24 Parganas

Former district in West Bengal, India

Former District in West Bengal, India

24 Parganas

Former District

Clockwise from top: Gangasagar Kapilmuni Temple, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Pailan, Matua Mahasangha, Royal Bengal Tiger in the Sundarbans, Jatar Deul, Dakshineswar Kali Temple

Location of 24 Parganas district in West Bengal

Coordinates: 22°10′53″N 88°32′16″E﻿ / ﻿22.1815262°N 88.53780484°E﻿ / 22.1815262; 88.53780484
Country|  India
State|  West Bengal
Division| Presidency
Headquarters| Alipore
Government

• Subdivisions| Alipore Sadar, Baruipur, Bidhannagar, Barrackpore, Barasat, Bangaon, Basirhat, Canning, Diamond Harbour, Kakdwip
• CD Blocks| Thakurpukur Maheshtala, Budge Budge I, Budge Budge II, Bishnupur I, Bishnupur II, Bhangar I, Bhangar II, Sonarpur, Baruipur, Jaynagar I, Jaynagar II, Kultali, Rajarhat, Barrackpore I, Barrackpore II, Barasat I, Barasat II, Amdanga, Deganga, Habra I, Habra II, Bagdah, Bangaon, Gaighata, Baduria, Swarupnagar, Basirhat I, Basirhat II, Haroa, Hasnabad, Hingalganj, Minakhan, Sandeshkhali I, Sandeshkhali II, Canning I, Canning II, Basanti, Gosaba, Falta, Magrahat I, Magrahat II, Diamond Harbour I, Diamond Harbour II, Mandirbazar, Mathurapur I, Mathurapur II, Kulpi, Kakdwip, Namkhana, Patharpratima, Sagar
• Lok Sabha constituencies| Bangaon, Barrackpore, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin
• Vidhan Sabha constituencies| Bagda, Bangaon Uttar, Bangaon Dakshin, Gaighata, Swarupnagar, Baduria, Habra, Ashoknagar, Amdanga, Bijpur, Naihati, Bhatpara, Jagatdal, Noapara, Barrackpore, Khardaha, Dum Dum Uttar, Panihati, Kamarhati, Baranagar, Dum Dum, Madhyamgram, Barasat, Rajarhat New Town, Bidhannagar, Rajarhat Gopalpur, Deganga, Haroa, Minakhan, Sandeshkhali, Basirhat Dakshin, Basirhat Uttar, Hingalganj, Gosaba, Basanti, Kultali, Patharpratima, Kakdwip, Sagar, Kulpi, Raidighi, Mandirbazar, Jaynagar, Baruipur Purba, Canning Paschim, Canning Purba, Baruipur Paschim, Magrahat Purba, Magrahat Paschim, Diamond Harbour, Falta, Satgachia, Bishnupur, Sonarpur Dakshin, Bhangar, Sonarpur Uttar, Behala Purba, Maheshtala, Budge Budge, Metiaburuz, Jadavpur, Tollyganj, Kasba, Behala Paschim
Area

• Total

| 14,136 km2 (5,458 sq mi)
Population

(1981)

• Total

| 10,739,439
• Density| 760/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
• Urban

| 4,169,482
Demographics

• Literacy| 46.17 per cent
• Sex ratio| 903 ♂/♀
Languages

• Official| Bengali[1][2]
• Additional official| English[1]
Time zone| UTC+05:30 (IST)
Website| www.24pgs.gov.in

24 Parganas (Pron: pɔrɡɔnɔs; abbr. 24 PGS), or sometimes Twenty Four Parganas, is a former district in the Indian state of West Bengal, headquartered in Alipore. On 1 March 1986, the district was bifurcated into two separate districts namely North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. It was the largest district of West Bengal by area and population at the time of bifurcation.[3][4]

## History

[edit]

The district was directly not attached to the Gupta rulers. The district was also not a part of the Shashanka's unified Bengali empire i.e. Gauda, but it is assumed that the district which was the south-west frontier territory of ancient Bengal, was comprised in under the rule of Dharmapala. Existence of the land form is evidence from the 2nd century A.D. writing of Ptolemy's treatise where it is said that the ancient land of Gangaridai was stretched between the rivers Bhagirathi-Hooghly (lower Ganges) and Padma-Meghna. What is known today as the 24 Parganas was the south and the south-eastern part of the Gangaridai kingdom. References to this portion of the Gangetic Delta in the Puranas, Mahabharata and Raghuvamsa show that it lay between the kingdom of the Suhmas and the Vangas.[5]

From the early eighteenth century, slowly but steadily the East India Company was strengthening their position in Bengal. The small rulers of Bengal got their biggest blow when the last independent Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daulah faced defeat in the Battle of Plassey. Six months after the Battle of Plassey, on 20 December 1757, under the terms of a treaty, the then Nawab of Bengal, Mir Jafar, gave the East India Company the right to enjoy the zamindari of twenty-four parganas in return for an annual rent of 1,200 rupees.[6] The total area then was 882 square miles, which later increased to 5,639 square miles with the addition of other territories. Henceforth the region was collectively called 24 Parganas. These twenty-four parganas were: (1) Akbarpur, (2) Amirpur, (3) Azimabad, (4) Balia, (5) Baridhari, (6) Basandari, (7) Calcutta, (8) Dakhin Sagar, (9) Garh, (10) Hathiagarh, (11) Ikhtiarpur, (12) Kharijuri, (13) Khaspur, (14) Maidanmal, (15) Magura, (16) Manpur, (17) Mayda, (18) Munragachha, (19) Paikan, (20) Pechakuli, (21) Satal, (22) Shahnagar, (23) Shahpur, and (24) Uttar Pargana. In 1759, the East India Company assigned these twenty-four parganas to Robert Clive as a personal jagir and after his death in 1774, these twenty-four parganas again came under the direct authority of the East India Company. Thus the British rule under the mask of a trader started.[5][7]

In 1793, during the rule of Lord Cornwallis, entire Sundarbans were in 24 Parganas. In 1802, some parganas on the western banks of river Hooghly were included into it. These parganas were in Nadia district earlier. In 1814, a separate collectorate was established in 24 Parganas. In 1817, Falta and Baranagar and in 1820, some portions of Nadia's Balanda and Anwarpur were encompassed to it. In 1824, portions of Barasat, Khulna and Bakerganj were also included to it. In 1824, the district headquarters was shifted from Kolkata to Baruipur, but in 1828, it was removed to Alipore. In 1834, the district was split into two districts – Alipore and Barasat, but later these were united again. In 1861, the entire district is divided into eight subdivisions viz. Alipore, Diamond Harbour, Barasat, Barrackpore, Dum Dum, Baruipur, Basirhat and Satkhira. In 1905, some portion of the district around the Sundarbans was detached and linked with neighbouring Khulna and Barisal districts. After partition in 1947, these parts remained in the territory of Bangladesh, but Bangaon in Jessore district was added to 24 Parganas.[8][7]

After India's independence, an administrative reform committee in the year 1983 under the Chairmanship of Dr. Ashok Mitra suggested to split the district into two. As per their recommendation, the district was bifurcated into two parts on 1 March 1986 i.e. North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. The North 24 Parganas district had been formed with five subdivisions namely Barasat Sadar, Bidhannagar, Barrackpore, Bangaon, and Basirhat. The South 24 Parganas district had been formed with five subdivisions namely Alipore Sadar, Baruipur, Canning, Diamond Harbour, and Kakdwip.

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical populationYear| Pop.| ±% p.a.

|
|

1901| 2,067,061| —
1911| 2,358,381| +1.33%
1921| 2,509,910| +0.62%
1931| 2,740,095| +0.88%
1941| 3,425,982| +2.26%
1951| 4,201,511| +2.06%
1961| 5,856,954| +3.38%
1971| 7,871,208| +3.00%
1981| 10,739,439| +3.16%
Note: After 1981, the 24 Parganas district was bifurcated into two separate districts namely North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. The census data is addition of two splitted districts.
Source: Census of India[9]

## See also

[edit]

* Pargana

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Fact and Figures". Wb.gov.in. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
2. ^ "52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). Nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. p. 85\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
3. ^ "Census of India 1981, West Bengal, District Census Handbook, Twentyfour Parganas, Series – 23, Part XIII-A, Village and Town Directory" (PDF). Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
4. ^ "Census of India 1981, West Bengal, District Census Handbook, Twentyfour Parganas, Series – 23, Part XIII-B, Village and Town Wise Primary Census Abstract" (PDF). Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
5. ^ a b O'Malley, Lewis Sydney Steward; I.C.S (2009). Bengal District Gazetteers: 24-Parganas. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 9788172681937.
6. ^ Hill, Samuel Charles (1905). Bengal in 1756-57, a selection of public and private papers dealing with the affairs of the British in Bengal during the reign of Siraj-Uddaula; with notes and an historical introduction. Vol. II. pp. 215–217.
7. ^ a b Hunter, W. W. (1875). A Statistical Account of Bengal, Volume I. Districts of the 24 Parganas and the Sundarbans. Edinburgh: Murray and Gibb. pp. 222–41.
8. ^ Mandal, Asim Kumar (2003). Google books preview from The Sundarbans of India: A Development Analysis. Indus Publishing. pp. 168–169\. ISBN 81-7387-143-4. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
9. ^ "A-02: Decadal variation in population 1901-2011, West Bengal, India, 2011" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to 24 Parganas district at Wikimedia Commons
* 24 Parganas travel guide from Wikivoyage

* v
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State of West Bengal

Capital: Kolkata

State symbols|

* Emblem: Emblem of West Bengal
* Anthem: Banglar Mati Banglar Jol
* Animal: Fishing cat
* Bird: White-throated kingfisher
* Flower: Night-flowering jasmine (Shiuli)
* Tree: Devil's tree (Saptaparni)
* Fish: Ilish

History|

* Gauda Kingdom
* Shashanka
* Pala Empire
* Sena dynasty
* Mallabhum kingdom
* Cooch Behar State
* Sher Shah Suri
* Mughal Empire
* Nawabs of Bengal
* East India Company
* Battle of Plassey
* Bengal Presidency
* Great Bengal famine of 1770
* Indian Rebellion of 1857
* Bengal Renaissance
* Bardhaman Raj
* Nadia Raj
* Jhargram Raj
* Sovabazar Raj
* Partition of Bengal (1905)
* Revolutionary movement for Indian independence
* Anushilan Samiti
* Jugantar
* Bengal famine of 1943
* Direct Action Day
* Noakhali riots
* Partition of Bengal (1947)
* Bengali Language Movement (Manbhum)
* Bangladesh Liberation War
* Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
* Maritime history of Bengal

Geography|

* Bengal Basin
* Darjeeling Himalayan hill region
* Terai
* North Bengal plains
* Dooars
* Rarh region
* Sundarbans
* Western plateau and high lands
* Ganges Delta
* Climate
* Sandakphu (Highest point)
* Protected areas of West Bengal
* Rivers of West Bengal
* Ganga
* Damodar River
* Brahmaputra River
* Teesta River
* Hooghly River
* Khoai
* Tiger Hill, Darjeeling
* Siliguri Corridor

Governance|

* Chief Ministers
* Governor
* Legislative Assembly
* Human Rights Commission
* Political parties (All India Trinamool Congress
* Communist Party (Marxist)
* Indian National Congress
* Bharatiya Janata Party)
* Parliamentary constituencies
* Assembly constituencies
* CID West Bengal
* Kolkata Police

Rights groups|

* Matua Mahasangha
* Bangla Pokkho

Divisions and
districts|

| Burdwan division|

* Birbhum
* Hooghly
* Paschim Bardhaman
* Purba Bardhaman

|

Jalpaiguri division|

* Alipurduar
* Cooch Behar
* Darjeeling
* Jalpaiguri
* Kalimpong

Malda division|

* Berhampore (declared)
* Dakshin Dinajpur
* Jangipur (declared)
* Malda
* Murshidabad
* Uttar Dinajpur

Medinipur division|

* Bankura
* Bishnupur (declared)
* Jhargram
* Paschim Medinipur
* Purba Medinipur
* Purulia

Presidency division|

* Basirhat (declared)
* Howrah
* Ichamati (declared)
* Kolkata
* Nadia
* North 24 Parganas
* Ranaghat (declared)
* South 24 Parganas
* Sundarbans (declared)

Cities and
towns|

* Alipore
* Asansol
* Berhampore
* Balurghat
* Bankura
* Barasat
* Bardhaman
* Bishnupur
* Hugli-Chuchura
* Cooch Behar
* Darjeeling
* Durgapur
* Haldia
* Howrah
* Jalpaiguri
* Jaynagar Majilpur
* Jiaganj Azimganj
* Kalimpong
* Kharagpur
* Kolkata
* Krishnanagar
* Kurseong
* Malda
* Midnapore
* Murshidabad
* Purulia
* Raiganj
* Siliguri
* Siuri
* Tamluk
* List of cities in West Bengal by population
* Cities and towns by district

Culture|

* Bengal Renaissance
* Bengali calendars
* Patachitra
* Chalchitra
* Arts of West Bengal
* Baul
* Bhadu
* Gombhira
* Chhau dance
* Cuisine
* Bengali
* Rabindra Sangeet
* Rabindra Nritya Natya
* Holi
* Dol Purnima
* Prostitution in Kolkata
* Pohela Boishakh
* Durga Puja
* Bhai Dooj
* Raksha Bandhan
* Ratha Yatra
* Architecture of Bengal
* Bengal temples
* Bengali language
* Bengali literature
* Feluda
* Lalmohan Ganguly
* Professor Shonku
* Tarini Khuro
* Kakababu
* Kiriti Roy
* Pather Panchali (novel)
* Bengali cinema
* Jatra
* Ghosts in Bengali culture

GI products|

* Baluchari sari
* Banglar Rosogolla
* Banglar Muslin
* Banglar Nolen Gur Sandesh
* Bankura horse
* Baruipur Guava
* Bengal Patachitra
* Bishnupur Motichur Laddu
* Chhau mask
* Darjeeling tea
* Dhaniakhali Sari
* Dhokra
* Fazli (mango)
* Garad Saree
* Gobindobhog
* Himsagar
* Jaynagarer Moa
* Kamarpukur Sada Bode
* Madurkathi
* Malda Nistari Silk Yarn
* Manasa chali
* Mihidana
* Murshidabad Chhanabora
* Nakshi kantha
* Radhunipagal rice
* Santiniketan Leather Goods
* Shantipuri sari
* Sitabhog
* Sundarban Honey
* Tangail Saree
* Tulaipanji

Demographics|

* Bengali people
* Bihari people
* Economy of West Bengal
* Gurkha
* Adivasi
* Rajbanshi
* Anglo-Indian people
* Ethnic communities in Kolkata
* List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate
* Discrimination against Bengalis in India

People|

* Rabindranath Tagore
* Satyajit Ray
* Kazi Nazrul Islam
* Anil Kumar Gain
* Ritwik Ghatak
* Subhas Chandra Bose
* Jamini Roy
* Bidhan Chandra Roy
* Jyoti Basu
* Nandalal Bose
* Jagadish Chandra Bose
* Meghnad Saha
* Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
* Sarat Chandra Bose
* Jnanadanandini Devi
* Abanindranath Tagore
* Satyendranath Tagore
* Satyendranath Dutta
* Raja Ram Mohan Roy
* Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
* Rani Rashmoni
* Ramakrishna
* Swami Vivekananda
* Sarada Devi
* Dwarkanath Tagore
* Sukumar Ray
* Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury
* Michael Madhusudan Dutt
* Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
* Sister Nivedita
* Mother Teresa
* Amartya Sen
* Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay
* Nihar Ranjan Gupta

Image gallery at Wikimedia Commons

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Districts of British India

Districts in the
Madras Presidency|

* Ceded Districts
* Chingleput District
* Coimbatore District
* Godavari District
* Madura District
* Malabar District
* North Arcot
* South Arcot District
* South Canara
* Tanjore District
* Tinnevely District
* Trichinopoly District
* Vizagapatam District

Districts in the
Bengal Presidency|

* 24 Parganas
* Bardhaman district
* Backergunge District
* Bassein District
* Champaran District
* Garo Hills district
* Jungle Mahals
* Jungle Terry
* Khasi and Jaintia Hills
* Lushai Hills District
* Manbhum District
* Midnapore district
* Naga Hills District
* Santal Parganas district
* Shahabad district
* Singhbhum District
* Tipperah District

Districts in the
Bombay Presidency|

* East Khandesh
* Kaladgi District
* Khandesh District
* Upper Sind Frontier District
* West Khandesh

Other districts|

* Bhilsa District
* Chanderi District
* Delhi District
* Ellichpur District
* Garhwal District
* Hazara District (NW Frontier)
* Isagarh District
* Kumaon District
* Lyallpur District
* Merwara District
* Montgomery District
* Muhamdi District
* Nimar District
* North Bareilly District
* Quetta-Pishin District
* Shahpur District
* Sironj District
* Thal-Chotiali
* Wun District
* Peshawar District (NW Frontier)

Post independence
historical districts|

* Bangalore District
* Imphal District
* West Dinajpur district

* Subdivisions of British India
* Divisions of British India
* Presidencies and provinces of British India
* British Empire in India

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

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