Bardhaman district (also spelt Burdwan) was a former administrative district of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the central part of the state, it was one of the largest districts in West Bengal in terms of area and population before being bifurcated in 2017 into two separate districts: Purba Bardhaman (East Bardhaman) and Paschim Bardhaman (West Bardhaman). The district headquarters was located at Bardhaman town.
Key facts
| Name | Bardhaman district (Burdwan) |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| State | West Bengal |
| Region | Bardhaman division |
| Headquarters | Bardhaman (Burdwan) |
| Status | Former district (bifurcated in 2017) |
| Successor districts | Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman |
| Major language | Bengali |
Geography
The undivided Bardhaman district lay in the central part of West Bengal and spanned a transitional zone between the Chota Nagpur plateau fringe in the west and the alluvial Gangetic plain in the east. The eastern parts, drained by the Damodar, Bhagirathi and Ajay rivers, were highly fertile and dominated by paddy cultivation, earning the area the popular description as the "rice bowl of West Bengal". The western parts, around Asansol and Durgapur, contained substantial coal reserves of the Raniganj Coalfield and were heavily industrialised.
The district shared borders with Birbhum and Murshidabad to the north, Nadia and Hooghly to the east and south-east, Bankura and Purulia to the south and south-west, and the state of Jharkhand to the west.
History
Bardhaman has a long recorded history. The town of Bardhaman is traditionally associated with the 24th Jain Tirthankara, Mahavira (Vardhamana), and the area finds mention in early medieval inscriptions and texts. During the medieval period, the region came under the Mughal administration, and from the 17th century onwards the Burdwan Raj, founded by Sangam Rai of the Kapoor family, became one of the most prominent zamindari estates of Bengal. The Maharajas of Burdwan were significant patrons of education, temple construction and public works.
Under the British East India Company, Bardhaman was incorporated into the Bengal Presidency. Following the Permanent Settlement of 1793, the Burdwan Raj retained extensive landholdings. The district was formally constituted during the colonial period as part of the Burdwan Division.
After Indian independence in 1947, the district remained part of West Bengal. In the post-independence decades, the western part of the district developed as a major industrial belt, with the establishment of the Durgapur Steel Plant by the Hindustan Steel Limited in the late 1950s, and the long-established coal-mining and railway centre at Asansol.
Bifurcation
On 7 April 2017, the Government of West Bengal bifurcated the district into two new districts:
- Purba Bardhaman, with its headquarters at Bardhaman town, comprising the predominantly agricultural eastern subdivisions.
- Paschim Bardhaman, with its headquarters at Asansol, covering the industrial and mining belt including Durgapur and the Asansol–Raniganj region.
Administration
Before bifurcation, the district was organised into several subdivisions, including Bardhaman Sadar (North and South), Kalna, Katwa, Asansol and Durgapur. It contained numerous community development blocks, municipalities and the Asansol Municipal Corporation. The district administration was headed by a District Magistrate.
Economy
The economy of the undivided district had two distinct components:
- Agriculture in the eastern tracts, with paddy as the principal crop, supplemented by potato, sugarcane, oilseeds and vegetables. Areas around Kalna and Kat