Hoshiarpur district

Hoshiarpur district is a district of state in northern.

The district has an area of 3,365 km² and a population of 14,78,045 (2001 census); is the district capital. The district is bounded by, and  districts of  state and  and  districts of  state.

It falls into two nearly equal portions of hill and plain country. Its eastern face consists of the westward slope of the ; parallel with that ridge, a line of lower heights belonging to the traverses the district from south to north, while between the two chains stretches a valley of uneven width, known as the. Its upper portion is crossed by the torrent, while the  sweeps into its lower end through a break in the hills, and flows in a southerly direction until it turns the flank of the central range, and  westwards upon the plains. This western plain consists of alluvial formation, with a general westerly slope owing to the deposit of silt from the mountain torrents in the sub-montane tract. The has a fringe of lowland, open to moderate but not excessive inundations, and considered very fertile. A considerable area is covered by government woodlands, under the care of the forest department. Rice is largely grown, in the marshy flats along the banks of the Beas. Several religious fairs are held, at, and , all of which attract an enormous concourse of people. The district, owing to its proximity to the hills, possesses a comparatively cool and humid climate. Cotton fabrics are manufactured, and sugar, rice and other grains, tobacco and indigo are among the exports. Hoshiarpur is also known as a City of Saints. There are many in this district. The District Govt. College was once a campus for Punjab University.

History
The country around Hoshiarpur formed part of the old kingdom of in. The state was eventually broken up, and the present district was divided between the, rajas of and. They retained undisturbed possession of their territories until, when the rising chieftains commenced a series of encroachments upon the hill tracts. In Maharaja, forced the ruler of Jaswan to resign his territories in exchange for an estate on feudal tenure; three years later the raja of Datarpur met with similar treatment. By the close of the year the whole country from the Sutlej to the Beas had come under the government of, and after the  in  passed to the  government. The deposed rajas of Datarpur and Jaswan received cash pensions from the new rulers, but expressed bitter disappointment at not being restored to their former sovereign position. Accordingly the outbreak of the, in found the disaffected chieftains ready for rebellion. They organized a revolt, but the two rajas and the other ringleaders were captured, and their estates confiscated.