Jaya at 07:36, 15 March 2026

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{{short description|Administrative units of British India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Colonial India}}

The '''districts of British India''' were key administrative units of the [[British Raj]], or Indian Empire, serving as subdivisions of the [[Provinces of British India|provinces]] and [[divisions of British India]].<ref>''[[Imperial Gazetteer of India]]''. Published under the authority of His Majesty's Secretary of State for India in Council. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907-1909.</ref> These districts, often referred to as ''[[zila (country subdivision)|zillas]]'' in vernacular languages, played a crucial role in the governance and administration of British India, managing local affairs such as revenue collection, law enforcement, and public works. Most districts established during the British period became the foundation for modern [[districts of India]] and [[Districts of Pakistan|districts of Pakistan]] after the [[partition of India]] in 1947.

== History ==
The district system in British India evolved from earlier administrative structures under the [[Mughal Empire]], where regions were divided into ''sarkars'' and ''parganas''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chaudhuri |first=B. B. |title=Peasant History of Late Pre-Colonial and Colonial India |publisher=Pearson Education India |year=2008 |isbn=978-8131716885 |pages=45–50}}</ref> The British East India Company, after gaining control over Bengal in the mid-18th century, began formalizing districts as administrative units to streamline governance and revenue collection.<ref>{{cite book |last=Metcalf |first=Barbara D. |title=A Concise History of Modern India |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0521682251 |pages=56–60}}</ref> By the early 19th century, districts were firmly established across British India, each headed by a district collector or magistrate responsible for local administration.

Districts were further grouped into [[divisions of British India|divisions]], which were overseen by commissioners, and these divisions were part of larger [[Provinces of British India|provinces]].<ref>''[[Imperial Gazetteer of India]]'', vol. V, 1908.</ref> This hierarchical structure allowed the British to maintain control over vast territories with diverse populations. The districts' boundaries and administrative functions evolved over time, reflecting changes in British policies and local needs.

Following the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], the British Crown assumed direct control over India, and the district system was further standardized.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cohn |first=Bernard S. |title=Colonialism and Its Forms of Knowledge: The British in India |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0691000435 |pages=100–105}}</ref> By the early 20th century, districts were the primary units for local governance, with responsibilities including judicial administration, public health, education, and infrastructure development.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bayly |first=C. A. |title=Indian Society and the Making of the British Empire |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1988 |isbn=978-0521386500 |pages=120–125}}</ref>

At the time of the [[partition of India]] in 1947, most districts were reorganized into the newly independent nations of India and Pakistan, with some districts split along religious lines.<ref>{{cite book |last= Talbot |first=Ian |title=Divided Cities: Partition and Its Aftermath in Lahore and Amritsar, 1947-1957 |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0195472264 |pages=15–20}}</ref> Today, the legacy of these districts continues in the administrative frameworks of both countries.

== List of districts in British Toritary ==
Below is a list of districts in British India as of 1947, organized by province and division. This list includes only those districts that were active at the time of the partition of India.

=== Districts in the [[Assam province]] ===
==== [[Assam Valley division]] ====
* [[Balipara Frontier District]]
* [[Darrang district]]
* [[Garo Hills Autonomous District Council|Garo Hills district]]
* [[Goalpara district]]
* [[Kamrup district]]
* [[Lakhimpur district]]
* [[Nagaon District|Nowgong district]]
* [[Sadiya Frontier District]]
* [[Sibsagar district]]

==== [[Surma Valley and Hills division]] ====
* [[Cachar district]]
* [[Khasi and Jaintia Hills|Khasi and Jaintia Hills district]]
* [[Lushai Hills|Lushai Hills district]]
* [[Naga Hills District, British India|Naga Hills district]] (excluding [[Naga tribal areas]])
* [[Sylhet Division|Sylhet district]]

=== Districts in the [[Baluchistan (Chief Commissioner's Province)|Baluchistan Province]] ===
* [[Bolan district]]
* [[Chagai district]]
* [[Loralai district]]
* [[Quetta District|Quetta-Pishin district]]
* [[Sibi District ]] (excluding [[Marri-Bugti County]])
* [[Zhob district]]

=== Districts in the [[Bengal Presidency]] ===
The Bengal Presidency had 28 districts across five divisions at the time of partition.

==== [[Burdwan division]] (Chuchura) ====
* [[Bankura district]]
* [[Birbhum district]]
* [[Bardhaman district]]
* [[Howrah district]]
* [[Hooghly district]]
* [[Midnapore district]]

==== [[Chittagong Division]] ====
* [[Chittagong District|Chittagong district]]
* [[Chittagong Hill Tracts|Chittagong Hills district]]
* [[Noakhali district]]
* [[Comilla District|Tipperah district]]

==== [[Dhaka Division|Dacca division]] ====
* [[Barisal District|Bakerganj district]]
* [[Dhaka District|Dacca district]]
* [[Faridpur district]]
* [[Mymensingh district]]

==== [[Presidency division]] (Calcutta) ====
* [[Calcutta district]]
* [[Jessore district]]
* [[Khulna district]]
* [[Murshidabad district]]
* [[Nadia district]] (After partition, 52% of the land remained with [[India]] and 48% with [[East Bengal]] as [[Kushtia District (1947–1984)|Kushtia District]])
* [[24 Parganas|24 Paraganas district]]

==== [[Rajshahi Division]] (Jalpaiguri) ====
* [[Bogra district]]
* [[Dinajpur District, Bangladesh|Dinajpur district]]
* [[Darjeeling district]]
* [[Jalpaiguri district]]
* [[Malda district]]
* [[Rajshahi district]]
* [[Rangpur district]]
* [[Pabna District|Pabna district]]

=== Districts in the [[Bihar Province]] ===
==== [[Bhagalpur division|Bhagalpur Division]] ====
* [[Bhagalpur Division|Bhagalpur district]]
* [[Munger district]]
* [[Purnia district]]
* [[Santhal Pargana Division|Santhal Pargana district]]

==== [[Chota Nagpur Division|Chota Nagpur division]] (Ranchi) ====
* [[Hazaribagh district]]
* [[Manbhum|Manbhum district]]
* [[Palamu District|Palamau district]]
* [[Ranchi district]]
* [[Singhbhum district]]

==== [[Patna division]] ====
* [[Gaya district]]
* [[Patna district]]
* [[Shahabad district]]

==== [[Tirhut division]] (Muzaffarpur) ====
* [[Champaran| Champaran district]]
* [[Darbhanga district]]
* [[Muzaffarpur district]]
* [[Saran district]]

=== Districts in the [[Bombay Presidency]] ===
* [[Ahmedabad district]]
* [[Ahmednagar district]]
* [[Belagavi District|Belgaum district]]
* [[Bharuch district]]
* [[Bijapur district, Karnataka|Bijapur district]]
* [[Mumbai City District|Bombay City district]]
* [[Mumbai Suburban District|Bombay Suburban district]]
* [[Colaba district]]
* [[Dharwar district]]
* [[Jalgaon District|East Khandesh district]]
* [[Kheda District|Kaira district]]
* [[Nashik district|Nasik district]]
* [[Uttara Kannada|North Kanara district]]
* [[Panchmahal district]]
* [[Pune district|Poona district]]
* [[Ratnagiri district]]
* [[Satara district]]
* [[Solapur district|Sholapur district]]
* [[Surat district]]
* [[Thane District|Thana district]]
* [[Dhule District|West Khandesh district]]

=== Districts in the [[Central Provinces and Berar]] ===
==== [[Berar division]] (Amraoti) ====
* [[Akola district]]
* [[Amravati District|Amraoti district]]
* [[Buldhana district|Buldana district]]
* [[Yavatmal District|Yeotmal district]]

==== [[Chhattisgarh division]] (Raipur) ====
* [[Balaghat district]]
* [[Bhandara district]]
* [[Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh|Bilaspur district]]
* [[Durg district]]
* [[Raipur district]]

==== [[Jubbulpore division]] ====
* [[Hoshangabad district]]
* [[Jabalpur District|Jubbulpore district]]
* [[Mandla district]]
* [[Nimar district]]
* [[Sagar District|Saugor district]]

==== [[Nagpur division]] ====
* [[Betul district]]
* [[Chandrapur district|Chanda district]]
* [[Chhindwara district]]
* [[Nagpur district]]
* [[Wardha district]]

=== Districts in the [[Madras Presidency]] ===
* [[Anantapur district]]
* [[Bellary district]]
* [[Chingleput District (Madras Presidency)|Chingleput district]]
* [[Chittoor district]]
* [[Coimbatore District (Madras Presidency)|Coimbatore district]]
* [[Kadapa district|Cuddapah district]]
* [[East Godavari district]]
* [[Guntur district]]
* [[Krishna district]]
* [[Kurnool district]]
* [[Madura District (Madras Presidency)|Madura district]]
* [[Malabar district]]
* [[Nellore district]]
* [[North Arcot|North Arcot District]]
* [[Ramanathapuram District|Ramnad district]]
* [[Salem district]]
* [[South Arcot District (Madras Presidency)|South Arcot district]]
* [[Dakshina Kannada|South Canara district]]
* [[Tanjore District (Madras Presidency)|Tanjore district]]
* [[Tinnevely District (Madras Presidency)|Tinnevely district]]
* [[Tiruchirappalli district|Trichinopoly district]]
* [[Vizagapatam District (Madras Presidency)|Vizagapatam district]]
* [[West Godavari district]]

=== Districts of [[North-West Frontier province]] ===
* [[Bannu district]]
* [[Dera Ismail Khan district]]
* [[Hazara district]]
* [[Kohat district]]
* [[Mardan district]]
* [[Peshawar district]]

=== Districts of [[Orissa province]] ===
* [[Balasore district]]
* [[Cuttack district]]
* [[Ganjam district]]
* [[Koraput district]]
* [[Puri district]]
* [[Sambalpur district]]

=== Districts of [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab province]] ===
==== [[Ambala division]] ====
* [[Ambala district]]
* [[Gurgaon district]]
* [[Hisar district|Hissar district]]
* [[Karnal district]]
* [[Rohtak district]]
* [[Shimla district|Simla district]]

==== [[Jalandhar Division|Jullundur division]] ====
* [[Firozpur District|Ferozpore district]]
* [[Hoshiarpur district]]
* [[Jalandhar District|Jullundur district]]
* [[Kangra district]]
* [[Ludhiana district]]

==== [[Lahore division]] ====
* [[Amritsar district]]
* [[Gujranwala district]]
* [[Gurdaspur district]]
* [[Lahore district]]
* [[Shekhupura district]]
* [[Sialkot district]]

==== [[Multan division]] ====
* [[Dera Ghazi Khan district]]
* [[Jhang district]]
* [[Faisalabad district|Lyallpur district]]
* [[Sahiwal district|Montgomery district]]
* [[Multan district]]
* [[Muzaffargarh district]]

==== [[Rawalpindi division]] ====
* [[Attock district]]
* [[Gujrat district]]
* [[Jhelum district]]
* [[Mianwali district]]
* [[Rawalpindi district]]
* [[Sargodha district|Shahpur district]]

=== Districts of [[Sind province]] ===
* [[Dadu district]]
* [[Hyderabad District, Sindh|Hyderabad district]]
* [[Karachi Division|Karachi district]]
* [[Larkana district]]
* [[Nawabshah district]]
* [[Sukkur district]]
* [[Tharparkar District|Thar Parkar district]]
* [[Jacobabad District|Upper Sindh Frontier district]]

=== Districts of [[United Provinces of British India|United Provinces]] ===
==== [[Agra division]] ====
* [[Agra district]]
* [[Aligarh district]]
* [[Etah district]]
* [[Mainpuri district]]
* [[Mathura District|Muttra district]]

==== [[Allahabad division]] ====
* [[Prayagraj District|Allahabad district]]
* [[Kanpur Nagar District|Cawnpore district]]
* [[Etawah district]]
* [[Fatehpur district]]
* [[Farrukhabad district]]

==== [[Benares division]] ====
* [[Ballia district]]
* [[Varanasi district|Benares district]]
* [[Ghazipur district|Gazipur district]]
* [[Jaunpur district]]
* [[Mirzapur district]]

==== [[Faizabad division]] ====
* [[Bahraich district]]
* [[Barabanki district|Bara Banki district]]
* [[Faizabad district]]
* [[Gonda district]]
* [[Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh|Pratapgarh district]]
* [[Sultanpur district]]

==== [[Gorakhpur division]] ====
* [[Azamgarh district]]
* [[Basti district]]
* [[Deoria district]]
* [[Gorakhpur district]]

==== [[Jhansi division]] ====
* [[Banda district, India|Banda district]]
* [[Hamirpur district, Uttar Pradesh|Hamirpur district]]
* [[Jalaun district]]
* [[Jhansi district]]

==== [[Kumaon division]] (Nainital) ====
* [[Almora district]]
* [[Garhwal district]]
* [[Nainital district]]

==== [[Lucknow division]] ====
* [[Hardoi district]]
* [[Lakhimpur Kheri district|Kheri district]]
* [[Lucknow district]]
* [[Raebareli district|Rae Bareli district]]
* [[Sitapur district]]
* [[Unnao District|Unao district]]

==== [[Meerut division]] ====
* [[Bulandshahr district]]
* [[Dehradun district|Dehra Dun district]]
* [[Meerut district]]
* [[Muzaffarnagar district]]
* [[Saharanpur district]]

==== [[Rohilkhand division]] (Bareilly) ====
* [[Bareilly district]]
* [[Bijnor District|Bijnor district]]
* [[Budaun district]]
* [[Moradabad district]]
* [[Pilibhit district]]
* [[Shahjahanpur district]]

=== Other districts ===
* [[Ajmer district]] (the only district of [[Ajmer-Merwara Province]])
* [[Delhi district]](the only district of [[Delhi Province]])
* [[Kodagu district|Coorg district]] (the only district of [[Coorg Province]])

== List of districts in Princely state==
=== Districts in the [[Gwalior State]] ===
==== [[ Gwalior Division]] ====
* [[Vidisha District|Bhilsa District]]
* [[Bhind District]]
* [[Gwalior District|Gwalior Gird District]]
* [[Isagarh District]] (renamed [[Guna District]])
* [[Narwar District]] (renamed [[Shivpuri District]])
* [[Sheopur District]]
* [[Morena District|Tanwarghar District]] (renamed [[Morena District]])

==== [[Malwa Division]] ====
* [[Amjhera District]] (renamed [[Sardarpur District]])
* [[Mandsaur District]]
* [[Shajapur District]]
* [[Ujjain District]]

=== Districts in the [[Hyderabad State]] ===
==== [[Aurangabad division]] ====
* [[Aurangabad district, Maharashtra|Aurangabad district]]
* [[Beed District|Bir district]]
* [[Nanded District|Nander district]]
* [[Parbhani District|Parabhani district]]

==== [[Gulbarga division]] ====
* [[Bidar district]]
* [[Gulbarga district]]
* [[Osmanabad district]]
* [[Raichur district]]

==== [[Gulshanabad division]] (Medak) ====
* [[Atraf-i-Baldah|Atraf-i-Baldah district]]
* [[Mahbubnagar district]]
* [[Medak district]]
* [[Nalgonda district]]
* [[Nizamabad district]]

==== [[Warangal division]] ====
* [[Adilabad district]]
* [[Karimnagar district]]
* [[Warangal district]]

=== Districts in the [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir State]] ===
==== [[Jammu division]] ====
===== Districts =====
* [[Jammu district]]
* [[Kathua district]]
* [[Mirpur district]]
* [[Reasi district]]
* [[Udhampur district]]

Jagirs
* [[Chenani]]
* [[Historical Poonch District|Poonch]]

==== [[Kashmir Division]] ====
* [[Anantnag district]]
* [[Baramulla District|Baramula district]]
* [[Muzaffarabad district]]

==== Frontier Division ====
* [[Astore district]]
* [[Gilgit district]] (excluding [[Gilgit Agency]])
* [[Ladakh district]]
=== Districts in the [[Indore State]] ===
==== [[Malwa division]] ====
* [[Indore district]]
* [[Mahidpur district]]
* [[Ramapura-Bhanapura district]]
==== [[Nimar Division]] ====
* [[Nemwar district]]
* [[West Nimar District|Nimar District]]
=== Districts in the [[Kingdom of Mysore|Mysore State]] ===
* [[Bangalore district]]
* [[Chitradurga District|Chitaldrug district]]
* [[Hassan district]]
* [[Chikmagalur District|Kadur district]]
* [[Kolar district]]
* [[Mandya district]]
* [[Mysore district]]
* [[Shimoga district]]
* [[Tumkur district]]

== Former districts of British Toritary ==
The following districts were active at various points during British rule but were dissolved or reorganized before 1947:
* [[Bassein district]]
* [[Chanderi district]]
* [[Ellichpur district]]
* [[Jungle Mahals]]
* [[Jungle Terry]]
* [[Khandesh district]]
* [[Merwara district]]
* [[Muhamdi district]]
* [[Neemuch district]]
* [[North Bareilly district]]
* [[Sironj district]]
* [[Thal-Chotiali]]
* [[Wun district]]

== See also ==
* [[List of districts in India]]
* [[Subdivisions of British India]]
* [[Territorial evolution of the British Empire]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://archive.org/stream/pamphletsissuedb08grea/pamphletsissuedb08grea_djvu.txt Pamphlets issued by the India office and by other British and Indian governmental agencies, relating to the government of India, and to various political, economic, and social questions concerning it and Burma]

{{Historical districts of India}}

[[Category:Districts of British India| ]]

Districts of British India - Revision history

Jaya at 07:36, 15 March 2026