>Frietjes at 16:48, 23 September 2021

2021-09-23T16:48:04Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Garhjat Range
| native_name =
| etymology =
| photo = Nature at Binikeyee, Athmallik.JPG
| photo_caption = View of the range in Binikeyee, [[Athmallik]], [[Angul district]]
| photo_size =
| country = India
| subdivision1_type = States
| subdivision1 = [[Jharkhand]],<br /> [[Chhattisgarh]],<br /> [[Odisha]]
| subdivision4_type = Rivers
| subdivision4 = {{enum|[[Brahmani River|Brahmani]]|[[Mahanadi]]|[[Baitarani]]|[[Subarnarekha River|Subarnarekha]]}}
| highest = [[Malayagiri]]
| elevation_m = 1187
| coordinates =
| range_coordinates = {{coord|21|22|N|85|16|E|type:mountain_region:IN|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| length_km = 382
| length_orientation= SW-NE
| width_km = 100
| width_orientation =
| area_km2 =
| geology =
| orogeny =
| biome =
| map = India Odisha
| map_caption = Location of the Garhjat Range
}}
[[File:Flow in life.jpg|thumb|265px|A waterfall in the area of the range, [[Kendujhar district]].]]
The '''Garhjat Hills''' is a [[mountain range]] formed by a series low-lying hills, [[plateau]]x, [[ridges]] and [[meadow]]s that stretch into [[Odisha]] from the [[Utkal Plains]] in the [[Chota Nagpur Plateau|Chotanagpur region]] of [[Jharkhand]] and the Chhattisgarh Plains. The range, also known as the Odisha Highlands, runs in a north east to south west direction for about 382 km along the Odisha coast, covering {{cvt|76,800|km2}}.<ref name="preservearticles">{{cite web|last=Raja|first=K|title=Complete information on the Garhjat Hills of Peninsular Uplands|url=http://www.preservearticles.com/2012020422692/complete-information-on-the-garhjat-hills-of-peninsular-uplands.html}}</ref>

The range rises abruptly and steeply in the east and slopes gently to a dissected plateau in the west running from north-east ([[Mayurbhanj]]) to south-west ([[Malkangiri]]). The whole area is also marked by [[intermontane basin]]s which cut across the region in a number of broad and narrow river valleys and flood plains. The average height of the range is about 900 metres above mean sea level.

== Etymology and History ==
Geographically the Garhjat Range is a northward prolongation of the [[Eastern Ghats]]. It derives its name from the Hindi term for '[[fort]]', ''garh''. The region was named by the [[Mughals]] who conquered [[Odisha]] under [[Akbar]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ahuja|first=Ravi|title='Opening up the Country'? Patterns of Circulation and Politics of Communication in Early Colonial Orissa|journal=Studies in History|date=January 2004|pages=74}}</ref> Under the [[Marathas]] too Odisha was divided into the Mughalbandhi and Garhjat provinces and the latter was ruled by 24 vassal chiefs who paid tribute to the Marathas. These states, the [[Orissa Tributary States]], later came to be known as the Garhjat states<ref>{{cite web|title=History Of Orissa |url=http://og.csm.co.in/ogv8/orissaprofile/history8.asp?img=history |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130218044456/http://og.csm.co.in/ogv8/orissaprofile/history8.asp?img=history |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-02-18 }}</ref> or the '''Garhjats''' because they were located in the region of the range.<ref>[https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V19_258.gif Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 19, p. 252.]</ref>

These hills cover the present day districts of [[Sundargarh district|Sundargarh]], [[Sambalpur district|Sambalpur]], [[Deogarh district|Deogarh]], [[Jharsuguda district|Jharsuguda]], [[Baragarh district|Baragarh]], [[Angul]] and [[Kendujhar district|Kendujhar]] in northern Odisha.<ref>{{cite book|title=Orient Blackswan School Atlas|year=2011|publisher=Orient Blackswan|pages=15,101}}</ref> [[Rourkela]] in Sundargarh district is a major industrial town.

== Geology ==
The Garhjat hills are bounded by the [[Chota Nagpur Plateau|Chotanagpur Plateau]] in the north, the Utkal plains in the east, the [[Mahanadi basin]] or the Chhattisgarh plains in the west and the Eastern Ghats to the south. Geologically, the region comprises crystalline rocks such as [[granites]] and [[gneisses]] that belong to the [[Archean|Archaean period]]. The [[Talcher]], [[Barakar]] and [[Kamathi]] series of rocks containing [[shales]] and [[sandstones]] occur in the [[Sambalpur district|Sambalpur]] and Dhei districts.<ref name="preservearticles" /><ref>{{cite book|last=Hussain|first=Majid|title=Geography Of India For Civil Services Exams|year=2008|publisher=Tata McGraw Hill|location=Delhi|pages=2.7}}</ref>

== Drainage ==
The northern Garhjat hills are a part of the Chotanagpur plateau while the southern part is an extension of the Eastern Ghats and can be divided into three - the northern uplands, the [[Mahanadi]] valley, and the south-western hills.<ref name="preservearticles" /> The important rivers that drain the Garhjat hills are the [[Brahmani River|Brahmani]], the [[Mahanadi]], the [[Baitarani]] and the [[Subarnarekha River|Subarnarekha]]. The Odisha Highlands are densely forested with [[Tropical forest|tropical semi-evergreen]] and [[Tropical dry forest|tropical dry]] and [[Deciduous forest|moist deciduous forests]]. The [[Scheduled Tribes]] account for as much as 37% of the regions population and the [[Gonds]] are a major tribal group of this region.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kalwar|first=S C|title=Geomorphology and Environmental Sustainability: Felicitation Volume in Honour of Professor HS Sharma|year=2005|publisher=Concept Publishers|pages=77–79}}</ref> [[Malaria]] is a major public health concern in these hills.<ref>{{cite web|title=National Institute of Malaria Research|url=http://www.mrcindia.org/rourkela.htm|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109215300/http://www.mrcindia.org/rourkela.htm|archivedate=2011-11-09}}</ref>

== Major Peaks ==
Some of the important peaks of the Garhjat Hills include the [[Malayagiri]], [[Manakamacha]] and [[Meghasani]]. The Mahanadi river bisects these hills and to its south, the hills tend to gain elevation. The highest peak to the south is the [[Mahendragiri, Orissa|Mahendragiri]] in [[Gajapati district]].<ref name="preservearticles" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Odisha}}
{{Eastern Ghats}}

[[Category:Mountain ranges of India]]
[[Category:Hills of Jharkhand]]
[[Category:Hills of Odisha]]
[[Category:Eastern Ghats]]
[[Category:Odisha semi-evergreen forests]]

Garhjat Hills - Revision history

>Frietjes at 16:48, 23 September 2021