 | This article mayrequirecleanup to meet Wikipedia'squality standards. The specific problem is:Usage of British Raj Era sources, not considered reliable in Wikipedia per consensus.https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.48076/page/n1/mode/2up]. Please helpimprove this article if you can.(March 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Hardoi district | |
|---|---|
 Monument toNarpati Singh inHardoi | |
 Location of Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| Division | Lucknow |
| Headquarters | Hardoi |
| Tehsils | Hardoi,Shahabad,Sandila,Bilgram andSawayajpur. |
| Government | |
| • Lok Sabha MP | Jay Prakash Rawat |
| • Vidhan Sabha constituencies | 8 |
| Area | |
• Total | 5,947 km2 (2,296 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 4,092,845 |
| • Density | 688.2/km2 (1,782/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 541,806 |
| Demographics | |
| • Literacy | 64.6% |
| • Sex ratio | 856 |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| Website | hardoi |
Hardoi district is adistrict situated in the center ofUttar Pradesh,India. The district headquarters is in the city ofHardoi. Hardoi is the third largest district of Uttar Pradesh. It falls underLucknow division in the historical region ofAwadh State.
As of the2011 census, the total population of Hardoi district is 4,092,845 people, in 730,442 households.[2] It is the 13th-most populous district in Uttar Pradesh.[2]
The present-day Hardoi district was created by the British after their takeover of Awadh in 1856.[3] At the time ofAkbar in the 1500s, the area of the modern district was divided between thesarkars ofLucknow andKhairabad.[3] Fivemahals were in Lucknow sarkar:Sandila,Mallanwan, Kachhandao, "Garanda" (probably a miscopying ofGundwa), andBilgram.[3] TheAin-i-Akbari does list a mahal of Hardoi in Lucknow district, but this was referring to theHardoi in modernRae Bareli district instead of the one in Hardoi district.[3] As for the sarkar of Khairabad, the mahals ofGopamau, Sara,Bawan,Sandi,Pali, and Barwar-Anjana were either partially or entirely in the territory of modern Hardoi district.[3]
In the following centuries, the administrative setup in the area underwent various changes.[3] Thepargana ofBalamau was formed out of Sandila around the end of Akbar's reign, and it included an area of 42 villages cleared from the jungle by aKurmi named Balai.[3] The pargana of Barwan was also established at an early date, being split off from Sandi.[3]Kalyanmal became a separate pargana during the reign ofAurangzeb, when a fort was built there; it had previously been part of Gundwa.[3]Shahabad became a pargana in 1745, almost 70 years after the town itself was established; it was split off from the pargana of Pali.[3] Pachhoha was separated from Pali to become a pargana in about 1840.[3] The pargana ofKatiari was formed in the early 1800s by taking some areas belonging to Sandi and some belonging to Pali, and the small pargana ofSaromannagar was created in 1803 from parts of Pali and parts of Sara.[3]Mansurnagar was created in 1806 from parts of Sara and Gopamau.[3]Bangar was split off from Bilgram in 1807, when the lowlands (kachh) and uplands (bangar) of Bilgram were separated.[3] Finally, Barwar-Anjana was entirely dismantled in 1703 and replaced with 9 smaller parganas, includingPindwara,Pihani, andAlamnagar.[3]
Under theNawabs of Awadh, the area of present-day Hardoi district was divided into several differentchaklas.[3] Sandila became a chakla in 1821, consisting of the parganas of Sandila, Mallanwan, Kachhandao, andMalihabad (the last of which is now inLucknow district).[3]
Hardoi district was first formed after the British annexed Awadh in February 1856, and it was originally calledMallanwan district because its headquarters were at Mallanwan.[3] After the1857 uprising the seat was moved to Hardoi due to its more central location.[3]
At that time, Hardoi district consisted of fourtehsils: Shahabad, Hardoi, Bilgram, and Sandila.[3] Shahabad tehsil contained eight parganas: Shahabad, Pali, Pachhoha, Saromannagar, Barwan, Mansurnagar, Alamnagar, and Pindarwa-Pihani.[3] Hardoi tehsil contained the parganas of Bangar, Gopamau, Sara, and Bawan.[3] Bilgram tehsil contained the parganas of Bilgram, Mallanwan, Kachhandao, Sandi, and Katiari; and finally,Sandila tehsil comprised the four parganas of Sandila, Gundwa, Kalyanmal, and Balamau.[3]
In 1869, Sara pargana was divided into Sara North and Sara South, and Sara North was transferred into Shahabad tehsil, while at the same time Barwan was transferred into Hardoi tehsil.[3]
Hardoi is the westernmost district ofAwadh.[3] Its eastern border is formed by theGomti River, which separates it fromSitapur andLakhimpur Kheri districts.[3] To the south, it bordersLucknow andUnnao districts.[3] On the west, its border is formed partly by theSendha river until it joins theRamganga, and then the district border cuts south to theGanges, which then forms the western boundary the rest of the way.[3]
There are two main geographic divisions of Hardoi district: thekachh or lowlands in the west and thebangar or uplands in the east.[3] The dividing line between them is a high bank of barren sandhills on the east side of theGarra basin, running north–south in the western part of the district.[3]
In the east, a broad upland belt with sandy soil overlooks the Gomti.[3] Between them and the river, there is a small area oftarai lowlands with mostly poor sandy soil, some of which is covered by swamps.[3] The uplands are characterised by rolling sandhills, which are often covered with tufts ofmunj grass several meters tall.[3] These hills are otherwise dry and barren, and they present a constant hazard to the farms below them because they are liable to shift during high winds.[3] They are most prominent in the area around Gopamau.[3] The sandy ridges are broken up by steep ravines, which drain the water that collects in lower-lying areas to the west.[3] In some of those depressions, there are large reedy swamps.[3]
Further west is theSai valley, which consists of alternating patches of loamy and clayey soil.[3] There are many depressions andjhils, stretches of barrenusar land, and, historically, scattered patches ofdhak jungle.[3] Especially in the north, the banks of the Sai were in many places heavily forested.[3] Further south, both banks of the Sai are high and sandy, although here it is much more fertile than along the Gomti.[3] Between them and the river itself, there are narrow strips of tarai lowlands, vulnerable to flooding.[3]
The western border of the bangar uplands is formed by another high bank of barren sandhills, which mark the eastern part of the Garra basin and may have once done the same for the Ganges.[3] This bank is narrow, scoured by many ravines, and slopes steeply down to the kachh lowlands on the west.[3] These lowlands are traversed by many rivers and streams, and they are prone to flooding and often covered by marshes.[3] Continuing westward, the final river that crosses the kachh is the mighty Ganges, whose course often shifts around in its extremely wide bed.[3] The annual floods cover this entire lowlying area, depositing a sandy soil which is less conducive to agriculture than the more loamy deposits of the Garra and Ramganga.[3]
Hardoi district was once heavily wooded, especially in the upland areas, but by the turn of the 20th century much of this had been cleared, mostly since the 1870s.[3] The remaining jungle at that time was described as mostly dhak,karaunda, and scrub, with other trees such as thebargad,pipal,pakar,shisham, andneem being much less common and "mere relics of the old jungles."[3]
The geology of Hardoi district is fairly unremarkable, with most of the district being covered in Gangeticalluvium like the rest of the Awadh region.[3] In the eastern parts of the district, the surface soil is a reddish clay with an average depth of about 8 feet.[3] Below that is black clay, which is 2 to 10 feet deep.[3] Below that is sandy soil, either grey, white, or yellow and unmixed with clay.[3] In the Sai basin, the sandy layer is closer to the surface; above it is sandy clay, and at the top is a thin layer of yellow clay.[3] For three miles on either side of the Sai, the surface is pure sand.[3] Around the jhils near Pipri, the bottom sandy layer gives way to a bluish, sandy clay, possibly marking an ancient river channel.[3]
Theblackbuck is a common site all throughout the district, especially in the area around Gopamau and along the sandy banks of the Gomti.[3]wolves are also sometimes seen in the ravines along the Gomti and other rivers in the district, but not in especially large numbers.[3]Nilgais are most common in the tamarisk jungles around Dharampur between the Ganga and Ramganga, but they are also found in the larger dhak jungles to the east and northeast.[3] Rarely,leopards are seen in the jungles north ofPihani.[3] Thechital, or spotted deer, was once fairly common in the area, but by the early 20th century it had "practically disappeared".[3] Thefour-horned antelope was also formerly native to the area, but the last one known was shot by hunters in 1865.[3]Jackals andhares are very common.[3]
Common birds in the district include thegrey partridge andquail.[3] Theblack partridge is also found in the grass jungles along the Gomti, as well as a few other scattered areas.[3] During colder months,snipe are also a common sight.[3]Geese andducks inhabit the district's various jhils.[3]
Sandi Bird Sanctuary is a freshwater marsh and wildlife sanctuary located in Hardoi district, 19 km from the city of Hardoi.[4] It is typical of wetlands in the Indo-Gangetic plains and receives most of its water from monsoon rains.[4] Rich in aquatic plant life and home to a large population ofwaterfowl, the sanctuary is managed jointly by the Office of the Conservator of Forests and local forest and wildlife officials.[4] It is a popular recreation spot and tourist destination.[4] The sanctuary is vulnerable to drought; in 2014 and 2015 it was dry, and the local bird population declined precipitously.[4] It was designated as aRamsar site on 26 September 2019.[4]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 1,092,236 | — |
| 1911 | 1,120,542 | +0.26% |
| 1921 | 1,083,727 | −0.33% |
| 1931 | 1,126,750 | +0.39% |
| 1941 | 1,239,083 | +0.95% |
| 1951 | 1,361,562 | +0.95% |
| 1961 | 1,573,171 | +1.46% |
| 1971 | 1,849,519 | +1.63% |
| 1981 | 2,274,929 | +2.09% |
| 1991 | 2,747,082 | +1.90% |
| 2001 | 3,398,306 | +2.15% |
| 2011 | 4,092,845 | +1.88% |
| source:[5] | ||
According to the2011 census Hardoi district has apopulation of 4,092,845,[1] roughly equal to the nation ofLebanon[6] or the US state ofOregon.[7] This gives it a ranking of 51st in India (out of a total of640).[1] The district has a population density of 683 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,770/sq mi) .[1] Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 20.39%.[1] Hardoi has asex ratio of 868females for every 1000 males (the 62nd-highest ratio in Uttar Pradesh) and aliteracy rate of 64.6%.(51st in the state). 13.24% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes made up 31.14% of the population.[2] Additionally, 15.9% of the district's population is in the 0-6 age group as of 2011.[2]
In 1901, the population of Hardoi district was 1,092,834 and Hardoi had 12,174 inhabitants. By the time, the main city wasShahabad with 20,036 inhabitants,Mallanwan 11,158.[3]
The predominant language spoken in Hardoi district is theKannauji dialect of Hindi.[3] This sets it apart from the other districts in Awadh, where theAwadhi dialect is spoken.[3] However, in the eastern parts of Hardoi district, the form of Kannauji spoken is very close to the form of Awadhi spoken in neighbouring Unnao and Sitapur districts.[3]
At the time of the2011 Census of India, 97.43% of the population in the district spokeHindi (or a related language) and 2.45%Urdu as their first language.[8]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | 85.71% | |||
| Islam | 13.59% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.70% | |||
| Distribution of religions | ||||
The majority of Hardoi district's population areHindus.[9] The proportion of Hindus in the district is high for Awadh, but lower than some districts such asUnnao,Raebareli, andPratapgarh.[9] Most Hindus in Hardoi district do not belong to any particular sect, which have relatively few followers compared to other districts.[3][better source needed]Muslims are most numerous in the district's old historic towns, although they are still usually in the minority there.[9]Shahabad andSandila are home to high proportions of Muslims, while inHardoi itself the proportion is lower.[9] Over 90% of the district's Muslims practiceSunni Islam; the proportion that practicesShia Islam is somewhat higher than average for the region, but not especially so.[3][better source needed]
Hardoi district is divided into fivetehsils - Hardoi,Shahabad,Sawayajpur,Bilgram, andSandila.[2] These tehsils consist of 19 blocks (Ahrori,Hariyawan,Sursa,Shahabad,Bharkhani,Bharawan,Harpalpur,Bilgram,Madhoganj,Mallawan,Tadiyawan,Tondarpur,Kothwan,Sandila,Behadar,Pihani,Sandi,Kachhauna,Bawan).[2] The district has 1,101gram panchayats and 2,070 revenue villages (1,907 of them are inhabited and 163 are uninhabited).[2] There are also 191Nyaya panchayats.
The district has 13 towns, including 7Nagar Palika Parishads (municipal boards) and 6Nagar Panchayats.[2] There was previously also thecensus town ofSom, but it was reclassified as a village for the 2011 census.[2] The current towns in the district are listed below:[2]
| Town name | Classification | Tehsil | Population (in 2011) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shahabad | Nagar Palika Parishad | Shahabad | 80,226 |
| Pihani | Nagar Palika Parishad | Shahabad | 36,014 |
| Pali | Nagar Panchayat | Sawayajpur | 18,708 |
| Gopamau | Nagar Panchayat | Hardoi | 15,526 |
| Hardoi | Nagar Palika Parishad | Hardoi | 197,029 |
| Sandi | Nagar Palika Parishad | Bilgram | 26,007 |
| Bilgram | Nagar Palika Parishad | Bilgram | 29,768 |
| Madhoganj | Nagar Panchayat | Bilgram | 11,523 |
| Mallawan | Nagar Palika Parishad | Bilgram | 36,915 |
| Kursath | Nagar Panchayat | Bilgram | 5,924 |
| Kachhauna Patseni | Nagar Panchayat | Sandila | 15,647 |
| Beniganj | Nagar Panchayat | Sandila | 10,173 |
| Sandila | Nagar Palika Parishad | Sandila | 58,346 |
This district is a district of the Lucknow Commissionary in Uttar Pradesh Province of India, it is situated in between 26-53 to 27-46 north latitude and 79-41 to 80-46 east longitude. Its north border touchesShahjahanpur district andLakhimpur Kheri district. Lucknow (capital of U.P.) andUnnao are situated at the southern border. The western border touchesKanpur (industrial city of U.P.) andFarrukhabad district and on the eastern border theGomati River separates the district from theSitapur district. 'Nemisharayan, the Pilgrim ofDvapara Yuga (3rd age)' is just 45 km from district headquarters. The length of this district from northwest to southeast is 125.529 km and width from east to west is 74.83 km., the area 5947 km2.[citation needed]
Currently, Neeraj Kumar Jadaun is thesupreintendent of police of the district. The district is divided into 6 circles headed by theCircle Officer (CO), and 26police stations, including one mahila thana in the district headed by thestation house officer (SHO) ofUttar Pradesh Police.
In 2006 theMinistry of Panchayati Raj named Hardoi one of the country's 250most backward districts (out of a total of640).[10] It is one of the 34 districts in Awadh, Uttar Pradesh currently receiving funds from theBackward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).[10]
Historical places in the district include:
Notable people from the district include:
Lebanon 4,143,101 July 2011 est.
Oregon 3,831,074
Places adjacent to Hardoi district | |
|---|---|
27°25′N80°15′E / 27.417°N 80.250°E /27.417; 80.250
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
