The area of the modern district was historically a part ofAukh, the homeland of theAukhs Chechens (one of the nine Chechentukkhums). During the Soviet times, it was incorporated asAukh District of theChechen-Ingush ASSR and included the territories of modern Novolaksky District along with parts ofKazbekovsky andKhasavyurtovsky Districts. In 1944, when theChechens were deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan, Aukh District was split, and Avars, Laks, Russians, and Kumyks were moved in to replace the deported Chechen population. Novolaksky District was resettled mainly by Laks (hence the name "Novolaksky"; literally "New Lak District"), but some Russians and Avars were settled there too. The mainly Chechen toponyms were replaced with Russian, Avar, and Lak ones.
When the Chechens began returning in 1957, conflicts erupted, as they found others literally living in their houses. Fortunately, the two sides came to an understanding. Neither Laks nor Chechens had much hatred for the other side, and both blamed Moscow for the conflict rather. Chechens understood that Laks had been forced against their will to move there, and did not want to be homeless; Laks understood that Aukh was the Chechens' historical home and they had nowhere else to go. The conflict is still being solved currently by the government of Dagestan with the help of local governments. Laks are being resettled, village by village, to the marsh north of Makhachkala, and Chechen names and the Chechen ownership have been restored to many villages. The process, however, is not complete, and there is still room for pitfalls in the negotiation process. Furthermore, there is still the problem of the Avar-settled former Chechen villages.
^Всесоюзная перепись населения 1979 г. Национальный состав населения по регионам России [All Union Population Census of 1979. Ethnic composition of the population by regions of Russia](XLS).Всесоюзная перепись населения 1979 года [All-Union Population Census of 1979] (in Russian). 1979 – viaDemoscope Weekly (website of the Institute of Demographics of the State University—Higher School of Economics.
^Федеральная служба государственной статистики. Федеральное агентство по технологическому регулированию и метрологии. №ОК 033-2013 1 января 2014 г. «Общероссийский классификатор территорий муниципальных образований. Код 82 639». (Federal State Statistics Service. Federal Agency on Technological Regulation and Metrology. #OK 033-2013 January 1, 2014Russian Classification of Territories of Municipal Formations. Code 82 639. ).
Народное Собрание Республики Дагестан. Закон №16 от 10 апреля 2002 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Республики Дагестан», в ред. Закона №106 от 30 декабря 2013 г. «О внесении изменений в некоторые законодательные акты Республики Дагестан». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Дагестанская правда", №81, 12 апреля 2002 г. (People's Assembly of the Republic of Dagestan. Law #16 of April 10, 2002On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Republic of Dagestan, as amended by the Law #106 of December 30, 2013On Amending Various Legislative Acts of the Republic of Dagestan. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
Народное Собрание Республики Дагестан. Закон №6 от 13 января 2005 г. «О статусе и границах муниципальных образований Республики Дагестан», в ред. Закона №43 от 30 апреля 2015 г. «О статусе городского округа с внутригородским делением "Город Махачкала", статусе и границах внутригородских районов в составе городского округа с внутригородским делением "Город Махачкала" и о внесении изменений в отдельные законодательные акты Республики Дагестан». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Дагестанская правда", №8, 15 февраля 2005 г. (People's Assembly of the Republic of Dagestan. Law #6 of January 13, 2005On the Status and Borders of the Municipal Formations of the Republic of Dagestan, as amended by the Law #43 of April 30, 2015On the Status of the "City of Makhachkala" Urban Okrug with Intra-Urban Divisions, the Status and the Borders of the Intra-City Districts Comprising the "City of Makhachkala" Urban Okrug with Intra-Urban Divisions, and on Amending Various Legislative Acts of the Republic of Dagestan. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).