Assandh

Assandh, historically known as Āsandīvat, is a town and a municipal committee in Karnal district in the state of Haryana, India. Assandh is located in 45 km south-west of Karnal.

History

Early history

Archaeological excavations have revealed Painted Grey Ware, associated with the Vedic people of Iron Age India. Assandh is identified with ancient Āsandīvat, a capital of the Kuru Kingdom, which was the first recorded state in Ancient India, . Historian Charles Allen has related this town and the Stupa to the Asandhiwat Kingdom from which hailed Asandhimitra, the Chief Empress (''Agramahisi'') of the Maurya Emperor Ashoka.

Assandh Stupa

The ruins of more-than-2000-year-old Buddhist stupa is situated at Assandh. The stupa is 25-metre high and at least 75 metres in diameter raised on an earthen platform. It is built with the help of bricks. This stupa is bigger than the much-famous stupa at Sanchi. According to historians, bricks used to construct this stupa, having a width of more than two-feet, indicate that the history of this monument dates back to more than 2000 years.

The ruins of this structure is also known as '' Jarasandh ka Qila/Teela'' or ''Jarasandh ka Teela'' (Fort/Mound of Jarasandh) named after a character of epic Mahabharat, and forms part of the 48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra.

According to Archaeological Survey of India, this is a Kushan stupa (belongs to Kushan period).

Colonial era

Assandh had a large Muslim population before 1947. After the 1947, Muslims were replaced with the Sikhs and Punjabi Khatri refugee migrants from Pakistani Punjab.

Modern history

Panipat, which was the part of Karnal earlier, was carved out as a separate district on 1st November 1989, including the "Assandh Tehsil" area. To add the "Assandh Tehsil" area back to Karnal, Panipat was merged with Karnal again on 24th July 1991. Afterwards, Panipat was again carved out of Karnal on 1st January 1992, excluding Assandh Tehsil.

There is a Gurudwara, many Hindu Temples, a Sanatan Dharm Mandir and a Masjid also.

Demographics

As of 2011 Indian Census, Assandh had a total population of 27,125, of which 14,385 were males and 12,740 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 3,404. The total number of literates in Assandh was 18,192, which constituted 67.1% of the population with male literacy of 70.9% and female literacy of 62.7%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Assandh was 76.7%, of which male literacy rate was 81.9% and female literacy rate was 70.9%. The Scheduled Castes population was 6,183. Assandh had 5081 households in 2011.

India census, Assandh had a population of 22,707. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Assandh has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 58% of the males and 42% of females literate. 15% of the population was in the 0 to 6 years age group.

Politics

Assandh is part of Assandh constituency of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. The following is the list of MLAs have been elected from this constituency:
* 1952 – Kasturi Lal – INC
* 1977 – Jogi Ram – JNP
* 1982 – Manphool Singh – LKD
* 1987 – Manphool Singh – LKD
* 1991 – Krishan Lal Panwar – JP
* 1996 – Krishan Lal Panwar – SAP
* 2000 – Krishan Lal Panwar – INLD
* 2005 – Raj Rani Poonam – INC
* 2009 – Zile Ram Chochra – INC
* 2014 – Bakhshish Singh Virk – BJP
* 2019 – Shamsher Singh Gogi – INC

Notable villages in Assandh Tehsil

* ChorKarsa Roran
* Gangatheri
* Jabhala
* Kheri Naru
* Uplana
* Rahara
* Rangrutti Khera
* Salwan
* Agond

References

{{48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra

Cities and towns in Karnal district
Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India
Stupas in India
Kuru kingdom
Ancient Indian cities
Indo-Aryan archaeological sites