Darrang district#History

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.

File:Southern border of Bhutan1985.jpg]]

No definitive records about Darrang are available for the pre-medieval period. According to Maheswar Neog, the Darrang became mentioned only after the uprising of the king Nara Narayan. Darrang at different times might have been under the rule of the Chutia Kingdom, Bodo people and Baro-Bhuyans.{{Cite web|title=Darrang, Assam, India|url=http://darrang.nic.in/history.htm|access-date=2020-10-22|website=darrang.nic.in}}

During the reign of Dharmanarayan 3000 Chutia families were established in Darrang.

In the 16th century, Darrang was subject to the Kamata king Nara Narayan, and on the division of his dominion among his heirs, Darrang became a part of Koch Hajo. Early in the 17th century the Raja Bali Narayan invoked the aid of the Ahoms of Upper Assam against the Mughal invaders; after his defeat and death in 1637 the Ahoms dominated the whole district. About 1785 the Darrang rajas took advantage of the decline of the Ahom kingdom to try and re-establish their independence, but they were defeated by a British expedition in 1792, and in 1826 Darrang, with the rest of Assam, passed under British control.{{EB1911|inline=1 |wstitle=Darrang |volume=7 |page=837}}

By early 17th century, the Kingdom of Bhutan took control of the Darrang Duars as far as Gohain Kamal Ali road."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." {{harvcol|Das|1998|p=13}}"During the period of political uncertainty caused by the Ahom-Mughal conflict in the middle of 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." {{harvcol|Das|1998|p=59}} The Bhutan control over these regions were through local authorities, who were appointed by Bhutanese provincial governors called Ponlops.{{harvcol|Phuntsho|2013|p=394}} By 1865, with the Duar Wars the British East India company took control of the Duars and removed Bhutanese influence from the area.

In 1785 it was Darrang was surveyed by one Ahom officer named Dhani Ram Gohain.

On 28 January 1894, there was a peasant's uprising against the increased land revenue by the British Raj in Patharighat, a village in Darrang district. In the British response that followed, 140 peasants belonging to both Hindu and Muslim communities died from bullet wounds and another 150 were injured.{{Cite web|title=Patharughat martyrs yet to get recognition|url=http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jan2816/state053|access-date=2020-10-22|website=The Assam Tribune Online}}{{Cite book |last=Barua |first=Deepali |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/31711121|title=Urban history of India : a case study|date=1994|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=81-7099-538-8|edition=1st|location=New Delhi, India|pages=149|oclc=31711121}}

In 1984 Sonitpur district was formed from part of Darrang.{{cite web | url = http://www.statoids.com/yin.html | title = Districts of India | access-date = 2011-10-11 | last = Law | first = Gwillim | date = 2011-09-25 | work = Statoids}} This was repeated on 14 June 2004 with the creation of Udalguri district.

Darrang district occupies an area of {{convert|1585|km2|sqmi}}.{{cite book|title=India 2010: A Reference Annual|editor=Srivastava, Dayawanti |display-editors=et al|publisher=Additional Director General, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Government of India|year=2010|isbn=978-81-230-1617-7|edition=54th|location=New Delhi, India|pages=1116|chapter=States and Union Territories: Assam: Government}}

Darrang is home to Orang National Park, which it shares with Sonitpur district. Orang was established in 1999 and has an area of {{convert|79|km2|mi2|abbr=on|1}}.{{cite web|author=Indian Ministry of Forests and Environment |title=Protected areas: Assam |url=http://oldwww.wii.gov.in/envis/envis_pa_network/index.htm |access-date=25 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823163836/http://oldwww.wii.gov.in/envis/envis_pa_network/index.htm |archive-date=23 August 2011 }}

There are four Assam Legislative Assembly constituencies in this district: Kalaigaon, Sipajhar, Mangaldoi, and Dalgaon.{{cite web|title=List of Assembly Constituencies showing their Revenue & Election District wise break – up |url=http://ceoassam.nic.in/Gen_Informations/2.1%20-%20DEOs%20wise%20ACs%20breakup.pdf |publisher=Chief Electoral Officer, Assam website |access-date=26 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322074811/http://ceoassam.nic.in/Gen_Informations/2.1%20-%20DEOs%20wise%20ACs%20breakup.pdf |archive-date=22 March 2012 }} Mangaldoi is designated for scheduled castes. All four are in the Mangaldoi Lok Sabha constituency.{{cite web|title=List of Assembly Constituencies showing their Parliamentary Constituencies wise break – up |url=http://ceoassam.nic.in/Gen_Informations/2.2%20-%20PC-wise%20LAC%20breakup.pdf |publisher=Chief Electoral Officer, Assam website |access-date=26 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322074903/http://ceoassam.nic.in/Gen_Informations/2.2%20-%20PC-wise%20LAC%20breakup.pdf |archive-date=22 March 2012 }}

• Bahgarah
• Dipila
• Gakhirkhowa para
• Namkhola
• Patharighat

{{historical populations|11=1901|12=99,002|13=1911|14=98,758|15=1921|16=1,10,391|17=1931|18=1,39,089|19=1941|20=1,88,189|21=1951|22=2,33,607|23=1961|24=3,10,321|25=1971|26=4,04,961|27=1991|28=6,18,653|29=2001|30=7,59,858|31=2011|32=9,28,500|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A2_Data_Table.html Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901]|align=center}}

According to the 2011 census Darrang district has a population of 928,500,{{Cite web |date=2011 |title=District Census Handbook: Darrang |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/204/download/466/DH_2011_1826_PART_A_DCHB_DARRANG.pdf |website=censusindia.gov.in |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}} roughly equal to the nation of Fiji.{{cite web | author = US Directorate of Intelligence | title = Country Comparison:Population | url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | access-date = 2011-10-01 | quote = Fiji 883,125 July 2011 est. | archive-date = 27 September 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110927165947/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | url-status = dead }} This gives it a ranking of 463rd in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of {{convert| 586|PD/sqkm|PD/sqmi}}. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 22.19%. Darrang has a sex ratio of 954 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 63.08%. 93.9% of the population live in rural areas while 6.1% live in urban areas.{{Cite web|title=Darrang, Assam, India|url=http://darrang.nic.in/demography.htm|access-date=2020-10-22|website=darrang.nic.in}} Poverty rate of the district stands at 45.5%.{{Cite web|title=ASSAM HDR, 2014: POVERTY RATIO IS THE HIGHEST AMONG THE SCHEDULED TRIBES|url=https://www.nezine.com/info/OGJHcGZoZlM2SHp2L2ZiSS83VnM1dz09/assam--hdr,-2014:-poverty-ratio-is-the-highest-among-the-scheduled-tribes.html|access-date=2020-10-22|website=nezine.com|language=en-US}} 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.

{{bar box

|title=Religions in Darrang district (2011)

|titlebar=#FCD116

|left1=Religion

|right1=Percent

|float=left

|bars=

{{bar percent|Islam|green|64.34}}

{{bar percent|Hinduism|darkorange|35.25}}

{{bar percent|Other or not stated|black|0.41}}

}}

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.{{cite web |date=2011 |title=Table C-01 Population By Religion: Assam |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/11365/download/14478/DDW18C-01%20MDDS.XLS |website=census.gov.in |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}} 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.International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications

https://www.ijsrp.org › ijsrp-...PDF

The Change of Religion and Language Composition in the State of Assam ...

{{Pie chart

|thumb = right

|caption = Languages in Darrang district (2011)

|label1 = Assamese |value1 = 49.29 |color1 = purple

|label2 = Bengali |value2 = 48.40 |color2 = orchid

|label3 = Hindi |value3 = 0.68 |color3 = orange

|label4 = Boro |value4 = 0.45 |color4 = royalblue

|label5 = Bhojpuri |value5 = 0.37 |color5 = gold

|label6 = Sadri |value6 = 0.19 |color6 = burlywood

|label7 = Others |value7 = 0.62 |color7 = grey

}}

At the time of the 2011 census, the Assamese-speaking population was 457,696 and the Bengali-speaking population was 449,205.{{cite web |date=2011 |title=Table C-16 Population By Mother Tongue: Assam |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10195/download/13307/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-1800.XLSX |website=censusindia.gov.in |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite thesis|last=Das|first=Smriti|date=1998|title=Assam Bhutan relations with special reference to duars from 1681 to 1949|type=PhD|publisher=Guwahati University|url=https://ir.nbu.ac.in/handle/123456789/195|hdl=10603/67909|access-date=17 March 2023|archive-date=16 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316100526/https://ir.nbu.ac.in/handle/123456789/195|url-status=dead}}
• {{Cite book |last1=Phuntsho |first1=Karma |title=The History of Bhutan |date=2013 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=9781908323583}}

• [https://darrang.gov.in/ Darrang District Official Website]

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Darrang district

|North = Udalguri district

|Northeast =

|East = Sonitpur district

|Southeast =

|South = Morigaon district

|Southwest =

|West = Kamrup district

|Northwest =

}}

{{Assam}}

{{Minority Concentrated Districts in India}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|26|45|N|92|30|E|region:IN_type:adm2nd|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Darrang District}}

Category:Districts of Assam

Category:Minority concentrated districts in India