Demographics of Aurangabad City

Population growth
Census	Pop.		%±
1901	36,837		—
1911	34,902		-5.3%
1921	36,876		5.7%
1931	36,870		-0.0%
1941	50,924		38.1%
1951	66,636		30.9%
1961	97,701		46.6%
1971	165,253		69.1%
1981	301,000		82.1%
1991	592,000		96.7%
2001	902,179		52.4%
Source:Census of India[1]

Aurangabad is a city in the west Indian state of Maharashtra. The city with cantonment had a population of 30209 in 1880s of whom Hindus were 59.1 per cent, Muslims were 39.2 percent, Christians were 1.1 percent, Parsis were 0.1 percent, and others were 0.5 percent. In the city proper Brahmins were 7.1 percent and Muslims were 38.5 percent. The city area then was roughly two and half to three and half square miles. In 1971 the city had a population of 1,50,514, (excluding cantonment) the growth during the decade from 1961 to 1971 was 71.86 percent. The growth was highest in the state even higher than Greater Bombay which grew by 43.75 percent.^[2]

Marathi and Urdu are the principal languages of the city. According to 1961 census, out of a total population of 97701 the percentage of residents speaking Marathi were 43.60 percent or a total of 42603 and residents speaking Urdu were 36.69 percent i.e 35849. Hindi speakers were third with 11.99 percent i.e 11721 in numbers.
According to 1971 census the religious composition of the city were as follows Hindus 49.18 percent, Buddhists 11.68 percent, Christians 1.86 percent, Jains 2.07 percents and Muslims 34.24 percents while others made the rest.^[3]

Many important developments occurred in the decade 1901-11. The opening of the Hyderabad-Godavari Valley Railways line in 1900 connected the district to Bombay and Hyderabad cities and stimulated the growth of trade. Public health facilities improved considerably and the recovery from the famines and severe plague epidemic of the earlier decade contributed to the high growth of population. The decade 1911-21 was the worst in many respects. The failure of agricultural seasons due to deficient and irregular rainfall and, above all, the influenza epidemic of 1918-19 contributed to a decrease in the population. Aurangabad was one of the worst affected districts by the influenza epidemic. The relatively favorable seasons, the recovery from the epidemic of 1918 and the expansion of industries in the district resulted in an increase in the population during the decade 1921-31. The growth of population during the following two decades was a little lower than that of 1921-31; the 1941-51 growth was the lowest after 1921. The growth of population during the 1951-61 decade had again increased by 46.62 per cent and 69.14 per cent in 1961-71.^[3]

Reference

1. ^ "Mahapopulation" (in Marathi) (PDF). Census of India. www.maharashtra.gov.in. http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/ecoSurvey/ataglanc.pdf. Retrieved 2008-06-04. 
2. ^ [The Outlook Tower:Essays On Urbanisation In Memory Of Patrick Geddes - Page 340].
3. ^ ^{a b} [Govt of Maharashtra Aurangabad Gazetteer. Section - The People (population)]