Bijnor District

Bijnor district is one of the 75 districts in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. Bijnor city is the district headquarters. The government of Uttar Pradesh seeks it to be included in National Capital Region (NCR) due to its close proximity to NCT of Delhi.

Bijnor is notable for its sugarcane production and mills, with two of the top five sugar mills situated in the district.

History

Bijnor district was created in 1817 out of part of Moradabad district, and it was originally called Nagina district after its headquarters at Nagina. The headquarters was relocated to Bijnor in 1824, although the district was still called "Nagina district" until 1837, when it officially became known as Bijnor district.

Medieval history

In 1399, the district was ravaged by Timur. Later, during the time of Akbar, Bijnor was part of his Mughal Empire. In the early 18th century, the Rohilla Pashtuns established their independence in the area called by the Rohilkhand. Around 1748, the Rohilla chief Ali Mohammed Khan made his first annexations in Bijnor, the rest of which soon fell under the Rohilla domination. The northern districts were granted by Ali Mohammed Khan to Khurshid Ahmed Baig, who gradually extended his influence west of the Ganges and at Delhi, receiving the title of Najib-ud-daula with the position of the paymaster of the Mughal forces. Marathas invaded Bijnor who was also instigated by enemies of Rohillas, leading to several battles. Rohilla chief, Najib, who sided with Ahmad Shah Abdali in Panipat, was made vizier of the empire.

Colonial era

In 1772 the Nawab of Oudh made a treaty with the Rohillas, to expel the Marathas in return for a money payment. Nawab of Oudh carried out his part of the bargain, but the Rohilla chieftains refused to pay. In 1774 the Nawab concluded with the East India Company government of Calcutta a treaty of alliance, and he then called upon the British, in accordance with its terms, to supply a brigade to assist him in enforcing his claims against the Rohillas. This was done; in the Rohilla War, the Rohillas were driven beyond the Ganges to the east, and Bijnor was incorporated in the territories of the nawab, who in the same year (1774) ceded it to the British East India Company. During the rebellion of 1857 Bijnor was occupied by the nawab of Najibabad, a grandson of Zabita Khan, on 1 June. The Barha Sayyids of Bijnor, who were hereditary enemies of the Rohillas, threw their in their lot with the Rohillas Pathans and fought on their side almost to a man during the rebellion. In spite of fighting between the Hindus and the Muslim Pathans, the Nawab succeeded in maintaining his position until 21 April 1858, when he was defeated by the British at Nagina.

Geography

Bijnor, or more correctly Bijnaur, occupies the north-west corner of the Moradabad Division (historically, Rohilkhand or Bareilly region).
The western boundary is formed throughout by the deep stream of the river Ganges, beyond which lie the four districts of Dehradun, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, and Meerut. To the north and north-east in the hill country of Garhwal, the dividing line being the submontane road, which runs from Haridwar along the foot of the Himalayas to Ramnagar, Haldwani, and Tanakpur. This road, popularly known as the Kandi Saradk, belongs throughout its length to Garhwal, the transfer having taken place a few years since. On the east the Phika river for the greater part of its course constitutes the boundary, separating this district from Nainital and Moradabad, as far as its junction with the Ramganga; and to the south lie the Thakurdwara Tehsil of Moradabad. Amroha and Hasanpur tahsils of Amroha District. The boundary being conventional and undetermined by natural features. The extreme parallels of north latitude are 29° 2' and 29° 58' and of east longitude 78° 0' and 78° 57' from Lalitpur, the most northerly point, to koti Rao in the furthest eastern corner the distance in 56 miles (90 km); and from Koti Rao to Kamharia in the south-westerly angle 57 miles (92 km); and from Kamharia to Lalitpur 62 miles (100 km). The total area of the district is liable to change slightly from time to time by reason of the erratic action of the Ganges and Ramganga: In 1906 it amounted to 1,145,272 acres (1789.5 square miles, 4634.75 km²) the average for the last five years being 1,147,967 acres (4,645.66 km²).

There remains the low fringe of Khadir along the Ganges to the west. This generally resembles the lowlands that skirt the rivers of the interior, the low flats which adjoin the stream itself being purely alluvial in character, while above them rises a terrace of higher ground extending inland as far as the chain of stagnant morasses lying immediately under the bangar cliff.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Bijnor district has a population of 3,682,713, roughly equal to the nation of Liberia or the US state of Oklahoma. This gives it a ranking of 74th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 17.64%. Bijnor has a sex ratio of 913 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 70.43%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 21.38% and 0.08% of the population respectively.

Religion

Majority of the people of the district follow Hinduism followed closely by adherents of Islam. Sikhism is followed by a little more than one percent of the population. Jainism, Christianity and Buddhism have small number of adherents.

Languages

Hindi and Urdu