Dharangaon

Dharangaon
—  city  —
Dharangaon Location of Dharangaon in Maharashtra and India
Coordinates	21°01′N 75°16′E / 21.02°N 75.27°E / 21.02; 75.27Coordinates: 21°01′N 75°16′E / 21.02°N 75.27°E / 21.02; 75.27
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District(s)	Jalgaon
Population	33,618 (2001[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 213 metres (699 ft)

Dharangaon (Marathi: धरणगाव) is a city and a municipal council in Jalgaon district in the state of Maharashtra, India. Most of the population is from the Mali community.

Geography

Dharangaon is the birthplace of the great poet Tryambak Bapuji Balkavi Thombare. A school opened in Dharangaon City by name of Balkavi Thombare Vidyalaya, Chintaman Moraya Nagar. There is a model railway station route from Jalgaon to Udhana (Surat) joining the central railway to the western railway route.

History

In 17th century, when Dharangaon was an important business place for English empire,छत्रपती शिवाजी राजे भोसले had visited this town while on a mission of Surat. Dharangaon, a municipal town in Erandol , thirty-five miles north-east of Dhulia, contained, in 1872, 11,807 inhabitants, and in 1879 had a municipal income of £438 (Rs. 4380).

At the time of the Moghal conquest (1600) Dharangaon was famous for its jirifaf and bhiran cloths. [Gladwin's Ain-i-Akbari, II. 52,] During the seventeenth century, under the forms Dongong, Dorongon, and Drongom, it is several times mentioned as a trade centre of considerable importance. Here, in 1674, the English established a factory. The following year (March 1675) the town was plundered by Shivaji. [Bruce's Annals, IL 36,37.] And four years later (1679), Shivaji, joining his forces with those of the Raja of Berar, again plundered Dharangaon, then one of the most flourishing places in the country. [Orme's Historical Fragments, 84. In 1683 the Drongom investment was 10,000 pieces broad bastas, 10,000 pieces sevgazis, and 100,000 lbs. (2500 mans) of turmeric 256,257.] Six years later (1685), Shambhaji still more savagely plundered the town, burning or pillaging every house. [Orme's Historical Fragments, 143. The factors at Dharangaon had but two hours to escape.] Under the Marathas Dharangaon suffered much from Bhil raids, and was the scene of one of the, frightful Bhil massacres by which the Marathas vainly attempted to keep order. It came into British possession in 1818, [Grant Duff, III. 464.] and here, from 1825 to 1830, Lieutenant, afterwards Sir James, Outram busied himself' in raising the Bhil Corps. [Mr. J. Pollen, C.S.] In 1844 two American planters, Mr. Blount of Gorakhpur and Mr. Simpson of Madras, who had been appointed superintendents of cotton experiments, set up saw-gins. Next year (1845) a screw press was built, but this on account of its costliness proved a failure. In 1850 the gins, nineteen in number, were hired to Messrs. Ritchie Stewart and Co. of Bombay, who had established an agency, and a further supply of twenty-one more were made for them. In 1854 the office of superintendent was abolished, and only a small establishment was kept to take charge of the gins. Of these nineteen had been sold, a few hired out, and fifty-nine remained ready for 'disposal without any applicants. [Casscl's Cotton, 89-100. ] In 1855 Government established a factory with ninety-three saw gins, under the management of a European overseer; merchants and cultivators were charged £1 (Rs. 10) a month for the hire of a gin. But the experiment proved costly, and after a time was given up. In 1865 there were 120 gins, and an establishment kept at a yearly cost of £144 (Rs. 1440), an outlay not nearly covered by the income realised from the gins. [Bom. Gov. Set., New Series, XCIII. 309.]

Trade.

There is a considerable cotton and oilseed trade with Jalgaon, the railway station about twenty miles to the east where many of the Dharangaon merchants have agents. Formerly Dharangaon paper and cloth were held in esteem. At present the manufacture of paper has ceased, but the weaving of coarse cloth still gives employment to more than 100 looms.

There is little remarkable about the town. Many of the houses are well built of stone and mortar, but the streets are narrow and irregular, and the lanes dirty and crooked. There are two large ponds, one to the north of the town and another to the west near Outram's, bungalow. But these are used only for cattle and for washing clothes, and the town is badly, off for drinking water. In the bed of the stream which flows through the town are the remains of some old dams.

The only remarkable building is Outram's Bungalow, with a reception, darbar, hall forty feet by thirty-four and sixteen high. The walls and pillars are covered with excellent polished cement. The building is now used by the assistant collector and the assistant superintendent of police. Near it are the residence of, the Superintendent of police, whose head-quarters it is, the old ginning factory, and one or two European houses now in ruins. In the centre of the town is the municipal office, an octagonal upper-storied building. A new school-house has lately been finished outside the gate in front of Outram's bungalow. There are also some old mosques and large old native buildings. To the north of the town are the Bhil lines with accommodation for 200 families, and provided with a school-house and dispensary. The school for Bhil boys, which was first opened in 1829, has an average attendance of forty-seven pupils. In 1880 it was reported to be in a good state, though the boys were backward in geography, dictation, explanation, and recitation. [Collector, 20th September 1880.] The town is provided with a post office and four schools.^[1]

Demographics

As of 2001^[update] India census^[2], Dharangaon had a population of more than 60,000. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Dharangaon has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 74% and, female literacy is 57%. In Dharangaon, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Agriculture is the main occupation of people living in Dharangaon.

Most of the people communicate in the Aherani language, though some speak Marathi.

References

1. ^ "maharashtra". http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/pdf/gazeetter_reprint/Khandesh/appendix_d.html#4. Retrieved 2011-09-02. 
2. ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01.