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{{About|the district|its eponymous headquarters|Katihar}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Katihar District
| settlement_type = [[List of districts of Bihar|District of Bihar]]
| total_type = Total
| native_name =
| image_map = Bihar district location map Katihar.svg
| map_caption = Location of Katihar district in Bihar
| coordinates =
| coor_pinpoint = Katihar
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = [[India]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and union territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Bihar]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Administrative divisions of India|Division]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Purnia division|Purnia]]
| established_title = Established
| established_date =
| seat_type = Headquarters
| seat = [[Katihar]]
| parts_type = [[Tehsils of India|Tehsils]]
| parts_style = para
| p1 = 17
| area_total_km2 = 3056
| area_footnotes =
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_total = 3,071,029
| population_footnotes =
| population_urban =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| demographics_type1 = Demographics
| demographics1_title1 = [[Literacy in India|Literacy]]
| demographics1_info1 =
| demographics1_title2 = Sex ratio
| demographics1_info2 = 916
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
| leader_title1 = [[Lok Sabha|Lok Sabha constituencies]]
| leader_name1 = [[Katihar (Lok Sabha constituency)|Katihar]]
| leader_title2 = [[Vidhan Sabha|Vidhan Sabha constituencies]]
| leader_name2 = [[Katihar (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Katihar]], [[Kadwa (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Kadwa]], [[Balrampur, Katihar (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Balrampur]], [[Pranpur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Pranpur]], [[Manihari (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Manihari]], [[Barari (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Barari]]
[[korha (vidhan sabha constituency ) korha]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +05:30
| registration_plate = BR-39
| blank_name_sec1 = [[Roads in India|Major highways]]
| blank_info_sec1 = [[National Highway 31 (India)|NH-31]], [[National Highway 81 (India)|NH-81]],
[[National Highway 131A (India)|NH-131A]]
| blank_name_sec2 =
| blank_info_sec2 =
| website = http://katihar.bih.nic.in/
| official_name =
| image_skyline = P 20170527 171420.jpg
| image_caption =
}}
'''Katihar district''' is one of the thirty-eight [[districts of Bihar]] [[States and territories of India|state]] in India, and [[Katihar]] city is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district is a part of [[Purnia Division]].
It is prominently known for its [[Katihar Junction railway station|Katihar Junction Railway Station]], which is a Category A station on the [[Barauni–Guwahati line]]. It has been included in the Aspirational Districts Program of the Government of India since 2018, to improve its socio-economic indicators.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=vikaspedia Domains|url=https://vikaspedia.in/social-welfare/rural-poverty-alleviation-1/transformation-of-aspirational-districts|access-date=2021-06-13|website=vikaspedia.in}}</ref>

==History==
Katihar district is a part of the [[Mithila (region)|Mithila region]].<ref>https://m.timesofindia.com/elections/assembly-elections/bihar/bihar-assembly-elections-2020-bjp-eyes-winning-push-from-mithila/amp_articleshow/78314749.cms</ref> Mithila first gained prominence after being settled by [[Indo-Aryan peoples]] who established the [[Mithila Kingdom]] (also called Kingdom of the Videhas).<ref>[[Michael Witzel]] (1989), ''Tracing the Vedic dialects in Dialectes dans les litteratures Indo-Aryennes'' ed. Caillat, Paris, pages 13, 17 116–124, 141–143</ref>

During the late Vedic period (c. 1100–500 BCE), Kingdom of the Videhas became one of the major political and cultural centers of South Asia, along with Kuru and Pañcāla. The kings of the Kingdom of the Videhas were called [[Janaka]]s.<ref>{{cite book |author=Witzel, M. |author-link=Michael Witzel |year=1989 |chapter=Tracing the Vedic dialects |title=Dialectes dans les litteratures Indo-Aryennes |location=Paris |editor1-last=Caillat |editor1-first=C. |pages=141–143 |publisher=Fondation Hugot}}</ref>
The Mithila Kingdom was later incorporated into the [[Vajji]] confederacy, which had its capital in the city of [[Vaishali (ancient city)|Vaishali]], which is also in Mithila.<ref>{{cite book |author=Hemchandra, R. |year=1972 |title=Political History of Ancient India |location=Calcutta |publisher=University of Calcutta}}</ref>

Later it was dominated by Chaudhary family who were the biggest landlords of Katihar district. Khan Bahadur Mohammad Baksh was the founder of the Chaudhary family. They held 15000 acres of land in Katihar district and 8500 acres of land in Purnia district. His great grandsons Chaudhary Mohammad Ashraf and Chaudhary Taj Mohammad live in a [[haveli]] known as Taj Dehori. Katihar became a district when it was split from [[Purnia district|Purnia]] in 1973.<ref name='Statoids'>{{cite web | url = http://www.statoids.com/yin.html | title = Districts of India | access-date = 2011-10-11 | last = Law | first = Gwillim | date = 2011-09-25 | work = Statoids}}</ref>

==Geography==
Katihar district occupies an area of {{convert|3057|km2|sqmi}},<ref name='Reference Annual'>{{cite book | last1 = Srivastava, Dayawanti et al. (ed.) | title = India 2010: A Reference Annual | chapter = States and Union Territories: Bihar: Government | edition = 54th | publisher = Additional Director General, Publications Division, [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)]], [[Government of India]] | year = 2010 | location = New Delhi, India | pages = 1118–1119 | isbn = 978-81-230-1617-7}}</ref> comparatively equivalent to [[Canada]]'s [[Akimiski Island]].<ref name='Islands'>{{cite web | url = http://islands.unep.ch/Tiarea.htm | title = Island Directory Tables: Islands by Land Area | access-date = 2011-10-11 | date = 1998-02-18 | publisher = [[United Nations Environment Program]] | quote = Akimiski Island 3,001km2}}</ref>

'''Rivers''': Mahananda, Ganges, Koshi, Righa

Katihar district is situated in the plains of North Eastern part of Bihar State, surrounded by [[Purnia district]] (Bihar) in the north and the west, [[Bhagalpur district]] (Bihar) and [[Sahebganj district]] (Jharkhand) in the south and [[Malda district]] and [[Uttar Dinajpur district]] (Paschim Bengal) in the east.

==Economy==
In 2006, the [[Ministry of Panchayati Raj]] named Katihar one of the country's 250 [[Poverty in India|most backward districts]] (out of a total of [[Districts of India|640]]).<ref name=brgf/> It is one of the 36 districts in Bihar currently receiving funds from the [[Backward Regions Grant Fund]] Programme (BRGF).<ref name=brgf>{{cite web|author=Ministry of Panchayati Raj |date=September 8, 2009 |title=A Note on the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme |publisher=National Institute of Rural Development |url=http://www.nird.org.in/brgf/doc/brgf_BackgroundNote.pdf |access-date=September 27, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405033402/http://www.nird.org.in/brgf/doc/brgf_BackgroundNote.pdf |archive-date=April 5, 2012 }}</ref> It has also been included in the Aspirational Districts Program of the Government of India since 2018, to improve its socio-economic indicators.<ref name=":0" />

The main source of economy in Katihar is agriculture, and most of its industries are agro-based. Rice is the main crop, while banana, jute and maize are the chief cash crops of the district. Makhana Phodi, an agro-industry where edible makhana ([[foxnuts]]) is produced from raw makhana, is a rapidly-rising industry in Katihar.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Economy {{!}} Katihar {{!}} India|url=https://katihar.nic.in/economy/|access-date=2021-06-13|language=en-US}}</ref>

Katihar was once known as the "jute capital" of Bihar and boasted of two major jute mills, Sunbio Manufacturing Private Limited (also known as Old Jute Mill) and Rai Bahadur Hardutroy Motilal Chamria (RBHM) Jute Mill (also known as New Jute Mill).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2020-09-07|title=Katihar Jute Mills' Closure Pushes Workers, Farmers to a Dead-End|url=https://www.newsclick.in/Katihar-Jute-Mills-Fate-Left-Limbo-Workers-Farmers-Forgotten-Long-Back|access-date=2021-06-13|website=NewsClick|language=en}}</ref>

* Old Jute Mill is spread over 35 acres of land, and is run by Govind Sharda backed Sunbio Manufacturing Private Limited. It was earlier run by the Bihar State Industrial Development Corporation (BSIDC), but was leased out in 2001. The present worker capacity (as of 2020) of the mill is around 200, with a daily production of around 10 tonnes, down from its peak of approximately 3000 and hundred tons.<ref name=":1" />
* New Jute Mill is spread over 53.39 acres of land. It was started as a private mill in 1935 and first shut down in 1977. It was acquired by National Jute Manufacturers Corporation (NJMC) in 1980 and ran as a public sector undertaking till 2004, when it was closed again. It was restarted for a third time in the [[Public–private partnerships in India|Public-Private Partnership (PPP)]] model in 2014. The mill closed its shutter in 2016, shortly after NJMC was shut following [[NITI Aayog|NITI Ayog]] recommendation in 2016, and has been shut since.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Nov 2|first1=Sanjay Ojha / TNN / Updated|last2=2015|last3=Ist|first3=23:07|title=Closed mills, not caste, on Katihar priority list {{!}} Patna News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/closed-mills-not-caste-on-katihar-priority-list/articleshow/49635494.cms|access-date=2021-06-13|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

==Political history==
The district has seen immense activity during freedom struggle. There has been renowned freedom fighters like [[Alhaj Azhar Ali]] after whose name there is a village called Ajhrail. The busiest market square, Shaheed Chowk, has been named so in the memory of martyrs of [[Quit India Movement|1942 Quit India Movement]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=ध्रुव कुंडू की शहादत पर टाक शो, ताजा हुई स्वतंत्रता संग्राम की कहानियां|url=https://www.jagran.com/bihar/katihar-drama-news-21144000.html|access-date=2021-06-13|website=Dainik Jagran|language=hi}}</ref> Among notable freedom fighters from Katihar are, Dhrub Kundu, his father Dr Kishori Lal Kundu, Nakshtra Malakar (known as Robinhood of the Kosi belt).

The [[Katihar (Lok Sabha constituency)|Katihar Lok Sabha constituency]] has been represented by politicians like [[Sitaram Kesri]] former [[Indian National Congress|Teasurer and President of AICC]], [[Tariq Anwar (politician)|Tariq Anwar]], [[Nikhil Kumar Choudhary|Nikhil Choudhary]], [[Mohammad Yunus Saleem]]. Kashmiri veteran politician [[Mufti Mohammad Sayeed]] also unsuccessfully tried his luck in 1996 Lok Sabha elections.

==Sub-divisions==
Katihar District comprises 3 Sub-divisions:
*Katihar
*Barsoi
*Manihari

Katihar sub-division is further divided into 10 blocks: Katihar, Korha, Falka, Sameli, Barari, Kursela, Pranpur, Hasanganj, Dandkhora and Mansahi. Barsoi sub-division consists 4 blocks: Barsoi, Kadwa, Azamnagar and Balrampur. Manihari sub-division has 2 blocks: Manihari and Amdabad.

Hasanganj being the largest block which was under Zamindari rule with acres of land under the possession of then Late Shri Jogendranarayan Roy Choudhury. The entire landmass with school, temple and market has been donated to the people from the predecessors who remain in Katihar now with little of the possession under the Paul Choudhury fame. Mansahi was also very active Zamindari estate which was at par with Kursela and Falka.

==Demographics==
{{bar box
|title=Religions in Katihar District
|titlebar=#Fcd116
|left1=Religion
|right1=Percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Hindus]]|orange|54.85}}
{{bar percent|[[Muslims]]|green|44.47}}
{{bar percent|Not Stated|black|0.21}}
{{bar percent|Christian|blue|0.28}}
{{bar percent|Sikh|olive|0.09}}
{{bar percent|Others|grey|0.07}}
{{bar percent|Jain|brown|0.02}}
{{bar percent|Buddhist|yellow|0.01}}
}}
According to the [[2011 census of India|2011 census]], Katihar district has a [[Demographics of India|population]] of 3,071,029,<ref name=districtcensus>{{cite web | url = http://www.census2011.co.in/district.php | title = District Census 2011 | access-date = 2011-09-30 | year = 2011 | publisher = Census2011.co.in}}</ref> roughly equal to the nation of [[Oman]]<ref name="cia">{{cite web | author = US Directorate of Intelligence | title = Country Comparison:Population | url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | access-date = 2011-10-01 | quote = Oman 3,027,959
}}</ref> or the US state of [[Iowa]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php
|title=2010 Resident Population Data
|publisher=U. S. Census Bureau
|access-date=2011-09-30
|quote=Iowa 3,046,355
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101090833/http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php
|archive-date=2011-01-01
}}</ref> This gives it a ranking of 117th in India (out of a total of [[Districts of India|640]]).<ref name=districtcensus/> The district has a population density of {{convert|1004|PD/sqkm|PD/sqmi}}.<ref name=districtcensus/> Its [[Family planning in India|population growth rate]] over the decade 2001–2011 was 28.23%.<ref name=districtcensus/> Katihar has a [[sex ratio]] of 916 [[Women in India|females]] for every 1000 males,<ref name=districtcensus/> and a [[Literacy in India|literacy rate]] of 53.56%.<ref name=districtcensus/> The district has a significant concentration of Muslims.<ref name=districtcensus/>

{{historical populations|11=1901|12=4,84,667|13=1911|14=5,20,805|15=1921|16=5,56,136|17=1931|18=6,01,533|19=1941|20=6,54,841|21=1951|22=6,94,986|23=1961|24=9,11,037|25=1971|26=11,36,994|27=1981|28=14,28,622|29=1991|30=18,25,380|31=2001|32=23,92,638|33=2011|34=30,71,029|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:<ref>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A2_Data_Table.html Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901]</ref>|align=middle}}

===Languages===

At the time of the [[2011 Census of India]], 73.91% of the population in the district spoke [[Hindi]], 12.04% [[Bengali language|Bengali]], 9.11% [[Urdu]] and 2.97% [[Santali language|Santali]] as their first language.<ref>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-16.html 2011 Census of India, Population By Mother Tongue]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://katihar.nic.in/ Official website]
* [https://archive.is/20130816154447/http://www.katiharinfo.in/ Katihar Info.]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110430231925/http://www.allaboutbihar.com/districts/katihar/index.php Katihar Information Portal]
* [https://www.facebook.com/KMCHKatihar Katihar Medical College]

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Katihar district
|North =
|Northeast = [[North Dinajpur district]], [[West Bengal]]
|East =
|Southeast = [[Malda district]], [[West Bengal]]
|South = [[Sahebganj district]], [[Jharkhand]]
|Southwest = [[Bhagalpur district]]
|West =
|Northwest = [[Purnia district]]
}}

{{Districts of Bihar}}
{{Minority Concentrated Districts in India}}
{{Purnia Division}}
{{Purnia Division topics}}

{{coord|25|33|00|N|87|34|12|E|region:IN-BR_type:adm2nd_source:kolossus-nowiki|display=title}}

[[Category:Katihar district| ]]
[[Category:Purnia division]]
[[Category:Districts of Bihar]]
[[Category:Minority Concentrated Districts in India]]
[[Category:1973 establishments in Bihar]]

Katihar district - Revision history

imported>Rdp060707 at 07:51, 14 August 2021