Lower Assam division is one of the 5 administrative divisions of Assam in India. It was formed in 1874, consisting of the undivided Kamrup district of Western Assam, undivided Darrang and Nagaon districts of Central Assam and Khasi & Jaintia hills of Meghalaya, created for revenue purposes.[1] The division is under the jurisdiction of a Commissioner, who is stationed at Guwahati. The division currently covers the Western Brahmaputa Valley.[citation needed] Shri Jayant Narlikar, IAS is the current Commissioner of Lower Assam division.
Lower Assam Division | |
|---|---|
 Rangia is the important and most developed city in Lower Assam division | |
 The five divisions of Assam | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Assam |
| Capital | Rangia |
| Largest City | Guwahati |
| Area | |
| • Total | 22,024 km2 (8,504 sq mi) |
| Population (2011 census) | |
| • Total | 11,252,365 |
| • Density | 510/km2 (1,300/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
History
edit
Most parts of Lower assam districts till the 19th century were under the Kingdom of Bhutan.
Districts
editLower Assam division contains 12 districts, namely Dhubri, South Salamara, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Bongaigaon, Goalpara, Barpeta, Bajali, Nalbari, Baksa, Kamrup and Kamrup metropolitan.[2] Among these, 3 districts namely Kokrajhar, Chirang and Baksa lie within Bodoland.[3]
| Code[4] | District | Headquarter | Population (2011)[5] | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BK | Baksa# | Mushalpur | 950,075 | 2,457 | 387 |
| - | Bajali | Pathsala | 253,816 | 600 | 423 |
| BP | Barpeta | Barpeta | 1,439,806 | 2,645[6] | 544 |
| BO | Bongaigaon | Bongaigaon | 738,804 | 1,093 | 676 |
| CH | Chirang# | Kajalgaon | 482,162 | 1,170 | 412 |
| DU | Dhubri | Dhubri | 1,394,144 | 1,608 | 867 |
| GP | Goalpara | Goalpara | 1,008,183 | 1,824 | 553 |
| KM | Kamrup Metropolitan | Guwahati | 1,253,938 | 1,528 | 821 |
| KU | Kamrup | Rangia | 1,517,542 | 3,105 | 489 |
| KJ | Kokrajhar# | Kokrajhar | 887,142 | 3,169 | 280 |
| NB | Nalbari | Nalbari | 771,639 | 2,257 | 342 |
| SSM | South Salmara-Mankachar | Hatsingimari[7] | 555,114 | 568 | 977 |
| Total | 12 | — | 1,12,52,365 | 22,024 | 511 |
# Districts within the Bodoland Territorial Region
Demographics
editAs per 2011 census, Lower Assam division has a population of 11,252,365 people.
Languages
editAccording to 2011 census, the total number of Assamese speakers in the division were 59,61,583, Bengali speakers were 34,76,953, Boro speakers were 8,70,198 and Hindi speakers were 3,17,958. Although the Bengali speaking population was 30.9% as per the 2011 census language report, but Lower Assam Division is home to a large Muslim population of Bengali origin, most of whom now identify as Assamese speakers in the census.[9][10]
Muslims are around 49.5% of the total lower Assam population at the time of the 2011 Census.[citation needed]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Bose, Manilal (1985). Development of Administration in Assam: With Special Reference to Land. Concept Publishing Company.
- ^ "Divisions | General Administration | Government of Assam, India".
- ^ "Bodoland.in".
- ^ ISO 3166
- ^ "District Census 2011".
- ^ "District Profile | Barpeta District | Government of Assam, India".
- ^ "South Salmara-Mankachar dist inaugurated". Assam Tribune. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ "C-16 Population By Mother Tongue – Assam". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
- ^ Saikia, Arunabh. "A new generation of 'Miya' Muslims in Assam may vote for Congress-AIUDF – but only out of compulsion". Scroll.in. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ X, Samrat. "National Register of Citizens: Identity issue haunts Assam, again". Newslaundry. Retrieved 16 July 2021.