Goalpara district#History

It was a princely state ruled by the Koch kings and the then ruler of the undivided kingdom. Today the erstwhile Goalpara district is divided into Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, and Goalpara district.

The name of the district Goalpara is said to have originally derived from 'Gwaltippika' meaning 'Guwali village' or the village of the milk men means (Yadav). The history of Goalpara goes back to several centuries. The district came under British rule in 1765. Before this, the area was under the control of the Koch dynasty. In 1826 the British accessed Assam and Goalpara was annexed to the North-East Frontier in 1874, along with the creation of district headquarters at Dhubri.{{cite web|url=http://www.assamspider.com/resources/3417-Goalpara-District-brief-History.aspx |title=A brief history of Goalpara District |date=11 September 2010 |access-date=3 April 2020}}

On 1 July 1983 two districts were split from Goalpara: Dhubri and Kokrajhar.{{cite web | url = http://www.statoids.com/yin.html | title = Districts of India | access-date = 11 October 2011 | last = Law | first = Gwillim | date = 25 September 2011 | work = Statoids}} On 29 September 1989 Bongaigaon district was created from parts of Goalpara and Kokrajhar.

The district headquarters are located at Goalpara. Goalpara district occupies an area of {{convert|1824|km2|sqmi}},{{cite book | editor = Srivastava, Dayawanti | title = India 2010: A Reference Annual | chapter = States and Union Territories: Assam: Government | edition = 54th | publisher = Additional Director General, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Government of India | year = 2010 | location = New Delhi, India | pages = 1116 | isbn = 978-81-230-1617-7}} comparatively equivalent to South Korea's Jeju-do.{{cite web | url = http://islands.unep.ch/Tiarea.htm | title = Island Directory Tables: Islands by Land Area | access-date = 11 October 2011 | date = 18 February 1998 | publisher = United Nations Environment Program | quote = Jeju-do 1,825km2}}

In 2006 the Indian government named Goalpara one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the eleven districts in Assam currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).{{cite web|author=Ministry of Panchayati Raj |date=8 September 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=27 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405033402/http://www.nird.org.in/brgf/doc/brgf_BackgroundNote.pdf |archive-date=5 April 2012 }}

There are four Assam Legislative Assembly constituencies in this district: Dudhnoi, Goalpara East, Goalpara West, and Jaleswar.{{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 }} Dudhnoi and Goalpara West are designated for scheduled tribes. Dudhnoi and Goalpara West are in the Gauhati Lok Sabha constituency, whilst the other two are in the Dhubri 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 }}

Following are the present MLA's of Goalpara-

• Goalpara East: AK Rasheed Alam (INC)
• Goalpara West: Abdur Rashid Mondal (INC)
• Jaleswar : Aftabuddin (INC)
• Dudhnoi : Jadav Swargiary (INC)(ST)

According to the 2011 census Goalpara district has a population of 1,008,183,{{Cite web |date=2011 |title=District Census Handbook: Goalpara |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/214/download/506/DH_2011_1803_PART_A_DCHB_GOALPARA.pdf |website=censusindia.gov.in |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}} roughly equal to the nation of Cyprus{{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 = 1 October 2011 | quote = Cyprus 1,120,489 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 }} or the US state of Montana.{{cite web |url=http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php |title=2010 Resident Population Data |publisher=U. S. Census Bureau |access-date=30 September 2011 |quote=Montana 989,415 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721072426/http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php|archive-date=21 July 2011 }} of which 171,657 are children between 0–6 years of age. Goalpara has a sex ratio of 964 females for every 1000 males. The crude literacy rate of the district is 55.91%, while the effective literacy rate of 7+ population is 67.4%. 13.69% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 4.47% and 22.97% of the population respectively.

{{historical populations|11=1901|12=90,482|13=1911|14=1,17,602|15=1921|16=1,49,263|17=1931|18=1,72,782|19=1941|20=1,98,407|21=1951|22=2,16,763|23=1961|24=2,97,178|25=1971|26=4,33,516|27=1991|28=6,68,138|29=2001|30=8,22,035|31=2011|32=10,08,183|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A2_Data_Table.html Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901]|align=middle}}

{{bar box

|title=Religions in Goalpara district (2011)

|titlebar=#FCD116

|left1=Religion

|right1=Percent

|float=right

|bars=

{{bar percent|Islam|green|57.52}}

{{bar percent|Hinduism|darkorange|34.51}}

{{bar percent|Christianity|dodgerblue|7.72}}

{{bar percent|Other or not stated|black|0.25}}

}}

Muslim population in Goalpara district is 57.52%, while Hindu population is 34.51% and Christian Population stands at 7.72% and others include 0.25% respectively as per as census 2011 report. All the Garos are Christian.{{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 Goalpara district with forming 50.1% of the population, while Muslims were 41.5% 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 of Goalpara district (2011)

|label1 = Assamese |value1 = 51.78 |color1 = purple

|label2 = Bengali |value2 = 28.83 |color2 = orchid

|label3 = Garo |value3 = 7.56 |color3 = cornflowerblue

|label4 = Rabha |value4 = 5.16 |color4 = steelblue

|label5 = Bodo |value5 = 3.53 |color5 = royalblue

|label6 = Hindi |value6 = 0.94 |color6 = orange

|label7 = Others |value7 = 2.20 |color7 = grey

}}

At the time of the 2011 census, 51.78% of the population spoke Assamese, 28.83% Bengali, 7.56% Garo, 5.16% Rabha, 3.53% Boro and 0.94% Hindi as their first language.{{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}} Bengali speakers are 28.8% as per as 2011 census language census report, but Goalpara district is home to a large Miya Muslim population of Bengali origin, most of whom now identify themselves as Assamese speakers in the census.{{Cite news|last=Saikia|first=Arunabh|date=2 April 2021|title=A new generation of 'Miya' Muslims in Assam may vote for Congress-AIUDF – but only out of compulsion|url=https://scroll.in/article/991174/a-new-generation-of-miya-muslims-in-assam-may-vote-for-congress-aiudf-but-only-out-of-compulsion|work=Scroll|access-date=16 July 2021|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=X|first=Samrat|date=8 Jan 2018|title=National Register of Citizens: Identity issue haunts Assam, again|url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2018/01/08/national-register-of-citizens-identity-assam-immigrants|work=Newslaundry|access-date=16 July 2021}}

{{more citations needed|section|date=April 2020}}

Tourist spots in the district include:

• Sri Surya Pahar, a significant but relatively unknown archaeological site in Assam, a hill which showcases the remains of cultural heritage of three important religions of India, Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism.{{cite web |last1=Malakar |first1=Bhaskar |title=Goalpara District : Home |url=http://goalpara.nic.in/ |website=goalpara.gov.in |access-date=7 April 2020}}
• Dadan Hill has a Shiva Temple on its top. The temple was established by a general of the army of King Bana of Sonitpur named Dadan.
• Pir Majhar is situated in Goalpara town, a tomb of a saint named Hazarat Sayed Abul Kasem Kharasani. He is a saint who was respected by Hindus and Muslims alike.
• Pir Majhar is situated in Katarihara, Golapara, a tomb of a Muslim saint named Al Bakdadi.
• Hulukanda hill is located at the center of Goalpara.
• Sri Tukreswari hill
• Paglartek Baba at Barbhita
• Urpod beel of Agia
• Dhamar Risen beel of Lakhipur, Goalpara are some other attractions of the district.
• Hulukanda Hill, near Bramhaputra river in the town used to be the center of salt trading during British rule. Daniel Raush used to stay there.

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Goalpara district}}

• [https://goalpara.assam.gov.in/ Goalpara District Official Website]

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Goalpara district

|North = Bongaigaon district

|Northeast = Barpeta district

|East = Kamrup district

|Southeast =

|South = East Garo Hills, Meghalaya

|Southwest = West Garo Hills, Meghalaya

|West = Dhubri district

|Northwest =

}}

{{Assam}}

{{Minority Concentrated Districts in India}}

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{{Authority control}}

Category:Districts of Assam

Category:1876 establishments in India

Category:Minority concentrated districts in India