Districts are the foundational administrative units of India, directly linking state governance to citizens by implementing policies and delivering public services. Established in their modern form under British rule in the late 18th century, the districts were originally an instrument of imperial control for revenue, law and order, and justice. ​ Districts are not merely a spatial unit for organizing bureaucratic functions, but a foundational level at which governance is operationalized, policies are translated into practice. It is at the district level that people experience state administration in close proximity.

​

By the 1872 census, districts in India were categorized as British Provincial Districts, Princely States, and Princely Districts, numbering 379. Between 1881-1941, districts in India (within modern Indian boundaries) showed a modest increase from 412 to 424.

​

Post-independence, districts have been frequently split, new districts carved out from old, merged, and also frequently renamed. The number of districts more than doubled from 310 in 1951 to 640 in 2011, and then rapidly from 693 to 785 between 2021 and February 2024.

By careful analysis of Census documents, Census Atlas and various government documents from colonial and post colonial India, we have tracked how India's districts changed and evolved from 1872 to present.
​

Explore the articles below to know more about India’s district history, formation, and evolution over last 150 years!