Biswanath district () is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. It is one of the newly created districts in 2015, declared by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on 15 August 2015.
The district is created amalgamating Gohpur and most part of Biswanath Sub division on earlier Sonitpur district. The district is bounded by Arunachal Pradesh on north, Golaghat, Brahmaputra River on the south, Lakhimpur district on the east and Sonitpur district on the west. The administrative headquarter is located at Biswanath Chariali. On 31 December 2022, the district remerged with existing Sonitpur district ahead of delimitation process by ECI in the state. However, on August 25, 2023, the Assam cabinet announced the restoration of Biswanath's district status.
History The major part of Biswanath district formed part of the Chutia kingdom until it was annexed in the 16th century by the Ahoms, following the Chutia-Ahom conflicts."..the Chutiya kingdom was bound by the Himalayas on the north, river Burhi Dihing on the south, Patkai ranges on the east and Bharali river in the west. Robinson and following him, N.N.Acharya, are of the opinion that the Chutia kingdom extended up to Viswanath in the present Darrang district of Assam." Several historians have reconstructed the western extent of the Chutia kingdom as reaching into the region of present-day Biswanath district. N. N. Acharyya and Shin placed its western extent as far as Viswanath,"Though the geographical extent of these rulers' power is not yet known in detail, according to Neog, the present-day North Lakhimpur district of Assam, which covers the find sites of most inscriptions, perhaps formed a part of their political dominion. If architectural continuity is admitted between the fortifications in the Sadiya region and the Burai river ruin site, it would be possible to believe that the kingdom of these rulers extended as far as the outer limit of Darrang district, to the westernmost extent of which Ahom conquerors settled the vanquished Chutiyas in the early part of the sixteenth century." "N.N Acharyya are of the opinion that the Chutiya kingdom extended up to Viswanath in the present Darrang district of Assam." while Nityananda Gogoi states that the kingdom at times included adjoining territories of the Brahmaputra valley extending "as far west as to the river Bargang near Biswanath". Gogoi cited similar marks on stones found among archaeological remains at Sadiya, on the Buroi River, and at Naxapahar, near the confluence of the Bargang and Dikal rivers, as supporting this reconstruction. Some local traditions associate the western part of the district with independent Bhuyan chieftains, although the Ahom Buranjis do not record the presence of the Baro-Bhuyans in this region. The Adi Charita, which is the source of these traditions, is also considered spurious by various scholars.Maheswar Neog states that the Adi-cwita, ascribed to Madhavadeva, has created much ill feeling among the Vaisnavas of Assam, and has been denounced by the more considerate section of sattra pontiffs and literary men alike. It is speculated that the border between the Chutia kingdom and Bhuyan principalities was marked by the Dikarai and the Ghiladhari rivers. The Chutia kings built many forts in the region, including Naksaparvat, the Ramghat-BuroiBarua, Kanaklal. The Early History of Kamrupa,1933, p. 271. and Pratapgarh.Journal Of The Asiatic Society Of Bengal,19, p. 258.,"The bricks here [Buroi fortifications found are of similar shape and size to those occurring at Pertabgarh on the Bishnath plain, as well as in the tanks and buildings which abound on that plain"]The Pratapgarh or Pratappura fort was probably built by Chutia king Pratap Narayan. The stone inscription found in Umatamani, Biswanath, states that a king named Lakshminah was crowned as the Lord of Pratapapura (Pratapapura-adhikari Dalapati Shri Lakshminah). This was none other than the Chutia king Lakshminarayan The Ita Fort, another Chutia-era fort, lies to the north of Biswanath Chariali.
The riverine Dihingmukh region immediately south of present-day Biswanath was an important early-16th-century frontier between the Chutia and Ahom kingdoms. The Buranjis describe the Dihing as a frontier between the Chutia kingdom to the north and the Ahom kingdom to the south.Assam Buranji (SM), p. 9. After the Ahom victory at Dikhowmukh in 1513, the Ahoms advanced to Dihingmukh and established a forward fort at Mungkhrang.Bhuyan, S. K., Satsari Assam Buranji, p. 57.Goswami, Hemchandra, Purani Assam Buranji, p. 40. In 1520, Chutia forces attacked the fort, killed its commander Khenmung and recovered the position.Bhuyan, S. K., Satsari Assam Buranji, p. 57. The Ahoms returned in 1522, recovered the lost tract and pushed the frontier farther east.Bhuyan, S. K., Deodhai Assam Buranji, p. 17.
Following the conquest of the Chutia kingdom in 1524 CE, Suhungmung began reorganising the newly acquired territories. In 1526 CE, he appointed Konsheng Dhanudharia Gohain as Bhatialia Gohain or Namoniyal Sandikoi to rule the region and later gave him the title of Barpatra Gohain (Chao-Sheng-lung), in imitation of the earlier Chutia Barpatra title. Similarly, Shengpem Dhanudharia Gohain was made Thaomung Katak and stationed at Phulbari, Lakhimpur.Barua, G.C.,"Ahom Buranji", p. 61,"The king, then, named Thaomung Kungren as Thaomung Katak and ordered him to remain in the Phulbari at Katak."
The Ahom forces crossed the Bharali River in 1527 and 1529 CE and suppressed the Bhuyans of Rauta-Temoni in the modern-day Darrang-Nagaon region, resettling them in the Uttarkula, or north bank of Upper Assam, including the Lakhimpur-Biswanath region.According to Purani Assam Buranji, p.27. the twelve Bara Bhuyans of Rowta-Temani (mid-Assam, on either banks of the Brahmaputra) namely Utai, Tamai, Rai, Sakai, Kausika, Uzir, Laskar, Comdar, Sanatana, Keho, Rambhat and Bhakat with four sub-Bhuyans each, were transported and settled in various places of Uttara-kula (Biswanath, Lakhimpur districts). The Lacam Kalita Bhuyan family was placed at Bahbari(Lakhimpur), while one of them was settled on the river Sonari(Dhakuakhana), and another on the hills. As per Satsari Buranji, p.16, Suhungmung suppressed the Baro-Bhuyans in Rowta. The people of the region were placed under the leadership of the Baro-Bhuyans and re-settled at different places of the kingdom. After these appointments, the Ahom forces crossed the Bharali and subjugated the Bhuyans in 1527 and 1529 CE.Barua, G.C.,"Ahom Buranji, p. 62, "The heavenly king proceeded to Shaola(Biswanath). He ordered Shenglung, Thaomung Shenba, and some others to go and remain at Teomani-Rowta. They did accordingly proceeded to the place and stopped there...The king passed the year Lakni Taomit (1528 AD) in peace. In Lakni Kaken (in 1529 AD), the king, with his son, the Dangarias and followers proceeded to Shaola(Sala). The heavenly king sent a messenger to Shenglung and other directing them to return from Teomani-Rowta. The king then ordered Thaomung Katak and Thaomung Mungklang to cross the Bharali river and plunder the wide country on the other side. Both of them acted as desired and returned with some captives who were produced before the king. Thaomung Katak was placed at Narayanpur."Bhuyan, S.K, Deodhai Asam Buranji,p.21,"ৰজাদেৱে বিশ্বনাথ লৈ গৈ ত্যাওচুংলুং-কংচেং, থাওমুং-চেনব এই দুইক ৰেটাই-টেমনিত থাকিব দিলেগৈ। পাচে থাওমুং-কটকক উজিৰক ধৰিবলৈ পঠালে। উজিৰে এই কথা জানি ভাগি পৰাৰ...লাক্নি কাকেও শকত ৰজাদেৱৰ বাপেক-পুতেক ৰাজ্যে-সমন্বিতে বিশ্বনাথলৈ গৈ কলঙ্গেদি মানুহ পঠাই ৰেটাই-টেমনিৰ পৰা ত্যাওচুংলুং-কংচেঙক লোকজন সহিতে আহিব দিলে। পাচে ৰজাদেৱে থাওমুং-কটক, থাওমুং-মুংক্লাং, এই দুইক ভৰলীয়ে উজাই পঠালে, বোলে-"তহঁতে দুয়ে ভৰলু পাৰ হৈ গৈ যি মানুহ পাৱ ধৰি আনগৈ।" পাচে ইবোলাক দুয়ো গৈ যি মানুহ পালে আনি ৰজাদেৱৰ ঠাইত দিলেহি। পাচে থাওমুং-কটকক নাৰায়ণপুৰত ৰাজ দি তাতে থাকিব দিলে।"
The region became an important theatre of the early Koch–Ahom conflicts. In 1546, a Koch army commanded by Chilarai advanced eastwards along the north bank of the Brahmaputra and encountered the Ahom forces at the Dikarai River. The Ahoms were defeated and withdrew, and further engagements took place around Kaliabor and Sala before the Koch advance continued eastwards towards Narayanpur. Nityananda Gogoi identifies the medieval Dikarai with the river system flowing through the present Sonitpur–Biswanath region and identifies Sala or Sola on the north bank with the strategic centre of Biswanath.
The Koches subsequently established a fort at Narayanpur, but the Ahom king Suklenmung cut their communications at Pichala in 1547 and forced their withdrawal. The Koch invasion was renewed in 1562–63; several Bhuyan and other local chiefs submitted to or joined Nara Narayan's forces, which eventually advanced through the Brahmaputra valley and occupied the Ahom capital at Garhgaon.
During the later Ahom period, Biswanath developed into an important religious centre. Ahom kings built a number of temples like the Biswanath temple, Sivanath Moth and Bordol temple. The region also appears indirectly in accounts of the Ahom conflicts with Muslim and Mughal forces. During Suhungmung's reign, the Ahoms are said to have driven an invading Muslim force back to the Burai river, after which a fort was constructed at the mouth of the river and a detachment was posted at Phulbari. In the Mughal period proper, the nearby Bharali river formed an important frontier zone: the Ahoms defeated Mughal forces under Abu Bakr on the Bharali in 1615, an event also associated with the Samdhara inscription of 1616. After Mir Jumla's invasion, the Treaty of Ghilajharighat in 1663 ceded the country west of the Bhareli river on the north bank of the Brahmaputra to the Mughal emperor.
In the early British period, Biswanath served for a few years as the headquarters of the Naduar or Biswanath district before being included in Darrang district in 1835. During British rule, Biswanath Ghat became an important steamer ghat and trading centre in north Assam. Allen's gazetteer also lists Bishnath among the steamer ports of Darrang district.
Administration Headquarter Biswanath Chariali Name of Sub-Divisions Biswanath Chariali, Gohpur Name of Revenue Circles/ Tehsils Biswanath Chariali, Gohpur, Helem Name of Development(C.D.) Blocks Pub-Chaiduar Development Block Chaiduar Development Block Behali Development Block Baghmora Development Block Biswanath Development Block Sakomotha development Block Sotea Development Block Name of Police Stations Gohpur Police Station Helem Police Station Behali Police Station Ginjia Police Station Biswanath Chariali Police Station Sootea Police Station Hawajan Police Outpost Borgang Police Outpost Number of Villages 832 Names of Towns Biswanath Chariali, Gohpur Name of Town Committees Biswanath Chariali, Gohpur
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, Biswanath district has a population of 612,491, of which 31,368 (5.12%) live in urban areas. Biswanath had a sex ratio of 968 females per 1000 males. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 43,763 (7.15%) and 93,174 (15.21%) of the population respectively.
As of the 2011 census, Hindus made up 514,259 (83.96%), while Muslims made up 52,155 (8.52%) and Christians (6.92%) of the population respectively.
At the time of the 2011 census, 34.06% of the population speaks Assamese, 13.56% Sadri, 8.58% Bengali, 7.93% Nepali, 7.23% Boro, 7.09% Mising, 6.76% Odia, 3.41% Mundari, 2.56% Karbi and 1.84% Hindi as their first language.
Railway Station Dubia Gohpur Brahmajan Helem Niz Borgang Monabari Viswanath Chariali Niz Sotea
See also List of districts of Assam Maral gaon Gelapukhuri
Notes
References
External links Bishwanath District Official Website