Arunachal Pradesh
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Arunachal Pradesh is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is the state capital of Arunachal Pradesh.
Location
It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares international borders with Bhutan in the west, Myanmar in the east, and a disputed border with China in the north at the McMahon Line.
Variants
Origin
Arunachal Pradesh means Land of the Dawn-Lit Mountains, which is the sobriquet for the state in Sanskrit.[1]
During the 1962 Sino-Indian War, most of Arunachal Pradesh was captured and temporarily controlled by the Chinese People's Liberation Army.[2]
History
Ancient and Medieval period: Northwestern parts of this area came under the control of the Monpa kingdom of Monyul, which flourished between 500 BCE and 600 CE. The Monpa and Sherdukpen keep historical records of the existence of local chiefdoms in the northwest as well. The remaining parts of the state, especially the foothills and the plains, were under the control of the Chutia kings of Assam.
Recent excavations of ruins of Hindu temples, such as the 14th-century Malinithan at the foot of the Siang hills in West Siang, indicate they were built during the Chutia reign. Another notable heritage site, Bhismaknagar (built in the 8th century), has led to suggestions that the Chutia people had an advanced culture and administration. The third heritage site, the 400-year-old Tawang Monastery in the extreme north-west of the state, provides some historical evidence of the Buddhist tribal people. The sixth Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso was born in Tawang.
The main archaeological sites of the state include:[3]
| Site | Dated to | Built by |
|---|---|---|
| Bhismaknagar Fort, Roing | 8th–15th century[4] | Chutia kings |
| Bolung Fort, Bolung | 13th century | Chutia kings |
| Dimachung-Betali, West Kameng | 13th century | Chutia kings |
| Gomsi Fort, East Siang | 13th century[5] | Chutia kings |
| Rukmini Fort, Roing | 14th–15th century | Chutia kings |
| Tezu Fort, Roing | 14th-15th century[6] | Chutia kings |
| Naksha Parbat ruins, East Kameng | 14th–15th century[7] | Chutia kings |
| Ita Fort, Itanagar | 14th–15th century[8] | Chutia kings |
| Buroi Fort, Papum Pare | 13th century[9] | Chutia kings |
| Malinithan Temple, Likabali | 13th–14th century[10] | Chutia kings |
| Ita Pukhuri, Ithili | 13th–14th century[11] | Chutia kings |
| Padum Pukhuri, Ithili | 13th–14th century[12] | Chutia kings |
| Kampona brick tank, Idili | 13th–14th century[13] | Chutia kings |
| Kanying brick tank, Idili | 13th–14th century[14] | Chutia kings |
| Bolung brick canal, Bolung | 13th–14th century[15] | Chutia kings |
| Dirang Dzong, West Kameng | 17th century | Monpa |
| Tawang Monastery, Tawang | 17th century (1680–1681) | Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso |
British India: In 1912–13, the British Indian government made agreements with the indigenous peoples of the Himalayas of northeastern India to establish the North-East Frontier Tracts. It was divided into three sections, which eventually came to be called the Ballipara Frontier Tract, Lakhimpur Frontier Tract and Sadiya Frontier Tract.[17]
The McMahon line; In 1913–1914, representatives of the de facto independent state of Tibet and Britain met in India to define the borders of 'Outer Tibet' (with respect to China). British administrator Sir Henry McMahon drew the 550 miles (890 km) McMahon Line as the border between British India and Tibet, placing Tawang and other areas within British India.
Sino-Indian War: India became independent in 1947 and the People's Republic of China (PRC) was established in 1949. The new Chinese government still considered the McMahon Line invalid.[18] In November 1950, the PRC was poised to take over Tibet by force, and India supported Tibet. Journalist Sudha Ramachandran argued that China claimed Tawang on behalf of Tibetans, though Tibetans did not claim Tawang is in Tibet.[19]
What is now Arunachal Pradesh was established as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) in 1954 and Sino-Indian relations were cordial until 1960. Resurgence of the border disagreement was a factor leading to the Sino-Indian War in 1962, during which China captured most of Arunachal Pradesh. However, China soon declared victory, withdrew back to the McMahon Line and returned Indian prisoners of war in 1963.[20]
Renaming and statehood: The North-East Frontier Agency was renamed Arunachal Pradesh by Bibhabasu Das Shastri, the Director of Research and K.A.A. Raja, the Chief Commissioner of Arunachal Pradesh on 20 January 1972, and it became a union territory. Arunachal Pradesh became a state on 20 February 1987.
Geography
Arunachal Pradesh is located between 26.28° N and 29.30° N latitude and 91.20° E and 97.30° E longitude and has an area of 83,743 km2 (32,333 sq mi).
The highest peak in the state is Kangto, at 7,060 metres (23,160 ft). Nyegi Kangsang, the main Gorichen peak, and the Eastern Gorichen peak are other tall Himalaya peaks. The state's mountain ranges, in the extreme East of India, are described as "the place where the sun rises" in historical Indian texts and named the Aruna Mountains, which inspired the name of the state. The villages of Dong (more accessible by car, and with a lookout favoured by tourists) and Vijaynagar (on the edge of Myanmar) receive the first sunlight in all of India.
Major rivers of Arunachal Pradesh include the Kameng, Subansiri, Siang (Brahmaputra), Dibang, Lohit and Noa Dihing rivers. Subsurface flows and summer snow melt contribute to the volume of water. Mountains until the Siang river are classified as the Eastern Himalayas. Those between the Siang and Noa Dihing are classified as the Mishmi Hills that may be part of the Hengduan Mountains. Mountains south of the Noa Dihing in Tirap and Longding districts are part of the Patkai Range.
Districts
Arunachal Pradesh comprises two divisions, namely, East and West. Arunachal Pradesh has a total of 25 districts, West Siang being the largest district in terms of area and Tawang being the smallest district. Papum is the largest district in terms of population and Diwang Valley is the smallest district.[21]
| Divisions | Districts[22] |
|---|---|
| East (HQ:Namsai | Lohit, Anjaw, Changlang, Tirap, Lower Dibang Valley, East Siang, Upper Siang, Namsai, Siang, Longding, Dibang Valley |
| West (HQ: Yazali | Tawang, West Kameng , East Kameng, Kurung Kumey, Kra Daadi, West Siang, Lower Siang, Upper Subansiri, Papum Pare, Kamle , Lower Subansiri, Pakke-Kessang, Lepa-Rada, Shi-Yomi, Itanagar |
The People
As of the 2011 Census of India, Arunachal Pradesh has a population of 1,382,611 and an area of 83,743 square kilometres. It is an ethnically diverse state, with predominantly
- Monpa people in the west,
- Tani people in the centre,
- Mishmi and Tai people in the east, and
- Naga people in the southeast of the state.
About 26 major tribes and 100 sub-tribes live in the state. The main tribes of the state are Adi, Nyshi, Singpho, Galo, Tagin, Apatani, and so forth. The Mishmi tribe has three sub-tribes, namely Idu-Mishmi, Digaru-Mishmi and Miju-Mishmi.
Jat History
- Tejveer Dhindhwal (Hav) became martyr on 29.10.2021 while on duty at Tenga in Arunachal Pradesh. He was from village Dokwa in Rajgarh tehsil of Churu district in Rajasthan. Unit: 23 Jat Regiment.
External links
References
- ↑ Usha Sharma (2005). Discovery of North-East India. Mittal Publications. p. 65. ISBN 978-81-8324-034-5.
- ↑ Manoj Joshi, "Line of Defence", Times of India, 21 October 2000
- ↑ Baruah, Dr. Swarnalata (2004). Chutia Jaatir Buranji. Guwahati: Banalata Publications.
- ↑ https://roing.nic.in/tourism/%7Ctitle=Tourism | District Lower Dibang Valley, Government of Arunachal Pradesh. | India
- ↑ Indian Archeology-1996-97
- ↑ Chattopadhyay, S., History and archaeology of Arunachal Pradesh, p. 71
- ↑ Borah,D.K.Archaeological ruins of Naksabat, p.32
- ↑ https://itanagar.nic.in/tourist-place/ita-fort/%7Ctitle=Ita Fort | ITANAGAR CAPITAL COMPLEX | Official website of District Administration | India
- ↑ http://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.2613 Early history of Kamarupa, Rai K. L., Barua (27 January 1933)
- ↑ Thakur, A.K. (2004). "Pre-Historic Archaeological Remains of Arunachal Pradesh and People's Perception: An Overview". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 65: 1185–1196. JSTOR 44144827 – via JSTOR.
- ↑ District Handbook of Lower Dibang District
- ↑ District Handbook of Lower Dibang District
- ↑ District Handbook of Lower Dibang District
- ↑ District Handbook of Lower Dibang District
- ↑ Chattopadhyay, S. "History and Archeology of Arunachal Pradesh Chapter3: Archeological remains",p.76.
- ↑ Notes on ancient temples and other remains in the vicinity of Sadiya by Major S.F.Hannay
- ↑ State Gazetteer of Arunachal Pradesh (2010), pp. 1–2.
- ↑ Tsering Shakya (1999). The Dragon in the Land of Snows: A History of Modern Tibet Since 1947. Columbia University Press. p. 279. ISBN 978-0-231-11814-9.
- ↑ Ramachandran, Sudha (27 June 2008). "China toys with India's border". South Asia
- ↑ Maxwell, Neville (1970). India's China War. New York: Pantheon. ISBN 978-0224618878.
- ↑ https://www.arunachalpradesh.gov.in/
- ↑ "Administrative jurisdiction of divisions and districts" (PDF). Government of Arunachal Pradesh.