Indas (also spelled Indus) is a community development block (CD block) that forms an administrative division in the Bishnupur subdivision of the Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
History
From Bishnupur kingdom to the British Raj
From around the 7th century AD till around the advent of British rule, for around a millennium, history of Bankura district is identical with the rise and fall of the Hindu Rajas of Bishnupur. The Bishnupur Rajas, who were at the summit of their fortunes towards the end of the 17th century, started declining in the first half of the 18th century. First, the Maharaja of Burdwan seized the Fatehpur Mahal, and then the Maratha invasions laid waste their country.
Bishnupur was ceded to the British with the rest of Burdwan chakla in 1760. In 1787, Bishnupur was united with Birbhum to form a separate administrative unit. In 1793 it was transferred to the Burdwan collectorate. In 1879, the district acquired its present shape with the thanas of Khatra and Raipur and the outpost of Simplapal being transferred from Manbhum, and the thanas of Sonamukhi, Kotulpur and Indas being retransferred from Burdwan. However, it was known for sometime as West Burdwan and in 1881 came to be known as Bankura district.
Geography
Indas is located at .
Indas CD block is located in the eastern part of the district and belongs to the fertile low lying alluvial plains, similar to the predominating rice lands in the adjacent districts of West Bengal. Here, the eye constantly rests on wide expanses of rice fields, green in the rains but parched and dry in summer.
Indas CD block is bounded by Khandaghosh CD block, in Purba Bardhaman district, on the north and the east, Kotulpur and Joypur CD blocks on the south and Patrasayer CD block on the west.
Indas CD block has an area of 254.99 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 10 gram panchayats, 129 gram sansads (village councils), 131 mouzas and 129 inhabited villages. Indas police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD block is at Indas.
Gram panchayats of Indas block/ panchayat samiti are: Akui I, Akui II, Amrul, Dighalgram, Indus I, Indus II, Karisunda, Mangalpur, Rol and Sahaspur.
Demographics
Population
According to the 2011 Census of India, Indas CD block had a total population of 169,783, all of which were rural. There were 86,697 (51%) males and 83,086 (49%) females. Population in the age range of 0 to 6 years was 18,624. Scheduled Castes numbered 74,281 (43.75%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 3,143 (1.85%).
According to the 2001 census, Indas block had a total population of 152,829, out of which 78,324 were males and 74,505 were females. Indas block registered a population growth of 15.48 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for the district was 15.15 per cent. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent.
Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Indas CD block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Somsar (4,431), Akui (6,115) and Kharsi (4,206).
Other villages in Indas CD block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Indas (2,479), Shaspur (3,902), Karisunda (3,608), Amrul (2,093), Rol (3,858), Mangalpur (2,665) and Dighalgram (3,033).
Literacy
As per the 2011 census the total number of literates in Indas CD block was 108,569 (71.76% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 60,972 (78.96% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 47,497 (64.23%) of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 14.73%.
As per the 2011 census, literacy in Bankura district was 70.26%, up from 63.44 in 2001 and 52.00% in 1991. Literacy in West Bengal was 77.08% in 2011. Literacy in India in 2011 was 74.04%.
See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate
Language and religion
In the 2011 census Hindus numbered 139,180 and formed 81.98% of the population in Indas CD block. Muslims numbered 30,060 and formed 17.70% of the population. Others numbered 543 and formed 0.32% of the population. Others include Addi Bassi, Marang Boro, Santal, Saranath, Sari Dharma, Sarna, Alchchi, Bidin, Sant, Saevdharm, Seran, Saran, Sarin, Kheria, and other religious communities. In 2001, Hindus were 82.45% and Muslims 17.33% of the population respectively.
At the time of the 2011 census, 98.39% of the population spoke Bengali and 1.53% Santali as their first language.