Ranchi District
Encyclopedia
Ranchi district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand
state
in eastern India
. Ranchi
city, the capital
of Jharkhand state is the district headquarters.
As of 2011 it is the most populous district of Jharkhand (out of 24
).
of the British India
. In the year 1831-32, a part of old Lohardagga district was carved out and given the name of the Non-regulation South-West Frontier, and in 1899 the name of the district was changed to Ranchi district. Ranchi was the name of a type of bird seen in the local mountain temple.
such as Jarasandh, the king of Rajgir
. However Lord Krishna
was believed to have a loose control over the territory.
Magadha Empire
exercised indirect control over the territory, which lasted until the reign of the Ashoka
. Kalinga
rulers are believed to have ravaged the region during their expeditions to Rajgir and Pataliputra. Armies of Samudra Gupta passed through the region on their expedition to Deccan. After the decline of the Guptas, Phanimukut established the Kingdom of Chhotanagpur. The legendary Phanimukut, which literally means the crown of the cobra, was found by the side of a cobra (Nag in Hindi
), and grew to be an industrious king, and founded the Nag Dynasty, which ruled Ranchi district and a larger part of Chota Nagpur Plateau
as a sovereign king for almost next 1000 years.
With the expansion of the Mughal Empire
, the sovereign status of the Nag Dynasty was technically affected, but they continued to rule and administer independently until the advent of the East India Company
. During the period of the British Raj
, adivasi
s and the local population of other ethnic backgrounds of Ranchi and other regions currently comprising the State of Jharkhand continued to oppose the subjugation by the British
, and the region witnessed a number of uprisings and revolts.
The district is currently a part of the Red Corridor
.
(out of a total of 640
). It is one of the 23 districts in Jharkhand currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
was created by carving Khunti subdivision and its 6 blocks out of Ranchi district.
Ranchi sub-division is further divided into 11 blocks: Angara
, Burmu
, Bero
, Chanho
, Kanke
, Lapung
, Mandar
, Namkum
, Ormanjhi
, Ratu
and Silli
. Bundu sub-division comprises 3 blocks: Bundu, Sonahatu
and Tamar
.
The district has 7 Vidhan Sabha
constituencies, namely, Tamar, Silli, Khijri, Ranchi, Hatia, Kanke, and Mandar. Silli, Khijri, Ranchi, Hatia and Kanke are part of Ranchi Lok Sabha constituency.
Ranchi district has a population
of 2,912,022, roughly equal to the nation of Jamaica
or the US state of Arkansas
. This gives it a ranking of 130th in India (out of a total of 640
). The district has a population density of 557 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
over the decade 2001-2011 was 23.9 %. Ranchi has a sex ratio
of 950 females
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
of 77.13 %.
, an Austro-Asiatic
language spoken by approximately 17 000, partly in the north of Ranchi; Bhojpuri
, a tongue in the Bihari language group with almost 40 000 000 speakers, written in both the Devanagari
and Kaithi
scripts; and Bijori, a Munda
language distantly related to Khmer
and Vietnamese
, spoken by about 25 000.
, presently comrprising 35 constituent colleges and 29 affiliated colleges, was established in 1960. One of its constituent college, St. Xavier's College
at Ranchi was established in 1944. Birla Institute of Technology
at Mesra, Ranchi was established in 1955. Birsa Agricultural University
at Ranchi was established in 1981.
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
in eastern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Ranchi
Ranchi
-Climate:Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate. However, due to its position and the forests around the city, it is known for its pleasant climate. Its climate is the primary reason why Ranchi was once the summer capital of the undivided State of Bihar...
city, the capital
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of Jharkhand state is the district headquarters.
As of 2011 it is the most populous district of Jharkhand (out of 24
Districts of Jharkhand
Jharkhand, a state of India, has twenty-four administrative districts.A district of an Indian state is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a district magistrate or a deputy commissioner, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service...
).
Origin of name
The geographical area now comprising Ranchi district was formerly part of old Lohardaga districtLohardaga District
Lohardaga district is one of the twenty-four districts of the Indian state of Jharkand. The district is named after the town of Lohardaga, the administrative headquarters of the district. The district was created from a portion of Ranchi district in 1983....
of the British India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. In the year 1831-32, a part of old Lohardagga district was carved out and given the name of the Non-regulation South-West Frontier, and in 1899 the name of the district was changed to Ranchi district. Ranchi was the name of a type of bird seen in the local mountain temple.
History
The geographical area currently comprising the district of Ranchi was ruled by the Kshatriya rulers named hanimukut and was in the direct control of the kings of the epic period of the MahabharataMahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
such as Jarasandh, the king of Rajgir
Rajgir
Rajgir is a city and a notified area in Nalanda district in the Indian state of Bihar. The city of Rajgir was the first capital of the kingdom of Magadha, a state that would eventually evolve into the Mauryan Empire. Its date of origin is unknown, although ceramics dating to about 1000 BC have...
. However Lord Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
was believed to have a loose control over the territory.
Magadha Empire
Magadha
Magadha formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas or kingdoms in ancient India. The core of the kingdom was the area of Bihar south of the Ganga; its first capital was Rajagriha then Pataliputra...
exercised indirect control over the territory, which lasted until the reign of the Ashoka
Ashoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
. Kalinga
Kalinga (India)
Kalinga was an early state in central-eastern India, which comprised most of the modern state of Orissa/Utkal , as well as the Andhra region of the bordering state of Andhra Pradesh. It was a rich and fertile land that extended from the river Damodar/Ganges to Godavari and from Bay of Bengal to...
rulers are believed to have ravaged the region during their expeditions to Rajgir and Pataliputra. Armies of Samudra Gupta passed through the region on their expedition to Deccan. After the decline of the Guptas, Phanimukut established the Kingdom of Chhotanagpur. The legendary Phanimukut, which literally means the crown of the cobra, was found by the side of a cobra (Nag in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
), and grew to be an industrious king, and founded the Nag Dynasty, which ruled Ranchi district and a larger part of Chota Nagpur Plateau
Chota Nagpur Plateau
The Chota Nagpur Plateau is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and the basin of the Mahanadi River lies to the south...
as a sovereign king for almost next 1000 years.
With the expansion of the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
, the sovereign status of the Nag Dynasty was technically affected, but they continued to rule and administer independently until the advent of the East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. During the period of the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, adivasi
Adivasi
Adivasi is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups claimed to be the aboriginal population of India. They comprise a substantial indigenous minority of the population of India...
s and the local population of other ethnic backgrounds of Ranchi and other regions currently comprising the State of Jharkhand continued to oppose the subjugation by the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, and the region witnessed a number of uprisings and revolts.
The district is currently a part of the Red Corridor
Red corridor
The Red Corridor is a term used to describe an impoverished region in the east of India that experiences considerable Naxalite communist insurgency...
.
Climate
Economy
In 2006 the Indian government named Ranchi one of the country's 250 most backward districtsPoverty in India
Poverty is widespread in India, with the nation estimated to have a third of the world's poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 41.6% of the total Indian population falls below the international poverty line of 1.25 a day...
(out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). It is one of the 23 districts in Jharkhand currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
Divisions
Presently, Ranchi district is divided into 2 sub-divisions and 14 administrative blocks. On September 12, 2007, Khunti districtKhunti
Khunti is the headquarters of Khunti district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.-Geography:Khunti is located at southern Jharkhand. Khunti is Entertainment Zone of State Capital Ranchi.-History:...
was created by carving Khunti subdivision and its 6 blocks out of Ranchi district.
Ranchi sub-division is further divided into 11 blocks: Angara
Angara block
Angara block is one of the twenty administrative blocks of Ranchi district., Jharkhand state, India....
, Burmu
Burmu block
Burmu block is one of the twenty administrative blocks of Ranchi district, Jharkhand state, India....
, Bero
Bero block
Bero block is one of the twenty administrative blocks of Ranchi district, Jharkhand state, India.Bero is a located on NH 23 approximately 30 km from Ranchi. It is well known for its market which is held on Mondays and Thursdays. It has a 11 kV Substations and most of its villages are...
, Chanho
Chanho block
Chanho block is one of the twenty administrative blocks of Ranchi district, Jharkhand state, India....
, Kanke
Kanke block
Kanke block is one of the twenty administrative blocks of Ranchi district, Jharkhand state, India.In this block though, there are many villages, one of them is 'Gagi'.This village is very beautiful with it western site surrounded by a Hill ,which is well Known for its 'Dhakni Paani'.Water of this...
, Lapung
Lapung block
Lapung block is one of the twenty administrative blocks of Ranchi district, Jharkhand state, India....
, Mandar
Mandar block
Mandar block is one of the twenty administrative blocks of Ranchi district, Jharkhand state, India.This is all about a creative and dynamic hardcore Engineer...
, Namkum
Namkum block
Namkum block is one of the 18 administrative blocks of Ranchi district, Jharkhand state, India. Geologically, it belongs to the archean age of granite gneissic formation.Other rocks are amphibolite, Khondalite,mica schist etc. It belongs to Khijri Assembly Constituency....
, Ormanjhi
Ormanjhi block
Ormanjhi block is one of the twenty administrative blocks of Ranchi district, Jharkhand state, India. It is 18 km from Ranchi. Nakwa Toli is a prominent village of this block. Presently the actual distance of Ranchi from Ormanjhi is only 10 km as the city suburbs of Ranchi have expanded towards...
, Ratu
Ratu block
Ratu block is one of the twenty administrative blocks of Ranchi district, Jharkhand state, India....
and Silli
Silli block
Silli block is one of the twenty administrative blocks of Ranchi district, Jharkhand state, India....
. Bundu sub-division comprises 3 blocks: Bundu, Sonahatu
Sonahatu block
Sonahatu block is one of the twenty administrative blocks of Ranchi district, Jharkhand state, India....
and Tamar
Tamar block
Tamar block is one of the twenty administrative blocks of Ranchi district, Jharkhand state, India.This block consists of one famous temple "devdi mandir" as we read in newspapers that the new cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni whenever comes to ranchi he must visit the temple. This temple is about...
.
The district has 7 Vidhan Sabha
Vidhan Sabha
The Vidhan Sabha or the Legislative Assembly is the lower house or the sole house of the provincial legislature in the different states of India. The same name is also used for the lower house of the legislatures for two of the union territories, Delhi and Pondicherry...
constituencies, namely, Tamar, Silli, Khijri, Ranchi, Hatia, Kanke, and Mandar. Silli, Khijri, Ranchi, Hatia and Kanke are part of Ranchi Lok Sabha constituency.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census2011 census of India
The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, houselisting and population enumeration. Houselisting phase began on April 1, 2010 and involved collection of information about all buildings...
Ranchi district has a population
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
of 2,912,022, roughly equal to the nation of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
or the US state of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. This gives it a ranking of 130th in India (out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). The district has a population density of 557 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
Family planning in India
Family planning in India is based on efforts largely sponsored by the Indian government. In the 1965-2009 period, contraceptive usage has more than tripled and the fertility rate has more than halved , but the national fertility rate is still high enough to cause long-term population growth...
over the decade 2001-2011 was 23.9 %. Ranchi has a sex ratio
Sex ratio
Sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
of 950 females
Women in India
The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful...
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
Literacy in India
Literacy in India is key for socio-economic progress, and the Indian literacy rate grew to 74.04% in 2011 from 12% at the end of British rule in 1947. Although this was a greater than sixfold improvement, the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84%, and India currently has the...
of 77.13 %.
Languages
Languages spoken here include AsuriAsuri language
Asuri is a minor Munda language of India.Ethnologue states that Birjia is a dialect of Asuri, but also that there is a related language Birjia; it is not clear if these refer to the same thing....
, an Austro-Asiatic
Austro-Asiatic languages
The Austro-Asiatic languages, in recent classifications synonymous with Mon–Khmer, are a large language family of Southeast Asia, also scattered throughout India and Bangladesh. The name Austro-Asiatic comes from the Latin words for "south" and "Asia", hence "South Asia"...
language spoken by approximately 17 000, partly in the north of Ranchi; Bhojpuri
Bhojpuri language
Bhojpuri is a language spoken in parts of north-central and eastern India. It is spoken in the western part of state of Bihar, the northwestern part of Jharkhand, and the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh , as well as adjoining parts of the Nepal Terai. Bhojpuri is also spoken in Guyana,...
, a tongue in the Bihari language group with almost 40 000 000 speakers, written in both the Devanagari
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
and Kaithi
Kaithi
Kaithi , also called "Kayathi" or "Kayasthi", is the name of a historical script used widely in parts of North India, primarily in the former North-Western Provinces, Oudh and Bihar...
scripts; and Bijori, a Munda
Munda languages
-Anderson :Gregory Anderson's 1999 proposal is as follows. Individual languages are highlighted in italics.*North Munda **Korku**Kherwarian***Santhali***Mundari*South Munda **Kharia–Juang***Juang***Kharia...
language distantly related to Khmer
Khmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
and Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
, spoken by about 25 000.
Education
Ranchi UniversityRanchi University
The Ranchi University is a university in Jharkhand state of India. It was established on 12th July 1960 as a teaching-cum-affiliating university, and its first vice chancellor was Sri Vishnudeo Narayan Singh...
, presently comrprising 35 constituent colleges and 29 affiliated colleges, was established in 1960. One of its constituent college, St. Xavier's College
St. Xavier's College, Ranchi
St Xavier's College, Ranchi, in the Indian state of Jharkhand, was started by the Ranchi Province of the Society of Jesus, a Christian religious order founded by St. Ignatius Loyola in 1540...
at Ranchi was established in 1944. Birla Institute of Technology
Birla Institute of Technology
Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra , is an autonomous engineering and technology oriented institute of higher education located in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India...
at Mesra, Ranchi was established in 1955. Birsa Agricultural University
Birsa Agricultural University
Birsa Agricultural University is an agricultural university at Kanke, Ranchi in the Indian state of Jharkhand. Established on 26 June 1981, after its formal inauguration by the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.-Overview:...
at Ranchi was established in 1981.