’Hansanagari’ but well known as Hansot is a village in Bharuch district, Southern Gujarat,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is about southwest of the city of

Bharuch Bharuch (), formerly known as Broach, is a city at the mouth of the river Narmada in Gujarat in western India. Bharuch is the administrative headquarters of Bharuch District. The city of Bharuch and surroundings have been settled since tim ...

, and south of the Narmada River. The village and its surrounding ''

taluka A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

'' were acquired by the British in 1775, and subsequently returned to the local princely rulers in 1783, being finally incorporated into the Broach district of the

Bombay Presidency The Bombay Presidency or Bombay Province, also called Bombay and Sind (1843–1936), was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India, with its capital in the city that came up over the seven islands of Bombay. The first mainl ...

in 1803..

History

Hansot was once a small village known as 'Hansnagari' during the British colonial era. Soon, it grew into a town, and now, it stands as a Taluka with a population of about 15,000. For the period, Gregorian centuries 16, 17 and 18. In

Ain-i-Akbari The ''Ain-i-Akbari'' ( fa, ) or the "Administration of Akbar", is a 16th-century detailed document recording the administration of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abu'l Fazl in the Persian language. It for ...

, it is mentioned as a ''mahal'' headquarters, and a port of ''sarkar'' Broach. In Mirat-i-Ahmadi, it is mentioned as a ''mahal'' headquarters. History of Hansot In medieval times Hansot was an important port. During

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

era they used to travel to

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and several

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

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 by

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...

pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

at sea as well as in the town. Around 1600 C.E. Mughal emperor Jahangir, in leadership of Chauhans from Aamer (Rajasthan) sent an army with back up from Sindhis of Karachi on the naval front.

Geography

Hansot is located around from where the Narmada river merges with the

Arabian sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...

. It is the largest village between

Surat Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is now ...

and Ankleshwar. Ankleshwar is

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

's largest industrial estate, and one of 190 industrial complexes in Gujarat's "Golden Corridor", so called because of the money brought by rapid development, and an industrial belt running from

Vapi Vapi ( IAST: vāpī,), is a city and municipality in Valsad district in the state of Gujarat, India.It is situated near the banks of the Daman Ganga River, around 28 km south of the district headquarters in the city of Valsad, and it is ...

at the southern end of Gujarat to

Mahesana Mehsana (), also spelled Mahesana, is a city and municipality in Mehsana district, in the Indian state of Gujarat. Established in 14th century, the city was under Gaekwads of Baroda State from 18th century to the independence of India in 194 ...

, about to the north, located west from Hansot.

City is from Hansot.

Economy and infrastructure

It has modern amenities, including electricity, telephone, bus station, primary and higher secondary schools, hospitals and libraries. An attraction in Hansot is the Dargah (Tomb) of a Muslim

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

Sheikh known as "Hazrat Mansur Shah Urf Chotumiyan." An annual

Urs Urs (from ''‘Urs'') or ''Urus'' (literal meaning wedding), is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint, usually held at the saint's dargah (shrine or tomb). In most Sufi orders such as Naqshbandiyyah, Suhrawardiyya, Chishtiyya, Qadiriyya, etc. t ...

(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 the Narmada river is nearby, Hansot is also famous for its fish.

Taluka

Hansot's Taluka consists of 52 villages. The word 'Taluka' means 'jurisdiction'. Several areas come under Hansot Taluka: * Alva or Ilvaa * Ambheta * Aniyandra * Asarma * Balota * Chhilodara * Dantrai * Digas * Ilav (also 'Ilaaw', 'Elav' and 'Elaw'). * Katpor * Kantiajal * Mangrol * Sahol * Shera * Sunevkhurd (nani Sunev) * Sunevkalla (moti Sunev) * Rayma * Ankalva * Utraj * Vaghwan or Waagwan * Valner or Waalner * Vansnali or Waansnoli * Wamleshwar Digas Mothiya

Culture

After a hard day's work, the men traditionally retired to rest, often signified by adoption of the

sarong A sarong or sarung () is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Northern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often has woven plaid o ...

-like Lungi. This indicates

southern Arabia South Arabia () is a historical region that consists of the southern region of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia, mainly centered in what is now the Republic of Yemen, yet it has also historically included Najran, Jizan, Al-Bahah, and 'Asi ...

n (

Hadhramawt Hadhramaut ( ar, حَضْرَمَوْتُ \ حَضْرَمُوتُ, Ḥaḍramawt / Ḥaḍramūt; Hadramautic: 𐩢𐩳𐩧𐩣𐩩, ''Ḥḍrmt'') is a region in South Arabia, comprising eastern Yemen, parts of western Oman and southern Sau ...

i) or

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

influences. A romantic passion for racing horses on the days of Eid, from the ancient historic Eid Gah and across the beaches washed by the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...

. This indicates Arabian and

influences.

Language

The language is an archaic proto-

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Dakhni Urdu. It is said by some to belong to the middle zone i.e. " Bombay Urdu", as with related cognates. The language has defiantly retained

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

and Turkic words, neither of which exist in many later

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Sabāh (Subah, morning) , Kāti, Kāikélyèh (Kis liye, what reason), Baydāh (egg) , Māndāh (Bimar, sick),

Lawar (food) Lawar () is an Indonesian dish created from a mixture of vegetables, coconut and minced meat mixed with rich herbs and spices, originating from Bali, Indonesia. This dish is commonly found in restaurants and warungs in Bali. Despite its rich veg ...

, Choolāh (Stove), Gokhlay, cho (Chai, tea), Ko Jatay (kaha chala, where are you going).

Demographics

Hansotis are a cosmopolitan array of ethnicities divided into two main groups:

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

s and

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

s. Their surnames are multi-layered reflecting their complex histories, and include amongst others, Shaikh (Sheikh), Pathan, Malek (

Malik Malik, Mallik, Melik, Malka, Malek, Maleek, Malick, Mallick, or Melekh ( phn, 𐤌𐤋𐤊; ar, ملك; he, מֶלֶךְ) is the Semitic term translating to "king", recorded in East Semitic and Arabic, and as mlk in Northwest Semitic duri ...

Khwaja Khawaja (Persian: خواجه ''khvâjəh'') is an honorific title used across the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Central Asia, particularly towards Sufi teachers. It is also used by Kashmiri Muslims and the Mizrahi Jews—particula ...

, Patel, Munshi, Mujad, ChauhanSharma, Dasharatha : "Early Chauhan Dynasties" (1959) by S. Chand & Co., Page 14 and Kanuga. These people, who number 6,000, are thus

Gujarati Muslims The term Gujarati Muslim is usually used to signify an Indian Muslim from the state of Gujarat in western coast of India. Most Gujarati Muslims have Gujarati language as their mother tongue, but some communities such as the Momin Ansari, Memons, ...

, by heritage and geographical origin.

Notable people

* Farooq Shaikh, Indian actor for

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

and

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

and popular

Television presenter A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television show, television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for ...

. * Abdul-Ahad Malik, cricketer for

Rajasthan Royals Rajasthan Royals (often abbreviated as RR) are a franchise cricket team based in Jaipur, Rajasthan, that plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Founded in 2008 as one of the initial eight IPL franchises, the team is based at the Sawai Ma ...

. * Sharif Kanuga, Politician

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...

Currently Working As A President Ankleshwar-Hansot Assembly Youth Congress.Won Election with Highest Margin in Bharuch District.Ex Deputy Leader of Opposition Ankleshwar Municipality, State Secretary Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee I.T Cell * Indravadan Ambalal Modi, he was founder member of Cadila labs, now Cadila pharmacy. Currently Cadila pharmacy is an Indian multi-national, pharmaceutical company, having a presence in the niche therapy areas of Gastro, Cardio, Pain management, nutraceutical and now biological products. * Zainul Abedin Munshi, (1920-1975) Hansot born Deputy Secretary (Agriculture), Government of

Sind Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. He was a Professor of Botany, who worked alongside colleagues at

CIMMYT The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (known - even in English - by its Spanish acronym CIMMYT for ''Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo'') is a non-profit research-for-development organization that develops im ...

Mexico with the "Father of the Green Revolution," the Nobel Prize winner Norman Borlaug. The wheat cultivars H68, TJ 558, Mexipak-65 & Pak 70 are an important contribution. Pak.J.Bot..7(2): 89-90,1975

References

{{reflist

External links

Hansot taluka panchayat webpage
(Gujarati language) *

Hansot Plates ’Hansanagari’ but well known as Hansot is a village in Bharuch district, Southern Gujarat, India. It is about southwest of the city of Bharuch, and south of the Narmada River. The village and its surrounding ''taluka'' were acquired by the B ...

Villages in Bharuch district