Ratnagiri district

Guardian Minister

History

From pre-Christian times until 1312, the area – like the entire region – was ruled by various Buddhist and Hindu rulers. The first state known by name was the Mauryan Empire, the last non-Muslim dynasty was the Yadavas of Devagiri. After decades of military clashes with Muslim rulers in northern India, the region was occupied by Muslim armies between 1312 and 1470. From 1500 on there was fierce fighting for rule on the coast between the Muslim rulers and the Portuguese. After that, various Muslim dynasties ruled until 1658 (Sultanate of Delhi, Bahmani, Deccan Sultanates and the Mughals). From 1658, most of the area became part of the Maratha Empire. After the defeat of the Marathas against the British in 1818, Ratnagiri area became an administrative region of the Bombay Presidency. With the independence of India in 1947 and the reorganization of the country, it became part of the new Bombay State in 1950. In 1948 the district grew through the incorporation of the Sawantwadi princely state. In 1960, Bombay State was divided and the area became part of the newly created state of Maharashtra. In 1981 the district was divided and the southern part of the district became Sindhudurg district.

Geography

An outstanding feature of the geography of the district is its uneven or hill landscape, with about 45% of the area covered by hills.The Sahyadri hill range runs for 180 km.

Administrative divisions

Talukas

• Mandangad
• Dapoli
• Khed
• Guhagar
• Chiplun
• Ratnagiri
• Sangmeshwar
• Lanja
• Rajapur

Nagar palikas

• Ratnagiri
• Chiplun
• Rajapur
• Khed

Nagar panchayats

• Devrukh (Sangmeshwar Taluka)
• Dapoli
• Guhagar
• Lanja
• Mandangad

Proposed nagar palika

• Devrukh

Proposed nagar panchayats

• Jalgaon
• Kule
• Satawali
• Waghivane

Cities, towns and villages

• Brahmanwad
• Chiplun
• Dapoli
• Devrukh
• Guhagar
• Jalgaon
• Khed
• Kondgaon
• Kule
• Kumbhave
• Lanja
• Mandangad
• Rajapur
• Ratnagiri
• Satawali
• Umberghar
• Waghivane

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Ratnagiri district has a population of 1,615,069, roughly equal to the nation of Guinea-Bissau or the US state of Idaho. This gives it a ranking of 311th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 196 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was -4.96%. Ratnagiri has a sex ratio of 1123 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 82.43%. 16.33% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 4.15% and 1.26% of the population respectively.

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 88.18% of the population in the district spoke Marathi, 7.36% Urdu, 1.43% Hindi and 1.14% Konkani as their first language. Most people speak distinct coastal dialects of Marathi.

Notable people

Notable people from Ratnagiri include:

• Lokmanya Tilak
• B. R. Ambedkar
• Balasaheb Kher
• Dhondo Keshav Karve
• Vinoba Bhave
• Swatantryaveer Savarkar was moved to Ratnagiri with his freedom of movement restricted to the boundary of the district and also refraining from politics.
• Govind Sakharam Sardesai
• R. P. Paranjpye
• Shakuntala Paranjpye
• Gopal Krishna Gokhale
• Rani Lakshmi Bai

Current officers and public representatives

Members of Parliament

Members of Legislative Assembly

Guardian Minister

List of Guardian Ministers

District Magistrate/Collector

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List of District Magistrate / Collector

Geographical indication

Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri Kokum was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry, under the Union Government of India, on 31 March 2016.

Sindhudurg Ratnagiri Mahakokum Sanstha from Malvan, proposed the GI registration of Sindhudurg & Ratnagiri Kokum. After filing the application in March 2014, the Kokum was granted the GI tag in 2016 by the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai, making the name "Sindhudurg & Ratnagiri Kokum" exclusive to the Kokum grown in the region. It thus became the first Kokum variety from India and the 13th type of goods from Maharashtra to earn the GI tag.

The prestigious GI tag, awarded by the GI registry, certifies that a product possesses distinct qualities, adheres to traditional production methods, and has earned a reputation rooted in its geographical origin.

References

Sources

References

1. (2011). "District Census Handbook Ratnagiri Village and Town Directory (Part A)". Directorate of Census Operations.
2. [http://www.censusindiamaps.net/page/India_WhizMap/IndiaMap.htm Census GIS India] {{webarchive. link. (11 January 2010)
3. {{harvnb. Greater Bombay District Gazetteer. 1986
4. {{harvnb. Greater Bombay District Gazetteer. 1986
5. {{harvnb. Greater Bombay District Gazetteer. 1986
6. [http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A2_Data_Table.html Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901]
7. (2011). "Table C-01 Population by Religion: Maharashtra". [[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]].
8. "District Census Hand Book – Ratnagiri". [[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]].
9. US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population".
10. "2010 Resident Population Data". U. S. Census Bureau.
11. "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Maharashtra". [[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]].
12. (2006). "Veer Savarkar Father of Hindu Nationalism".
13. (4 June 2016). "Seven agriculture products get GI tag". The Times of India.
14. "Geographical Indications". Intellectual Property India.
15. (13 September 2022). "Geographical Indication Protection in India: The Evolving Paradigm". Springer Nature.