Murshidabad district
Encyclopedia
Murshidabad district is a district of West Bengal
in eastern India. Situated on the left bank of the river Ganges, the district is very fertile. Covering an area of 5,341 km² (2,062 sq mi) and having a population 5.863m (according to 2001 census) it is a densely populated district and the ninth most populous in India (out of 640
). Baharampur
town is the headquarters of the district.
The Murshidabad
city, which lends its name to the district, was the seat of power of the Nawab
s of Bangla
. All of Bengal was once governed from this town. Few years after Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula lost to the British at the Battle of Plassey
, the capital of Bengal was moved to the newly founded city of Calcutta.
It borders West Bengal's Malda district
to the north, Birbhum
to the west, Bardhaman
to the south-west and Nadia
district due south. The international border with Bangladesh's Rajshahi Division is on the east.
The district is named after the historical town of Murshidabad.
, the great king of Gauda
(comprising most of Bengal) in the seventh century AD and perhaps that of Mahipala, one of the later Pala kings of Bengal, were in this district. The earliest evidences of history in the district date back to the pre-historic days perhaps as early as circa 1500 B.C.
in 1701 CE by Aurangzeb
. He shifted his office from Dacca (present day Dhaka
) to Maksudabad in 1702 CE. In 1703 CE, Aurangzeb honoured him with the title of Murshid Quli Khan
and granted the permission to rename the town as Murshidabad in 1704 CE after his newly acquired title.
In 1704 the nawab Murshid Quli Khan changed the seat of government from Dacca to Maksudabad, which he called after his own name. The Nawab Murshid Quli Khan made Murshidabad the capital city of Sube Bangla, comprising Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. The family of Jagat Seth
maintained their position as state bankers at Murshidabad from generation to generation. The East India Company reigned from here for many years after the Battle of Plassey.
Warren Hastings removed the supreme civil and criminal courts to Calcutta in 1772, but in 1775 the latter court was brought back to Murshidabad again. In 1790, under Lord Cornwallis, the entire revenue and judicial staffs were fixed at Calcutta. The town is still the residence of the nawab, who ranks as the first nobleman of the province with the style of Nawab Bbahadur of Murshidabad, instead of Nawab Nazim of Bengal. The Murshidabad palace, dating from 1837, is a magnificent building in Italian style. The city still bears memories of Nawabs with other palaces, mosques, tombs, and gardens, and retains such industries as carving in ivory, gold and silver embroidery, and silk-weaving. An educational institution is named after Nawab family.
was led by the Ulema
until the middle and late 19th century. In the 19th century the nature of the struggle changed, and all communities joined forces for Independence from British rule.
Like other areas of Bengal Murshidabad also made its contribution to the freedom struggle of India. The Murshidabad District Committee of the Indian National Congress was formed in 1921. Brajabhushan Gupta was its first President. The students participated in movements like the Boycott of Foreign Goods and had links with the revolutionaries. In the Krishnanath College of Berhampore revolutionaries like Surya Sen and Niranjan Sen spent their college days. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Kazi Nazrul Islam spent some of their prison days. Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Rajendraprasad, C. R. Das and Netaji had also visited the district of Murshidabad during the freedom struggle days.
The efforts of Nawab Wasif Ali Mirza in forming the Hindu Muslim Unity Association in 1937 were also noteworthy. In 1943 a conference of the Association in Kolkata was arranged, at the request of Fazlul Haque. In 1940, the Revolutionary Socialist Party was formed by Tridib Choudhury in the district. The presence of the Quit India movement was also felt here.
India became independent on the 15th of August 1947, after being bifurcated into two nations, viz., India and Pakistan. Murshidabad, on the basis of the fact that Muslims were a majority, was part of (East) Pakistan for two days. Then it became part of India on the basis of the final award of the Radcliffe Commission.
to the south-west and Nadia
district due south. The international border with Bangladesh's Rajshahi
division is on the east.
. To the west lies the Rarh, a high, undulating continuation of the Chota Nagpur plateau. The eastern portion, the Bagri, is a fertile, low-lying alluvial tract, part of the Ganges Delta. The district is drained by the Bhagirathi and Jalangi rivers and their tributaries. Bhagirathi is a branch of Ganges, and flows southwards from Farakka barrage where it originates from the Ganges. It flows southwards through the district and divides it into more or less equal halves.
Most of the land is arable, and used as agricultural land. Commonly seen trees are Neem
, Mango
, Jackfruit
.
Jowbona is a popular village near nowda thana and also called greenvillage in West Bangal.
). The annual mean temperature is approximately 27 °C ; monthly mean temperatures range from 17 °C to 35 °C (approximate figures). Summers are hot and humid with temperatures in the low 30's and during dry spells the maximum temperatures often exceed 40 °C during May and June. Winter tends to last for only about two and a half months, with seasonal lows dipping to 9 °C – 11 °C between December and January. On an average, May is the hottest month with daily average temperatures ranging from a low of 27 °C to a maximum of 40 °C, while January the coldest month has temperatures varying from a low of 12 °C to a maximum of 23 °C. Often during early summer, dusty squalls followed by spells of thunderstorm or hailstorms and heavy rains cum ice sleets lash the district, bringing relief from the humid heat. These thunderstorms are convective in nature, and is locally known as Kal baisakhi (কালবৈশাখী, Nor'westers).
Rains brought by the Bay of Bengal branch of South-West monsoon lash the city between June and September and supplies the district with most of its annual rainfall of approx 1,600 mm (62 in). The highest rainfall occurs during the monsoon in August approx 300 mm (12 in). Floods are common during Monsoon, causing loss of life, destruction of property, and loss of crops.
Trade and business are conducted primarily with Asansol, Burdwan and Kolkata
. There were some discussions between India
and Bangladesh
to open an internal water transport link between Dhulian
and Rajshahi
but it has not materialized yet.
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj
named Murshidabad one of the country's 250 most backward districts
(out of a total of 640
). It is one of the eleven districts in West Bengal currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
es are the chief crops in the east; extensive mulberry
cultivation is carried out in the west. The district is known for the quality and diversity of Mango produced. However, Mango is not a major produce of the Murshidabad district, unlike the adjoining district of Malda
.
During the early period of the British rule, the performance of the ivory carvers of Murshidabad was also praised by foreigners. During the Exhibition of 1851 in London, a variety of specimens of carving in ivory were sent to different parts of India and these were much admired for their minuteness and elaborate of details. In 1888 again, the Murshidabad carvers were declared to be perhaps the best in India, fully displaying the finish, minuteness and ingenuity characteristic of all true Indian art.
When Berhampore rose into importance as chief military station in the province, the art flourished there for a time but began to wane with the decline of the military importance of the town. If not for the trade depending on the railway communication, this art would have died out long ago. Earlier the ivory carvers used to get large orders from Government for supplying specimens of their work for various exhibitions in England and other European countries, as also in India. But this was later discontinued when arrangements were made to collect the exhibits on loan from noblemen and zamindars, like the Nawab of Murshidabad and the Maharaja of Cossimbazar who were in a position to supply the best specimens under their possession. Mathra, Daulatbazar and Ranshagorgram bordering the city of Murshidabad were once noted for the industry but altogether forgotten in later years owing to decay of the industry.
is a milky-white sponge-wood which is carved into delicate and beautiful objects of art. Shola is a plant which grow wild in marshy waterlogged areas. The biological name of shola is Aeschynomene Indica or Aeschynomene Aspera (bean family) and it is a herbaceous plant. The sholapith is the cortex or core of the plant and is 1 ½ inch in diameter. The outer harder brown skin is removed by expert hands to reveal the inner soft milky-white and spongy material, almost similar to "Thermocol", artificially produced in a laboratory. However, sholapith is much superior to thermocol in terms of malleability, texture, lustre and sponginess. Artisans use it for making artifacts used for decoration and ornate head-wears of bridal couple.
In Murshidabad the shola crafts are flowery designs, decorative head-wears of gods and goddesses, garlands, exquisite figurines like faces of gods and goddesses, elephant-howdahs, peacock-boats, palanquins and so on are made of sholapith.
Bengal had a nourishing silk industry in the past and Murshidabad long enjoyed a special reputation in this respect. The Bengal silk manufactures formed one of the important exports of the English East India Company to England, and these were exported also to the markets in the Asiatic countries. After the establishment of English factories at Malda and Cossimbazar, the English Company's trade in Bengal silk manufactures began to increase, and their use became common among the people in England because of their good quality and cheapness. In the mid-eighteenth century the country round about it (Cossimbazar) was very fertile, and the inhabitants remarkably industrious, being employed in many useful manufactures. About 1663 AD, the Dutch in their Cossimbazar factory sometimes employed 700 silk weavers, and the English and the other European nations smaller number. They generally furnished 22,000 bales of silk a year, each bale weighing 100 Ibs. The Total was equivalent to 30,078 maunds (1 maund = 40 kg i.e. 12,03,120 kg). The silk thread was thus distributed : the Dutch took for Japan or Holland 6,000 to 7,000 bales, the merchants of Tartary and the Mughal Empire about the same quantity, and the remainder (about 9,000 bales) were consumed by the people of the country for manufacturing their own stuff. This silk was brought to Ahmedabad and Surat and were woven into fabrics. There was considerable demand for Bengal's raw silk in England's markets as the Continental System occasioned an entire cessation of the customary importations of the Italian raw silk.
, Domkol
, Lalbag
, Kandi
and Jangipur
. Other than municipality area, each subdivision contains community development blocks which in turn are divided into rural areas and census towns. In total there are 29 urban units: 7 municipalities and 22 census town
s. Baharampur
and Kasim Bazar together form an urban agglomeration.
Barhampur consists of Baharampur
municipality, Beldanga
municipality, and five community development blocks: Berhampore, Beldanga–I, Beldanga–II, Hariharpara and Naoda. Domkol subdivision consists of four community development blocks: Domkol, Raninagar–I, Raninagar–II and Jalangi. Lalbag subdivision consists of Murshidabad
municipality, Jiaganj Azimganj municipality and five community development blocks: Murshidabad–Jiaganj, Bhagawangola–I, Bhagawangola–II, Lalgola and Nabagram. Kandi subdivision consists of Kandi
municipality and five community development blocks: Kandi, Khargram, Burwan, Bharatpur–I and Bharatpur–II. Jangipur subdivision consists of Jangipur municipality, Dhulian
municipality and seven community development blocks: Raghnathganj–I, Raghnathganj–II, Suti–I, Suti–II, Samserganj, Sagardighi and Farakka. There are 26 police stations, 26 development blocks, 7 municipalities, 254 gram panchayat
s and 1937 villages in this district.
Farakka
(AC #50), Aurangabad
(AC #51), Suti
(AC #52), Sagardighi
(AC #53), Jangipur
(AC #54), Lalgola
(AC #55), Bhagabangola
(AC #56), Nabagram
(AC #57), Murshidabad
(AC #58), Jalangi
(AC #59), Domkal
(AC#60), Naoda
(AC#61), Hariharpara
(AC#62), Berhampore
(AC#63), Beldanga
(AC#64), Kandi
(AC#65), Khargram
(AC#66), Barwan
(AC#67) and Bharatpur
(AC#68). The constituencies of Sagardighi and Khargram are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates.
Farakka, Aurangabad, Suti, Sagardihi, Jangipur, Nabagram and Khargram assembly segments formed the Jangipur (Lok Sabha constituency)
. Lalgola, Bhagabangola, Murshidabad, Jalangi, Hariharpara and Mayureswar constituencies were part of the Murshidabad (Lok Sabha constituency)
, which also contained the Karimpur assembly constituency from the Nadia district
. Naoda, Berhampore, Beldanga, Kandi, Barwan and Bharatpur were part of the Berhampore (Lok Sabha constituency)
, which also contained the Ketugram assembly constituency from the Bardhaman district
.
(AC #55), Samserganj
(AC #56), Suti
(AC #57), Jangipur
(AC #58), Raghunathganj
(AC #59), Sagardighi
(AC #60), Lalgola
(AC #61), Bhagabangola
(AC #62), Raninagar
(AC #63), Murshidabad
(AC #64), Nabagram
(AC #65), Khargram
(AC#66), Burwan
(AC#67), Kandi
(AC#68), Bharatpur
(AC#69), Rejinagar
(AC#70), Beldanga
(AC#71), Baharampur
(AC#72), Hariharpara
(AC#73), Naoda
(AC#74), Domkal
(AC#75) and Jalangi
(AC #76). Nabagram, Khargram and Burwan constituencies will be reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates.
Farakka and Samserganj will be part of the newly formed Maldaha Dakshin (Lok Sabha constituency)
. Suti, Jangipur, Raghunathganj, Sagardighi, Lalgola, Nabagram and Khargram assembly segments will form the Jangipur (Lok Sabha constituency). Burwan, Kandi, Bharatpur, Rejinagar, Beldanga, Baharampur and Naoda constituencies will form the Baharampur (Lok Sabha constituency). Bhagabangola, Raninagar, Murshidabad, Hariharpara, Domkal and Jalanagi will be part of the Murshidabad (Lok Sabha constituency), which will also contain the Karimpur assembly constituency from the Nadia district.
Delimitation was made effective for all elections in the state of West Bengal that was to be held on or after 19 February 2008.
has a population
of 7,102,430 , roughly equal to the nation of Bulgaria
or the US state of Washington. This gives it a ranking of 9th in India (out of a total of 640
). The district has a population density of 1334 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
over the decade 2001-2011 was 21.07 %. Murshidabad has a sex ratio
of 957 females
for 1000 every males, and a literacy rate
of 67.53 %.
India census
, Murshidabad district had a population of 5,863,717 with a sex ratio
of 952. A 23.70% growth of population and an increase of sex ratio by nine were noted since the previous census of 1991. The district has an area of 5324 km² (2,055.6 sq mi) and a population density
of 1101 /km2 as per 2001 census data. The following table summarises the population distribution:
. The dialect is more or less the same as spoken in south Bengal, with occasional local accents.
Scheduled cast people constiute 13.5% of the district population.
, the month when Muslims fast. On the day of Ashura
during the month of Muharram
processions are taken out to commemorate the deaths of Imam Hassan and Imam Hussein, the grandsons of Muhammed.
Durga Puja
, a five day long puja, is the most important festival of the Hindus.
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
in eastern India. Situated on the left bank of the river Ganges, the district is very fertile. Covering an area of 5,341 km² (2,062 sq mi) and having a population 5.863m (according to 2001 census) it is a densely populated district and the ninth most populous in India (out of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). Baharampur
Baharampur
Baharampur is a city in the West Bengal state of India. Baharampur is the sixth largest city in West Bengal and situated in central part of West Bengal. Baharampur is nominated for becoming the municipal corporation...
town is the headquarters of the district.
The Murshidabad
Murshidabad
Murshidabad is a city in Murshidabad district of West Bengal state in India. The city of Murshidabad is located on the southern bank of the Bhagirathi, a distributary of the Ganges River. It was the capital of undivided Bengal during the Mughal rule. Nawabs of Bengal used to rule Bengal from this...
city, which lends its name to the district, was the seat of power of the Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
s of Bangla
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. All of Bengal was once governed from this town. Few years after Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula lost to the British at the Battle of Plassey
Battle of Plassey
The Battle of Plassey , 23 June 1757, was a decisive British East India Company victory over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies, establishing Company rule in South Asia which expanded over much of the Indies for the next hundred years...
, the capital of Bengal was moved to the newly founded city of Calcutta.
It borders West Bengal's Malda district
Malda district
Malda district is a district of West Bengal, India. It lies 347 km north of Kolkata, the state capital. Mango and silk are notable products of this district. The special variety of mango produced in this region, popularly known by the name of the district, is exported across the world and...
to the north, Birbhum
Birbhum district
Birbhum district is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the three administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is located at Suri...
to the west, Bardhaman
Bardhaman District
'Bardhaman district is a district in West Bengal. The headquarter of the district is Bardhaman, though it houses other important industrial towns like Durgapur and Asansol...
to the south-west and Nadia
Nadia District
Nadia district is a district of the state of West Bengal, in the north east of India. It borders with Bangladesh to the east, North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts to the south, Bardhaman district to the west, and Murshidabad district to the north....
district due south. The international border with Bangladesh's Rajshahi Division is on the east.
Etymology
- See also: Mediaval History of Murshidabad
The district is named after the historical town of Murshidabad.
History
Here thrived the cultures of many races and of religions like Buddhism, Brahmanism, Vaishnavism, Jainism, Islam and Christianity. Here settled the European traders like the Dutch, the British, the French and the Armenians.Prehistory
The capital city of ShashankaShashanka
Shashanka is often attributed with creating the first separate political entity in a unified Bengal called Gauda and as such is a major figure in Bengali history. He reigned in 7th century AD, and some historians place his rule approximately between 590 AD and 625 AD. He is the contemporary of...
, the great king of Gauda
Gauḍa region
Gauda , was a territory located in Bengal in ancient and mediaeval times.-Location and extent:The Arthashastra of Chanakya refers to it along with Vanga, Pundra and Kamarupa. This geographical idea continues with some of the ancient texts...
(comprising most of Bengal) in the seventh century AD and perhaps that of Mahipala, one of the later Pala kings of Bengal, were in this district. The earliest evidences of history in the district date back to the pre-historic days perhaps as early as circa 1500 B.C.
Medieval Age
The district got its present name in the early eighteenth century and its present shape in the latter half of the eighteenth century. Murshidabad town, which lends its name to the district, derived its name from its founder. Travellers marveled at its glory through ages. The city, lying just east of the Bhagirathi River, is an agricultural trade and silk-weaving centre. Originally called Makhsudabad, it was reputedly founded by the Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century. Kartalab Khan was appointed as Diwan of Bengal SubahSubah
A Subah was a province of the Mughal Empire in South Asia. The governor of a subah was known as a subahdar, which later became subedar to refer to an officer in the Indian Army...
in 1701 CE by Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
. He shifted his office from Dacca (present day Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
) to Maksudabad in 1702 CE. In 1703 CE, Aurangzeb honoured him with the title of Murshid Quli Khan
Murshid Quli Khan
Murshid Quli Khan was the first Nawab of Bengal. In fact circumstances resulted in his being the first independent ruler of Bengal post the death of Emperor Aurangzeb...
and granted the permission to rename the town as Murshidabad in 1704 CE after his newly acquired title.
In 1704 the nawab Murshid Quli Khan changed the seat of government from Dacca to Maksudabad, which he called after his own name. The Nawab Murshid Quli Khan made Murshidabad the capital city of Sube Bangla, comprising Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. The family of Jagat Seth
Jagat Seth
Jagat Seth was a rich businessman from Murshidabad during the rule of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula. He came from a rich Jain Marwari business family in Murshidabad. His spiritual guru was Jain Acharya Sri BhratruChandra Suri. Jagat Seths were among the most powerful bankers of India during the first half...
maintained their position as state bankers at Murshidabad from generation to generation. The East India Company reigned from here for many years after the Battle of Plassey.
Warren Hastings removed the supreme civil and criminal courts to Calcutta in 1772, but in 1775 the latter court was brought back to Murshidabad again. In 1790, under Lord Cornwallis, the entire revenue and judicial staffs were fixed at Calcutta. The town is still the residence of the nawab, who ranks as the first nobleman of the province with the style of Nawab Bbahadur of Murshidabad, instead of Nawab Nazim of Bengal. The Murshidabad palace, dating from 1837, is a magnificent building in Italian style. The city still bears memories of Nawabs with other palaces, mosques, tombs, and gardens, and retains such industries as carving in ivory, gold and silver embroidery, and silk-weaving. An educational institution is named after Nawab family.
Modern Era
The first wave of movements for freedom from the rule of companyEast India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
was led by the Ulema
Ulema
Ulama , also spelt ulema, refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...
until the middle and late 19th century. In the 19th century the nature of the struggle changed, and all communities joined forces for Independence from British rule.
Like other areas of Bengal Murshidabad also made its contribution to the freedom struggle of India. The Murshidabad District Committee of the Indian National Congress was formed in 1921. Brajabhushan Gupta was its first President. The students participated in movements like the Boycott of Foreign Goods and had links with the revolutionaries. In the Krishnanath College of Berhampore revolutionaries like Surya Sen and Niranjan Sen spent their college days. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Kazi Nazrul Islam spent some of their prison days. Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Rajendraprasad, C. R. Das and Netaji had also visited the district of Murshidabad during the freedom struggle days.
The efforts of Nawab Wasif Ali Mirza in forming the Hindu Muslim Unity Association in 1937 were also noteworthy. In 1943 a conference of the Association in Kolkata was arranged, at the request of Fazlul Haque. In 1940, the Revolutionary Socialist Party was formed by Tridib Choudhury in the district. The presence of the Quit India movement was also felt here.
India became independent on the 15th of August 1947, after being bifurcated into two nations, viz., India and Pakistan. Murshidabad, on the basis of the fact that Muslims were a majority, was part of (East) Pakistan for two days. Then it became part of India on the basis of the final award of the Radcliffe Commission.
Geography
It borders Malda district to the north, Birbhum to the west, BardhamanBardhaman
'Bardhaman or Burdwan , is a city of West Bengal state in eastern India. It is the headquarters of Bardhaman District....
to the south-west and Nadia
Nadia District
Nadia district is a district of the state of West Bengal, in the north east of India. It borders with Bangladesh to the east, North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts to the south, Bardhaman district to the west, and Murshidabad district to the north....
district due south. The international border with Bangladesh's Rajshahi
Rajshahi
The city of Rajshahi is the divisional headquarters of Rajshahi division as well as the administrative district that bears its name and is one of the six metropolitan cities of Bangladesh. Often referred to as Silk City and Education City, Rajshahi is located in the north-west of the country and...
division is on the east.
Landscape, Rivers and Vegetation
The district comprises two distinct regions separated by the Bhagirathi RiverBhagirathi River
The Bhāgīrathī is a turbulent Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India, that is the source stream of the Ganges—the major river of the Gangetic plain of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism.-Etymology:...
. To the west lies the Rarh, a high, undulating continuation of the Chota Nagpur plateau. The eastern portion, the Bagri, is a fertile, low-lying alluvial tract, part of the Ganges Delta. The district is drained by the Bhagirathi and Jalangi rivers and their tributaries. Bhagirathi is a branch of Ganges, and flows southwards from Farakka barrage where it originates from the Ganges. It flows southwards through the district and divides it into more or less equal halves.
Most of the land is arable, and used as agricultural land. Commonly seen trees are Neem
Neem
Azadirachta indica is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to India growing in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Its fruits and seeds are the source of neem oil...
, Mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
, Jackfruit
Jackfruit
The jackfruit is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family . It is native to parts of Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh, . The jackfruit tree is believed to be indigenous to the southwestern rain forests of India...
.
Jowbona is a popular village near nowda thana and also called greenvillage in West Bangal.
Climate
Murshidabad has a tropical wet-and-dry climate (Koppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
). The annual mean temperature is approximately 27 °C ; monthly mean temperatures range from 17 °C to 35 °C (approximate figures). Summers are hot and humid with temperatures in the low 30's and during dry spells the maximum temperatures often exceed 40 °C during May and June. Winter tends to last for only about two and a half months, with seasonal lows dipping to 9 °C – 11 °C between December and January. On an average, May is the hottest month with daily average temperatures ranging from a low of 27 °C to a maximum of 40 °C, while January the coldest month has temperatures varying from a low of 12 °C to a maximum of 23 °C. Often during early summer, dusty squalls followed by spells of thunderstorm or hailstorms and heavy rains cum ice sleets lash the district, bringing relief from the humid heat. These thunderstorms are convective in nature, and is locally known as Kal baisakhi (কালবৈশাখী, Nor'westers).
Rains brought by the Bay of Bengal branch of South-West monsoon lash the city between June and September and supplies the district with most of its annual rainfall of approx 1,600 mm (62 in). The highest rainfall occurs during the monsoon in August approx 300 mm (12 in). Floods are common during Monsoon, causing loss of life, destruction of property, and loss of crops.
Economy
Most of the people depend on agriculture for their livelihood. There are some silk farms and some weaving machines, but they are losing out fast against the modern industries. Murshidabad is famous for the high quality silk produced here.Trade and business are conducted primarily with Asansol, Burdwan and Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. There were some discussions between India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
to open an internal water transport link between Dhulian
Dhulian
Dhulian is a city and a municipality in Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is located between the Ganges and the Hooghly canal....
and Rajshahi
Rajshahi
The city of Rajshahi is the divisional headquarters of Rajshahi division as well as the administrative district that bears its name and is one of the six metropolitan cities of Bangladesh. Often referred to as Silk City and Education City, Rajshahi is located in the north-west of the country and...
but it has not materialized yet.
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Ministry of Panchayati Raj
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is a branch of the Government of India looking after the ongoing process of decentralization and local governance in the States....
named Murshidabad one of the country's 250 most backward districts
Poverty in India
Poverty is widespread in India, with the nation estimated to have a third of the world's poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 41.6% of the total Indian population falls below the international poverty line of 1.25 a day...
(out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). It is one of the eleven districts in West Bengal currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
Agriculture
Rice, jute, legumes, oilseeds, wheat, barley, and mangoMango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
es are the chief crops in the east; extensive mulberry
Mulberry
Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae. The 10–16 species of deciduous trees it contains are commonly known as Mulberries....
cultivation is carried out in the west. The district is known for the quality and diversity of Mango produced. However, Mango is not a major produce of the Murshidabad district, unlike the adjoining district of Malda
Malda district
Malda district is a district of West Bengal, India. It lies 347 km north of Kolkata, the state capital. Mango and silk are notable products of this district. The special variety of mango produced in this region, popularly known by the name of the district, is exported across the world and...
.
Ivory and Silk
The Ivory and Wood craft industry dates back to the time when the Nawabs of Bengal had their court at Murshidabad. As this industry was fully dependent for its prosperity on the support of a luxurious court and wealthy noblemen, it had to face a crisis when the Nawabs lost their power and their court disappeared.During the early period of the British rule, the performance of the ivory carvers of Murshidabad was also praised by foreigners. During the Exhibition of 1851 in London, a variety of specimens of carving in ivory were sent to different parts of India and these were much admired for their minuteness and elaborate of details. In 1888 again, the Murshidabad carvers were declared to be perhaps the best in India, fully displaying the finish, minuteness and ingenuity characteristic of all true Indian art.
When Berhampore rose into importance as chief military station in the province, the art flourished there for a time but began to wane with the decline of the military importance of the town. If not for the trade depending on the railway communication, this art would have died out long ago. Earlier the ivory carvers used to get large orders from Government for supplying specimens of their work for various exhibitions in England and other European countries, as also in India. But this was later discontinued when arrangements were made to collect the exhibits on loan from noblemen and zamindars, like the Nawab of Murshidabad and the Maharaja of Cossimbazar who were in a position to supply the best specimens under their possession. Mathra, Daulatbazar and Ranshagorgram bordering the city of Murshidabad were once noted for the industry but altogether forgotten in later years owing to decay of the industry.
Indian Cork (Shola)
SholapithSholapith
Sholapith or Shola Pith is a dried milky-white spongy plant matter which can be pressed and shaped into delicate and beautiful objects of art....
is a milky-white sponge-wood which is carved into delicate and beautiful objects of art. Shola is a plant which grow wild in marshy waterlogged areas. The biological name of shola is Aeschynomene Indica or Aeschynomene Aspera (bean family) and it is a herbaceous plant. The sholapith is the cortex or core of the plant and is 1 ½ inch in diameter. The outer harder brown skin is removed by expert hands to reveal the inner soft milky-white and spongy material, almost similar to "Thermocol", artificially produced in a laboratory. However, sholapith is much superior to thermocol in terms of malleability, texture, lustre and sponginess. Artisans use it for making artifacts used for decoration and ornate head-wears of bridal couple.
In Murshidabad the shola crafts are flowery designs, decorative head-wears of gods and goddesses, garlands, exquisite figurines like faces of gods and goddesses, elephant-howdahs, peacock-boats, palanquins and so on are made of sholapith.
Bell Metal Works
Bell-metal and brass utensils are manufactured in large quantities at Khagra, Berhampore, Kandi, Baranagar and Jangipur. They are exported as well as sold in the local markets. Locks and betelnut cutters of a superior kind are made at Dhulian and iron chests at Jangipur. The problem of getting raw materials for the brass and bell-metal artisans of the district is, however, acute. While delay in getting raw materials owing to the complicated procedural formalities involved in the submission of applications for raw materials has been almost a constant factor, the industry has also been affected by the change in consumers demand in favor of stainless steel, plastic and ceramic goods and crockery.Heavy Industries
The District is having the largest Power Plant at Sagardeghi 12 Km from Raghunathganj , it also having a Central power plat at Farraka NTPC Generating 1600MW power.A Hydropower project is upcoming in the district.The District has it largest manufacturer of Bidi most of the Women of the district are involved in manufacturing Bidi.The district also have one Iron & Steel Manufacturing Company, in the city of Jangipur,which is also the land mark in the district.The Town of Omarpur is the hub for manufacturing Plastic house hold goods.Silk and Sari
The Baluchari sarees are figured silk saree produced in the town of Baluchar in Murshidabad district. Baluchar sarees essentially have a silk base with silk brocaded designs with respect to their colours, where in spite of a rich composition, the Baluchar bootidars almost avoid strong contrasts. Each pattern is treated in a colour which harmonises with the ground on which it is laid. The most popular colours used are red, blue, yellow, green and scarlet. The Baluchari sarees have large floral motifs interspersed with flowering shrubs. Traditionally the Muslim community was also known to produce these Baluchars with figured patterns depicting court scenes, horse with a rider, women smoking hookah. The Kalka design or the cone motif is often surrounded with floral borders.Bengal had a nourishing silk industry in the past and Murshidabad long enjoyed a special reputation in this respect. The Bengal silk manufactures formed one of the important exports of the English East India Company to England, and these were exported also to the markets in the Asiatic countries. After the establishment of English factories at Malda and Cossimbazar, the English Company's trade in Bengal silk manufactures began to increase, and their use became common among the people in England because of their good quality and cheapness. In the mid-eighteenth century the country round about it (Cossimbazar) was very fertile, and the inhabitants remarkably industrious, being employed in many useful manufactures. About 1663 AD, the Dutch in their Cossimbazar factory sometimes employed 700 silk weavers, and the English and the other European nations smaller number. They generally furnished 22,000 bales of silk a year, each bale weighing 100 Ibs. The Total was equivalent to 30,078 maunds (1 maund = 40 kg i.e. 12,03,120 kg). The silk thread was thus distributed : the Dutch took for Japan or Holland 6,000 to 7,000 bales, the merchants of Tartary and the Mughal Empire about the same quantity, and the remainder (about 9,000 bales) were consumed by the people of the country for manufacturing their own stuff. This silk was brought to Ahmedabad and Surat and were woven into fabrics. There was considerable demand for Bengal's raw silk in England's markets as the Continental System occasioned an entire cessation of the customary importations of the Italian raw silk.
Transport
Surface transport (road and rail) is the most important way of transport. Even though a major river runs through the district (Bhagirathi), water transport is not very common, even though small boats ferry people across rivers where no bridge is available.Road
Buses are the most common form of transport, and they are easily available, and run to a wide range of destinations within and without the district. Bus transport is cheap (For example a journey of 182 km to Kolkata from Baharampur costs about 80Rs.) Trucks carry majority of goods transported in the district. Overloaded trucks on the road are also a common sight, and they are a major reason roads are in bad condition.Rail
There are two major rail routes. The major line runs north-south and connects the district to Kolkata and North Bengal. There is another line that branches out from this line at Azimgunj and connects the Sahebgunj loop at Nalhati (Birbhum.)Administrative subdivisions
The district comprises five subdivisions: BarhampurBarhampur subdivision
Barhampur subdivision , is a subdivision of the Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of Baharampur municipality, Beldanga municipality, and five community development blocks: Berhampore, Beldanga–I, Beldanga–II, Hariharpara and Naoda. The five blocks...
, Domkol
Domkol subdivision
Domkol subdivision , is a subdivision of the Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of Dhulian municipality and four community development blocks: Domkol, Raninagar–I, Raninagar–II and Jalangi. The four blocks contain 38 gram panchayats and one census town...
, Lalbag
Lalbag subdivision
Lalbag subdivision , is a subdivision of the Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of Murshidabad municipality, Jiaganj Azimganj municipality and five community development blocks: Murshidabad–Jiaganj, Bhagawangola–I, Bhagawangola–II, Lalgola and...
, Kandi
Kandi subdivision
Kandi subdivision , is a subdivision of the Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of Kandi municipality and five community development blocks: Kandi, Khargram, Burwan, Bharatpur–I and Bharatpur–II. The five blocks contain 50 gram panchayats...
and Jangipur
Jangipur subdivision
Jangipur subdivision , is a subdivision of the Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of Jangipur municipality and seven community development blocks: Raghnathganj–I, Raghnathganj–II, Suti–I, Suti–II, Samserganj, Sagardighi and Farakka. The...
. Other than municipality area, each subdivision contains community development blocks which in turn are divided into rural areas and census towns. In total there are 29 urban units: 7 municipalities and 22 census town
Census town
In India, a census town is one which has:# A minimum population of 5,000# At least 75% of male working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits# A density of population of at least 400 persons per km2.In Ireland, a census town is;...
s. Baharampur
Baharampur
Baharampur is a city in the West Bengal state of India. Baharampur is the sixth largest city in West Bengal and situated in central part of West Bengal. Baharampur is nominated for becoming the municipal corporation...
and Kasim Bazar together form an urban agglomeration.
Barhampur consists of Baharampur
Baharampur
Baharampur is a city in the West Bengal state of India. Baharampur is the sixth largest city in West Bengal and situated in central part of West Bengal. Baharampur is nominated for becoming the municipal corporation...
municipality, Beldanga
Beldanga
Beldanga is a town and a municipality in Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, India.-Geography:Beldanga is located at . It has an average elevation of 20 metres .-Demographics:...
municipality, and five community development blocks: Berhampore, Beldanga–I, Beldanga–II, Hariharpara and Naoda. Domkol subdivision consists of four community development blocks: Domkol, Raninagar–I, Raninagar–II and Jalangi. Lalbag subdivision consists of Murshidabad
Murshidabad
Murshidabad is a city in Murshidabad district of West Bengal state in India. The city of Murshidabad is located on the southern bank of the Bhagirathi, a distributary of the Ganges River. It was the capital of undivided Bengal during the Mughal rule. Nawabs of Bengal used to rule Bengal from this...
municipality, Jiaganj Azimganj municipality and five community development blocks: Murshidabad–Jiaganj, Bhagawangola–I, Bhagawangola–II, Lalgola and Nabagram. Kandi subdivision consists of Kandi
Kandi
Kandi is a town, arrondissement and commune in the Alibori Department of eastern Benin. Originally a market town, Kandi is now primarily a farming centre. It lies on the nation's main north-south highway, 650 km from Cotonou and 325 miles north of Porto-Novo. The town is the capital of...
municipality and five community development blocks: Kandi, Khargram, Burwan, Bharatpur–I and Bharatpur–II. Jangipur subdivision consists of Jangipur municipality, Dhulian
Dhulian
Dhulian is a city and a municipality in Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is located between the Ganges and the Hooghly canal....
municipality and seven community development blocks: Raghnathganj–I, Raghnathganj–II, Suti–I, Suti–II, Samserganj, Sagardighi and Farakka. There are 26 police stations, 26 development blocks, 7 municipalities, 254 gram panchayat
Gram panchayat
Gram panchayats are local self-governments at the village or small town level in India. As of 2002 there were about 265,000 gram panchayats in India. The gram panchayat is the foundation of the Panchayat System. A gram panchayat can be set up in villages with minimum population of 300...
s and 1937 villages in this district.
Assembly constituencies
The district is divided into 19 assembly constituencies (AC):Farakka
Farakka (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Farakka is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #50), Aurangabad
Aurangabad (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Aurangabad was an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal. As a consequence of the orders of the Delimitation Commission, Aurangabad ceases to exist from 2011...
(AC #51), Suti
Suti (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Suti is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #52), Sagardighi
Sagardighi (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Sagardighi is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is an open seat now but was earlier reserved for scheduled castes.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #53), Jangipur
Jangipur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Jangipur is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #54), Lalgola
Lalgola (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Lalgola is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #55), Bhagabangola
Bhagabangola (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Bhagabangola is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #56), Nabagram
Nabagram (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Nabagram is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The seat is reserved for scheduled castes. It was earlier an open seat.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #57), Murshidabad
Murshidabad (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Murshidabad is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #58), Jalangi
Jalangi (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Jalangi is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #59), Domkal
Domkal (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Domkal is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#60), Naoda
Naoda (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Naoda is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#61), Hariharpara
Hariharpara (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Hariharpara is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#62), Berhampore
Baharampur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Baharampur is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#63), Beldanga
Beldanga (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Beldanga is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#64), Kandi
Kandi (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Kandi is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#65), Khargram
Khargram (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Khargram is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The seat is reserved for scheduled castes.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#66), Barwan
Burwan (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Burwan is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The seat is reserved for scheduled castes. It was an open seat earlier.-Extent:...
(AC#67) and Bharatpur
Bharatpur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Bharatpur is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#68). The constituencies of Sagardighi and Khargram are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates.
Farakka, Aurangabad, Suti, Sagardihi, Jangipur, Nabagram and Khargram assembly segments formed the Jangipur (Lok Sabha constituency)
Jangipur (Lok Sabha constituency)
Jangipur is a parliamentary constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Assembly segments:...
. Lalgola, Bhagabangola, Murshidabad, Jalangi, Hariharpara and Mayureswar constituencies were part of the Murshidabad (Lok Sabha constituency)
Murshidabad (Lok Sabha constituency)
Murshidabad is a parliamentary constituency in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India.-Assembly segments:As per order of the Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in the West Bengal, parliamentary constituency no. 11 Murshidabad is composed of the following...
, which also contained the Karimpur assembly constituency from the Nadia district
Nadia District
Nadia district is a district of the state of West Bengal, in the north east of India. It borders with Bangladesh to the east, North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts to the south, Bardhaman district to the west, and Murshidabad district to the north....
. Naoda, Berhampore, Beldanga, Kandi, Barwan and Bharatpur were part of the Berhampore (Lok Sabha constituency)
Berhampore (Lok Sabha constituency)
Baharampur is one of the 543 parliamentary constituencies in India. The constituency centres on Baharampur in West Bengal.-Assembly segments:...
, which also contained the Ketugram assembly constituency from the Bardhaman district
Bardhaman District
'Bardhaman district is a district in West Bengal. The headquarter of the district is Bardhaman, though it houses other important industrial towns like Durgapur and Asansol...
.
Impact of delimitation of constituencies
As per order of the Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in the West Bengal, the district will be divided into 22 assembly constituencies: FarakkaFarakka (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Farakka is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #55), Samserganj
Samserganj (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Samserganj is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Aurangabad in the area ceases to exist from 2011...
(AC #56), Suti
Suti (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Suti is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #57), Jangipur
Jangipur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Jangipur is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #58), Raghunathganj
Raghunathganj (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Raghunathganj is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Aurangabad in the area ceases to exist from 2011...
(AC #59), Sagardighi
Sagardighi (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Sagardighi is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is an open seat now but was earlier reserved for scheduled castes.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #60), Lalgola
Lalgola (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Lalgola is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #61), Bhagabangola
Bhagabangola (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Bhagabangola is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #62), Raninagar
Raninagar (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Raninagar is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The Raninagar assembly seat existed for a short period in 1957 and 1962. It was revived in 2011.-Extent:...
(AC #63), Murshidabad
Murshidabad (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Murshidabad is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #64), Nabagram
Nabagram (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Nabagram is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The seat is reserved for scheduled castes. It was earlier an open seat.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #65), Khargram
Khargram (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Khargram is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The seat is reserved for scheduled castes.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#66), Burwan
Burwan (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Burwan is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The seat is reserved for scheduled castes. It was an open seat earlier.-Extent:...
(AC#67), Kandi
Kandi (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Kandi is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#68), Bharatpur
Bharatpur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Bharatpur is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#69), Rejinagar
Rejinagar (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Rejinagar is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It came in to existence in 2011, as per orders of the Delimitation Commission.-Extent:...
(AC#70), Beldanga
Beldanga (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Beldanga is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#71), Baharampur
Baharampur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Baharampur is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#72), Hariharpara
Hariharpara (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Hariharpara is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#73), Naoda
Naoda (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Naoda is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#74), Domkal
Domkal (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Domkal is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC#75) and Jalangi
Jalangi (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
Jalangi is an assembly constituency in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Extent:As per orders of the Delimitation Commission, No...
(AC #76). Nabagram, Khargram and Burwan constituencies will be reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates.
Farakka and Samserganj will be part of the newly formed Maldaha Dakshin (Lok Sabha constituency)
Maldaha Dakshin (Lok Sabha constituency)
Maldaha Dakshin is one of the 543 parliamentary constituencies in India. The constituency is in Malda district in West Bengal...
. Suti, Jangipur, Raghunathganj, Sagardighi, Lalgola, Nabagram and Khargram assembly segments will form the Jangipur (Lok Sabha constituency). Burwan, Kandi, Bharatpur, Rejinagar, Beldanga, Baharampur and Naoda constituencies will form the Baharampur (Lok Sabha constituency). Bhagabangola, Raninagar, Murshidabad, Hariharpara, Domkal and Jalanagi will be part of the Murshidabad (Lok Sabha constituency), which will also contain the Karimpur assembly constituency from the Nadia district.
Delimitation was made effective for all elections in the state of West Bengal that was to be held on or after 19 February 2008.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census2011 census of India
The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, houselisting and population enumeration. Houselisting phase began on April 1, 2010 and involved collection of information about all buildings...
has a population
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
of 7,102,430 , roughly equal to the nation of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
or the US state of Washington. This gives it a ranking of 9th in India (out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). The district has a population density of 1334 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
Family planning in India
Family planning in India is based on efforts largely sponsored by the Indian government. In the 1965-2009 period, contraceptive usage has more than tripled and the fertility rate has more than halved , but the national fertility rate is still high enough to cause long-term population growth...
over the decade 2001-2011 was 21.07 %. Murshidabad has a sex ratio
Sex ratio
Sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
of 957 females
Women in India
The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful...
for 1000 every males, and a literacy rate
Literacy in India
Literacy in India is key for socio-economic progress, and the Indian literacy rate grew to 74.04% in 2011 from 12% at the end of British rule in 1947. Although this was a greater than sixfold improvement, the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84%, and India currently has the...
of 67.53 %.
India census
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
, Murshidabad district had a population of 5,863,717 with a sex ratio
Sex ratio
Sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
of 952. A 23.70% growth of population and an increase of sex ratio by nine were noted since the previous census of 1991. The district has an area of 5324 km² (2,055.6 sq mi) and a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 1101 /km2 as per 2001 census data. The following table summarises the population distribution:
| Rural/Urban | Area | Persons | Males | Females | Population density | Sex ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 5324 km² (2,055.6 sq mi) | 3,015,422 | 1,546,633 | 1,468,789 | 1101 /km2 | 952 |
| Rural | 5195.11 km² (2,005.8 sq mi) | 2,757,002 | 1,414,097 | 1,342,905 | 988 /km2 | 949 |
| Urban | 128.89 km² (49.8 sq mi) | 258,420 | 132,536 | 125,884 | 5682 km² (2,193.8 sq mi) |
Language
The language of the district is BengaliBengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
. The dialect is more or less the same as spoken in south Bengal, with occasional local accents.
Religion
According to cencus 2001.Muslims are 63.67%of the district's population and Hindus are 35.92% of the district's population.Scheduled cast people constiute 13.5% of the district population.
Tourism
The district, especially Murshidabad town is very important in Bengal's history. The place draws a good number of tourists every year.The Hazarduari Palace
The Hazarduari Palace, or the palace with a thousand doors is the chief tourist attraction of Murshidabad. This three-storey palace was built in 1837 by Duncan McLeod for the Nawab Najim Humaun Jah, descendent of Mir Zafar. It has thousand doors (among which only 900 are real) and 114 rooms and 8 galleries, built in European architectural style. The total area of Hazarduari Palace is 41 acres (165,921.3 m²). It is now a museum and has an exquisite collection of armoury, splendid paintings, exhaustive portraits of the Nawabs, various works of art including beautiful works of ivory (Murshidabad school) of China (European) and many other valuables. The Armoury has 2700 arms in its collections of which only few are displayed. Swords used by Shiraj-ud-Daulla and his grandfather, Nawab Alivardi Khan, can be seen here. The other attractions in this floor are Vintage Cars and Fittan Cars used by the Nawabs and their families.Madina
Between the palace and the Imambara is a small mosque, ‘Madina’, with colourful tiled verandahs. The Mosque has an ornamented replica of Hazrat Muhammad (SM)'s tomb at Madina.Wasef Manzil and other buildings and sites
Around the palace are other attractions like the Wasef Manzil (the New Palace) by the bank of the Ganga, Tripolia Gate, the Dakshin Darwaza, the Chak Darwaza, the Imambara, the Gharighar (the Clock Tower), the Bachchawali Tope (a canon) and the Madina, the only surviving structure built by Siraj-ud-Doula. The Bachchawali Tope (canon) was made between the 12th and the 14th century, probably by the Muslim rulers of Gaur, and required about 18 kg of gun powder for a single shelling.The Royal Library
The library containing rare collections is not accessible to the public unless special permission is obtained. The building, rectangular on plan (424 feet Long and 200 feet (61 m) broad and 80 feet (24.4 m) high). The Palace was used for holding the "Durbar" or meetings and other official work of the Nawabs and also as the residence of the high ranking British Officials.Festivals
Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha (Bakri-eid, locally) are prominent festivities in this district. The eateries and the bus stands wear a deserted look during RamadanRamadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, the month when Muslims fast. On the day of Ashura
Day of Ashura
The Day of Ashura is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram.It is commemorated by Shia Muslims as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on 10...
during the month of Muharram
Muharram
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited...
processions are taken out to commemorate the deaths of Imam Hassan and Imam Hussein, the grandsons of Muhammed.
Durga Puja
Durga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
, a five day long puja, is the most important festival of the Hindus.
Notable personalities
- Ram Brahma SanyalRam Brahma SanyalRam Brahma Sanyal was the first superintendent of the Alipore Zoological Gardens in Kolkata . He was a pioneer in captive breeding, and was one of the first zookeepers with a training as a biologist...
, naturalist - Byomkes ChakrabartiByomkes ChakrabartiDr. Byomkes Chakrabarti was a Bengali research worker on ethnic languages. He was also a renowned educationist and a poet. His major contribution to linguistics was in finding out some basic relationship between Santali and the Bengali language...
, linguist - Ramendra Sundar TribediRamendra Sundar Tribedi-Life:He was born at Jemo situated at Kandi subdivision of Murshidabad. From the very first class, Ramendra Sundar Tribedi stood first. After obtaining his B.Sc...
, author - Mahasweta DeviMahasweta DeviMahasweta Devi is an Indian social activist and writer.- Biography :Mahasweta Devi was born in 1926 in Dhaka, to literary parents in a Hindu Brahmin family. Her father Manish Ghatak was a well known poet and novelist of the Kallol era, who used the pseudonym Jubanashwa...
, author
See also
- Birbhum districtBirbhum districtBirbhum district is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the three administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is located at Suri...
- Malda districtMalda districtMalda district is a district of West Bengal, India. It lies 347 km north of Kolkata, the state capital. Mango and silk are notable products of this district. The special variety of mango produced in this region, popularly known by the name of the district, is exported across the world and...
- Bardhaman districtBardhaman District'Bardhaman district is a district in West Bengal. The headquarter of the district is Bardhaman, though it houses other important industrial towns like Durgapur and Asansol...
- Nadia districtNadia DistrictNadia district is a district of the state of West Bengal, in the north east of India. It borders with Bangladesh to the east, North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts to the south, Bardhaman district to the west, and Murshidabad district to the north....
- BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...