Hansot is a village in

Bharuch district Bharuch (formerly commonly known as Broach) in India, is a district in the southern part of the Kathiawar, Kathiawar peninsula on the west coast of state of Gujarat with a size and population comparable to that of Greater Boston. Bharuch derives ...

, Southern Gujarat,

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It is about southwest of the city of

Bharuch Bharuch () 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 times of antiquity. It was a shi ...

, and south of the

Narmada River The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...

. The village and its surrounding ''

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

'' 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 in 1803..

History

Hansot was once a small village known as 'Hansanagari' during the British 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. In

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

, it is mentioned as a ''mahal'' headquarters, and a port of ''sarkar'' Broach. In Mirat-i-Ahmadi, it is mentioned as a ''mahal'' headquarters. 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 ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

and several

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

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 (, 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 Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

South Asian South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

pirate 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 valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

s at sea as well as in the town. Around 1600 C.E. Mughal emperor Jahangir, in leadership of

Chauhans Chauhan may refer to: * Chauhan (surname), an Indian surname * Chaguanas, a town in Trinidad and Tobago called Chauhan by the early Indian indentured immigrant Clans * Chauhan Dynasty, a medieval Indian dynasty * Chauhan (caste), Chauhan of Lonia ...

from Aamer (Rajasthan) sent an army with back up from

Sindhis Sindhis are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group originating from and native to Sindh, a region of Pakistan, who share a common Sindhi culture, history, ancestry, and language. The historical homeland of Sindhis is bordered by southeastern Balochi ...

of Karachi on the naval front.

Geography

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

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

. It is the largest village between

Surat Surat (Gujarati Language, Gujarati: ) is a city in the western Indian States and territories of India, state of Gujarat. The word Surat directly translates to ''face'' in Urdu, Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of t ...

and

Ankleshwar Ankleshwar (sometimes written Ankaleshwar; ISO: ''Aṁkalēśvara'') is a city in the Bharuch district in the state of Gujarat, India. The city is located 14 kilometres from Bharuch. The village of Adadara is in Ankleshwar division. Industr ...

. Ankleshwar is

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

'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 Municipal Corporation in Valsad district in the state of Gujarat, India. It is 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, 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 A Sufi shrine or dargah ( ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargāh'' दरगाह درگاہ, ''dôrgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint or dervi ...

(Tomb) of a Muslim

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

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. ...

(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 The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...

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 * Amod * Aniyandra * Ankalva * Asarma * Asta * Badodara * Balota * Bolav * Chhilodara * Dantrai * Dhamrad * Digas * Dungra * Ghodadara * Hansot * Ilav (also 'Ilaaw', 'Elav' and 'Elaw'). * Jetpor * Kalam * Kantiajal * Kathodara * Katpor * Kudadara * Malanpor * Mangrol * Mothiya * Obha * Pandavai * Panjroli * Pardi * Parvat * Rayma * Rohid * Sahol * Samli * Sayan * Shera * Sunevkhurd (nani Sunev) * Sunevkalla (moti Sunev) * Vaghwan or Waagwan * Valner or Waalner * Vamleshwar * Vansnali or Waansnoli

Culture

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

sarong A sarong or a sarung (, ) is a large tube or length of textile, 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 ...

-like

Lungi The lungi is a clothing similar to the sarong that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The lungi, which usually multicoloured, is a men's skirt usually tied around the lower waist below the navel. It can be worn as casual wear and night wear. ...

. This indicates

southern Arabia South Arabia (), or Greater Yemen, is a historical region that consists of the southern region of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia, mainly centered in what is now the Republic of Yemen, yet it has also historically included Najran, Jazan, ...

n (

Hadhramawt Hadhramaut ( ; ) is a geographic region in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula which includes the Yemeni governorates of Hadhramaut, Shabwah and Mahrah, Dhofar in southwestern Oman, and Sharurah in the Najran Province of Saudi Ara ...

i) or Malay 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

. This indicates Arabian and

influences.

Language

The language is an archaic proto-

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

one, being neither completely in the camp of standard northern Delhi

, nor southern

Dakhni Deccani ( ''dakanī'' or ''dakhanī''; also known as Deccani Urdu, Deccani Hindi, and Deccani Hindustani) is an Indo-Aryan language variety based on a form of Hindustani spoken in the Deccan region of south-central India and is the native l ...

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 Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

and Turkic words, neither of which exist in many later

standardisations. It has also picked up words from regional Indic languages, such as from the

Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...

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 are 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 ve ...

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

Demographics

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

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

s and

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

s. Their surnames are multi-layered reflecting their complex histories, and include amongst others,

Shaikh Shaikh usually refers to: * Sheikh, as an alternate Romanization; a term for elders, tribal leaders, and royalty in Arabic-influenced cultures It may also refer to: Communities * Shaikhs in South Asia, a social and ethnic grouping in South Asia ...

(Sheikh),

Pathan Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...

, Malek (

Malik Malik (; ; ; variously Romanized ''Mallik'', ''Melik'', ''Malka'', ''Malek'', ''Maleek'', ''Malick'', ''Mallick'', ''Melekh'') is the Semitic term translating to "king", recorded in East Semitic and Arabic, and as mlk in Northwest Semitic d ...

Khwaja Khawaja () 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 Mizrahi Jews—particularly Kurdish Jews. The name or title ...

Patel Patel is an Indian surname or Indian honorifics, title, predominantly found in the States and union territories of India, state of Gujarat, representing the community of land-owning farmers and later (with the British East India Company) busine ...

Munshi During the Mughal Empire, ''Munshi'' () came to be used as a respected title for persons who achieved mastery over language and politics in the Indian subcontinent. Use in Bengal The surname "Munshi" ( Bengali: মুন্সি) is used by bot ...

, Mujad, ChauhanSharma, Dasharatha : "Early Chauhan Dynasties" (1959) by S. Chand & Co., Page 14 and

Kanuga Kanuga Conference Center (Cherokee: ᎧᏄᎦ) is affiliated with the Episcopal Church in the United States of America and the Anglican Communion. It is located on near Hendersonville, North Carolina, with scenic Kanuga Lake at its center. Y ...

. 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 on the western coast of India. Most Gujarati Muslims have the Gujarati language as their mother tongue, but some communities have Urdu as their moth ...

, by heritage and geographical origin.

Notable people

Farooq Shaikh Farooq Sheikh (25 March 1948 − 28 December 2013) was an Indian actor, philanthropist and television presenter. He was best known for his work in Hindi films from 1973 to 1993 and for his work in television between 1988 and 2002. He returned to ...

, Indian actor for

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

and

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

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

and popular

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

. * Abdul-Ahad Malik, cricketer for

Rajasthan Royals The Rajasthan Royals, also known as RR, are a professional Twenty20 cricket team based in Jaipur, Rajasthan, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Founded in 2008 as one of the initial eight franchises, the team is owned by Manoj ...

. *

Sharif Kanuga Sharīf or Sherif (, 'noble', 'highborn'), also spelled shareef, feminine sharīfa (), plural ashrāf (), shurafāʾ (), or (in the Maghreb) shurfāʾ, is a title used to designate a person descended, or claiming to be descended, from the famil ...

, Politician

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

* Indravadan Ambalal Modi, founder member of Cadila labs, now Cadila Pharmaceuticals. * Zainul Abedin Munshi, (1920-1975) Hansot born Deputy Secretary (Agriculture), Government of

Sind Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind or Scinde) is a province 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 provin ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. 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 ...

Mexico with the "Father of the

Green Revolution The Green Revolution, or the Third Agricultural Revolution, was a period during which technology transfer initiatives resulted in a significant increase in crop yields. These changes in agriculture initially emerged in Developed country , devel ...

," the

Nobel Prize winner Nobel often refers to: *Nobel Prize, awarded annually since 1901, from the bequest of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel *The Nobel family, a prominent Swedish and Russian family; see there for the list of people with the surname Nobel may also refe ...

Norman Borlaug Norman Ernest Borlaug (; March 25, 1914September 12, 2009) was an American agronomist who led initiatives worldwide that contributed to the extensive increases in agricultural production termed the Green Revolution. Borlaug was awarded multiple ...

. 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 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 British in 1775, and subsequently re ...

Villages in Bharuch district