Overview of Darrang District

The District of Darrang was created with effect from July'1983 by converting the erstwhile Sub-Division of Mangaldai vide Govt notification number GAG 213/83/1 dated 14.06.1983 (Present Darrang District + Udalguri District). Again Govement of Assam vide notification number GAG(B)/2002/Pt/117 dated 30.09.2003 and subsequent notification vide number GAG(B)137/2008/Pt/536 dated 14.05.2004 created new District under BTAD with villages of nothern part of Darrang District and Present Darrang District was reorganized with 565 villages.

The name Darrang was derived from the Bodo word Dourang, which means 'Lilabhumi' (Playground) of Gods. According to Scholar Late Dineswar Sarma, the word Darrang came from Dawrang which means 'Gateway', as there was direct entry to Bhutan and from there to Nepal, China etc. Gradually this was known as Darrang consisted of a large area, i.e., at present created / reorganized into 6 subdivisions namely : 1.Bhergaon 2.Udalguri(S) 3.Mangaldai(S) 4.Tezpur(S) 5.Gahpur 6. Biswanath Chariali.

Darrang consists of a narrow strip of plain lying between Himalayas and Brahmaputra river in the north-west part of Assam. The land which is now known as Darrang district was included in the Hindu Kingdom of Kamrupa as mentioned in Mahabharata. Its antiquity dates back to the beginning of the sixteenth century when the Koch King Nar Narayan incorporated this district in his Kingdom. In 1637, the Ahom Kingdom was established in the land after the death of the then Koch King Bali Narayana. In 1792, Darrang Raja was defeated by an expeditionary force under the command of Captain Welsh and in 1826, Darrang with rest of Assam passed under the British rule.

Presently the District in general is considered to be plain. On the north and east side there exist the Udalguri District  and mighty Brahmaputra flows along the southern boundary of the district .The District Kamrum(R) is in the west. The main tributaries of Brahmaputra in this district are Barnadi, Nowanai, Mangaldai and Dhansiri. The forests within the district provide good amount of timber to the timber units.

The climate of the district is congenial. In the winter, the northern part of the district is colder than the rest of the district since it is covered by hills and forests of Udalguri District. The average temperature ranges from 10o to 30o C. Average annual rainfall is about 2120 mm.

The soil of this district is very fertile for cultivation and the main crops are paddy, oilseeds, sugarcane and jute. The area is also known for its considerable tea productions. The main horticultural products are orange, coconut, pineapple etc. In addition, the district is rich with sizeable production of vegetables.

Location

The district is situated in the central part of Assam and on the Northern side of the river Mighty Brahmaputra. The district is bounded by Arunachal Pradesh (State) and Bhutan (Country) and Udalguri district in the North. The river Brahmaputra flows in the South. The district Sonitpur and Kamrup districts are in the East and West respectively.

Economy

The economy of the Darrang district is basically agrarian where the majority (about 85% ) of the population is engaged in agriculture and allied activities