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Darrang district

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Darrang district
District of Assam
Park gates
Swahid Stambha, Patharighat
Map
Interactive map of Darrang district
Country India
StateAssam
DivisionNorth Assam
HeadquartersMangaldoi
Government
 • Lok Sabha constituenciesMangaldoi
 • Vidhan Sabha constituenciesSipajhar, Mangaldoi, Dalgaon , Kalaigaon
Area
 • Total
1,585 km2 (612 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
928,500
 • Density585.8/km2 (1,517/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 codeIN-AS
Websitehttps://darrang.assam.gov.in/

Darrang district (Assamese pronunciation: [dɔrɔŋ]) is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters are located at Mangaldoi. The district occupies an area of 1585 km2.

Etymology

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The etymology of Darrang reflects its historical significance as a gateway. According to scholar Late Dineshwar Sarma, the name comes from the Assamese word "Doar," meaning "door," which refers to the alluvial floodplains in eastern and northeastern India that have long served as passageways for traders and travelers from the Himalaya and also as critical entry point for merchants from regions such as China, Tibet, Bhutan, and Central Asia.

History

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The Darrang Duars along the southern frontier of Bhutan before their annexation by British India in 1865

No definitive records about Darrang are available for the pre-medieval period. According to Maheswar Neog, Darrang as a region was first mentioned only after the rise of the Koch king Nara Narayan.

Medieval chronicles, nevertheless, identify the Rowta region of historical Darrang—now divided between the Darrang and Udalguri districts—as an important centre of Baro-Bhuyan authority. The Purani Asam Buranji names twelve principal Bhuyans of Rowta–Temoni, each associated with subordinate chiefs, while the Satsari Asam Buranji also refers to the Bhuyans of Rowta. They exercised authority over parts of central Assam until the early sixteenth century, when their confederacy was broken, and many of its chiefs and dependants were dispersed and resettled elsewhere. primarily in the Lakhimpur-Biswanath region.[1][2] Based on a copper plate inscription, historian Maheswar Neog suggests that Chutia rulers of Sadhayapura in the late 14th century extended their rule till Kamatapur[3], thus covering the Darrang region as well.

During the 16th century, Darrang was incorporated into the kingdom of Nara Narayan and, following the division of the Koch dominions, became part of Koch Hajo under Raghudeva. Traditions preserved in the Darrang Raj Vamsavali state that descendants of the former Chutia royal family who had fled after the conquest of their kingdom sought Nara Narayan's protection. They were granted a settlement at Bihbari, identified with present-day Basnbari in Darrang, and subsequently became allies of the Koch ruler.[4][5] A related tradition associates the Chutia Kunwar estate with the Chutia prince Sadhaknarayan, who is said to have been settled in the Rowta–Pakariguri region of Darrang following the conquest of the Chutia kingdom. Its chief later reportedly submitted to Nara Narayan. Gogoi identifies this estate approximately with the present-day Dalgaon revenue circle.[6][a]

Following the Mughal conquest of Koch Hajo in the early seventeenth century, Bali Narayan, a member of its ruling family, obtained the support of the Ahom king Pratap Singha and was established in 1615–16 as ruler of the eastern Koch territories under the name Dharma Narayan. He led the resistance to further Mughal expansion until he died in 1637. His descendants thereafter formed the hereditary line of the Darrangi rajas.[9] After Bali Narayan was installed by the Ahoms as the tributary ruler of Darrang and renamed Dharma Narayan, 3,000 Chutias were transferred from Upper Assam and settled as paiks in the Mangaldai area.[10][b] Dharma Narayan was succeeded by his young son Mahendra Narayan, called Sundar Narayan in Wade's account, who established his residence at Mangaldai. Later rulers of the line included Surya Narayan, Indra Narayan and their successors, although their territorial authority gradually contracted during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.[12][13] The Darrang court also developed into a centre of literary and artistic patronage. The illustrated Darrang Raj Vamsavali, a metrical history of the Koch royal houses, was composed by Suryakhari Daivajna in the late eighteenth century under the patronage of Samudra Narayan, Raja of Darrang.[14]

From the middle of the 17th century, the Kingdom of Bhutan expanded its authority over the northern Darrang Duars, extending in places as far south as the Gohain Kamal Ali.[15][16] Bhutanese authority was exercised through local officials appointed or supervised by provincial governors known as Ponlops.[17] The Duars remained under varying degrees of Bhutanese control until they were annexed by British India following the Duar War and the Treaty of Sinchula in 1865.

During the political disturbances of the late 18th century, Darrang received refugees fleeing the conflict in eastern Assam. The entry of these groups and the plundering attributed to some of them caused considerable resentment among the local population. The resulting opposition was associated with the Darrangi prince Krishnanarayan and received support from inhabitants of Kamrup, who also resented restrictions imposed on their movement and their treatment at Gauhati.[18] Taking advantage of the weakening of central authority, the Darrangi rajas attempted to re-establish their independence around 1785, but their forces were defeated by the British expedition commanded by Captain Thomas Welsh in 1792.[19]

The Darrangi rajas nevertheless continued to command their own military following. During the subsequent Kachari–Moamaria conflict, the two rajas of Darrang arrived at Jagi-choki with 2,000 soldiers belonging to what the Tungkhungia Buranji calls the Chutia-kowanr unit. This formation was apparently associated with the Chutia Kunwar estate and its dependent population in Darrang.[20]

In 1826, following the Treaty of Yandabo, Darrang passed under the administration of the East India Company. On 28 January 1894, peasants assembled at Patharighat to protest an increase in colonial land revenue. British troops opened fire on the gathering; contemporary and later accounts report that about 140 peasants were killed and approximately 150 wounded.[21][22]

The historical district was considerably larger than the present district. Sonitpur district was separated from Darrang in 1984, while Udalguri district was created from its northern portion on 14 June 2004.[23]

Geography

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Darrang district occupies an area of 1,585 square kilometres (612 sq mi).[24]

National protected area

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Darrang is home to Orang National Park, which it shares with Sonitpur district. Orang was established in 1999 and has an area of 79 km2 (30.5 mi2).[25]

Divisions

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There are four Assam Legislative Assembly constituencies in this district: Kalaigaon, Sipajhar, Mangaldoi, and Dalgaon.[26] Mangaldoi is designated for scheduled castes.[26] All four are in the Mangaldoi Lok Sabha constituency.[27]

Villages

[edit]

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
190199,002—    
191198,758−0.02%
1921110,391+1.12%
1931139,089+2.34%
1941188,189+3.07%
1951233,607+2.19%
1961310,321+2.88%
1971404,961+2.70%
1991618,653+2.14%
2001759,858+2.08%
2011928,500+2.02%
source:[28]

According to the 2011 census Darrang district has a population of 928,500,[29] roughly equal to the nation of Fiji.[30] This gives it a ranking of 463rd in India (out of a total of 640).[29] The district has a population density of 586 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,520/sq mi).[29] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 22.19%.[29] Darrang has a sex ratio of 954 females for every 1000 males,[29] and a literacy rate of 63.08%.[29] 93.9% of the population live in rural areas while 6.1% live in urban areas.[31] Poverty rate of the district stands at 45.5%.[32] 5.98% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 4.34% and 0.91% of the population respectively.[29]

Religions

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Religion in Darrang district (2011)[33]
  1. Islam (64.3%)
  2. Hinduism (35.5%)
  3. Others (0.12%)
Population of subdistricts by religion
Subdistricts Muslims Hindus Others
Khoirabari (Pt) 4.74% 95.19% 0.07%
Patharighat (Pt) 35.18% 64.69% 0.13%
Sipajhar 46.23% 53.56% 0.21%
Mangaldoi (Pt) 42.36% 57.22% 0.42%
Kalaigaon (Pt) 10.25% 89.60% 0.15%
Dalgaon (Pt) 88.27% 11.20% 0.53%

In Darrang district, as per the 2011 census record, Islam is the most followed religion with 597,392 adherents i.e. (64.34%), while Hinduism is followed by 327,322 i.e. 35.25% of the district population. Dalgaon in particular contained nearly half the population of the entire district.[34] Way back in 1971, Hindus were slight majority in undivided Darrang district (which includes present Sonitpur and Udalguri districts) forming 70.3% of the population, while Muslims were 23.9% at that time.

Languages

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Languages in Darrang district (2011)[35]
  1. Assamese (49.3%)
  2. Bengali (48.4%)
  3. Hindi (0.68%)
  4. Boro (0.45%)
  5. Bhojpuri (0.37%)
  6. Sadri (0.19%)
  7. Others (0.62%)

At the time of the 2011 census, the Assamese-speaking population was 457,696 and the Bengali-speaking population was 449,205.[35]

References

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  1. ↑ Goswami, Hemchandra, ed. (1977). Purani Asam Buranji (in Assamese) (2nd ed.). Department of Historical and Antiquarian Studies, Assam. p. 27.
  2. ↑ Bhuyan, Suryya Kumar, ed. (1960). Satsari Asam Buranji (in Assamese). Publication Department, Gauhati University. p. 16.
  3. ↑ Neog, Maheswar (1977). "Light on a Ruling Dynasty of Arunachal Pradesh in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries". Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. 58/59: 820. ISSN 0378-1143. JSTOR 41691751.
  4. ↑ Baladev Suryakhari Daivajna (1973). Sarma, Nabin Chandra (ed.). Darrang Raj Vamsavali (in Assamese). Bani Prakash. vv. 372–373.
  5. ↑ Bapari, Parimal (2010). King Naranarayan and His Times (PhD thesis). University of North Bengal. p. 88.
  6. ↑ Gogoi, Nityananda (1994). Historical Geography of Medieval Assam (PhD thesis). Gauhati University. pp. 234–235.
  7. ↑ Wade, John Peter (1927). Sharma, Benudhar (ed.). An Account of Assam. Assam: R. Sarmah. "A Geographical Sketch of Assam", pp. 11–12.
  8. ↑ Gogoi, Nityananda (1994). Historical Geography of Medieval Assam (PhD thesis). Gauhati University. pp. 234–235.
  9. ↑ Gait, Edward Albert (1926). A History of Assam (2nd ed.). Calcutta and Simla: Thacker, Spink & Co. pp. 65–66.
  10. ↑ Gait, Edward Albert (1926). A History of Assam (2nd ed.). Calcutta and Simla: Thacker, Spink & Co. p. 68.
  11. ↑ Wade, John Peter (1927). Sharma, Benudhar (ed.). An Account of Assam. Assam: R. Sarmah. pp. 224–225.
  12. ↑ Wade, John Peter (1927). Sharma, Benudhar (ed.). An Account of Assam. Assam: R. Sarmah. pp. 224–225.
  13. ↑ Gait, Edward Albert (1926). A History of Assam (2nd ed.). Calcutta and Simla: Thacker, Spink & Co. p. 359.
  14. ↑ Bhuyan, Suryya Kumar (1962). Studies in the Literature of Assam. Gauhati: Lawyer's Book Stall. p. 114.
  15. ↑ "Taking advantage of [the collapse of Koch Hajo], the Bhutias pushed their southern boundary towards the plains and occupied the land upto the Gohain Kamal Ali." (Das 1998:13)
  16. ↑ "During the period of political uncertainty caused by the Ahom-Mughal conflict in the middle of the seventeenth century, the Bhutias had taken possession of the whole of the fertile plain south of their hills as far as the Gohain Kamal Ali." (Das 1998:59)
  17. ↑ (Phuntsho 2013:394)
  18. ↑ "The ban on the entrance of the Darrangis and the Kamrupis to the capital city was more rigidly enforced at Gauhati, the headquarters of Borphukan, where no Kamrupi trader or officer was allowed to stay overnight...This caused him not only inconvenience but also humiliation." (Baruah 1985:323)
  19. ↑ Wikisource One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Darrang". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 837.
  20. ↑ Tungkhungia Buranji: Or, A History of Assam, 1681–1826 A.D. Translated by Bhuyan, Suryya Kumar. London: Oxford University Press. 1933. p. 289. The two Rajas of Darang with their two thousand soldiers of the Chutia-kowanr unit ... came up to Jagi-choki.
  21. ↑ "Patharughat martyrs yet to get recognition". The Assam Tribune. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  22. ↑ Barua, Deepali (1994). Urban History of India: A Case Study. New Delhi: Mittal Publications. p. 149. ISBN 81-7099-538-8.
  23. ↑ Law, Gwillim (25 September 2011). "Districts of India". Statoids. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  24. ↑ Srivastava, Dayawanti; et al., eds. (2010). "States and Union Territories: Assam: Government". India 2010: A Reference Annual (54th ed.). New Delhi, India: Additional Director General, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Government of India. p. 1116. ISBN 978-81-230-1617-7.
  25. ↑ Indian Ministry of Forests and Environment. "Protected areas: Assam". Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  26. 1 2 "List of Assembly Constituencies showing their Revenue & Election District wise break – up" (PDF). Chief Electoral Officer, Assam website. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  27. ↑ "List of Assembly Constituencies showing their Parliamentary Constituencies wise break – up" (PDF). Chief Electoral Officer, Assam website. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  28. ↑ Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "District Census Handbook: Darrang" (PDF). censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
  30. ↑ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2011. Fiji 883,125 July 2011 est.
  31. ↑ "Darrang, Assam, India". darrang.nic.in. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  32. ↑ "ASSAM HDR, 2014: POVERTY RATIO IS THE HIGHEST AMONG THE SCHEDULED TRIBES". nezine.com. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  33. ↑ "C-1 Population By Religious Community". Census of India. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  34. ↑ "Table C-01 Population By Religion: Assam". census.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
  35. 1 2 "Table C-16 Population By Mother Tongue: Assam". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.

Notes

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  1. ↑ John Peter Wade's geographical account, compiled in 1800, records a north-bank district called Soontia or Soontiagown near Kosarigaon and Pakariguri. Gogoi identifies this division with the former Chutia Kunwar estate.[7][8]
  2. ↑ Wade records that Dharma Narayan had been granted 3,000 people from the Chutia country. Under Sundar Narayan, these Soontias were based in the Mangaldai area and, following a dispute with the raja, were placed under three Hazarikas.[11]

Bibliography

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26°45′N 92°30′E / 26.750°N 92.500°E / 26.750; 92.500

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