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Hansot | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Hansot Location in Gujarat, India | |
| Coordinates:21°35′0″N72°48′0″E / 21.58333°N 72.80000°E /21.58333; 72.80000 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Gujarat |
| District | Bharuch |
| Population | |
• Total | 12,525 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Gujarati, HansotiUrdu,Hindi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Telephone code | 912646 |
| Nearest city | Ankleshwar |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Bharuch |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Ankleshwar |
| Website | hansot |
Hansot is a village inBharuch district,Southern Gujarat,[1]India. It is about 15.0 km (9.3 miles) southwest of the city ofBharuch, and south of theNarmada River. The village and its surroundingtaluka were acquired by the British in 1775, and subsequently returned to the local princely rulers in 1783, being finally incorporated into theBroach district of theBombay Presidency in 1803.[2][3]
Hansot was once a small village known as 'Hansnagari' during theBritish colonial era. Soon, it grew into a town, and now, it stands as a Taaluka with a population of about 15,000. For the period, Gregorian centuries 16, 17 and 18.[1] InAin-i-Akbari, it is mentioned as amahal headquarters, and a port ofsarkar Broach. InMirat-i-Ahmadi, it is mentioned as amahal headquarters.
In medieval times Hansot was an important port. DuringMughal era they used to travel toEgypt,Africa and severalArab countries from here for trade. During this period landlords and rich people owned huge mansions due to which Hansot was known as a very prosperous town. Because of its prosperity many traders were robbed bypaganSouth Asianpirates at sea as well as in the town. Around 1600 C.E. Mughal emperor Jahangir, in leadership ofChauhans from Aamer (Rajasthan) sent an army with back up fromSindhis of Karachi on the naval front.
Hansot is located around 20.0 km (12.4 miles) from where the Narmada river merges with theArabian Sea. It is the largest village betweenSurat andAnkleshwar. Ankleshwar isAsia's largest industrial estate, and one of 190 industrial complexes inGujarat's "Golden Corridor", so called because of the money brought by rapid development, and an industrial belt running fromVapi at the southern end of Gujarat toMahesana, about 270 miles (430 km) to the north, located 20.0 km (12.4 miles) west from Hansot.Surat City is 51.0 km (31.7 miles) from Hansot.
It has modern amenities, including electricity, telephone, bus station, primary and higher secondary schools, hospitals and libraries. An attraction in Hansot is theDargah (Tomb) of a MuslimSufi Sheikh known as "Hazrat Mansur Shah Urf Chotumiyan." An annualUrs (Death Anniversary) attracts up to 350,000 people of all faiths. The people seek shelter in the complex of the dargah and are fed throughout the course of three days. Farming is the main occupation and many people migrate to find jobs. Since theNarmada river is nearby, Hansot is also famous for its fish.
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Hansot's Taluka consists of 52 villages. The word 'Taluka' means 'jurisdiction'. Several areas come under Hansot Taluka:[3][4]
After a hard day's work, the men traditionally retired to rest, often signified by adoption of thesarong-likeLungi. This indicatessouthern Arabian (Hadhramawti) orMalay influences. A romantic passion forracing horses on the days ofEid, from the ancient historicEid Gah[6] and across the beaches washed by theArabian Sea. This indicates Arabian andMughal influences.
The language is anarchaic proto-Urdu one, being neither completely in the camp of standard northern DelhiUrdu, nor southernDakhni Urdu. It is said by some to belong to the middle zone i.e. "Bombay Urdu", as with related cognates.[7] The language has defiantly retainedArabic andTurkic words, neither of which exist in many laterUrdu standardisations. It has also picked up words from regional Indic languages, such as from theBombay dialect from northern to southern regions. As Hansotis are often seen as a rather independent and clannish community, with words being altered, the services of the professional academic would not go amiss. Notable words areSabāh (Subah, morning), Kāti, Kāikélyèh (Kis liye, what reason),Baydāh (egg), Māndāh (Bimar, sick),Lawar (food), Choolāh (Stove), Gokhlay, cho (Chai, tea), Ka Jatay (kaha chala, where are you going).
Hansotis are a cosmopolitan array of ethnicities divided into two main groups:Muslims andHindus. Their surnames are multi-layered reflecting their complex histories, and include amongst others,Shaikh (Sheikh),Pathan, Malek (Malik),Khwaja,Patel,Munshi,Mujad, Chauhan[8] andKanuga. These people, who number 6,000, are thusGujarati Muslims, by heritage and geographical origin.
