Dang district, India#Forest

The origin of the name of the Dang is uncertain. In common parlance the word 'dang' means a hilly village. There is another connotation of the word 'dang' which means bamboo (a place of bamboo). The name is also associated with Hindu mythology. It is related to the Dandakaranya of the Ramayana. It is said that during the exile, Rama passed through this area on his way to Nashik.{{cite book|editor=G. D. Patel|title=Gazetteer of India: Dangs District|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fUhuAAAAMAAJ|year=1971|publisher=Directorate of Government Print., Stationery and Publications|location=Ahmedabad|pages=1–2}}

File:Surat Agency with all princely states with labels British India 1880-1933.svg, India|350px|left]]

{{see also|Surat Agency}}

The five Royal Bhil Kings of Dangs are currently the only hereditary rulers in India.[https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/kings-of-the-dang/article19132643.ece Kings of the Dang]

Before Independence several wars were fought between the five tribal kings of Dang and the Company. According to the history of Dang, the biggest war to took place at 'Lashkaria Amba', in when the kings of all the five states joined to protect Dang from the British.{{Cite web|last=Mehta|first=Yagnesh Bharat|title=Dangs darbar gets off to royal start|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/dangs-darbar-gets-off-to-royal-start/articleshow/4239572.cms|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-28|website=The Times of India|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816034709/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Dangs-darbar-gets-off-to-royal-start/articleshow/4239572.cms |archive-date=2018-08-16 }} The British were beaten and agreed to a compromise.

As per the treaty signed in 1842 the Company allowed to use the forests and their natural products against which they had to pay around 3,000 silver coins to the five kings. Currently the kings receive a yearly political pension by the Government of India, which is the main source of their income. This payment is continued even though all privy purses for the Princely states of India were stopped in 1970 since the agreement was between then monarchy of Dangs and the Government of India, not the Crown.

At the end of each fiscal year during Holi, the kings gather in Ahwa for a traditional royal ceremony, in their richly decorated buggies and bands with tribal dancers, to receive the payment as per the agreement of 1842.{{Cite news|last=Chandra|first=Kavita Kanan|date=2017-06-24|title=Kings of the Dang|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/kings-of-the-dang/article19132643.ece|access-date=2021-12-28|issn=0971-751X}} In ancient Indian Scriptures Dang is known as Danda Aranyaka, meaning 'Bamboo forest'.{{Cite news| last = Andrabi| first = Jalees| title = Once a year, peasant rulers are given the royal treatment| newspaper = The National| date = 13 March 2009| url = http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090313/FOREIGN/623646488/1103/NEWS| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130115001326/http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090313/FOREIGN/623646488/1103/NEWS| url-status = dead| archive-date = 15 January 2013| access-date = 19 April 2010}} Recently the Dangs Kings have urged the government to protect their depleting forest cover due to illegal logging.[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Dang-tribal-kings-urge-Modi-to-protect-their-jungle/articleshow/5822620.cms Dang tribal kings urge Modi to protect their jungle]

The five kingdoms are Daher-Amala, Linga, Gadhvi, Vasurna and Pimpri.{{Cite news| title = Kings hold durbar at Dangs, but at Govt expense| newspaper = Indian Express Newspapers| date = 28 February 1999| url = http://www.expressindia.com/news/ie/daily/19990301/ige01026p.html| access-date = 19 April 2010}}

1. Linga - Raja Bhawarsinh
2. Daher-Amala - Raja Tapatrao Anandrao Pawar
3. Gadhvi - Raja Karan Singh Yashwantrao Pawar
4. Vasurna - Raja Dhanrajsinh Chandrasinh Suryavanshi
5. Pimpri - Raja Trikamrao Sahebrao Pawar

{{historical populations|11=1901|12=18,333|13=1911|14=28,926|15=1921|16=24,142|17=1931|18=33,495|19=1941|20=40,236|21=1951|22=47,282|23=1961|24=71,567|25=1971|26=94,185|27=1981|28=1,13,664|29=1991|30=1,44,091|31=2001|32=1,86,729|33=2011|34=2,28,291|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A2_Data_Table.html Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901]|align=right}}

{{bar box

|title=Religions in Dang district (2011){{Cite web |date=2011 |title=Population by Religion - Gujarat |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/11373/download/14486/DDW24C-01%20MDDS.XLS |website=censusindia.gov.in |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}}

|titlebar=#Fcd116

|float=left

|bars=

{{bar percent|Hinduism|darkorange|89.16}}

{{bar percent|Christianity|dodgerblue|8.77}}

{{bar percent|Islam|green|1.57}}

{{bar percent|Other or not stated|black|0.50}}

|caption=Distribution of religions

}}

According to the 2011 census, Dang district has a population of 228,291, roughly equal to the nation of Vanuatu.{{cite web | author = US Directorate of Intelligence | title = Country Comparison:Population | url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004507/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = June 13, 2007 | access-date = 2011-10-01 | quote = Vanuatu 224,564 July 2011 est.

}} This gives it a ranking of 587th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of {{convert| 129 |PD/sqkm|PD/sqmi}}. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 21.44%. Dang has a sex ratio of 1007 females for every 1000 males, and literacy rate of 76.8%. 10.81% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 0.43% and 94.65% of the population respectively.

{{Pie chart

|thumb = left

|caption = Languages in Dang District (2011)

|label1 = Dangi |value1 = 59.6 |color1 = aqua

|label2 = Gujarati |value2 = 32.5 |color2 = skyblue

|label3 = Gamit |value3 = 3.18 |color3 = darkturquoise

|label4 = Marathi |value4 = 1.2 |color4 = red

|label5 = Hindi |value5 = 1.21 |color5 = orange

|label6 = Other |value6 = 1.54 |color6 = gray

}}

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 59.55% of the population in the district spoke Dangi, 32.53% Gujarati, 3.18% Gamit, 1.99% Marathi and 1.21% Hindi as their first language.{{cite web |title=Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Gujarat |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10212/download/13324/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-2700.XLSX |website=censusindia.gov.in |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}}

{{transcluded section|source=15th Gujarat Assembly}}

{{#section:15th Gujarat Assembly|MLA Header}}

{{#section:15th Gujarat Assembly|Dang district}}

|}

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Dang District as an economically distressed district, one of 250 out of a total of 640 districts. It is one of the six districts in Gujarat currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).{{cite web|author=Ministry of Panchayati Raj |date=September 8, 2009 |title=A Note on the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme |publisher=National Institute of Rural Development |url=http://www.nird.org.in/brgf/doc/brgf_BackgroundNote.pdf |access-date=September 27, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405033402/http://www.nird.org.in/brgf/doc/brgf_BackgroundNote.pdf |archive-date=April 5, 2012 }}

Dang District has part of a forest that includes Purna Wildlife Sanctuary,{{cite journal |author=Trivedi, P. and Soni, V.C. |year=2006 |title=Significant bird records and local extinctions in Purna and Ratanmahal wildlife sanctuaries, Gujarat, India |journal=Forktail |volume=22 |pages=39–48 |url=http://birdingasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Trivedi-Purna.pdf}} which is shared between the districts of Dang and Tapi in Gujarat and Nandurbar District in Maharashtra,{{cite web |title=Mahal Eco Campsite |publisher=Gujarat Tourism |url=http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/details/5/142 |access-date=2017-01-25 |archive-date=2017-02-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202023424/http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/details/5/142 |url-status=dead }}Jhala, Y. V., Qureshi, Q., Sinha, P. R. (Eds.) (2011). [https://web.archive.org/web/20120120232451/http://www.projecttiger.nic.in/whtsnew/Tiger_Status_oct_2010.pdf Status of tigers, co-predators and prey in India, 2010.] National Tiger Conservation Authority, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. TR 2011/003 pp-302 and Vansda National Park in Navsari District, which shares a continuous tract of forest with Valsad district.{{cite web |title=Vansda National Park |publisher=Gujarat Tourism |url=http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/details/12/130 |access-date=2017-01-29 |archive-date=2016-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209160910/http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/details/12/130 |url-status=dead }}{{better source needed|date=November 2017}}

A rusty-spotted cat was sighted for the time in 1991 in Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary.{{cite journal |author1=Chavan, S.A. |author2=Patel, C. D. |author3=Pawar, S. V. |author4=Gogate, N. S. |author5=Pandya, N. P. |year= 1991|title=Sighting of the rusty-spotted cat Felis rubiginosa (Geoffroy) in Shoolpaneshwar Sanctuary, Gujarat |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |issue=88 |pages=107−108 }}

In Purna and Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuaries, eight bird species are considered locally extinct, including Indian grey hornbill, jungle bush quail, red spurfowl and large woodshrike. Also, Bengal tiger, Indian giant squirrel and gaur are reportedly extinct in Gujarat.Worah, S. (1991). The ecology and management of a fragmented forest in south Gujarat, India: the Dangs. Ph.D. thesis, University of Poona, Pune, India.

1. Subir
2. Waghai
3. Ahwa

• Purna River
• Ambika River
• Gira River
• Khapri River
• Dhodad River

• Valley and District of Dang in Nepal
• Dang, Uttar Pradesh
• Dang, Iran
• Gulf of Khambhat

• Botanic Garden, Waghai - Large Government Ayurvedic Medicinal Garden (Botanical Garden) near Waghai{{Cite web |title=Waghai Botanical Gardens |url=https://www.gujarattourism.com/south-zone/dang/waghai-botanical-gardens.html |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=gujrattourism |language=en}}
• Gira Falls on Ambika River near Waghai
• Hill stations: Saputara and Don
• Gira Falls on Gira River at Girmal village
• Rupgadh Fort
• Shabri Dham and Pampa Sarovar at Subir

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150520112658/http://dangdp.gujarat.gov.in/dang/index.htm Dang District Panchayat-Official web]
• [http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/are-there-tigers-in-gujarat/article22413777.ece Are there tigers in the Dangs?]
• {{osmrelation-inline|1952515}}

{{Subject bar |book= |portal3=India|commons=yes |commons-search=Category:|n=yes |n-search=Category:|wikt=yes |b=yes |q=yes |s=yes |v=yes |voy=yes |d=yes |d-search=}}

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Dang district

|North = Tapi district

|Northeast = Nandurbar district, Maharashtra

|East = Dhule district, Maharashtra

|Southeast =

|South = Nashik district, Maharashtra

|Southwest =

|West = Navsari district

|Northwest =

}}

{{Dang district, India}}

{{Gujarat}}

Category:Districts of Gujarat

Category:Dang district, India