View source for Assandh

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                            = Assandh
| other_name                      = 
| nickname                        = 
| settlement_type                 = City
| image_skyline                   = View of Assandh town from the Stupa.jpg
| image_alt                       = View of Assandh town from the Stupa
| image_caption                   = View of Assandh town from the Stupa
| pushpin_map                     = India Haryana#India3
| pushpin_label_position          = 
| pushpin_map_alt                 = 
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location in Haryana, India
| coordinates                     = {{coord|29.51|N|76.72|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type                = Country
| subdivision_name                = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1               = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[Haryana]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Karnal district|Karnal]]
| established_title               = <!-- Established -->
| established_date                = 
| founder                         = 
| named_for                       = 
| government_type                 = 
| governing_body                  = 
| unit_pref                       = Metric
| area_footnotes                  = 
| area_rank                       = 
| area_total_km2                  = 
| elevation_footnotes             = 
| elevation_m                     = 
| population_total                = 27125
| population_as_of                = 2011
| population_rank                 = 
| population_density_km2          = auto
| population_demonym              = 
| population_footnotes            = <ref name="Census2011Gov"/>
| demographics_type1              = Languages<ref name=nclmanurep2010>{{cite web |url = http://www.nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM52ndReport.pdf |title = Report of the Commissioner for linguistic minorities: 52nd report (July 2014 to June 2015) |pages = 24 |publisher = Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India |access-date = 25 June 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161115133948/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM52ndReport.pdf |archive-date = 15 November 2016 |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="punjabiofficial">{{cite web |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/haryana-grants-second-language-status-to-punjabi/story-MTUeEQDE4fRCbEyPkAm63N.html |title=Haryana grants second language status to Punjabi |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |author=IANS |date=28 January 2010 |access-date=25 June 2019|author-link=Indo-Asian News Service }}</ref>
| demographics1_title1            = Official
| demographics1_info1             = [[Hindi]]
| demographics1_title2            = Additional&nbsp;official
| demographics1_info2             = [[English language|English]], [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]
| timezone1                       = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1                     = +5:30
| postal_code_type                = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code                     = 132039
| registration_plate              = HR
| website                         = {{URL|haryana.gov.in}}
| iso_code                        = [[ISO 3166-2:IN|IN-HR]]
| footnotes                       = STD Code 01749, DL Code HR-40
| official_name                   = 
}}
'''Assandh''' is a city and a [[municipal committee]] in [[Karnal district]] in the state of [[Haryana]], [[India]]. Assandh is 45&nbsp;km south-west of Karnal.

== History ==
=== Early history===
Archaeological excavations have revealed [[Painted Grey Ware]],<ref name="Prāci-jyotī">{{cite book|title=Prāci-jyotī: Digest of Indological Studies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AL45AQAAIAAJ|year=1967|publisher=Kurukshetra University.}}</ref> associated with the [[Vedic]] people of [[Iron Age India]]. Assandh is identified with ancient Āsandīvat,<ref name="Prāci-jyotī" /><ref name="Dalal2010">{{cite book|author=Roshen Dalal|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC&pg=PA177|year=2010|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-341421-6|page=177}}</ref> a capital of the [[Kuru Kingdom]], which was the first recorded state in [[Ancient India]], c. 1200 BCE.<ref>M Witzel, Early Sanskritization: Origin and Development of the Kuru state, EJVS vol. 1 no. 4 (1995)</ref> Historian Charles Allen has related this town and the Stupa to the [[Asandhiwat Kingdom]] from which hailed [[Asandhimitra]], the Chief Queen (''Agramahisi'') of the [[Mauryan]] emperor [[Ashoka]].<ref name=Allen12>{{cite book|last1=Allen|first1=Charles|author-link = Charles Allen (writer)|title=Ashoka: The Search for India's Lost Emperor|date=2012|publisher=Hachette UK|isbn=978-1408703885|chapter=16}}</ref>

=== Assandh Stupa ===
{{ see also | Bodh Stupa | Topra | History_of_Haryana#Buddhism | l3= Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Haryana | Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India | Buddhist pilgrimage sites }}

The ruins of more-than-2000-year-old Buddhist [[stupa]] is situated at Assandh. The stupa is 25-metre high and at least 75 metres in diameter raised on an earthen platform. It is built with the help of bricks. This stupa is bigger than the much-famous stupa at Sanchi. According to historians, bricks used to construct this stupa, having a width of more than two-feet, indicate that the history of this monument dates back to more than 2000 years.

The ruins of this structure is also known as ''[[Jarasandh]] ka Qila/Teela'' or ''Jarasandh ka Teela'' (Fort/Mound of Jarasandh) named after a character of epic [[Mahabharat]], and forms part of the [[48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kurukshetra.nic.in/MAPs/ReligiousMap/map.jpg |title=Kurukshetra map |website=kurukshetra.nic.in |access-date=24 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625103022/http://www.kurukshetra.nic.in/MAPs/ReligiousMap/map.jpg |archive-date=25 June 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

According to [[Archaeological Survey of India]], this is a Kushan stupa (belongs to [[Kushan Empire|Kushan period]]).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_haryana.asp |title=Archived copy |access-date=14 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026021933/http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_haryana.asp |archive-date=26 October 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Colonial era ===
Assandh had a large Muslims population before 1947. After the 1947, Muslims were replace with the Sikhs and Punjabi Khatri refugee migrants from Pakistani Punjab. Now Assandh is growing city of Karnal and upcoming district of Haryana

=== Modern history ===
Panipat was the part of District Karnal till 31 October 1989, which was upgraded as a separate District, including Assandh Tehsil of district Karnal. When the District was reformed on 1 January 1992 Assandh Tehsil was excluded from this District.

There is a Gurudwara, many Hindu Temples,  a Sanatan Dharm Mandir and a Masjid also.

==Demographics==
As of [[2011 Indian Census]], Assandh had a total population of 27,125, of which 14,385 were males and 12,740 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 3,404. The total number of literates in Assandh was 18,192, which constituted 67.1% of the population with male literacy of 70.9% and female literacy of 62.7%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Assandh was 76.7%, of which male literacy rate was 81.9% and female literacy rate was 70.9%. The [[Scheduled Castes]] population was 6,183. Assandh had 5081 households in 2011.<ref name="Census2011Gov">{{cite web |title=Census of India: Assandh |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/SearchDetails.aspx?Id=66462 |website=www.censusindia.gov.in |access-date=9 October 2019}}</ref>

{{As of|2001}} India [[census]], Assandh had a population of 22,707. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Assandh has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 58% of the males and 42% of females literate. 15% of the population was in the 0 to 6 years age group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-date=16 June 2004|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|access-date=1 November 2008|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref>

==Politics==
Assandh is part of Assandh constituency of the [[Haryana Vidhan Sabha]]. The following is the list of [[Member of Legislative Assembly|MLA]]s have been elected from this constituency:
* 1952 – [[Kasturi Lal]] – INC
* 1977 – [[Jogi Ram]] – JNP
* 1982 – [[Manphool Singh]] – LKD
* 1987 – [[Manphool Singh]] – LKD
* 1991 – [[Krishan Lal Panwar]] – JP
* 1996 – [[Krishan Lal Panwar]] – SAP
* 2000 – [[Krishan Lal Panwar]] – INLD
* 2005 – [[Raj Rani Poonam]] – INC
* 2009 – [[Pt. Zile Ram Sharma]] – INC
* 2014 – [[Bakhshish Singh Virk|Sardar Bakhshish Singh Virk]] – BJP
* 2019 – [[Shamsher Singh Gogi]] – INC

== Notable villages in Assandh Tehsil ==
*[[Gangatheri]]
*[[Jabhala]]
*[[Kheri Naru]]
*[[Rahara (India)|Rahara]]
*[[Rangrutti Khera]]
*[[Salwan]]
*[[Agond]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Karnal district topics}}
{{48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra}}
{{Buddhism topics}}
{{Buddhist sites in Haryana}}
{{Haryana}}

[[Category:Cities and towns in Karnal district]]
[[Category:Villages in Sonipat district]]
[[Category:Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India]]
[[Category:Buddhist sites in India]]
[[Category:Stupas in India]]
[[Category:Buddhist sites in Haryana]]