Overview
Hisar district is an administrative district in the state of Haryana, in northern India. Its headquarters is the city of Hisar, which lies on National Highway 9 (formerly NH 10) connecting Delhi with Fazilka on the Punjab–Pakistan border. The district forms part of the Hisar division and lies in the semi-arid plains of western Haryana.
Key facts
| State | Haryana |
|---|---|
| Division | Hisar |
| Headquarters | Hisar |
| Country | India |
| Region | Western Haryana |
| Major highway | National Highway 9 |
Geography
Hisar district lies in the western part of Haryana, in a flat alluvial plain that forms part of the Ghaggar basin. The terrain is largely level, with sandy tracts in the south-west grading towards more cultivated land in the north and east. The climate is semi-arid, marked by hot summers, cool winters and modest, monsoon-dependent rainfall. Irrigation is supported by branches of the Western Yamuna Canal system. The district shares boundaries with Fatehabad, Jind, Bhiwani, Rohtak and Sirsa districts in different directions.
Administration
The district is administered by a Deputy Commissioner and is divided into sub-divisions, tehsils and community development blocks, with Hisar city serving as the principal urban and administrative centre. For policing, it falls under the Hisar range of the Haryana Police. The district sends representatives to the Haryana Legislative Assembly through several constituencies and forms the core of the Hisar Lok Sabha constituency.
History
The city of Hisar was founded in 1354 CE by Firuz Shah Tughlaq, the Sultan of Delhi, who established it as a fortified settlement and named it Hisar-e-Firoza ("Fort of Firoz"). The remains of the fort, the Lat ki Masjid and associated structures from the Tughlaq period survive in the old city. The region subsequently passed under the Mughal Empire, came under Maratha and Sikh influence in the eighteenth century, and was incorporated into British India in the early nineteenth century, when Hisar became a district headquarters in the Punjab Province.
After the reorganisation that created Haryana on 1 November 1966, Hisar continued as one of the principal districts of the new state. Over subsequent decades, parts of the older, larger Hisar district were reorganised to form the separate districts of Sirsa, Bhiwani and Fatehabad.
Economy
The economy of Hisar district is based on agriculture, animal husbandry and an expanding industrial and services sector. Wheat, cotton, mustard, bajra and gram are among the principal crops, supported by canal and tubewell irrigation. Hisar is a noted centre for dairying and livestock, and hosts one of the largest cattle markets in the region. Industries include steel and galvanised products, textiles, agro-processing and automotive components, with several units located along the Hisar–Delhi corridor.
Education and institutions
Hisar is an important educational hub in Haryana. Major institutions located in the district include:
- Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU), one of Asia's largest agricultural universities.
- Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS).
- Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology.
- National Research Centre on Equines and the Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, which carry out specialised animal sciences research.
Transport
Hisar is well connected by road and rail. National Highway 9 passes through the district, linking it with Delhi to the east and Sirsa and Fazilka to the west. The Hisar railway station lies on the Delhi–Bathinda and Rewari–Bathinda routes of the Northern Railway. Hisar Airport, on the outskirts of the city, has been developed as a civil aviation and aviation training facility,