Doda district
District of Jammu and Kashmir administered by India[1]
City in a mountain valley, with mountains in the background
View of Doda city
Interactive map of Doda district
Doda district is in the eastern part of the Jammu division (shown with neon blue boundary) of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (shaded in tan in the disputed Kashmir region
Doda district is in the eastern part of the Jammu division (shown with neon blue boundary) of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (shaded in tan in the disputed Kashmir region[1]
Coordinates (Doda): 33°08′N 75°34′E / 33.13°N 75.57°E / 33.13; 75.57
Administering countryIndia
Union TerritoryJammu and Kashmir
DivisionJammu
RegionChenab Valley
HeadquartersDoda
Government
 • District MagistrateHarvinder Singh (IAS)[2]
 • Additional Deputy CommissionerDr. Ravi Kumar Bharti (JKAS)[3]
 • Assistant Commissioner RevenueSanjeev Kumar (JKAS)[3]
Area
[4]
 • Total2,625 km2 (1,014 sq mi)
 • Urban
19.75 km2 (7.63 sq mi)
 • Rural
2,605.25 km2 (1,005.89 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[5]
 • Total409,936
 • Density160/km2 (400/sq mi)
 • Urban
32,689
 • Rural
377,247
Demographics
 • Literacy64.68%
 • Sex ratio919
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)
Vehicle registrationJK-06
Major highwaysNH 244
Websitedoda.nic.in

Doda district is an administrative district of the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.[1]

Administration

The district consists of 18 tehsils: Thathri, Bhaderwah, Doda, Mohalla, Bhagwa, Assar, Bhalla, Gundna, Marmat, Kahara, Gandoh (Bhalessa), Bhella, Bharat Bagla, Chiralla, Chilly Pingal, Phagsoo and Kastigarh.[6]

Climate

The climate of the area is not uniform due to its wide variations in altitude. The area, in general, enjoys a temperate to sub-tropical climate. The climate of the district is almost dry and rainfall is scanty. The temperature varies from place to place. Ramban and Doda tehsils are warmer, while regions like Dessa Valley, tehsil Bhagwah, Gundna, Padder, Marwah and Warwan remain snow-bound for five-six months of the year. Summer is generally without precipitation. Almost all regions experiences snowfall in the winter, either in the form of snowfall in higher regions or as rainfall in the lower regions. Monsoons prevail from July to September. Rainfall in the Doda district is heavy during July and September. The average annual rainfall is 926 mm and snowfall of about 135 mm.[7]

History

Kailash Kund lake, Doda district

The demography of Doda district is complex compared to neighbouring districts, because of its very diverse population. In the past, Doda was largely inhabited by a Sarazi population before people started settling here from Kashmir and other adjoining areas.[8][9] It got the name Doda due to the opium plant, known as doddi in the local language. Kashmiri populations settled here in the 17th and 18th centuries.[10] Sumantra Bose says repression by feudal classes elsewhere drew people to the districts of Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar.[11][12]

The Doda district consists of areas drawn from the ancient principalities of Kishtwar and Bhadarwah, both of which became part of a district by the name of 'Udhampur' in the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.[13]

The district of Doda in Jammu and Kashmir has a long history intertwined with legends and stories of various rulers and dynasties. According to records from the State Revenue Department, the district got its name from its headquarters in Doda, which was named after a migrant from Multan, a utensil maker. He was persuaded by one of the ancient rulers of Kishtwar to settle in the area and establish a utensil factory. Over time, the name Deeda was distorted into Doda.[14]

The early history of Doda is not well documented, with few chronicles available about the rulers of Kishtwar. The settlement reports indicate that the area was ruled by various groups including Ranas, Rajas, and independent chiefs from time to time, including the Jaral, Ranas, Katoch Rajas, Bhaus Manhases, Chibs, Thakkars, Wanis, and Gakkars. In 1822 AD, Doda was conquered by Maharaja Gulab Singh and became the winter capital of the Kishtwar state.[15]

The Fort of Doda was significant in the district's history and was one of the seventy forts in Jammu province, according to author Thakur Kahan Singh Balowria. The fort served as the office of the Thanedar and provided storage space for armaments and food grains. The fort was also built to protect against potential attacks from the Bhaderwah Rajas. The fort was made of unbaked bricks and had walls that were four feet wide and forty to fifty feet high, with dome-like towers at the corners. The fort was demolished in 1952 and as of 2023, the Government Boys Higher Secondary School occupies its site.[16]

English traveller G.T. Vigne visited Doda in 1829 and described his journey through the district. He mentions traveling through a deep and rocky nullah which joins the Chenab River,[lower-alpha 1] and then crossing the river over a dangerous bridge in the Himalayas. Vigne writes about the bridge in Doda, a strong rope stretched from one bank to the other, tied to rocks. A wooden structure was placed over the rope and additional ropes were tied to it, allowing the structure to move back and forth. He also encountered another type of bridge, which was crossed on foot, made of small ropes bound with pieces of bark and woven into a thick rope. Hanging ropes were provided for support.[14][16]

The area that includes the tehsil of Bhaderwah has a long history dating back to the 10th century. In 1846, Doda and Kishtwar became part of the newly created Jammu and Kashmir state after the Amritsar pact between the British government, Lahore Darbar, and Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu. Bhaderwah was once a principality with 15 administrative units and has a recorded history going back to the Rajtarangni of Kalhan. The state of Bhadhrwah was established in the 15th century by a Sicon of the Baloria family of Bilawar. It was later ruled by the Raja of Chamb until Raja Nagpal became the ruler in the 16th century. Bhaderwah was then ruled by Nagpal's descendants until it was captured by the Kishtwar Raja. It became part of Chamba in 1821 and was transferred to Jammu Darbar in 1846. During this time, Bhaderwah was military-administered Label was appointed as the Kardar. The Bhaderwah Jagir was later bestowed upon Raja Amar Singh of Jammu and then to his son, Raja Hari Singh. When Raja Hari Singh became the Maharaja of J&K in 1925, he dissolved his Jagirs and converted Bhaderwah into a tehsil of Udhampur in 1931.[17]

In 1948, the erstwhile Udhampur district was partitioned into the present Udhampur district, containing the Udhampur and Ramanagar tehsils, and 'Doda' district containing the Ramban, Bhadarwah, Thathri and Kishtwar tehsils.[18][11][19]

In 2006, Ramban was made into an independent district and the hilly area to the east of the present Doda district was separated as the Kishtwar district. The remaining areas include the Doda tehsil carved out of Kishtwar and the original Bhadarwah, now divided into three tehsils.[18][20]

In 1990s, various incidents were reported about the suppression of Hindus by the Militant organizations. In response to the rising terrorism, the government authorities made Village Defense Committee (VDC) in various villages. However some reports of VDC members indulging in criminal activities have also reported in the past. In a village called Karada, four Muslims were allegedly killed by VDC members. This incident also triggered the Terrorist organisations to target those who supported the VDCs, believing them to be anti-Muslim. Since 1990s, many such incidents of killings by Terrorist and VDCs have been reported.[21]

In June 2023, an earthquake of 5.4 magnitude jolts Doda district.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1901 102,011—    
1911 112,009+9.8%
1921 117,759+5.1%
1931 127,477+8.3%
1941 140,446+10.2%
1951 147,489+5.0%
1961 154,532+4.8%
1971 170,787+10.5%
1981 224,197+31.3%
1991 290,727+29.7%
2001 372,613+28.2%
2011 476,835+28.0%
† 1951 and 1991 populations are estimated
Source: Census of India[22]
Religion in Doda district (2011)[5]
Religion Percent
Islam
 
 53.82%
Hinduism
 
 45.77%
Other or not stated
 
 0.41%

Languages of Doda district (2011)[23]

  Kashmiri (41.59%)
  Bhadarwahi (20.00%)
  Siraji (13.84%)
  Gojri (7.53%)
  Hindi (5.20%)
  Dogri (3.96%)
  Pahadi (2.43%)
  Haryanvi (1.55%)
  Others (3.90%)

According to the 2011 census, Doda district has a population of 409,936,[24] roughly equal to the nation of Malta.[25] This gives it a ranking of 556th in India (out of a total of 640).[24] The district has a population density of 79 inhabitants per square kilometre (200/sq mi).[24] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 27.89%.[24]

Doda has a sex ratio of 922 females for every 1000 males[24] (this varies with religion), and a literacy rate of 65.97%.[24]

Religion

The district has a Muslim majority 53.82%, with Hindus constituting 45.77% of the population and the remainder consisting of Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains.[26]

Doda's society is a mixture of all religions with Hindus and Muslims being two major communities. The population ratio between the Muslims and the Hindus as per the census report of 2011 is around 55:45. Muslims of the region are mostly ethnic Kashmiris and are culturally and linguistically connected to the people of Kashmir.[11][10][27]

Doda district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census.[5]
Hindu Muslim Christian Sikh Buddhist Jain Other Not stated Total
Total 187,621220,614472422212242722409,936
45.77%53.82%0.12%0.10%0.01%0.01%0.01%0.18%100.00%
Male 98,252114,37232428691124363213,641
Female 89,369106,242148136121118359196,295
Gender ratio (% female) 47.6%48.2%31.4%32.2%57.1%50.0%42.9%49.7%47.9%
Sex ratio
(no. of females per 1,000 males)		 910929–––––989919
Urban 9,78622,6684015301402832,689
Rural 177,835197,94643226921842694377,247
 % Urban 5.2%10.3%8.5%36.3%0.0%63.6%0.0%3.9%8.0%
Sex Ratio in Doda District in 2011 Census.[5]
(no. females per 1,000 males)
Religion (and population) Sex Ratio
Muslim (pop 220,614)
 
 929
Hindu (pop 187,621)
 
 910
Other (pop 1,701)
 
 673
Total (pop 409,936)
 
 919

Languages

Prominent Scholar Sumantra Bose states that the plurality of population of Doda speaks Kashmiri as their mother language.[28][29] A study conducted in 2014 identified 40% of the population as Kashmiri-speaking.[30] The Pahadi languages are spoken by the second largest group: Bhadarwahi and Sarazi are the main ones.[31] Others in the district speak Gojri and Dogri.

Doda's population comprises different communities who live together peacefully despite following different religions and speak different languages. Most of the people of the region are well-versed with all the languages spoken in the area.[32][9]

Administration

Administratively, the district has 406 villages. Doda District has been divided into three subdivisions viz., Doda, Thathri, Bhaderwah and Bhalessa (Gandoh). It has eighteen tehsils.[33]

Villages

Politics

Doda district has three assembly constituencies: Bhaderwah, Doda and Doda West.[34][35]

Terrorism

Doda had a history of terrorism, with one of the highest concentration of militants in Jammu and Kashmir. According to local authorities, about 200 militants were active in the district in the early 2000s.[36]

Militants targeted the Hindu and Muslim villagers. Some anti-social outfits mostly misused the VDCs. A report said that the 489 civilians had been killed in the region as of 2005.[37]

There have been a number of killings of innocent civilians by militants and anti-social outfits including:

  • On June 19, 1998, 25 Hindus were brutally massacred by militants in Chapnari village of Doda district.[38]
  • In August 1998, four Muslims were allegedly killed by VDC members in Karada village.[21]
  • On 25 October 1998, four Muslim civilians were shot dead, allegedly by Indian troops in Doda, according to police and local residents.[39]
  • On 3 August 2001, 17 Hindu Civilians brutally massacred by Militants in ladder village.[40][41]
  • The 2006 Doda massacre in which 35 Hindu civilians were killed on 30 April 2006.[42][43]
  • Massacre of 19 Hindu villagers in Thawa village on 15 May 2006.[44]
  • On 15 May 2019, Nayeem Ahmad Shah was killed by cow vigilantes in Bhaderwah, while he was not carrying any animal during attack. Eight Hindus were arrested in this case.[45][46][47]


References

  1. 1 2 3 The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary sources (a) through (d), reflecting due weight in the coverage. Although "controlled" and "held" are also applied neutrally to the names of the disputants or to the regions administered by them, as evidenced in sources (f) through (h) below, "held" is also considered politicized usage, as is the term "occupied," (see (i) below).
    (a) Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 15 August 2019 (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcontinent ... has been the subject of dispute between India and Pakistan since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. The northern and western portions are administered by Pakistan and comprise three areas: Azad Kashmir, Gilgit, and Baltistan, the last two being part of a territory called the Northern Areas. Administered by India are the southern and southeastern portions, which constitute the state of Jammu and Kashmir but are slated to be split into two union territories.";
    (b) Pletcher, Kenneth, Aksai Chin, Plateau Region, Asia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 16 August 2019 (subscription required) Quote: "Aksai Chin, Chinese (Pinyin) Aksayqin, portion of the Kashmir region, at the northernmost extent of the Indian subcontinent in south-central Asia. It constitutes nearly all the territory of the Chinese-administered sector of Kashmir that is claimed by India to be part of the Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir state.";
    (c) "Kashmir", Encyclopedia Americana, Scholastic Library Publishing, 2006, p. 328, ISBN 978-0-7172-0139-6 C. E Bosworth, University of Manchester Quote: "KASHMIR, kash'mer, the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent, administered partlv by India, partly by Pakistan, and partly by China. The region has been the subject of a bitter dispute between India and Pakistan since they became independent in 1947";
    (d) Osmańczyk, Edmund Jan (2003), Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements: G to M, Taylor & Francis, pp. 1191–, ISBN 978-0-415-93922-5 Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute betw een India and Pakistan. It has borders with Pakistan and China."
    (e) Talbot, Ian (2016), A History of Modern South Asia: Politics, States, Diasporas, Yale University Press, pp. 28–29, ISBN 978-0-300-19694-8 Quote: "We move from a disputed international border to a dotted line on the map that represents a military border not recognized in international law. The line of control separates the Indian and Pakistani administered areas of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir.";
    (f) Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 15 August 2019 (subscription required) Quote: "... China became active in the eastern area of Kashmir in the 1950s and has controlled the northeastern part of Ladakh (the easternmost portion of the region) since 1962.";
    (g) Bose, Sumantra (2009), Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace, Harvard University Press, pp. 294, 291, 293, ISBN 978-0-674-02855-5 Quote: "J&K: Jammu and Kashmir. The former princely state that is the subject of the Kashmir dispute. Besides IJK (Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. The larger and more populous part of the former princely state. It has a population of slightly over 10 million, and comprises three regions: Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh.) and AJK ('Azad" (Free) Jammu and Kashmir. The more populous part of Pakistani-controlled J&K, with a population of approximately 2.5 million. AJK has six districts: Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Bagh, Kodi, Rawalakot, and Poonch. Its capital is the town of Muzaffarabad. AJK has its own institutions, but its political life is heavily controlled by Pakistani authorities, especially the military), it includes the sparsely populated "Northern Areas" of Gilgit and Baltistan, remote mountainous regions which are directly administered, unlike AJK, by the Pakistani central authorities, and some high-altitude uninhabitable tracts under Chinese control."
    (h) Fisher, Michael H. (2018), An Environmental History of India: From Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century, Cambridge University Press, p. 166, ISBN 978-1-107-11162-2 Quote: "Kashmir’s identity remains hotly disputed with a UN-supervised “Line of Control” still separating Pakistani-held Azad (“Free”) Kashmir from Indian-held Kashmir.";
    (i) Snedden, Christopher (2015), Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris, Oxford University Press, p. 10, ISBN 978-1-84904-621-3 Quote:"Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J&K. These terms include the words 'occupied' and 'held'."
  2. ↑ "Deputy commissioner of Doda - Official Website".
  3. 1 2 "Who's Who in Doda district". Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  4. ↑ District Census Handbook Doda, Part B (PDF). Census of India 2011 (Report). 18 June 2014. pp. 9, 12, 99. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 C-1 Population By Religious Community – Jammu & Kashmir (Report). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "Statement showing the number of blocks in respect of 22 Districts of Jammu and Kashmir State including newly Created Districts" (PDF). Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Department. Government of Jammu and Kashmir. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2008.
  7. ↑ "Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, IN Climate Zone, Monthly Averages, Historical Weather Data". Global Historical Weather and Climate Data. 1 April 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "Sarazi: Endangered Language of the Chenab Valley".
  9. 1 2 "Story of Doda misunderstood by Kashmir". Greater Kashmir. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  10. 1 2 "Mini Kashmir". Kashmir Life. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 Snedden, Christopher (2015), Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris, Oxford University Press, p. xxi, 23, ISBN 978-1-84904-342-7
  12. ↑ "Sarazi: Endangered Language of the Chenab Valley". Sahapedia. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  13. ↑ "About Doda District". Jammu Redefining. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016.
  14. 1 2 CT, News Desk (1 February 2023). "The lost history of Doda". The Chenab Times. Doda, Jammu and Kashmir. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  15. ↑ "History | District Doda | India". National Informatics Centre. Doda Administration. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  16. 1 2 "Doda: Brief History, Places of Attraction". The Dispatch. 19 April 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  17. ↑ Maini, K D (6 February 2016). "Past, present of Doda". Daily Excelsior. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  18. 1 2 "District profile". Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Doda. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  19. ↑ Behera, Navnita Chadha (2007), Demystifying Kashmir, Pearson Education India, p. 28, ISBN 978-8131708460
  20. ↑ "8 New Districts in JK, 13 New Tehsils". Greater Kashmir. 7 July 2006.
  21. 1 2 Joshi, Rajesh (17 August 1998). "Slow Death in Doda". Outlook. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  22. ↑ "A-2 Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901". Censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  23. ↑ C-16 Population By Mother Tongue – Jammu & Kashmir (Report). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "District Census 2011". Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  25. ↑ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2011. Malta 408,333 July 2011 est.
  26. ↑ "District Census Handbook: Doda" (PDF). Directorate of Census Operations, Jammu & Kashmir, 2017.
  27. ↑ "Untitled Document". fathom.lse.ac.uk. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  28. ↑ Bose, Sumantra (10 September 2010). "Geography, Politics and the Fighters of Kashmir". London School of Economics. Archived from the original on 16 December 2011.
  29. ↑ "Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace". Foreign Affairs. 28 January 2009. ISSN 0015-7120. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  30. ↑ Bukhari, Shujaat (29 June 2014). "Nearly 35% People Speak Kashmiri In Erstwhile J&K: Study". Rising Kashmir.
  31. ↑ "Saraz and Sarazi: Situating a Language and Linguistic Zone in Jammu and Kashmir".
  32. ↑ "Saraz and Sarazi: Situating a Language and Linguistic Zone in Jammu and Kashmir". Sahapedia. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  33. ↑ Creation of new Administrative Units in the State (PDF). Government of Jammu and Kashmir. 16 July 2014.
  34. ↑ "Jammu gets 6 new assembly constituencies, 12 segments reserved for STS, SCS". 5 May 2022.
  35. ↑ "ERO's and AERO's". Chief Electoral Officer, Jammu and Kashmir. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
  36. ↑ Hussain, Aijaz (15 May 2006). "The Doda Deathtrap". India Today. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  37. ↑ "India: Kashmir massacre sparks ethnic cleansing fears". ReliefWeb, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). 6 May 2006. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  38. ↑ Pillai, Ajith; Meraj, Zafar (29 June 1998). "Slaughter Of The Innocents". Outlook India.
  39. ↑ "Chronology for Kashmiris in India". 25 October 1998. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  40. ↑ "Ultras massacre 17 in Doda". The Tribune. 5 August 2001.
  41. ↑ "Militants massacre 15 Hindu villagers in Doda". Rediff. 4 August 2001.
  42. ↑ Sengupta, Somini (2 May 2006). "Militants Kill 35 Hindus Days Before Talks on Kashmir". New York Times.
  43. ↑ "Voices of Doda". The Times of India. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  44. ↑ Hussain, Aijaz (15 May 2006). "19 villagers massacred in Kashmir Valley, act suspected to polarise two communities". India Today.
  45. ↑ "Cow vigilantes kill lone breadwinner of family in J&K". 18 May 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  46. ↑ Naseem, Ishfaq (16 May 2019). "Nayeem Ahmad Shah, who was killed by cow vigilantes in Jammu's Bhaderwah, was carrying no animal during attack, claims relative". Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  47. ↑ "J&K: Five-member SIT constituted to probe killing of a man by alleged cow vigilantes in Bhaderwah". Retrieved 21 June 2020.

Further reading

Notes

  1. ↑ The Nullah traversed by Vigne is most likely the Neeru river, which joins the Chenab at Pul Doda.
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