Hinduism in Assam

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Hinduism in Assam
Kamakhya Guwahati.JPG
Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam.
Total population
19,180,759 (2011)[1]
61.47% of population Decrease
Languages
Majority
Assamese
Minority
Bengali, Bodo, Hindi, Sadri, Mishing, Nepali and others
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Assamese Muslims and Assamese Christians

Hinduism is the largest religion of Assam, practiced by 61.47% of the population of the state as per as 2011 census report. The Hindus form majority religion in 18 out of 29 districts of Assam state.

History[]

Sankardev, founder of Ekasarna sect of Hinduism.

Most of the Hindus in Assam belongs to the Ekasarna sect of Vaishnavism which is the dominant faith of the region since its formation from 15th-16th century in Brahmaputra valley, Assam. The Ahom kings during their 600 yrs rule in Assam, have increasingly patronizing Hinduism alongside the proselytizing activities of Ekasarana Dharma since the 16th-century—a large section of the Bodo-Kachari peoples converted to different forms of Hinduism in the 17th-18th century and a composite Assamese consisting of caste-Hindus, tribals began to form.[2] Suhungmung, was the first Ahom king who have converted into Hinduism and adopt a Hindu title, Swarganarayana during that medieval period of ahom rule.[3]

Demography[]

Assam hindu population (1901-2011)[4]
Year State population Hindu Population

(Om.svg)

Percentage
1901 3,289,680 2,781,424 84.55
1911 3,848,617 3,201,664 83.19
1921 4,636,980 3,726,277 80.36
1931 5,560,371 4,214,761 75.8
1941 6,694,790 4,131,355 74.3
1951 8,028,856 5,682,824 70.78
1961 10,837,329 7,731,350 71.34
1971 14,625,152 10,604,697 72.51
1981 18,041,248 12,578,358 69.72
1991 22,414,322 15,048,975 67.14
2001 26,655,528 17,296,772 64.89
2011 31,205,576 19,182,067 61.47

The estimated hindu population of Assam for upcoming 2021 census is around 20,101,243 out of total 36,547,715 population, and will constitute about 55% of the state population.[5]

Population by district (2011 year)[]

Below is a breakdown of the Hindu population by district in the Indian state of Assam according to the 2011 Census of India: [6] Hindus are majority in eighteenth districts out of twenty-nine in Assam.[7]

# District Total population Hindu population Percentage
1 Baksa 950,075 782,901 82.4%
2 Barpeta 1,693,622 492,966 29.11%
3 Bongaigaon 738,804 359,145 48.61%
4 Cachar 1,736,617 1,038,985 59.83%
5 Chirang 482,162 320,647 66.5%
6 Darrang 928,500 327,322 35.25%
7 Dhemaji 686,133 655,052 95.47%
8 Dhubri 1,949,258 388,380 19.92%
9 Dibrugarh 1,326,335 1,198,401 90.35%
10 Dima Hasao 214,102 143,593 67.07%
11 Goalpara 1,008,183 347,878 34.51%
12 Golaghat 1,066,888 917,426 85.99%
13 Hailakandi 659,296 251,194 38.1%
14 Jorhat 1,092,256 1,008,219 92.31%
15 Kamrup 1,517,542 877,495 57.82%
16 Kamrup Metropolitan 1,253,938 1,064,412 84.89%
17 Karbi Anglong 956,313 766,000 80.1%
18 Karimganj 1,228,686 521,962 42.48%
19 Kokrajhar 887,142 529,068 59.64%
20 Lakhimpur 1,042,137 797,130 76.49 %
21 Morigaon 957,423 451,882 47.2%
22 Nagaon 2,823,768 1,225,246 43.39%
23 Nalbari 771,639 491,582 63.71%
24 Sivasagar 1,151,050 1,007,277 87.51%
25 Sonitpur 1,924,110 1,422,824 73.95%
26 Tinsukia 1,327,929 1,181,347 88.96%
27 Udalguri 831,668 612,425 73.64%
28 Hojai 931,218 424,065 45.53%
29 South Salmara district 249,508 4,589 1.84%
Assam (Total) 31,205,576 19,180,759 61.47%

Trends[]

Decadal growth of Hindus
YearPop.±%
19012,781,424—    
19113,201,664+15.1%
19213,726,277+16.4%
19314,214,761+13.1%
19414,131,355−2.0%
19515,682,824+37.6%
19617,731,350+36.0%
197110,604,697+37.2%
198112,578,358+18.6%
199115,048,975+19.6%
200117,296,772+14.9%
201119,182,067+10.9%
Source: Census of India
  • The Hindu population in Assam have increased from 2.78 million in 1901 to 19.18 million in 2011 census (a growth of 16.4 million in 110 years).[8]

Hindu percentage by decades in Assam[9]

Year Percent Increase
1901 84.55% -
1911 83.19%

-1.36%

1921 80.36%

-2.83%

1931 75.8%

-4.56%

1941 74.3%

-1.5%

1951 70.78%

-3.52%

1961 71.34% +0.56%
1971 72.51% +1.17%
1981 69.72% -2.79%
1991 67.14% -2.58%
2001 64.89% -2.25%
2011 61.47% -3.42%
  • While the Hindu percentage have been steadily decreasing since a century. The percentage of Hindus was 84.55% in 1901 and have been rapidly declined to 61.47% in 2011 (which is a decline of 23.08% in 110 years).[10]

Ethnic Hindu population[]

Assam Hindu population by ethnic groups (2011 census)
Ethnicity Hindu percentage Population Ref
Assamese 32.57% 10,016,989 [11]
Bengali 24.03% 7,501,102 [12]
Hindi/Nepali/others 4.87% 1,663,976
TOTAL 61.47% of total pop 19,182,067 [4]

References[]

  1. ^ "Population by religion community – 2011". Census of India, 2012. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015.
  2. ^ (Misra 1999:1264)
  3. ^ Baruah 1986, p. 227.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Citizenship Amendment Act: BJP chasing ghosts in Assam; Census data shows number of Hindu immigrants may have been exaggerated-India News , Firstpost". Firstpost. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Assam Population 2021".
  6. ^ 2011 Census Data: Assam.
  7. ^ https://censusindia.gov.in/
  8. ^ http://www.cpsindia.org › BlogsPDF Decline of Hindus and the Rise of Muslims in Assam
  9. ^ http://www.cpsindia.org › BlogsPDF Decline of Hindus and the Rise of Muslims in Assam
  10. ^ http://www.cpsindia.org › BlogsPDF Decline of Hindus and the Rise of Muslims in Assam
  11. ^ Shaikh, Mohammed Uzair (8 April 2016). "Assam Assembly Elections 2016: Assamese are minority, Muslims are largest electoral group in this poll battle!". India News, Breaking News | India.com. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Bengali speaking voters may prove crucial in the second phase of Assam poll". April 2021.

External links[]

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