Birbhum district () is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is in Suri. Other important cities are Rampurhat, Bolpur and Sainthia. Jamtara, Dumka and Pakur districts of the state of Jharkhand lie at the western border of this district; the border in other directions is covered by the districts of Bardhaman of Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman and Murshidabad of West Bengal.
Often called "the land of red soil",Rahim, Kazi MB, and Sarkar, Debasish, Agriculture, Technology, Products and Markets of Birbhum District, Paschim Banga, Birbhum Special Issue, pp. 157–166, Information and Cultural Department, Government of West Bengal. Birbhum is noted for its topography and its cultural heritage which is somewhat different from the other districts in West Bengal. The western part of Birbhum is a bushy region, a part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. This region gradually merges with the fertile alluvial farmlands in the east.Mukhopadhyay, Malay, Birbhum Jelar Bhougolik Parichiti, Paschim Banga, Birbhum Special issue , February 2006, pp. 29–32.
This district saw many cultural and religious movements in history. Tarapith is a Hindu pilgrimage site located at 9km distance from Rampurhat city, which is one of the prominent places in Birbhum where every day a large number of pilgrims from across the country, neighboring states, and even abroad gather.This town is particularly known for the Tarapith Temple and its adjoining Hindu crematory ground. The Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan, established by Rabindranath Tagore, is one of the places Birbhum is known for.Halim, Abdul, Birbhumer Sech Byabastha O Samaj Unnayan Parikalpana Samparke, Paschim Banga, Birbhum Special issue , February 2006, pp. 149–155. Many festivals are celebrated in the district, including Poush Mela.Mukhopadhyay, Aditya, Birbhumer Mela, Paschim Banga, Birbhum Special issue , February 2006, pp. 203–214.
Birbhum is primarily an agricultural district with around 75.09% of the population being dependent on agriculture. Principal industries of the district include cotton and silk harvesting and weaving, rice and oilseed milling, lac harvesting, stone mining and metalware and pottery manufacture. Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station is the only heavy industry in the district.Pramanik, Swarajit, Birbumer Ahankar: Bakreshwar Tapbidyut Kendra, Paschim Banga, Birbhum Special issue , February 2006, pp. 189–192.
Etymology The name Birbhum comes probably from the term 'land' ('bhumi') of the 'brave' ('bir') or Bir king').O'Malley, L.S.S., "Bengal District Gazetteers - Birbhum ", 1996 reprint, pp. 1-9, Govt. of West BengalMaiti, Prakash Chandra, Birbhum in the Backdrop of Pre-history, Paschim Banga, Birbhum Special Issue, pp. 15–28 Another theory says that the district bears the name of Bagdi king Bir Malla, who ruled in the area from 1501 to 1554 CE. Bir in the Santali language means forests; therefore, Birbhum could also mean a land of forests.
Geography
Situated between 23° 32' 30" (right above the tropic of cancer) and 24° 35' 0" north latitude and 87° 5' 25" and 88° 1' 40" east longitudes, and about in area, this district is triangular. River Ajay forms the southern base and the apex of the triangle points north. The river forms the boundary between the districts of Birbhum and Bardhaman. The state of Jharkhand is at the northern and the western border of Birbhum and Murshidabad is at the east.Mondal, Dipanwita, Ek Najare Birbhum Jela, Paschim Banga, Birbhum Special Issue (in Bengali), February 2006, pp. 7–10
Geographically, this area lies at the northeastern end of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, as it slopes down and merges with the alluvial plains of the Ganges. In the district there is only hilly area of natural rock formation situated near Dubrajpur town called Mama Bhagne Pahar (Hills). The western portion of the district is historically known as Vajjabhumi or Bajrabhumi.O'Malley, pp. 10-31, It is an undulating upland that is generally barren. The comparatively more fertile eastern portion, constituting the northeastern Rarh region, merges with the Gangetic plain. Vajjabhumi is included in the Rarh region, and the rest of Rarh is called Sumha to differentiate it from Vajjabhumi. Subdivision-wise Statistics of Birbhum District (2011 Census) Subdivision Headquarters Area (km2)(2001) Population(2011) Ruralpopulation (%) Urbanpopulation (%) Rampurhat Rampurhat 1,574.23 1,508,506 96.62 3.38 Suri Sadar Suri 1,782.72 1,121,871 96.57 3.43 Bolpur Bolpur 1,186.66 872,027 96.56 3.44 Birbhum district (Total) – 4,545.00 3,502,404 96.59 3.41 Climate
The climate on the western side is dry and extreme but is relatively milder on the eastern side. During summer, the temperature can shoot well above and in winters it can drop to around . Rainfall is higher in the western areas as compared to the eastern areas. The annual average rainfall in Rajnagar is and in Nanoor it is , mostly in the monsoon months (June to October).
Climate and rainfall chart of Birbhum District: Month Normal rainfall (in mm) January 9.7 February 23.2 March 23.3 April 40.7 May 88.7 June 234.2 July 324.5 August 295.7 September 258.2 October 105.4 November 17.5 December 9.4 Yearly 1430.5
Rivers A number of rivers flow across Birbhum. Some of the most notable include Ajay, Mayurakshi, Kopai, Bakreshwar, Brahmani, Dwarka, Hinglo, and Bansloi. Almost all the rivers originate higher up on the Chota Nagpur plateau and flow across Birbhum in a west–east direction. During the monsoon season, the rivers flow high and swift compared to the dry summer season, resulting in a cycle of floods and droughts.Choudhuri, Tapan, Unnayaner Aloke Birbhum, Paschim Banga, Birbhum Special Issue, pp. 59–74 The Mayurakshi provides irrigation for about .Selim, Mohammad, Irrigation Projects in Birbhum District,Paschim Banga, February 2006 (in Bengali), Birbhum Special Issue, pp. 168–169
History
Prehistory
The area now known as Birbhum was inhabited from pre-historic times. Some of the archaeological sites related to Pandu Rajar Dhibi of Chalcolithic remains are located in Birbhum. Stone age implements have been found at several places in the district.
According to the old Jain book Acaranga Sutra, the last (24th) great Tirthankara Mahavira had wandered through this land, referred to as the "pathless country of Ladha in Vajjabhumi and Subbhabhumi (probably Suhma)" in the fifth century BCE.Ray, Nihar Ranajan, Bangalir Itihas - Adi parva (Bengali), p. 152, Paschim Banga Nirakharata Durikaran Samiti According to some historians, the spread of Jainism and Buddhism in the Rarh region was part of the process of Aryanisation of the area.Ray, Nihar Ranajan, p.283 Based on Divyabdan, a Buddhist text, Dr. Atul Sur has inferred that Gautam Buddha probably traversed this area to go to Pundravardhana and Samatata.Bangla O Bangalir Bibartan, (An Ethno-Cultural History of Bengal) by Dr. Atul Sur, (Published by Sahityalok, Kolkata, 1986, 1994)
The Rarh region, once a part of the Maurya Empire was later included in the empires of the imperial Guptas, Shashanka and Harshavardhana. After dismemberment of Harshavardhana's empire, the region was ruled by the Palas, under whose rule Buddhism, particularly the Vajrayana cult, flourished.Ghosh, Binoy, Paschim Banger Sanskriti, 1976 edition, Vol I, p. 287, Prakash Bhawan In the seventh century CE, the Chinese traveller Xuanzang described some of the monasteries he visited in the region. In the 12th century CE, the Sena dynasty took control of the area.
Medieval age
The region was ruled by Muslims in the 13th century CE, although their control over the western parts of the district appears to have been minimal, with true power resting in the hands of the local Hindu chiefs, known as the Bir Rajas (Bagdi Malla dynasty). The towns of Hetampur, Birsinghpur and Rajnagar contain their relics.Gupta, Dr. Ranjan Kumar, The Economic Life of a Bengal District: Birbhum 1770–1857, pp. 2 – 9, The University of Burdwan, 1984. Hetampur and Rajnagar kingdoms ruled most of Birbhum and parts of Burdwan, Maldah and Jharkhand from Dubrajpur (meaning two kingdoms – Hetampur & Rajnagar). Minhaj-i-Siraj, the author of the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri, mentions Lakhnur as the thanah (headquarters) of the Rarh wing of the Muslim rule and an important frontier post. The location of Lakhnur, though not yet identified, falls in Birbhum.
Colonial era
The area which is now Birbhum district was badly impacted by the Great Bengal famine of 1770. Many villages were wiped out entirely, and even in large towns, over three quarters of households perished.Gupta, Dr. Ranjan Kumar, The Economic Life of a Bengal District: Birbhum 1770 – 1857, p. 257, The University of Burdwan, 1984.
The administrative unit called Birbhum was first formed in 1787 under the British East India Company, as "District Beerbhoom". The area had previously been administered as a part of Murshidabad district. The original district was much larger than its modern incarnation.
In the late 18th century, Birbhum and surrounding areas were affected by more famines followed by a peasants' insurrection. Although the insurrection primarily targeted zamindars and the government, trading and manufacturing centres were also looted. In June 1789, the manufacturing town of Ilambazar was sacked, although it recovered and became a magnet for manufacturing and trade.Gupta, Dr. Ranjan Kumar, pp. 44, 47
Until 1793, Birbhum included "Bishenpore" or Bishnupur, which is now part of the Bankura district. Until the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, the Santhal Parganas was part of Birbhum; the district thus sprawled up to Deoghar in the west. The immediate reason then for separating the western tribal majority areas was the Santhal rebellion of 1855–56. In 1872, Birbhum district comprises area with 695,921 inhabitants.
Economy
Birbhum is primarily an agricultural district with around 75% of the people dependent on agriculture. While of land is occupied by forests, of land is used for agricultural purposes. 91.02% of the population live in villages. Out of total 4,50,313 farmers(holding 3,20,610 hectares of land), 3,59,404 are marginal farmers(holding 1,41,813 hectares altogether), 63,374 are small farmers(holding 95,144 hectares altogether), 26,236 are semi-medium farmers(holding 76,998 hectares altogether), 1,290 are medium farmers(holding 6,215 hectare altogether), and 9 are large farmers (holding 440 hectares of land). The average size of land holding per farmer is 0.71 hectares. 6,07,172 people work as agricultural labourers in Birbhum. Major crops produced in the district include rice, legumes, wheat, corn (maize), potatoes and sugar cane. The district has thirteen cold storages. Land with irrigation facilities in 2001-02 totalled . There are five barrages, providing irrigation support. Canada Dam on the Mayurakshi river at Massanjore lies close to the border of Birbhum and the Dumka district in Jharkhand. Further down the Mayurakshi is the Tilpara Barrage at Suri.