Taldangra is a community development block (CD block) that forms an administrative division in the Khatra subdivision of the Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
History
From Bishnupur kingdom to the British Raj
From around 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
Taldangra is located at .
Taldangra CD block is located in the south-eastern part of the district and belongs to the hard rock area.
Taldangra CD block is bounded by Onda CD block on the north, Bishnupur CD block and Garhbeta II CD block, in Paschim Medinipur district, on the east, Simlapal CD block on the south and Khatra and Indpur CD blocks on the west.
Taldangra CD block has an area of 349.74 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 9 gram panchayats, 109 gram sansads (village councils), 145 mouzas and 141 inhabited villages. Taldangra police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD block is at Taldangra.
Gram panchayats of Taldangra block/ panchayat samiti are: Amdangra, Bibarda, Fulmati, Harmasra, Khalagram, Panchmura, Saltora, Satmouli and Taldangra.
Demographics
Population
Accrding to the 2011 Census of India, Taldangra CD block had a total population of 147,893, all of which were rural. There were 74,999 (51%) males and 72,894 (49%) females. Population in the age range of 0 to 6 years was 17,848. Scheduled Castes numbered 38,903 (26.30%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 20,597 (13.93%).
According to the 2001 census, Taldangra block had a total population of 128,748, out of which 65,679 were males and 63,069 were females. Taldangra block registered a population growth of 15.39 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for the district was 13.79 per cent. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent.
Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Taldangra CD block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Bibarda (5,399), Chenchurya (6,185) and Rajpur (7,497).
Other villages in Taldangra CD block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Taldangra (1,581), Satmouli (2,082), Panchmura (3,719), Phulmati (2,706), Harmasra (3,131) and Khalgram (1,486).
Literacy
According to the 2011 census, the total number of literates in Taldangra CD block was 92,168 (70.87% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 53,006 (75.44% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 39,162 (55.81%) of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 19.21%.
See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate
Language and religion
In the 2011 census Hindus numbered 116,220 and formed 78.58% of the population in Taldangra CD block. Muslims numbered 15,508 and formed 10.49% of the population. Others numbered 16,165 and formed 10.93% 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 78.13%, Muslims 8.88% and tribal religions 12.94% of the population respectively.
At the time of the 2011 census, 87.04% of the population spoke Bengali and 12.92% Santali as their first language.
Rural poverty
In Taldangra CD block 49.89% families were living below poverty line in 2007. According to the Rural Household Survey in 2005, 28.87% of the total number of families were BPL families in the Bankura district.