Sheikhpura district

It is believed that during the Mahabharata era, a demoness named Hiḍimbā lived in the hillocks of Sheikhpura's eastern stretch. She married Bhima, one of the Pandava brothers, and they had a heroic son named Ghatotkacha. The hill was later named Girihinda after Hidimba where Giri means a hill in Sanskrit, and the village of Girihinda still exists today.

Sheikhpura also served as a significant administrative center during the Pallava reign. It is also believed that the Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri had the notable Dal Kuan (well) constructed there.

During the Mughal period, Sheikhpura was designated as a Thana. Under British rule, it became a Big Kotwali, and after independence, it was recognized as a Block. On 14 April 1983, Sheikhpura was established as a Subdivision. It was split from the Munger district into a separate district with headquarters in Sheikhpura on 31 July 1994 due to political efforts of Rajo Singh.{{cite web |date=10 September 2005 |title=First shot fired in Bihar: Cong ex-MP killed |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/77875/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412211810/https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/first-shot-fired-in-bihar-cong-ex-mp-killed/ |archive-date=12 April 2021 |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=The Indian Express |via=Press Trust of India |quote=Sheikhpura is regarded as a fiefdom of Rajo Singh family. It was only due to his influence that a small place like Sheikhpura was carved out into a district.}}{{Cite web |last=Sathi |first=Arun |title=राजो सिंह के सपनों को वारिस का इंतजार |trans-title=Rajo Singh's dreams are waiting for an heir |url=http://bihar.chauthiduniya.com/2012/04/rajo-singhs-dreams-waiting-for-inherit.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044041/http://bihar.chauthiduniya.com/2012/04/rajo-singhs-dreams-waiting-for-inherit.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=चौथी दुनिया}}

The Sheikhpura district occupies an area of {{convert|689|km2|sqmi}},{{cite book | last1 = Srivastava, Dayawanti et al. (ed.) | title = India 2010: A Reference Annual | chapter = States and Union Territories: Bihar: 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 = 1118–1119 | isbn = 978-81-230-1617-7}} comparatively equivalent to the Solomon Islands' Kolombangara.{{cite web | url = http://islands.unep.ch/Tiarea.htm | title = Island Directory Tables: Islands by Land Area | access-date = 2011-10-11 | date = 1998-02-18 | publisher = United Nations Environment Program | quote = Kolombangara 688km2 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://archive.today/20151201081219/http://islands.unep.ch/Tiarea.htm | archive-date = 1 December 2015 | df = dmy-all }}

Sheikhpura is one of the smallest districts of Bihar. The population of Sheikhpura primarily depends on agriculture. Bonded labour may still occur.{{Cite web |title=43 bonded labourers rescued in Bihar |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/43-bonded-labourers-rescued-in-bihar/cid/1896233 |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=www.telegraphindia.com |language=en}} Small-scale mining operations of smaller hillocks with crushers is another of the main activities. In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Sheikhpura one of the country's 250 most-impoverished districts. It is one of the 36 districts in Bihar currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme.{{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|df=dmy-all}}

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{{#section:17th Bihar Assembly|Sheikhpura district}}

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{{historical populations|11=1901|12=1,52,726|13=1911|14=1,57,460|15=1921|16=1,49,761|17=1931|18=1,68,687|19=1941|20=1,90,743|21=1951|22=2,10,915|23=1961|24=2,46,528|25=1971|26=2,94,826|27=1981|28=3,50,677|29=1991|30=4,20,260|31=2001|32=5,25,502|33=2011|34=6,36,342|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:{{cite web |title=Table A-02 Decadal Variation in Population Since 1901: Bihar |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/43343/download/47022/10%20A-2%20Bihar.pdf |website=census.gov.in|publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}}|align=center}}

{{bar box

|title=Religions in Sheikhpura district (2011){{Cite web |date=2011 |title=Table C-01 Population by Religion: Bihar |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/11366/download/14479/DDW10C-01%20MDDS.XLS |website=censusindia.gov.in |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}}

|titlebar=#Fcd116

|left1=Religion

|right1=Percent

|float=left

|bars=

{{bar percent|Hinduism|darkorange|93.68}}

{{bar percent|Islam|green|5.92}}

{{bar percent|Other or not stated|black|0.40}}

}}

According to the 2011 Census of India, Sheikhpura district had a population of 636,342, giving it a ranking of 516th in India. The district had a population density of {{convert|922|PD/sqkm|PD/sqmi}}. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 20.82%. Sheikhpura had a sex ratio of 926 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 65.96%. 17.13% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 20.60% and 0.10% of the population respectively.

{{Pie chart

| thumb = right

| caption = Languages in Sheikhpura district (2011)

|label1 = Hindi |value1 = 56.90 |color1 = orange

|label2 = Magahi |value2 = 38.17 |color2 = crimson

|label3 = Urdu |value3 = 4.70 |color3 = green

|label4 = Others |value4 = 0.23 |color4 = grey

}}

At the time of the 2011 census, 56.90% of the population in the district spoke Hindi, 38.17% Magahi and 4.70% Urdu as their first language.{{Cite web |date=2011 |title=Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Bihar |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10196/download/13308/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-1000.XLSX|website=censusindia.gov.in |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}}

• Nawada
• Gaya
• Patna
• Begusarai
• Lakhisarai
• Ariari Pharpar
• Maa Vatsala Bhavani Mandir Pharpar

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110430232101/http://www.allaboutbihar.com/districts/sheikhpura/index.php Sheikhpura Information Portal]
• [http://sheikhpura.bih.nic.in/ The official website of Sheikhpura District of Bihar]

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Sheikhpura district

|North =

|Northeast = Lakhisarai district

|East =

|Southeast = Jamui district

|South =

|Southwest = Nawada district

|West =

|Northwest = Nalanda district

}}

{{Sheikpura district}}

{{Districts of Bihar}}

{{Munger Division}}

{{Munger Division topics}}

Category:Munger division

Category:Districts of Bihar

Category:1994 establishments in Bihar