Palamu district | |
---|---|
Country | India |
State | Jharkhand |
Division | Palamu |
Headquarters | Medininagar |
Government | |
• District magistrate | Shashi Ranjan, IAS |
• Lok Sabha constituencies | 1. Palamu, 2. Chatra (shared with Chatra district) |
• Vidhan Sabha constituencies | 5 |
Area | |
• Total | 4,393 km2 (1,696 sq mi) |
Population | |
• Total | 1,939,869 |
• Density | 440/km2 (1,100/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
Vehicle registration | JH-03 |
Major highways | National Highway NH 39 |
Website | palamu |
Palamu district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand, India. It was formed in 1892. The administrative headquarters of the district is Medininagar, situated on the Koel River.
The Palamu district has sites of Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement in the confluence of the Son and North Koel rivers in Kabra-Kala mound. [1]
It is speculated that the Kharwars, which formerly controlled Rohtas Fort to the north, migrated to the current territory of the district. The purportedly Kharwar ruler Pratapaghavala, who controlled part of Rohtas district, also built roads into what is now northern Palamu district and had power west of the Son. Kurukh tribes living in northwestern Jharkhand record a tradition of once having controlled the Rohtas fort, but were surprised by their enemies during a festival and forced to flee to the south.
The Cheros record a similar story of once controlling the Rohtas fort but being forced southwards. In the early 16th century, the Cheros were a powerful community of robbers and armed militia based around the jungles of southern Bihar. Sher Shah Suri sent one of his generals, Khawas Khan, to destroy the powerful chief Maharta Chero, a deed so important it was recorded as one of Sher Shah's great deeds in the Wakiat-i-Mustaki. [2]
In the late 16th century, the Raksel Rajputs controlled Palamu. The Mughal commander Man Singh had invaded Palamu, but in 1605 after Akbar died the Mughals were driven out. The Chero ruler Sahabal Rai had become a prisoner in Delhi due to his constant raiding of Bihar. His son, Bhagwat Rai, continued the same policy, but was soon attacked by Mughal forces and fled to Dev Sahi, a Rajput holding the fort of Dhanundanr. With Puran Mal, Dev Sahi's son, he took service with the Raja of Palamu Man Singh. When Man Singh had gone to Surguja in 1613, Rai killed the Raja's family and took his throne. Under Bhagwat Rai's grandson Medini Rai, the Chero kingdom expanded to the height of its territory: covering large parts of what is now southern Bihar, as well as Hazaribagh. Medini Rai was able to launch expeditions against the Maharaja of Chota Nagpur and built the Fort of Palamu. [2]
In 1629, the Mughal subedar of Patna Ahmad Khan forced the Cheros to pay an annual tribute to the Mughals. In 1641, Chero ruler Pratap Rai refused to pay tribute to then-emperor Shah Jahan. Shaista Khan was sent to destroy the Chero kings with an expedition of 15,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry, which penetrated as far as Ara and laid siege to the Palamu Fort. During the siege, in 1642, the Cheros attacked a Mughal party, but was soon itself defeated, forcing Pratap Rai to give a sum of Rs. 80,000. Pratap Rai was then betrayed by two of his uncles, Tej Rai and Darya Rai, who convinced Itikad Khan, Shaista Khan's successor, to support their coup if Pratap Rai was sent to Patna. The coup was successful, but Tej Rai still held Pratap Rai, so Darya Rai promised to give the fort of Deogan if Itikad Khan supported him with an army. Itikad Khan's army took over Deogan in October 1643 and defeated Tej Rai's force, allowing Pratap Rai to retake Palamu Fort. However as the Mughal army arrived, Pratap Rai surrendered and went to Patna. He agreed to pay Rs. 1 lakh in annual tribute and was made commander of 1000 horse and given Palamu as jagir. [2]
For the next twenty years however, the Cheros neglected to pay their tribute and continued to make raids into Mughal territory in Bihar. At the time Palamu was described as a well-populated city protected by two strong forts. In 1660, however, Subedar of Bihar Daud Khan had enough and invaded Chero territory. Khan first conquered Kotna, which the Cheros had abandoned, proceeded to Palamu Fort which took months due to the thick jungle. After a long struggle, Khan conquered the fort of Palamu and forced the Chero king to flee. The Cheros briefly regained the fort of Deogan, but soon lost it and Palamu was placed under a Muslim faujdar. In 1666 it fell under the direct control of the Subedar of Bihar, and became a fief. The Cheros still held the southern part of the district, but the northern part was given to various nobles. The Raja of Sonpura was the most important of these families, but had fallen out of favour with the Mughal court and lost his lands to Ghulam Hussain Khan after a protracted struggle. Khan controlled much of the northwest of present-day Jharkhand, even as far as the Chota Nagpur kingdom. [2]
In 1720, Palamu was invaded again due to refusal to pay tribute, although the expedition leader was bought off with a large sum of gold and diamonds, and the Mughals invaded again in 1740. At this time the Raja of Ramgarh was the most powerful hill chieftain, and making alliance with several other rulers he took over the fortress of Ramgarh. The Raja offered no resistance to the Maratha general Raghoji I Bhonsle, who passed through the district on his way to raid Medinipur in Bengal. [2]
Due to dynastic struggles, a Chero pretender had made claim to a British agent in Patna to be the rightful ruler of Chero domains in Palamu. The British took the opportunity to take over Palamu Fort. In 1800, one of the Chero rajas enacted a policy against tenants, who rebelled in the Chero insurrection. This rebellion was put down by British troops, who annexed the district into their own territory. [2]
The district lies between 23°50′ and 24°8′ north latitude and between 83°55′ and 84°30′ east longitude. It is bordered on the north by Son River & Bihar and on the east by the Chatra and Hazaribagh districts, on the south by Latehar district and on the west by Garhwa district.
The major rivers flowing through Palamu district are Son, Koel and Auranga. The major crops grown are Rice and Sugarcane. Many minerals are found here like Iron ore, Bauxite, Lithium, Dolomite and Coal. [3]
District | No. | Constituency | Name | Party | Alliance | Remarks | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Palamu | 75 | Panki | Kushwaha Shashi Bhusan Mehta | Bharatiya Janata Party | NDA | |||
76 | Daltonganj | Alok Kumar Chaurasiya | Bharatiya Janata Party | NDA | ||||
77 | Bishrampur | Ramachandra Chandravanshi | Bharatiya Janata Party | NDA | ||||
78 | Chhatarpur | Pushpa Devi | Bharatiya Janata Party | NDA | ||||
79 | Hussainabad | Kamlesh Kumar Singh | Nationalist Congress Party | NDA |
Palamau district consists of 21 Blocks. The following are the list of the Blocks in Palamau district:
Subdivision | Blocks |
---|---|
Sadar Medininagar |
|
Chhatarpur | |
Hussainabad |
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Palamau one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). [4] It is one of the 24 districts in Jharkhand currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). [4] [5]
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1901 | 308,256 | — |
1911 | 341,869 | +1.04% |
1921 | 364,579 | +0.65% |
1931 | 407,004 | +1.11% |
1941 | 453,731 | +1.09% |
1951 | 490,037 | +0.77% |
1961 | 589,337 | +1.86% |
1971 | 738,316 | +2.28% |
1981 | 950,839 | +2.56% |
1991 | 1,192,801 | +2.29% |
2001 | 1,537,465 | +2.57% |
2011 | 1,939,869 | +2.35% |
source: [6] |
According to the 2011 census Palamu district has a population of 1,939,869, [7] giving it a ranking of 243rd in India (out of a total of 640). [7] The district has a population density of 442 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,140/sq mi). [7] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 25.94%. [7] Palamu has a sex ratio of 929 females for every 1000 males, [7] and a literacy rate of 63.63%. 11.65% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Tribes make up 27.65% and 9.34% of the population respectively. [7]
According to the census, 86.77% of the population follows Hinduism, while 12.28% follow Islam. [8]
At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 65.49% of the population in the district spoke Hindi, 24.44% Magahi, 6.87% Urdu and 1.15% Palmuha as their first language. [9]
The only university in Medininagar is Nilamber-Pitamber University, created on January 17, 2009. [10] [11] The Chief Minister of Jharkhand declared that the Nilamber-Pitamber University would be set up in Medininagar in 2001. [12] There are 66 primary schools, 30 middle schools, 17 Navsirijit schools, 10 high schools and 1 Engineering College in the Medininagar block. [13]
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It is the 15th largest state by area, and the 14th largest by population. Hindi is the official language of the state. The city of Ranchi is its capital and Dumka its sub-capital. The state is known for its waterfalls, hills and holy places; Baidyanath Dham, Parasnath, Dewri and Rajrappa are major religious sites. Jharkhand is primarily rural, with about 24% of its population living in cities.
Hazaribagh is a city and a municipal corporation in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is the divisional headquarters of North Chotanagpur division. It is considered as a health resort and is also popular for Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary. It is represented in the Indian Lok Sabha by its Member of Parliament Manish Jaiswal.
Latehar is a town in the Latehar district of Jharkhand, India. It is known for its natural environment, forest, forest products and mineral deposits. Latehar remained a part of Palamau District as a sub division since 1924. It was elevated from sub divisional status to a district on 4 April 2001, vide Jharkhand Government Notification No 946 dated 04.04.2001. Latehar is located on the north–west corner of Jharkhand in the Palamau Commissionary. It is surrounded by Ranchi, Lohardaga, Gumla, Palamu and Chatra district apart from Chhattisgarh state and district headquarters is situated at 84.51198 East Longitude and 23.741988 North Latitude. It is a predominantly tribal district with almost 45.54% of the population belonging to the scheduled tribes. More than 66% of total population comprises SCs and STs. The total area of the district is 3,622.50 km2 and one of the block headquarters is more than 200 km away from the district headquarters.
Daudnagar is a town and the subdivisional headquarter of Daudnagar Subdivision in Aurangabad district in the state of Bihar, India under the Magadh division. Until 1991, there was only one Subdivision in the Aurangabad district: Aurangabad Sadar. On 31 March 1991, one other subdivision, Daudnagar, was created. Daudnagar is a 200-year-old historical city and its living proof is Daudnagar has an old historical fort situated on the eastern bank of the Son River. National Highway NH139 which connects Jharkhand's Palamu district to Patna, passes through the town.
The region have been inhabited since the Stone Age. Copper tools from the Chalcolithic period have been discovered. This area entered the Iron Age during the mid-2nd millennium BCE.
The Palamu fort are two ruined forts located 3 k.m from Betla National Park, Latehar district on the bank of Auranga River, in the Indian state of Jharkhand. The old fort in the plains, which existed even before the Chero dynasty, was built by the King of Raksel dynasty. The original fort in the plains and the other on an adjoining hill are attributed to the kings of the Chero dynasty. The fort in the plains had defences on three sides and three main gates. The New fort was constructed by Raja Medini Ray. East India company used this fort to prison Narayan Peshwa of Tiroha and Raja Radhkrishna alis Subedar Aftab Singh mutineers of 1857.
The Chero is a caste found in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh in India.
Ranchi district is one among the twenty-four districts of the state of Jharkhand in Eastern India. This region was under the control of the Magadha Empire, then it was a part of the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka and later a part of the Gupta Empire. After the fall of the Gupta Empire a legendary king named Phanimukut established the Nagvanshi dynasty and controlled the Chota Nagpur plateau region for several centuries thereafter.
Kharwar is a community found in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and West Bengal.
Medininagar, formerly Daltonganj, is a city municipal corporation in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is the headquarters of Palamu division and Palamu district, as well as the subdivision and block of the same name. The city is situated on the banks of the North Koel River.
Medini Raia.k.a.Madini Rai or Madini Rao ruled from 1658 to 1674 in the Palamu region of Bengal, now in Jharkhand.
Shree Banshidhar Nagar, also known as Nagar Unntari, is one of the administrative block in Garhwa district, Jharkhand state, India. It is located 40 km towards west from District headquarters Garhwa in Bhawanathpur Bidhansabha. Shree Banshidhar Nagar is surrounded by states Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Bihar.
The Nagvanshis of Chotanagpur, also known as the Khokhra chieftaincy, was an Indian dynasty which ruled the parts of Chota Nagpur plateau region during much of ancient, medieval and modern period. Phani Mukut Rai is considered the first king of dynasty claim to be son of Pundrika Naga, a mythical Naga. Lal Chintamani Sharan Nath Shahdeo (1931–2014) was last ruling king of the dynasty, until the estate was merged to the Republic of India.
The Chero dynasty or Chyavana dynasty was a polity that ruled the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, corresponding to the present-day Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, after the fall of the Pala Empire; their rule lasted from the 12th century CE to the middle of the 15th century.
Navratangarh (Doisagarh) was one of the capitals of the Nagvanshi dynasty, who ruled parts of what is now the state of Jharkhand, India. It is located in Sisai block of Gumla district. It is said that king Durjan Shah shifted his capital from Khukhragarh to Navratangarh. He constructed the fort between 1636 and 1639. The palace was a five-storeyed structure with its "water-gate" and garh-khai (moat) arrangement. It has a kiaclmy (court), a treasury house and a prison-cell with its underground dungeon. It was declared national heritage in 2009.
Nilamber and Pitamber, freedom fighters from Jharkhand in eastern India, were brothers who led a revolt against the East India Company in 1857. They were born in a Chemo-Senya village to a family of a Bhogta clan of the Kharwar tribe in Latehar district. Their father, Chemu Singh, was Jagirdar. They decided to declare themselves independent of company rule, inspired by the Doronda Revolt in Ranchi led by Thakur Vishwanath Shahdeo and Pandey Ganpat Rai. Chero Jagirdar Devi Baksh Rai joined them.
Raksel is a Rajput clan. They claim to be Haihaiyavanshi but this claim is generally not accepted by others. The Raksel Rajputs ruled several states in India during the Middle Ages and British rule, including Surguja State and Udaipur. Jaipur (kuchhwaah) Rajput Raja Man Singh was ruling Palamu prior to the rule of the Chero dynasty.
Bhojpur Kadim is a historic village in Dumraon block of Buxar district, Bihar, India. As of 2011, its population was 18,243, in 3,024 households. Together with the neighboring Bhojpur Jadid, it lends its name to the surrounding Bhojpuri region.
Medini Rai Medical College and Hospital, Palamu is a full-fledged tertiary referral Government Medical college. It was established in the year 2019. The college offers the degree Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS).