Prior to independence, Beed was a part of the erstwhile
Hyderabad State. It was included in the State of
Maharashtra (the Marathi-speaking state) in 1960. It is situated at the Central West of the
Aurangabad surrounded by
Aurangabad and Jalna in the North, Parbhani and Latur in the East, Ahmednagar and Osmanabad in the South and Ahmednagar in the West.
Godavari is the most significant river that flows on the borderline of Georai and Majalgaon Tehsils.
There is no historical evidence present to witness about the origin of the district. However the ancient historical records reveal that the place was called as Durgavati and was inhabited by Pandavas and Kurus of Mahabhartta. With the passing time its name was changed into Balni. Ancient ruler Vikramaditya’s sister Champavati after capturing it in a war renamed it as Champavatinagar. After that region came under the control of rulers of Chalukya, Rashtrkuta and Yadav dynasties before finally coming under the control of Muslim rulers.
According to few historians it was invaded by the Yadav rulers of Devagiri. The other historical record reveals that it was invaded Muhammad Bin Tughlaq and after construction of fort for himself he constructed various number of wells due to which he named the city as Bir (meaning Wells in Arabian). These wells for centuries served the main source of water to the district but with the introduction of new techniques of water supply with the passing time these wells lost their significance.
However all these records are not able properly reveal the exact foundation date of the district. There are two different concepts which strictly endorse their concept behind the name of present Beed. According to first concept because the district is located towards the below side (foot of) Balaghat range it was named as Bil (hole in Marathi) and which with passage of time changed into Bid.
The second concept is of belief one of the rulers of ancient India Yavana ruled over the region and named it as Bhir (meaning water in Persian) which relates to availability of water at deep level and with the course of time people started calling it as Beed.
Among both these concepts the second concept seems to be more authentic and its signs are also found in Tarikh-e-Bir by Quazi Muhammad Qutubullah. The meaning of word Yavana according to ancient Indian Literature meant a foreigner, later on this term was used for Mughal rulers who invaded India. After establishing their control over India the Muslim rulers ruled over India for centuries and with the passing time the name was pronounced as Bir or Bhir even after India’s Independence.
Geography: Beed is situated in the Deecan black basalt stone, ranges of Balaghat that constitutes main range from Ahmednagar in the west, to the border of district Beed in the East. This range divides the district into two parts. The plain area in the North is called as Gangathadi (bank of Ganga-Godavari) and the higher part is called as Ghat at Balaghat. The whole district provides picturesque view of the nature. Some of the worth visiting sites are: Peacock sanctuary at Naigaon, Bendsura Dam at Beed, Shivaji Chouk, Sautada Waterfall, Khajana Bawadi, DharurFort, Rameswhar Temple, Kapil Dhar Water Fall, Kapil DharTemple, Khadeshwari Mata, ShaheshawaliDargah and Shri Vaidyanath Madir Parali etc.
District Beed at a Glance
Sr. No.
|
ITEM
|
NUMBER
|
|
1
|
Geographical Structure
|
|
|
|
Location
|
|
|
|
North Latitude
|
18.3 to 19.3 Degrees
|
|
|
East Latitude
|
74.5 to 76.6 Degrees
|
|
|
Climate (Temperature) – 1997
|
|
|
|
Minimum
|
12.0 Degree Celsius
|
|
|
Maximum
|
39.6 Degree Celsius
|
|
|
Average Rainfall 2001
|
666 Millimeter
|
|
|
Geographical Area (1981)
|
10615 Sq. Km.
|
|
2
|
Administrative Setup 2001-2002
|
|
|
A)
|
Rural
|
|
|
1
|
Talukas
|
11
|
|
2
|
Panchayat Samities
|
11
|
|
3
|
Grampanchayats
|
1018
|
|
4
|
Villages (As per 2001 Census)
|
1365
|
|
5
|
Un-Inhabited Villages
|
19
|
|
6
|
Inhabited Villages
|
1346
|
|
7
|
Number of Police Stations
|
22
|
|
8
|
Number of Outpost Stations
|
13
|
|
9
|
Number of Sub post Stations
|
10
|
|
10
|
Number of Lockups
|
36
|
|
11
|
Number of Police Officers & Constables
|
1645
|
|
B)
|
Urban
|
|
|
1
|
Municipal Councils
|
6
|
|
3
|
Population – 2001
|
|
|
|
Rural Population
|
1773 In thousand
|
|
|
Urban Population
|
387 In thousand
|
|
|
Total Population
|
2160 In thousand
|
|
|
Percentage of Scheduled Caste Population to total Population - 2001
|
13.01 %
|
|
|
Percentage of Scheduled Tribes Population to total population 2001
|
1.12 %
|
|
|
Males
|
1156 In thousand
|
|
|
Females
|
1045 In thousand
|
|
|
Sex ratio
|
904 Females per thousand males
|
|
|
Population density
|
204 Population per Sq. Km.
|
|
|
Literacy Rate 2001
|
|
|
|
Total
|
60.48%
|
|
|
Male
|
80.69 %
|
|
|
Female
|
55.38 %
|
|
4
|
Agriculture (Provisional) (1998-99)
|
|
|
|
Geographical Area
|
1069 Thousand Hectares
|
|
|
Total Forest Area
|
26 Thousand Hectares
|
|
|
Percentage of total forest area to total Geographical area
|
2.43 %
|
|
|
Land not available for cultivation
|
46 Thou sand Hectares
|
|
|
Cropped area
|
881 Thousand Hectares
|
|
|
Net area sown
|
961 Thousand Hectares
|
|
|
Total area irrigated
|
305 Thousand Hectares
|
|
5
|
Animal Husbandry (Livestock Census 1997)
|
|
|
|
Livestock
|
1650 In thousand
|
|
6
|
Co-operation 2001-2002
|
|
|
|
All types of co-operative Societies
|
4409
|
|
|
Primary Agriculture Co-operative Credit Societies
|
718
|
|
|
Number of member of Primary Agriculture Co-operative Credit Societies
|
380 In thousand
|
|
7
|
Irrigation (Irrigation projects completed by the end of June 2002 and command area)
|
|
|
|
Major Irrigation Project
|
3
|
|
|
Medium Irrigation Project
|
16
|
|
|
Minor Irrigation Project
|
|
|
8
|
Industry (End of 2001)
|
|
|
|
Registered factories
|
112
|
|
|
Registered factories in working condition
|
110
|
|
|
Co-operative sugar factories 2001-2002
|
7
|
|
|
Production of Co-operative sugar factories
|
205 Thousand Mt. Tones
|
|
|
Cotton Mills
|
7
|
|
9
|
Electricity (31.3.2002)
|
|
|
|
Village electrified
|
1269
|
|
|
Pump sets energized
|
88 In Thousand
|
|
10
|
Public Health Service 2001-2002
|
|
|
|
Hospitals
|
11
|
|
|
Dispensaries
|
27
|
|
|
Primary Health Centers
|
47
|
|
|
Primary Health Units
|
2
|
|
11
|
Education 2001-2002
|
|
|
|
Primary Schools
|
2011
|
|
|
Number of student per teacher
|
40
|
|
12
|
Technical and Vocational Education (2001-2002)
|
|
|
|
Industrial Training Institutes
|
15
|
|
|
Government Industrial Training Institutes
|
10
|
|
|
Non-Government Industrial Training Institutes
|
5
|
|
|
Intake capacity of the Government and Non-Government Industrial Training Institutes
|
1636
|
|
|
Degree level technical Institutes
|
0
|
|
|
Their intake capacity for the first year
|
0
|
|
|
Diploma level Technical Institutes
|
0
|
|
|
Their intake capacity for the first year
|
0
|
|
|
Vocational Education Institutes (Up to 31.3.2000)
|
54
|
|
|
Their intake capacity
|
-
|
|
13
|
Transport and Communication (Up to 31st March, 2002)
|
|
|
|
Village linked with roads
|
|
|
|
Perennial
|
1145
|
|
|
Seasonal
|
45
|
|
|
Total Road length (surfaced)
|
9685 Km.
|
|
|
National Highways
|
79 Km.
|
|
|
State Highways
|
1267 Km.
|
|
|
Major District Roads
|
1627 Km.
|
|
|
Other District Roads
|
1589 Km.
|
|
|
Village Roads
|
5123 Km.
|
|
14
|
Integrated Rural Development Programme
|
|
|
|
Families below poverty line (Survey-1997-98)
|
0.95 In Lakh
|
|
15
|
Welfare Scheme 2001-2002
|
|
|
|
Adivasi Ashram Schools
|
2
|
|
16
|
Civil Supply
|
|
|
|
Fair Price Shops (2001-2002)
|
1975
|
Connectivity: Beed district is well connected through rail and road transport. There are two railway stations in the district. Mumbai lies at a distance of 450 kms from Beed.
For more information about Beed click here