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Sonitpur district [Pron: ˌsə(ʊ)nɪtˈpʊə or ˌʃə(ʊ)nɪtˈpʊə] is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters is located at Tezpur.
Etymology
The name of the district is derived from a story found in Hindu epics specifically the Bhagavata Purana and in the locally composed Kalika Purana where the city was established by Banasura the eldest son of Bali who did great penance or tapasya to Lord Shiva who promised to look over the city. The Sanskrit word Śōṇita means blood. The etymology of Tezpur, the headquarter of this district is also based on the story.
History
Duars
Sonitpur district falls under the Darrang Duars which includes the region between the Bornadi River and Dhansiri River.
Trade and relation with Tibet
According to Tibetan chronicles, the ruler of Darrang (now Sonitpur district) used to pay tribute to Wongme Palder the ruler of Thembang (now West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh) who was a descendant of an exiled Tibetan prince named Lhase Tsangma, brother of Tibetan ruler Ralpacan in the 9th century C.E.
The Koriapar Dooar falls under the Sonitpur district and was held by Bhutias known as the Monpas () and to the Chinese as Monbas. These chiefs were subordinate to the ruler of Tawang, who in turn were a tributary to the Tibetan government at Lhasa.
Koriapar Dooar under Sonitpur district acted as a trading point between Assam and Tibet.
Under Ahom government, the management was under the Sat Rajas and revenue was collected by an officer called Sanzati.
The Tibetan government at Lhasa appointed Tibetan officials called Gellongs to supervise the local Monpa chief. The Monpa chief who looked after the Duar were called Tsorgon. This office was created in the 16th-century.
It was occupied by the Baro-Bhuyan feudal lords in the 14th century.
The Koriapar Dooars was annexed by British East India Company in 1844 and added to the Assam province. Sonitpur district had the second largest area of districts in Assam, after Karbi Anglong district, at , comparable in size to the island of Guadalcanal. Other than the Brahmaputra, the major rivers in the district are its right tributaries and include the Jiabharali, Gabharu, Borgang and Buroi.
National protected area
Sonitpur District is home to several wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. In 1998, Sonitpur district became home to Nameri National Park in the north, which has an area of . It is also home to Orang National Park, which it shares with Darrang district. Orang National Park was established in 1999 and has an area of .
Climate
Sonitpur District falls in the Sub-Tropical Rainforest climate region, (Af) in Koppen's climate classification and enjoys Hot & Wet type of climate. Summers are hot and humid; with an average temperature of 27 °C. Rainfall is heavy above 3,000 mm (9 ft) in wet months January to June which is both a boon and a bane for the people. A boon, for it, provides natural irrigation to the fields; and a bane, as it causes the rivers to overflow their banks and cause floods. All months have average precipitation of at least 60 mm and the average temperature of the cold month is above 18 °C. As anyone can expect, Tropical rainforest is the vegetation in and around the city.
Flora and fauna
The forests of Sonitpur district are semi-evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests and bamboo forests, with hydrophytes in the wetlands. The demography of Sonitpur district is not entirely homogenous as several linguistic, religious and ethnic communities and groups live in Sonitpur district.
According to the 2011 census Sonitpur district has a population of 1,924,110, or the US state of West Virginia. This gives it a ranking of 245th in India (out of a total of 640).