View source for Doda district

{{Short description|District in Jammu and Kashmir}}
{{About|the district|its eponymous headquarters|Doda, Jammu and Kashmir}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Doda district
| settlement_type    = [[List of districts of Jammu and Kashmir|District]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] administered by India<ref name=tertiary-kashmir/>
| total_type         = Total
| native_name        = 
| image_skyline      = File:View_of_Doda_city_in_Jammu.jpg
| image_alt          = City in a mountain valley, with mountains in the background
| image_caption      = View of Doda city
| image_map1         = Kashmir region. LOC 2003626427 - showing Jammu division administered by India in neon blue.jpg
| map_alt            = 
| map_caption1       = Doda district is in the eastern part of the [[Jammu division]] (shown with neon blue boundary) of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] 
| image_map          = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=300|frame-height=170|frame-align=center|zoom=6|type=point|title=Doda|marker=district|type2=shape|stroke-width2=2|stroke-color2=#ff0000}}
| map_caption        = Interactive map of Doda district
| coordinates        = {{Coord|33.13|N|75.57|E|display=inline,title|region:IN_type:adm2nd_source:GNS-enwiki}}
| coor_pinpoint      = Doda
| subdivision_type   = Administering country
| subdivision_name   = India
| subdivision_type1  = [[States and union territories of India|Union Territory]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Administrative divisions of India|Division]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Jammu]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Region]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Chenab Valley]]
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = 
| seat_type          = Headquarters
| seat               = [[Doda, Jammu and Kashmir|Doda]]
| parts_type         = 
| parts_style        = 
| area_total_km2     = 2625
| area_urban_km2     = 
| area_rural_km2     = 
| area_footnotes     = <ref>{{cite report |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/0116_PART_B_DCHB_DODA.pdf |pages=9, 12, 99 |work=Census of India 2011 |title=District Census Handbook Doda, Part B |date=18 June 2014 |access-date=21 November 2020}}</ref>
| population_as_of   = 2011
| population_total   = 409,936
| population_footnotes = <ref name="census2011-C01"/>
| population_urban   = 32,689
| population_rural   = 377,247
| population_density_km2 = auto
| demographics_type1 = Demographics
| demographics1_title1 = [[Literacy in India|Literacy]]
| demographics1_info1 = 64.68%
| demographics1_title2 = Sex ratio
| demographics1_info2 = 919
| leader_title       = [[District magistrate|District Magistrate]]
| leader_name        = Harvinder Singh (IAS)<ref name="admin">{{cite web|url=https://doda.nic.in/whoswho/deputy-commissioner/ |title=Deputy commissioner of Doda - Official Website}}</ref>
| leader_title1      = Additional Deputy Commissioner
| leader_name1       = Dr. Ravi Kumar Bharti ([[JKAS]])<ref name="directory">{{cite web |title=Who's Who in Doda district|url=https://doda.nic.in/about-district/whos-who/|access-date=13 September 2021}}</ref>
| leader_title2      = Assistant Commissioner Revenue
| leader_name2       = Sanjeev Kumar ([[Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service|JKAS]])<ref name="directory"/>
| timezone1          = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1        = +05:30
| registration_plate = JK-06
| blank_name_sec1    = [[Roads in India|Major highways]]
| blank_info_sec1    = [[National Highway 244 (India)|NH 244]]
| blank_name_sec2    = 
| blank_info_sec2    = 
| website            = {{URL|https://doda.nic.in}}
| official_name      = 
}}

'''Doda district''' is an administrative district of the [[Jammu division]] in the Indian union territory of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] in the [[Kashmir]] region.<ref name=tertiary-kashmir> The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of [[Kashmir]] and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the [[WP:TERTIARY|tertiary sources]] (a) through (d), reflecting [[WP:DUE|due weight]] in the coverage. Although "controlled" and "held" are also applied neutrally to the names of the disputants or to the regions administered by them, as evidenced in sources (f) through (h) below, "held" is also considered politicized usage, as is the term "occupied," (see (i) below). <br/>
(a) {{citation|title=Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kashmir-region-Indian-subcontinent |accessdate=15 August 2019}} (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcontinent ... has been the subject of dispute between India and Pakistan since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. The northern and western portions are administered by Pakistan and comprise three areas: Azad Kashmir, Gilgit, and Baltistan, the last two being part of a territory called the Northern Areas. Administered by India are the southern and southeastern portions, which constitute the state of Jammu and Kashmir but are slated to be split into two union territories.";<br/> (b) {{citation|last1=Pletcher|first1=Kenneth|title=Aksai Chin, Plateau Region, Asia|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Aksai-Chin |accessdate=16 August 2019}} (subscription required) Quote: "Aksai Chin, Chinese (Pinyin) Aksayqin, portion of the Kashmir region, at the northernmost extent of the Indian subcontinent in south-central Asia. It constitutes nearly all the territory of the Chinese-administered sector of Kashmir that is claimed by India to be part of the Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir state."; <br/> (c) {{citation|chapter=Kashmir|title=Encyclopedia Americana|publisher=Scholastic Library Publishing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l_cWAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA328|year=2006|isbn=978-0-7172-0139-6|page=328}} C. E Bosworth, University of Manchester Quote: "KASHMIR, kash'mer, the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent, administered partlv by India, partly by Pakistan, and partly by China. The region has been the subject of a bitter dispute between India and Pakistan since they became independent in 1947"; <br/> (d) {{citation|last1=Osmańczyk|first1=Edmund Jan|title=Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements: G to M|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fSIMXHMdfkkC&pg=PA1191|year=2003|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-93922-5|pages=1191–}} Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute betw een India and Pakistan. It has borders with Pakistan and China." <br/>(e) {{citation|last=Talbot|first=Ian|title=A History of Modern South Asia: Politics, States, Diasporas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eNg_CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA28|year=2016|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-19694-8|pages=28–29}} Quote: "We move from a disputed international border to a dotted line on the map that represents a military border not recognized in international law. The line of control separates the Indian and Pakistani administered areas of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir."; <br/>  (f) {{citation|title=Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kashmir-region-Indian-subcontinent |accessdate=15 August 2019}} (subscription required) Quote: "... China became active in the eastern area of Kashmir in the 1950s and has controlled the northeastern part of Ladakh (the easternmost portion of the region) since 1962."; <br/> (g) {{citation|last=Bose|first=Sumantra|title=Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ACMe9WBdNAC&pg=PA294|year=2009|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-02855-5|pages=294, 291, 293}} Quote: "J&K: Jammu and Kashmir. The former princely state that is the subject of the Kashmir dispute. Besides IJK (Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. The larger and more populous part of the former princely state. It has a population of slightly over 10 million, and comprises three regions: Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh.) and AJK ('Azad" (Free) Jammu and Kashmir. The more populous part of Pakistani-controlled J&K, with a population of approximately 2.5 million. AJK has six districts: Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Bagh, Kodi, Rawalakot, and Poonch. Its capital is the town of Muzaffarabad. AJK has its own institutions, but its political life is heavily controlled by Pakistani authorities, especially the military), it includes the sparsely populated "Northern Areas" of Gilgit and Baltistan, remote mountainous regions which are directly administered, unlike AJK, by the Pakistani central authorities, and some high-altitude uninhabitable tracts under Chinese control." <br/> (h) {{citation|last=Fisher|first=Michael H.|title=An Environmental History of India: From Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kZVuDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA166|year=2018|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-11162-2|page=166}} Quote: "Kashmir’s identity remains hotly disputed with a UN-supervised “Line of Control” still separating Pakistani-held Azad (“Free”) Kashmir from Indian-held Kashmir."; <br/> (i) {{citation|last=Snedden|first=Christopher|title=Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5amKCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA10|year=2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-1-84904-621-3|page=10}} Quote:"Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J&K. These terms include the words 'occupied' and 'held'."</ref> Doda covers 2,625 square kilometers.

==Administration==
The district consists of 18 tehsils: [[Thathri]], [[Bhaderwah]], [[Doda, Jammu and Kashmir|Doda]], [[Mohalla, Jammu and Kashmir|Mohalla]], [[Bhagwa, Jammu and Kashmir|Bhagwa]], [[Assar]], [[Bhalla, Jammu and Kashmir|Bhalla]], [[Gundna]], [[Marmat (tehsil)|Marmat]], [[Kahara, Jammu and Kashmir|Kahara]], [[Gandoh (Bhalessa)]], [[Bhella]], [[Bharat Bagla]], [[Chiralla]], [[Chilly Pingal]], [[Phagsoo]] and [[Kastigarh]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Statement showing the number of blocks in respect of 22 Districts of Jammu and Kashmir State including newly Created Districts |url=http://jkrd.nic.in/listAllDistricts.pdf |website=Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Department |publisher=Government of Jammu and Kashmir |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910092544/http://jkrd.nic.in/listAllDistricts.pdf |archive-date=10 September 2008}}</ref>

==Climate==
The climate of the area is not uniform due to its wide variations in altitude. The area, in general, enjoys a temperate to sub-tropical climate. The climate of the district is almost dry and rainfall is scanty. The temperature varies from place to place. [[Ramban, Jammu and Kashmir|Ramban]] and Doda tehsils are warmer, while regions like Dessa Valley, tehsil Bhagwah, [[Gundna]], Padder, Marwah and [[Warwan Valley|Warwan]] remain snow-bound for five-six months of the year. Summer is generally without precipitation. Almost all regions experiences snowfall in the winter, either in the form of snowfall in higher regions or as rainfall in the lower regions. Monsoons prevail from July to September. Rainfall in the Doda district is heavy during July and September. The average annual rainfall is 926 mm and snowfall of about 135 mm.<ref>{{cite web | title=Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, IN Climate Zone, Monthly Averages, Historical Weather Data | website=Global Historical Weather and Climate Data  | date=1 April 2018 | url=https://tcktcktck.org/india/jammu-and-kashmir/doda#:~:text=Doda%20Climate%20Summary&text=Located%20at%20an%20elevation%20of%201141.34%20meters%20(3744.55%20feet)%20above%20sea%20level%2C%20Doda%20has%20a%20Temperate%20highland%20tropical%20climate%20with%20dry%20winters%20climate%20(Classification%3A%20Cwb).&text=The%20district%27s%20yearly%20temperature%20is%2027.05%C2%BAC%20(80.69%C2%BAF)%20and%20it%20is%201.08%25%20higher%20than%20India%27s%20averages. | access-date=22 September 2023}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Kailash kund bhaderwah.jpg|thumb|left|Kailash Kund lake, Doda district]]
The [[demography]] of Doda district is complex compared to neighbouring districts, because of its very diverse population. In the past, Doda was largely inhabited by a [[Sarazi]] population before people started settling here from Kashmir and other adjoining areas.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sahapedia.org/sarazi-endangered-language-of-the-chenab-valley |title = Sarazi: Endangered Language of the Chenab Valley}}</ref><ref name="greaterkashmir.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/more/news/story-of-doda-misunderstood-by-kashmir/|title=Story of Doda misunderstood by Kashmir|date=13 March 2015|website=Greater Kashmir|language=en-US|access-date=6 September 2019}}</ref> It got the name Doda due to the opium plant, known as ''doddi'' in the local language. Kashmiri populations settled here in the 17th and 18th centuries.<ref name="Mini Kashmir">{{Cite web|url=https://kashmirlife.net/mini-kashmir-1147/|title=Mini Kashmir|date=11 January 2011|website=Kashmir Life|language=en-GB|access-date=6 September 2019}}</ref> [[Sumantra Bose]] says repression by feudal classes elsewhere drew people to the districts of Doda, [[Ramban district|Ramban]] and [[Kishtwar district|Kishtwar]].<ref name="Snedden"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sahapedia.org/sarazi-endangered-language-of-the-chenab-valley|title=Sarazi: Endangered Language of the Chenab Valley|website=Sahapedia|language=en|access-date=6 September 2019}}</ref>

The Doda district consists of areas drawn from the ancient principalities of [[Kishtwar]] and [[Bhadarwah]], both of which became part of a district by the name of 'Udhampur' in the [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|princely state of Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref name=history>{{cite web|url=http://jammuredefine.in/know-about-jammu-region/about-doda-district/ |title=About Doda District |publisher=Jammu Redefining |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317205228/http://jammuredefine.in/know-about-jammu-region/about-doda-district |archive-date=17 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The district of Doda in Jammu and Kashmir has a long history intertwined with legends and stories of various rulers and dynasties. According to records from the State Revenue Department, the district got its name from its headquarters in Doda, which was named after a migrant from [[Multan]], a utensil maker. He was persuaded by one of the ancient rulers of [[Kishtwar]] to settle in the area and establish a utensil factory. Over time, the name Deeda was distorted into Doda.<ref name="history-ct">{{cite news |last1=CT |first1=News Desk |title=The lost history of Doda |url=https://thechenabtimes.com/2023/02/01/the-lost-history-of-doda/ |access-date=2 February 2023 |work=[[The Chenab Times]] |date=1 February 2023 |location=Doda, Jammu and Kashmir |language=en}}</ref> 

The early history of Doda is not well documented, with few chronicles available about the rulers of Kishtwar. The settlement reports indicate that the area was ruled by various groups including [[Rana Rajput|Ranas]], Rajas, and independent chiefs from time to time, including the Jaral, Ranas, [[Katoch|Katoch Rajas]], Bhaus Manhases, Chibs, Thakkars, Wanis, and Gakkars. In 1822 AD, Doda was conquered by Maharaja Gulab Singh and became the winter capital of the Kishtwar state.<ref>{{cite web |title=History {{!}} District Doda {{!}} India |url=https://doda.nic.in/history/ |access-date=2 February 2023 |work=[[National Informatics Centre]] |publisher=Doda Administration}}</ref>

The Fort of Doda was significant in the district's history and was one of the seventy forts in Jammu province, according to author Thakur Kahan Singh Balowria. The fort served as the office of the Thanedar and provided storage space for armaments and food grains. The fort was also built to protect against potential attacks from the Bhaderwah Rajas. The fort was made of unbaked bricks and had walls that were four feet wide and forty to fifty feet high, with dome-like towers at the corners. The fort was demolished in 1952 and as of 2023, the Government Boys Higher Secondary School occupies its site.<ref name="history-dispatch">{{cite news |title=Doda: Brief History, Places of Attraction |url=https://www.thedispatch.in/doda-brief-history-places-of-attraction/ |access-date=2 February 2023 |work=The Dispatch |date=19 April 2019 |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202044608/https://www.thedispatch.in/doda-brief-history-places-of-attraction/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

English traveller [[Godfrey Vigne|G.T. Vigne]] visited Doda in 1829 and described his journey through the district. He mentions traveling through a deep and rocky [[nullah]] which joins the [[Chenab River]],{{efn|name=Nullah in Doda}} and then crossing the river over a dangerous bridge in the Himalayas. Vigne writes about the bridge in Doda, a strong rope stretched from one bank to the other, tied to rocks. A wooden structure was placed over the rope and additional ropes were tied to it, allowing the structure to move back and forth. He also encountered another type of bridge, which was crossed on foot, made of small ropes bound with pieces of bark and woven into a thick rope. Hanging ropes were provided for support.<ref name="history-ct"/><ref name="history-dispatch"/>

The area that includes the tehsil of [[Bhaderwah]] has a long history dating back to the 10th century. In 1846, Doda and Kishtwar became part of the newly created Jammu and Kashmir state after the [[Treaty of Amritsar, 1846|Amritsar pact]] between the British government, Lahore Darbar, and Raja Gulab Singh of [[Jammu]]. Bhaderwah was once a principality with 15 administrative units and has a recorded history going back to the [[Rajatarangini]] of [[Kalhana]]. The state of Bhadhrwah was established in the 15th century by a Sicon of the Baloria family of Bilawar. It was later ruled by the Raja of Chamb until Raja Nagpal became the ruler in the 16th century. Bhaderwah was  then ruled by Nagpal's descendants until it was captured by the Kishtwar Raja. It became part of Chamba in 1821 and was transferred to Jammu Darbar in 1846. During this time, Bhaderwah was  military-administered Label was appointed as the Kardar. The Bhaderwah Jagir was later bestowed upon Raja Amar Singh of Jammu and then to his son, Raja Hari Singh. When Raja Hari Singh became the Maharaja of J&K in 1925, he dissolved his Jagirs and converted Bhaderwah into a tehsil of Udhampur in 1931.<ref name="history-excelsior">{{cite news |last1=Maini |first1=K D |title=Past, present of Doda |url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/past-present-of-doda/ |access-date=2 February 2023 |work=[[Daily Excelsior]] |date=6 February 2016}}</ref>

In 1948, the erstwhile Udhampur district was partitioned into the present [[Udhampur district]], containing the Udhampur and [[Ramnagar, Udhampur|Ramanagar]] tehsils, and 'Doda' district containing the [[Ramban district|Ramban]], [[Bhadarwah]], [[Thathri]] and [[Kishtwar district|Kishtwar]] tehsils.<ref name=profile>{{cite web |url=http://kvkdoda.nic.in/district_profile.html |title=District profile |work=Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Doda |access-date=23 October 2016 |archive-date=9 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009071020/http://kvkdoda.nic.in/district_profile.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Snedden">{{citation |last=Snedden |first=Christopher |title=Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s5KMCwAAQBAJ&pg=PR21 |year=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-1-84904-342-7 |page=xxi, 23}}</ref><ref>{{citation |first=Navnita Chadha |last=Behera |title=Demystifying Kashmir |publisher=Pearson Education India |year=2007 |isbn=978-8131708460 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qM6kW9ZRMRkC&pg=PA28|page=28}}</ref>

In 2006, [[Ramban district|Ramban]] was made into an independent district and the hilly area to the east of the present Doda district was separated as the [[Kishtwar district]]. The remaining areas include the Doda tehsil carved out of Kishtwar and the original Bhadarwah, now divided into three tehsils.<ref name=profile/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/news/8-new-districts-in-jk-13-new-tehsils/8998.html |title=8 New Districts in JK, 13 New Tehsils|work=Greater Kashmir|date= 7 July 2006}}</ref>

In 1990s, various incidents were reported about the suppression of Hindus by the Jihadist [[Militant organizations]]. In response to the rising terrorism, the government authorities made Village Defense Committee (VDC) in various villages. However some reports of VDC members indulging in criminal activities have also reported in the past.  This incident also triggered the Terrorist organisations to target those who supported the VDCs, believing them to be [[Persecution of Muslims|anti-Muslim]]. Since 1990s, many such incidents of killings by Terrorist and VDCs have been reported.<ref name="terrorism">{{cite web |last=Joshi|first=Rajesh|title=Slow Death in Doda|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/slow-death-of-doda/206010|date=17 Aug 1998|work=Outlook|access-date=20 Jun 2020}}</ref>

===June 2023 earthquakes===
On 13 June 2023, an earthquake occurred at 01:33PM in Doda district.<ref name="g5j12">{{cite web | title=Magnitude 5.4 earthquake strikes eastern Kashmir, India | website=[[Reuters]] | date=13 June 2023 |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/india/magnitude-54-earthquake-strikes-eastern-kashmir-india-emsc-2023-06-13/ | access-date=17 June 2023 | page=}}</ref> It was centred near the town of [[Thathri]] and registered a magnitude of 5.0 on the richter scale.<ref name="e52s2">{{cite web | title=M 5.0 - 21 km NE of Bhadarwāh, India |url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000k850/origin/detail|website=Earthquake Hazards Program, USGS | access-date=18 June 2023 | page=}}</ref> Several secondary low-intensity earthquakes and aftershocks followed over the next few weeks.<ref name="brqwg">{{cite web | last=Digital | first=Times Now | title=Magnitude 3 Earthquake Hits Jammu And Kashmir's Ramban | website=TimesNow | date=17 June 2023 |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/india/breaking-earthquake-hits-jammu-and-kashmirs-ramban-article-101065669 | access-date=18 June 2023 | page=}}</ref><ref name="xnk0y">{{cite web | title=M 4.3 - 17 km ESE of Kishtwār, India |url=https://staging-earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000k986/executive |website=USGS| access-date=18 June 2023 | page=}}</ref><ref name="gudsl">{{cite web | title=Official Website of National Center of Seismology | website=Official Website of National Center of Seismology | date=18 June 2023 |url=https://riseq.seismo.gov.in/riseq/interactive/index/K0p5N1RnenYrNUFSTHZGWEo1L1RPQT09/Reviewed | access-date=18 June 2023 | page=}}</ref> At least 56 buildings had collapsed and 369 others were damaged in [[Kishtwar]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=5 mild earthquakes jolt Doda-Kishtwar; no loss reported, schools closed|url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/5-mild-earthquakes-jolt-doda-kishtwar-no-loss-reported-schools-closed/|date=15 June 2023|access-date=15 June 2023|newspaper=[[Daily Excelsior]]}}</ref> Dozens of buildings including a hospital were also damaged in [[Bhaderwah]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Two injured as earthquake damages residential houses, govt offices in Bhaderwah|url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/story/chenab-valley/two-injured-as-earthquake-damages-residential-houses-govt-offices-in-bhaderwah|date=13 June 2023|access-date=15 June 2023|newspaper=[[Greater Kashmir]]}}</ref> At least five people were injured and hundreds were displaced.<ref name="indiatoday">{{Cite news|title=3 earthquakes jolt Jammu and Kashmir's Doda, Katra areas|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/earthquake-jammu-kashmir-katra-doda-tremors-epicentre-magnitude-2392793-2023-06-14|date=14 June 2023|access-date=15 June 2023|newspaper=[[India Today]]}}</ref><ref name="vu7gd">{{cite web | title=Earthquake in Kashmir; 4 injured, several buildings develop cracks in Doda district | website=[[The Indian Express]] | date=13 June 2023 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/earthquake-delhi-ncr-india-8660401/ | access-date=17 June 2023 | page=}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Historical population
| source = [[Census of India]]<ref name="censusindia1">{{cite web |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A2_Data_Table.html |title=A-2 Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901 |publisher=Censusindia.gov.in |access-date=9 August 2019 }}</ref>
| footnote = † 1951 and 1991 populations are estimated
| 1901 | 102011
| 1911 | 112009
| 1921 | 117759
| 1931 | 127477
| 1941 | 140446
| 1951 | 147489
| 1961 | 154532
| 1971 | 170787
| 1981 | 224197
| 1991 | 290727
| 2001 | 372613
| 2011 | 476835
}}

{{Bar box
|title=Religion in Doda district (2011)<ref name="census2011-C01"/>
|titlebar=#Fcd116
|left1=Religion
|right1=Percent
|bars=
{{Bar percent|[[Islam]]|green|53.82}}
{{Bar percent|[[Hinduism]]|darkorange|45.77}}
{{Bar percent|Other or not stated|black|0.41}}
}}

{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
| caption= Languages of Doda district (2011)<ref name="census2011-C16">{{cite report |title=C-16 Population By Mother Tongue – Jammu & Kashmir |url=https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-16/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-0100.XLSX |publisher = Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |access-date=18 July 2020}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]] |value1 = 41.59 |color1 = lightgreen
|label2 = [[Bhadarwahi language|Bhadarwahi]] |value2 = 20.00 |color2 = darkorchid
|label3 = [[Sarazi language|Siraji]] |value3 = 13.84 |color3 = blue
|label4 = [[Gujari language|Gojri]] |value4 = 7.53 |color4 = tomato
|label5 = [[Hindi]] |value5 = 5.20 |color5 = orange
|label6 = [[Dogri language|Dogri]] |value6 = 3.96 |color6 = indigo
|label7 = [[Northern Indo-Aryan languages|Pahadi]] |value7 = 2.43 |color7 = coral
|label8 = [[Haryanvi language|Haryanvi]] |value8 = 1.55 |color8 = indianred
|label9 = Others |value9 = 3.90 |color9 = grey
}}
According to the [[2011 census of India|2011 census]], Doda district has a [[Demographics of India|population]] of 409,936,<ref name=districtcensus>{{cite web |url=http://www.census2011.co.in/district.php | title = District Census 2011 | access-date = 30 September 2011 | year = 2011 | publisher = Census2011.co.in}}</ref> roughly equal to the nation of [[Malta]].<ref name="cia">{{cite web | author = US Directorate of Intelligence | title = Country Comparison:Population |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004507/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 13 June 2007 | access-date = 1 October 2011 | quote =Malta 408,333 July 2011 est.}}</ref>  This gives it a ranking of 556th in India (out of a total of [[Districts of India|640]]).<ref name=districtcensus/> The district has a population density of {{convert| 79 |PD/sqkm|PD/sqmi}}.<ref name=districtcensus/> Its [[Family planning in India|population growth rate]] over the decade 2001–2011 was 27.89%.<ref name=districtcensus/>

Doda has a [[sex ratio]] of 922 [[Women in India|females]] for every 1000 males<ref name="districtcensus" /> (this varies with religion), and a [[Literacy in India|literacy rate]] of 65.97%.<ref name="districtcensus" />

=== Religion ===
The district has a Muslim majority 53.82%, with Hindus constituting 45.77% of the population and the remainder consisting of Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains.<ref name="Census 2011 Doda">{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/DCHB_A/01/0116_PART_A_DCHB_DODA.pdf |title=District Census Handbook: Doda|publisher=Directorate of Census Operations, Jammu & Kashmir, 2017}}</ref>

Doda's society is a mixture of all religions with Hindus and Muslims being two major communities. The population ratio between the Muslims and the Hindus as per the census report of 2011 is around 55:45. Muslims of the region are mostly [[Kashmiris|ethnic Kashmiris]] and are culturally and linguistically connected to the people of [[Kashmir]].<ref name="Snedden"/><ref name="Mini Kashmir"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fathom.lse.ac.uk/Seminars/10701013/10701013_session3.html|title=Untitled Document|website=fathom.lse.ac.uk|access-date=6 September 2019|archive-date=15 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715214330/http://fathom.lse.ac.uk/Seminars/10701013/10701013_session3.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! colspan=10 | Doda district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census.<ref name="census2011-C01">{{cite report |title=C-1 Population By Religious Community – Jammu & Kashmir |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW01C-01%20MDDS.XLS |publisher = Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |access-date=28 July 2020}}</ref>
|- style="vertical-align:top;" 
!|  
!| Hindu 
!| Muslim 
!| Christian 
!| Sikh 
!| Buddhist 
!| Jain 
!| Other
!| Not stated 
!| Total
|- style="vertical-align:top;text-align:right;" 
| rowspan=2 style="text-align:left;" | Total 
|| 187,621 || 220,614 || 472 || 422 || 21 || 22 || 42 || 722 || 409,936
|- style="vertical-align:top;text-align:right;" 
|| 45.77% || 53.82% || 0.12% || 0.10% || 0.01% || 0.01% || 0.01% || 0.18% || 100.00% 
|-
| colspan=10|
|- style="vertical-align:top;text-align:right;" 
| style="text-align:left;" | Male 
|| 98,252 || 114,372 || 324 || 286 || 9 || 11 || 24 || 363 || 213,641
|- style="vertical-align:top;text-align:right;" 
| style="text-align:left;" | Female 
|| 89,369 || 106,242 || 148 || 136 || 12 || 11 || 18 || 359 || 196,295
|- style="vertical-align:top;text-align:right;" 
| style="text-align:left;" | Gender ratio (% female) 
|| 47.6% || 48.2% || 31.4% || 32.2% || 57.1% || 50.0% || 42.9% || 49.7% || 47.9% 
|- style="vertical-align:top;text-align:center;" 
| style="text-align:left;"| Sex ratio <br><small>(no. of females per 1,000 males)</small> 
|| 910 || 929 || – || – || – || – || – || 989 || 919 
|-
| colspan=10|
|- style="vertical-align:top;text-align:right;" 
| style="text-align:left;" | Urban 
|| 9,786 || 22,668 || 40 || 153 || 0 || 14 || 0 || 28 || 32,689
|- style="vertical-align:top;text-align:right;" 
| style="text-align:left;" | Rural 
|| 177,835 || 197,946 || 432 || 269 || 21 || 8 || 42 || 694 || 377,247
|- style="vertical-align:top;text-align:right;" 
| style="text-align:left;" | % Urban 
|| 5.2% || 10.3% || 8.5% || 36.3% || 0.0% || 63.6% || 0.0% || 3.9% || 8.0%
|- 
|}
{{bar box 
|title=Sex Ratio in Doda District in 2011 Census.<ref name="census2011-C01"/><br>(no. females per 1,000 males) 
|float=left 
|width=360px 
|left1=Religion (and population) 
|right1=Sex Ratio 
|bars= 
{{bar pixel|Muslim (pop 220,614)|green|92.892||929 }} 
{{bar pixel|Hindu (pop 187,621)|orange|90.959||910 }} 
{{bar pixel|Other (pop 1,701)|grey|67.257||673 }} 
{{bar pixel|Total (pop 409,936)|black|91.881||919 }} 
}}

===Languages===
Prominent Scholar [[Sumantra Bose]] states that the plurality of population of Doda speaks [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]] as their mother language.<ref>{{cite web |first=Sumantra|last=Bose |author-link=Sumantra Bose|url=http://www.fathom.com/course/10701013/session3.html |title=Geography, Politics and the Fighters of Kashmir|date=10 Sep 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111216204029/http://www.fathom.com/course/10701013/session3.html |archive-date=16 December 2011|publisher =[[London School of Economics]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/capsule-review/2003-11-01/kashmir-roots-conflict-paths-peace|title=Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace|journal=Foreign Affairs|date=28 January 2009|access-date=6 September 2019|language=en-US|issn=0015-7120}}</ref> A study conducted in 2014 identified 40% of the population as Kashmiri-speaking.<ref>{{cite web|first= Shujaat|last=Bukhari |author-link=Shujaat Bukhari|url=http://www.jammu-kashmir.com/archives/archives2014/kashmir20140629d.html|title= Nearly 35% People Speak Kashmiri In Erstwhile J&K: Study|work=Rising Kashmir |date=29 June 2014}}</ref> The [[Western Pahari|Pahadi languages]] are spoken by the second largest group: [[Bhadarwahi language|Bhadarwahi]] and [[Sarazi language|Sarazi]] are the main ones.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sahapedia.org/saraz-and-sarazi-situating-language-and-linguistic-zone-jammu-and-kashmir | title=Saraz and Sarazi: Situating a Language and Linguistic Zone in Jammu and Kashmir}}</ref> Others in the district speak [[Gujari language|Gojri]] and [[Dogri language|Dogri]].

Doda's population comprises different communities who live together peacefully despite following different religions and speak different languages.

{{Clear|left}}

==Administration==
Administratively, the district has 406 villages. Doda District has been divided into three subdivisions viz., Doda, [[Thathri]], [[Bhaderwah]] and Bhalessa (Gandoh). It has eighteen tehsils.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://jkrevenue.nic.in/pdf/Orders/Creation%20of%20New%20Administrative%20Units%20in%20the%20State.pdf |title=Creation of new Administrative Units in the State|publisher=Government of Jammu and Kashmir|date=16 July 2014}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

* [[Marmat (tehsil)|Marmat]]
* [[Kahara, Jammu and Kashmir|Kahara]]
* [[Bhella]]
* Bharth Bagla
* [[Chirala]]
* [[Chilly Pingal]]
* [[Gandoh (Bhalessa)]]
* [[Gundna]]
* [[Kastigarh]]
* [[Phagsoo]]
* [[Thathri]]
* 
{{div col end}}

===Villages===
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a location to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦---> 
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order ♦♦♦--->
* [[Badroon]]
* [[Bankanthawa]]
* [[Binola]]
* [[Bloriya]]
* [[Sunarthawa]]
* [[Amritgarh]]
*[[Dhara, Jammu and Kashmir|Dhara ]]

==Politics==
Doda district has three assembly constituencies: [[Bhaderwah Assembly constituency|Bhaderwah]], [[Doda Assembly constituency|Doda]] and [[Doda West Assembly constituency|Doda West]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://theprint.in/india/jammu-gets-6-new-assembly-constituencies-12-segments-reserved-for-sts-scs/944528/ | title=Jammu gets 6 new assembly constituencies, 12 segments reserved for STS, SCS | website=[[ThePrint]] | date=5 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://ceojammukashmir.nic.in/ERos_AERos.html |title=ERO's and AERO's |publisher=Chief Electoral Officer, Jammu and Kashmir |access-date=28 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081022185235/http://ceojammukashmir.nic.in/eros_aeros.html |archive-date=22 October 2008 }}</ref> While it is the part of [[Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency]].<ref name="
	Press Information Bureau
 q577">{{cite web | title=Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary Constituency is among the most developed constituencies out of 550 Parliamentary Constituencies in India, says Dr. Jitendra Singh | website=
	Press Information Bureau
 | url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1931719 | ref={{sfnref | 
	Press Information Bureau
}} | access-date=2024-05-07}}</ref>

=== Terrorism ===
Doda had a history of terrorism, with one of the highest concentration of militants in Jammu and Kashmir. According to local authorities, about 200 militants were active in the district in the early 2000s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hussain|first1=Aijaz|title=The Doda Deathtrap|url=http://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/20060515/state-kashmir.html|access-date=25 February 2017|publisher=[[India Today (TV channel)|India Today]]|date=May 15, 2006}}</ref>

Militants targeted the Hindu and Muslim villagers. Some anti-social outfits mostly  misused the VDCs. A report said that the 489 civilians had been killed in the region as of 2005.<ref>{{cite web |title=India: Kashmir massacre sparks ethnic cleansing fears |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/india/india-kashmir-massacre-sparks-ethnic-cleansing-fears |work=ReliefWeb, [[United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs]] (OCHA). |date=6 May 2006 |access-date=20 Jun 2020}}</ref> 

There have been a number of killings of innocent civilians by militants and anti-social outfits including:
* On June 19, 1998, [[1998 Chapnari massacre|25 Hindus were brutally massacred by militants]] in Chapnari village of Doda district.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Pillai |first1= Ajith |last2= Meraj |first2= Zafar |date=29 June 1998 |title=Slaughter Of The Innocents |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/slaughter-of-the-innocents/205772 |newspaper=[[Outlook India]]}}</ref>
*In August 1998, four Muslims were allegedly killed by VDC members in Karada village.<ref name="terrorism"/>
*On 25 October 1998, four Muslim civilians were shot dead, allegedly by Indian troops in Doda, according to police and local residents.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chronology for Kashmiris in India|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/469f38961e.html|date=25 Oct 1998|access-date=21 Jun 2020}}</ref>
* On 3 August 2001, 17 Hindu Civilians brutally massacred by Militants in ladder village.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010805/main1.htm|title=Ultras massacre 17 in Doda|work=The Tribune|date=5 August 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/04jk.htm|title=Militants massacre 15 Hindu villagers in Doda|work=Rediff|date=4 August 2001}}</ref>
* The [[2006 Doda massacre]] in which 35 Hindu civilians were killed on 30 April 2006.<ref>{{cite news |last= Sengupta|first= Somini|date=2 May 2006|title=Militants Kill 35 Hindus Days Before Talks on Kashmir|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/02/world/asia/02kashmir.html|newspaper=New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Voices of Doda|website=[[The Times of India]]|date=14 June 2006 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/edit-page/Voices-From-Doda/articleshow/1644620.cms|access-date=20 Jun 2020}}</ref>
* Massacre of 19 Hindu villagers in Thawa village on 15 May 2006.<ref>{{cite news |last= Hussain|first= Aijaz|date=15 May 2006|title=19 villagers massacred in Kashmir Valley, act suspected to polarise two communities|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/states/story/20060515-19-villagers-massacred-in-kashmir-valley-act-suspected-to-polarise-two-communities-783119-2006-05-15|newspaper=India Today}}</ref>
* On 15 May 2019, Nayeem Ahmad Shah was killed by cow vigilantes in [[Bhaderwah]], while he was not carrying any animal during attack. Eight Hindus were arrested in this case.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cow vigilantes kill lone breadwinner of family in J&K|date=18 May 2019 |url=https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/cow-vigilantes-kill-lone-breadwinner-of-family-in-jandk|access-date=20 Jun 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Naseem|first=Ishfaq|title=Nayeem Ahmad Shah, who was killed by cow vigilantes in Jammu's Bhaderwah, was carrying no animal during attack, claims relative|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/nayeem-ahmad-shah-who-was-killed-by-cow-vigilantes-in-jammus-bhaderwah-was-carrying-no-animal-during-attack-claims-relative-6646081.html/|date=16 May 2019|access-date=20 Jun 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=J&K: Five-member SIT constituted to probe killing of a man by alleged cow vigilantes in Bhaderwah|date=19 May 2019 |url=https://scroll.in/latest/923976/j-k-five-member-sit-constituted-to-probe-killing-of-a-man-by-alleged-cow-vigilantes-in-bhaderwah|access-date=21 Jun 2020}}</ref>
* Three terrorists were killed in a gunbattle with security forces on June 26, 2024. The gunfight took place after the Army cordoned off a hideout with four terrorists, three of whom were killed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-16 |title=Captain, 3 other Army personnel killed in gunfight with terrorists in J&K's Doda |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/doda-gunfight-security-forces-terrorists-injured-jammu-and-kashmir-attacks-police-2567310-2024-07-16 |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>
* Four Army personnel including an officer and a cop (Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra and Sepoy Ajay Naruka) were killed on 15th July 2024 during a gunfight. The encounter took place during a cordon and search operation at Dhari Gote Urarbagi in Desa forest belt, some 55 km from Doda town. In a statement, the terror group 'Kashmir Tigers', a shadow group of the banned outfit [[Jaish-e-Mohammed|Jaish-e-Mohammad]] said the clash and gunfire erupted while the security forces launched a search operation for the "Mujahideen".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-16 |title=Captain, 3 other Army personnel killed in gunfight with terrorists in J&K's Doda |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/doda-gunfight-security-forces-terrorists-injured-jammu-and-kashmir-attacks-police-2567310-2024-07-16 |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

* {{citation |last=Qazi |first=S.A. |chapter=Part II: Doda district |title=Systematic Geography of Jammu and Kashmir |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZZh3Zkoqtc4C&pg=PA210 |year=2005 |publisher=APH Publishing |isbn=978-81-7648-786-3 |pages=210}}
* {{cite report |url=http://www.lsi.gov.in:8081/jspui/bitstream/123456789/5970/1/37957_2001_DOD.pdf |title=District Census Handbook Part A & B, Doda District |first1=Chander Shakher |last1=Sapru |work=Census of India 2001 |date=17 October 2006}}
==Notes==
{{notes| notes =
{{efn
| name = Nullah in Doda
| The Nullah traversed by Vigne is most likely the [[Neeru river]], which joins the Chenab at [[Pul Doda]].
}}
}}
==External links==
* {{website|https://doda.nic.in/}}

{{Geographic location
| Centre    = Doda district
| North     = [[Kishtwar district]]
| Northeast =
| East      =
| Southeast = [[Chamba district]], [[Himachal Pradesh]]
| South     = [[Kathua district]]
| Southwest = [[Udhampur district]]
| West      = [[Ramban district]]
| Northwest = [[Anantnag district]]
}}
{{Jammu and Kashmir topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Doda district]]
[[Category:Districts of Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:1948 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Chenab Valley]]