunjal Singh (hanged), Airi Singh (shot with Chabila Sai, brother of Surendra Sai) and Bairi Singh (died out of suffocation with smoke when British set fire to the cave in which he was resting).
