INTRODUCTION TO THE DISTRICT

Historical Background

Uttar Dinajpur district was a part of the Gaur territory in the Sultani regime. The name Dinajpur is probably derived from the title “Danujamardan Deva”, of Raja Ganesh, the ruler of Gaur.

The District Dinajpur came under control of East India Company in 1765, the year in which East India Company obtained the diwani of Bengal. In July 1768, one Braja Mohan Mitra was appointed to collect revenue of Dinajpur area. In 1780, a Mufassil Diwani Adalat was established at Tajpur and in the same year the Raja of Dinajpur died without leaving any heir apparent. Taking advantage of the situation, the British appointed one Devi Singh, a zamindar to collect revenue. In the year 1786, Dinajpur was declared district and Mr George Hatch became first collector of new set-up.

In 1947 the then Dinajpur district was divided into two- namely Dinajpur (now in Bangladesh) and West Dinajpur. In the year 1956 Islampur Sub-Division, which belonged to Bihar was added to Dinajpur District of West Bengal for better communication and administrative control.

On 1st, April 1992 Uttar Dinajpur was given the status of a separate district, after bifurcation of the erstwhile West Dinajpur district.

General:

Geographically, Uttar Dinajpur District is situated from 25°11’ to 26°29’ North latitude and from 87°49’ to 90°00’ East longitude. The district is a chicken’s neck shaped narrow strip of land located in between Bihar and Bangladesh. It links the South Bengal with North Bengal and is therefore strategically important. The district borders Darjeeling district in the North, Malda and Dakshin Dinajpur districts in the South, Bihar and Malda in the West and Bangladesh in the East.

Mahananda, Nagar, Dauk, Kulik, Sudani, Tangan and Srimati are the main rivers of the district.