Nuh District
Mewat District
District of Haryana
Fields in Ujina
Fields in Ujina
Location in Haryana
Location in Haryana
Country India
StateHaryana
DivisionFaridabad
HeadquartersNuh
TehsilsNuh, Ferozepur Jhirka, Punahana, Taoru
Area
 • Total1,507 km2 (582 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total1,089,263
 • Density720/km2 (1,900/sq mi)
 • Urban
11.39%
Demographics
 • Literacy54.08
 • Sex ratio907
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration1. HR 27 (Nuh)

2.HR 28 (Ferozepur Jhirka)

3.HR 74 (RTA Nuh)

4.HR 93 (Punahana)

5.HR 96 (Taoru)
Major highwaysNational Highway 248-A (Gurgaon–Sohna–Alwar), KMP Expressway and Delhi–Mumbai Expressway
Average annual precipitation594 mm (23.4 in)
Lok Sabha constituenciesGurgaon (Lok Sabha constituency)
Vidhan Sabha constituencies1. Nuh, 2. Ferozepur Jhirka, 3. Punahana
Websitenuh.gov.in

Nuh district (formerly known as Mewat district) is one of the 22 districts in the Indian state of Haryana. There are four sub-divisions in this district: Nuh, Ferozepur Jhirka, Punahana, and Taoru. It has an area of 1,860 square kilometres (720 sq mi) and had a population of 1.09 million in 2011. It is bounded by Gurugram District to the north, Palwal District of Haryana to the east and Alwar District of Rajasthan to the south and west. Its boundaries also touch Bharatpur District of Rajasthan and Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh near Bichhor Village and Nai Village of Punhana Tehsil. It is predominantly populated by farmers of Meo ethnicity.

In 2018, the Government of India's think tank NITI Aayog listed Nuh district as the most underdeveloped of India's 739 districts.[2] Despite bordering Gurgaon district, Haryana's rich industrial and financial heartland, this district had the worst health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion and skill development and basic infrastructure.[3][4]

History

The earliest records of this region and its surroundings can be found in the Mahabharata. The Bhadanakas are clearly related to the ancient Bhadras mentioned in the Sanskrit epic as a republic or oligarchy that Karna conquered during his expeditions. These Bhadanakas are located in the Rewari-Bhiwani area, and Bhadavasa, a present-day village located nearby confirms their historic presence.[5]

After the fall of Maurya Empire, this place has seen foreign invaders like Bactrians, Greeks, Parthians, Scythians and Kushanas. Samudragupta and Yashovarman had also ruled the area. The Mewat region was also part of the Harsha Empire during the first half of the century 7th century, then Gurjara-Pratiharas. The Tomaras, who were once the Pratiharas' feudatories but eventually gained independence, established the foundation of Delhi, then known as Dhillika, in A.D. 736. The Gurgaon-Mewat region was ruled by the Tomaras until Visaladeva (Chahamana) captured Delhi around the year 1156.[5]

One of the most dominant Meo chiefs in the region was Sambhar Pal, popularly known as Bahadur Nahar during the rule of Firuz Shah Tughlaq whose tomb still stands at Alwar.[5] Bahadur Nahar had helped Abu Bakr Shah, grandson of the late Emperor Firuz Shah Tughlaq, in expelling from Delhi Abu Bakr's uncle Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah Tughluq and in establishing the former on the throne.

Ghias-ud-din Balban, who was once the prime minister of Nasir-ud-din Mahmud is known to have punished people of Mewat to an extent where around two thousand Meos were killed. The local population is believed to have gone through bad times due to the oppression during the early Muslim invasion of 13th century. Their determination of preserving their old way of life despite converting to Delhi's ruling faith is evident.[5]

The Meo Muslims who inhabited this region were syncretic in past rituals.

"The Meos (Muhammadans) of the eastern Punjab still participate in the observance of the Holi and Diwali festivals. On the latter occasion they paint the horns, hoofs, etc.,of their bullocks and join in the general rejoicings".[6]: 174 

— Excerpt from the Census of India (Punjab Province), 1911 AD

During the independence, there was a surge in Communal tension when Jinnah demanded for a separate nation as a result of which Partition of India was proposed by the British rulers. A branch of the All India Muslim League was established in the area, which had proposed a separate province for Meos and a significant number of Meos became members of the organization.[5]: 12 

In the 1920s the grassroots Islamic movement Tablighi Jamaat arose from this region under Muhammad Ilyas as a reformist movement.[7] This Muslim region was heavily inflicted by partition violence of 1947, which in turn naturally altered the syncretic life style of people in the region.[8] During partition some Meo Muslim villages were attacked; when the Meos retaliated they were attacked by the Hindu princely state maharajas. The violence has been remembered by the Meo Muslims and lead them to embrace a more Islamic identity.[9] The Meos' Islamic identity has also been enhanced due to better education, communication and transportation. As secular schools have increase in the area, so have the religious madrassas. Many Meos have traveled to Delhi to attend religious gatherings, or visited their relatives in Pakistan.[9]

The district was created on 4 April 2005, by taking areas from Gurgaon district and the Hathin Block of Faridabad district. However, in 2008, Hathin sub-division was reorganized in the new district of Palwal. Mewat district was renamed Nuh in 2016, because Mewat is a cultural region which spans the state of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.[10][11]

In 2023, the district was rocked by the 2023 Haryana riots.

The district comprises Nuh, Taoru, Nagina, Ferozepur Jhirka, Indri, Punhana and Pinangwan blocks, 431 villages and 297 panchayats. There had been 512 villages and 365 panchayats in district before Hathin Block was transferred to Palwal district.

Geography

The soil of the district is light in texture, composed of sandy soil, sandy loam and clay loam. The upper hills are mostly barren. The total area of Nuh district is 1,507 square kilometres (582 sq mi).

Administrative divisions

Sub-divisions

  • Nuh
  • Ferozepur Jhirka
  • Punahana
  • Taoru

Sub Tehsil

  • Nagina

Blocks

  • Nuh
  • Ferozepur Jhirka
  • Punhana
  • Taoru
  • Nagina
  • Indri
  • Pinganwan

Assembly constituencies

There are three Haryana Vidhan Sabha constituencies located in this district: Nuh, Ferozepur Jhirka and Punahana. All 3 are part of the Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency. Taoru from the Nuh district (previously Taoru Assembly constituency) comes under Sohna constituency of Gurugram district.

Towns and villages

  • Ferozepur Jhirka
  • Khanpur Ghati
  • Nagina – An important town of Ferozepur Jhirka Tehsil, located at the centre of the district. It is the sub-tehsil and block of the district. An industrial training institute is also located here.
  • Nuh - It has a medical college established in August 2012 by government of haryana named SHKM GMC Nalhar.
  • Pinangwan
  • Punahana
  • Sultanpur-Punahana
  • Ghasera
  • Tauru - An important town is a sub division of Mewat district this town's border touches with Gurgaon district and Bhiwadi district. Alwar, (Rajasthan) is the only town in Mewat with a Hindu majority. One ITI and one college affiliated to MDU University

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901167,539—    
1911146,094−1.36%
1921136,085−0.71%
1931148,756+0.89%
1941171,014+1.40%
1951184,705+0.77%
1961239,352+2.63%
1971320,670+2.97%
1981392,173+2.03%
1991539,299+3.24%
2001785,594+3.83%
20111,089,263+3.32%
source:[12]

According to the 2011 census, Nuh district had a population of 1,089,263.[1] By population, it ranks 420th among the 640 districts of India.[1] The district had a population density of 729 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,890/sq mi).[1] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 37.94%.[1] It had a sex ratio of 906 females for every 1000 males,[1] and a literacy rate of 56.1%. 11.39% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes make up 6.91% of the population.[1]

Religion in Nuh district (2011)[13]
Religion Percent
Islam
 
 79.20%
Hinduism
 
 20.37%
Other or not stated
 
 0.43%
Religion in Nuh District[lower-alpha 1]
Religion Population (1941)[14]: 42  Percentage (1941) Population (2017) Percentage (2017)
Islam 182,962 67.42% 862,647 79.2%
Hinduism [lower-alpha 2] 87,647 32.3% 221,846 20.37%
Others[lower-alpha 3] 783 0.29% 4,770 0.44%
Total Population 271,392 100% 1,089,263 100%

It is the only Muslim majority district in Haryana, and has the highest proportion of Muslims in North India outside Jammu and Kashmir.[15]

Languages of Nuh district (2011)[16]

  Hindi (36.17%)
  Mewati (34.75%)
  Urdu (25.76%)
  Haryanvi (2.84%)
  Others (0.48%)

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 36.17% of the population in the district spoke Hindi, 34.75% Mewati, 25.76% Urdu and 2.84% Haryanvi as their first language.[16]

Economy

The main occupation in the district is agriculture, followed by allied and agro-based activities. The Meos are the predominant population group and are all agriculturists.[17] Agriculture is mostly rain-fed except in small pockets where canal irrigation is available, and crop yield per hectare is low compared with the rest of the state. Animal husbandry, particularly dairy, is the secondary source of income for the people; those who live closer to the hilly ranges of Aravali also keep sheep and goats. The heavy indebtedness of most of the farmers requires them to sell milk to their lenders at below-market price, which drastically reduces their income.

Towns such as Punhana, Pinangwan, Ferozepur Jhirka, Taoru and Nuh are major hubs of retail shopping and act as backbones of day-to-day life in the area. The district also has a MMTC–PAMP factory located in the Rojka–Meo industrial estate.

Climate

The district falls under the sub-tropical semi-arid climatic zone with extremely hot temperatures in summer. January is the coldest month with temperature ranging between 2 and 25 °C (36 and 77 °F). May and June are the hottest months of the year with the temperature ranging from 30 to 40 °C (86 to 104 °F).

The annual rainfall varies considerably, from 336 to 440 mm (13.2 to 17.3 in). About 80% of the annual rainfall is received during the monsoon season, from June to September with a peak in July. Dryness of air is a standard feature in Mewat district, with high humidity only during the monsoon period. During the monsoon, the sky is heavily clouded, and winds are strong. Winds are generally light during the post-monsoon and winter months. The dry season of minimum humidity (less than 20%) is between April and May, when strong dusty winds are conspicuous.

Nuh district experiences a high incidence of thunderstorms and dust storms, often accompanied by violent squalls (Bengali: andhar ) from April to June. The thunderstorms may be accompanied by heavy rain and occasionally by hail. In the winter months, fog may appear in the district.

Transport

Nuh town is on National Highway 248A (NH 248A) (previously known as the Gurgaon–Sohna–Alwar road),[18] connecting the district to Gurugram and Alwar. The Kundli–Manesar–Palwal (KMP) Expressway provides high-speed access to the district from Palwal and Manesar. Major District Roads 131 and 135 connect to the Delhi–Agra Highway. The nearest railway station is Hodal which is around 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Punahana town. The closest railway station to the district headquarters, Nuh town, is 37 kilometres (23 mi) away in Palwal.

The planned route of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway will pass west of Pinangwan town and is expected to boost connectivity to cities. Western Dedicated Freight Corridor passes through Sohna of this district.

Notable people

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1941 figures are for Nuh and Firozpur Jhirka tehsils of the former Gurgaon District, which roughly corresponds to present-day Nuh district. Historic district borders may not be an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases.
  2. ↑ 1941 census: Including Ad-Dharmis
  3. ↑ Including Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Sikhism or not stated

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "District Census Handbook: Nuh" (PDF). censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
  2. ↑ "Nuh at bottom of Niti Aayog's 101 most backward districts". The Hindu. 1 April 2018. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "NITI AAYOG RELEASES MOST BACKWARD DISTRICTS RANKING; 11 OF 20 ARE MUSLIM-CONCENTRATED". clarionindia.net. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "Part of NCR is most backward district". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Brief History of the District". Census of India 2011 - Haryana - Series 07 - Part XII A - District Census Handbook, Mewat (PDF) (2011 ed.). Mewat: Directorate of Census Operations, Haryana. p. 7. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  6. ↑ "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1911 VOLUME XIV PUNJAB" (PDF). Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  7. ↑ Yadav, Jyoti (17 April 2020). "How Tablighi Jamaat was born from Mewat's 'drinking Muslims who couldn't even read namaz'". ThePrint. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  8. ↑ Bordia, Radhika. "Why the Meo Muslims in Mewat remember Mahatma Gandhi in December every year". Scroll.in. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  9. 1 2 Partap C Aggarwal. "Islamic Revival in Modern India: The Case of the Meos". 4 (42). Economic and Political Weekly: 1677–1681. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ↑ "Gurgaon is now 'Gurugram', Mewat renamed Nuh: Haryana government". The Indian Express. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "Why renaming Mewat to Nuh has raised hackles". business-standard.com. 19 April 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  12. ↑ Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
  13. ↑ "Table C-01 Population by Religion: Haryana". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  14. ↑ "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1941 VOLUME VI PUNJAB PROVINCE". Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  15. ↑ Sethi, Chitleen K. (17 June 2020). "After VHP campaign on 'atrocities' in Muslim-majority Nuh, Khattar promises new conversion law". ThePrint. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  16. 1 2 "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Haryana". Census of India. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India..
  17. ↑ "How Tablighi Jamaat was born from Mewat's 'drinking Muslims who couldn't even read namaz'". 17 April 2020.
  18. ↑ "Sohna road to have a toll plaza after upgrade". The Times of India.

28°06′N 77°00′E / 28.100°N 77.000°E / 28.100; 77.000

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