Bongaigaon District
| Total Population: 904,835 |
| Total literate : 439,861 |
| Rural : 795,053 |
Urban : 109,782 |
| Male : 465,240 |
Female : 439,595 |
Collector
Office
of the Deputy Commissioner
Bongaigaon - 783 380 / Ph. : 03664 - 230 889 (O),
230 891 (R)
Social
& Developmental Challenges
Sri M C Sahu - Deputy
Commissioner
13th July 2007
Flood
Land Erosion
Agriculture
Infrastructure
Read
More
Brief
about District
Creation:
The decision of the Government of Assam in 1989, to
create a new District of Bongaigaon curving
out some areas of the Goalpara and Kokrajhar District
with its headquarter located at Bongaigaon was quite
challenging. It was the political and administrative
exigencies which had necessitated to create this new
district suddenly although the people of Bongaigaon
and the adjoining areas were demanding a new Sub-Division
with its headquarter to be located at Bongaigaon from
the very beginning.
This
decision to create a new District, Bongaigaon
was quite challenging because the very idea to create
such a district was neither a long standing one nor
a tested one. Moreover, the decision to set
up a district headquarter at Bongaigaon was more challenging
as there was no Sub-divisional infrastructure in this
town, whereas the other newly created district head
quarters of Assam had Sub-divisional infrastructures
of their own. In
the absence of such basic infrustructural facilities,
the initiation of the activity of the district headquarter
was almost started on the street, which was not only
challenging task but also novel one.
On
29th September, 1989, the creation of Bongaigaon
District was declared by the Government of Assam with
its headquarter at Bongaigaon. The major portion
of the areas of erstwhile Bijni and Sidli estates
along with tracts of Eastern Duars was curved out
of Goalpara and Kokrajhar District in October, 1989
in order to create a newest district of Assam, i.e.
Bongaigaon. Although the logistic behind
the creation of this new district was no doubt an
administrative one but the political as well as economic
exigencies were also responsible behind its creation.
Background(a):
The original Goalpara district was first created in
1822 A.D. by David Scott- an employee of East India
Company, who was the first Commissioner of newly created
North East Rangpur district Hd. Qr. at Rangpur town(now
in Bangla Desh) and newly created Goalpara district
was also tagged with North-East Rangpur district for
administration. The erstwhile Bijni Kingdom's area
which included the undivided Garo Hills district area
also constituted the original Goalpara district area
in 1822. In 1866 Garo Hills was separated from
Goalpara district area and in the same year a new
district named "Greater Koch Behar" was created and
the residual portion of Goalpara district was withdrawn
from Rangpur and tagged with Koch Behar. In 1874 a
new province named Assam Valley Province was created
by British Govt.(Successor of East India Company)
and Goalpara district area was withdrawn from Koch
Behar and tagged with Assam Province which continues
till today unless petty political gambling disturbs.
Now the original Goalpara district has given birth
of four districts namely (i) Goalpara (ii) Dhubri
(iii) Kokrajhar and (iv) Bongaigaon.
(b)
Hitherto referred, Bijni Kingdom was first establishment
by Bijit Narayan alias Chandra Narayan in 1671 comprising
the area of undivided Goalpara district.Chandra Narayan
was the son of Parikshit Narayan who was the grandson
of Yuvaraj Sukladhwaj alias Chilarai, the world hero(1510-1571
AD). He was the younger brother of Moharaj Naranarayan,
the great emperor of Kamrup Rajya alias Kamata Empire
alias Koch Empire of 16th century.The first capital
of Bijni Kingdom was at modern Bijni town from 1671
to 1864 and thereafter shifted to Dumuria(now known
as Dalan Bhanga) due to attack by Jhawlia Mech - a
local chief under Bhutan Kingdom. The big and dreaded
earthquake occured at 5 PM, on 12th June/1897 badly
damaged the royal palaces of Dumuriya caused the shifting
of the Capital temporarily to Jogighopa and thereafter
permanently shifted to Deohati forest area now known
as Abhayapuri named after Rani Abhayeswari in 1901,
which continued upto 1956 when Govt. of India took
over this Kingdom. At present Bongaigaon district
is having three Civil Sub-Divisions, namely (1) Bongaigaon
with Hd. Qr. at Bongaigaon (2) North Salmara
with Hd. Qr. at Abhayapuri town and (3) Bijni with
Hd. Qr. at Bijni town.90 % area of Bongaigaon district
belonged to erstwhile Bijni Kingdom and 10% area from
Sidli Kingdom, Raja Bhairabendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur
and Raja Ajit Narayan Dev were the last kings of Bijni
and Sidli Kingdoms respectively. Joy Narayan, Shiv
Narayan, Bijoy Narayan, Mukunda Narayan, Haridev Narayan,
Indra Narayan, Amrit Narayan,. Kumud Narayan and Rani
Abhayeswari were the Kings and queen in between the
founder king Chandra Narayan and the last king Bhairabendra
Narayan of Bijni Kingdom.
On
naming the district:
The name of Bongaigaon town and district
is the elongation of a fig and old village named Bongaigaon
alias Bong-ai-gaon situated on the southern border
of the town. According to hearsay (1) in the long
past there were plenty of wild(Bon) Cows (Gai) in
the surrounding hilly and forest areas. So, the villagers
assembled time to time to drive away the wild cows
for protecting their crops. Thus this area was popularly
known as Bon-Gai-Gaon. (2) In that big village areas
there dwelt one nature-poet named 'Bong' (Bong Roy)
who could induce laughters to all his bye-standers
with his cryptic but harmless oral composition describing
the situation on the spot and in return he could collect
grains or coins voluntarily offered by the audiance.
This was his only source of income and profession.
Thus his areas was roughly identified as the village
of Bong(Ray) i.e. Bong-er-Gaon=Bongaigaon that is
in course of time. This Bongaigaon village area was
famous for orange fruits which were sold inter-alia
other agricultural products in the nearest market
named Birjhora Bazar located at the heart of present
Bongaigaon town.The word Birjhora was derived from
Bir+Jirowa(Jirowa means resting place) of Bir(hero).
It is held that the noble hero Chilarai took here
rest for about two months during rainy season at the
time of his invading the neighbouring Kingdoms of
entire north-east India.
The
People:
From the chequered historical background of this district,
it can easily be surmised that the entire area was
ruled by Kings/Zaminders/Feudal Lords hailing from
the Koch-Rajbonshies belonging to Indo-Mongoloid ethnic
group of peoples right from 15th centuary to
the end of princely states in 1956 A.D. The kings
of this area had their hoary past and can be traced
back to the "Kiratees" of epic age(Mahabharata fame)
that is pre-vedic age. These Kiratees of dimpast are
also mentioned in Kalika Puran and Jogingi Tantra
and also in histories written both by native and foreign
schoolers.
Naturally
Koches alias Koch-Rajbongchies and Kocharies are the
original sons of the soil of this new district. Ravas,
Garos, Yogis,Kalitas, Kayasthas and older Muslims
are also indegenous who settled in this part of land
prior to the advent of Britishers in North East Region.After
advent of British Govt. in this part of land , a new
term named Bodo/Boro was coined deliberately by European
historian.According to them the word Bodo/Boro is
a generic term and its species are (i)
Kocharies (ii) Koches (iii) Rabhas (iv) Garos (v)
Lalungs (vi) Hajongs and (vii) Chutiyas
|
