| West Dinajpur | |
| Settlement Type: | Former District |
| Mapsize: | 300 |
| Coordinates: | 25.3833°N 122°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  India |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | West Bengal |
| Subdivision Type2: | Division |
| Subdivision Name2: | Malda |
| Seat Type: | Headquarters |
| Seat: | Balurghat |
| Leader Title: | Subdivisions |
| Leader Name: | Balurghat Sadar, Gangarampur, Raiganj, Islampur |
| Leader Title1: | CD Blocks |
| Leader Name1: | Hili, Balurghat, Kumarganj, Tapan, Gangarampur, Bansihari, Harirampur, Kushmandi, Raiganj, Hemtabad, Kaliaganj, Itahar, Islampur, Chopra, Goalpokhar I, Goalpokhar II, Karandighi |
| Leader Title2: | Lok Sabha constituencies |
| Leader Name2: | Balurghat, Raiganj |
| Leader Title3: | Vidhan Sabha constituencies |
| Leader Name3: | Kushmandi, Kumarganj, Balurghat, Tapan, Gangarampur, Harirampur, Chopra, Islampur, Goalpokhar, Chakulia, Karandighi, Hemtabad, Kaliaganj, Raiganj, Itahar |
| Total Type: | Total |
| Area Total Km2: | 5,358 |
| Population As Of: | 1991 |
| Population Total: | 3,127,653 |
| Population Urban: | 349,359 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Demographics |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Literacy |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 27.00 per cent |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Sex ratio |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 937 ♂/♀ |
| Demographics Type2: | Languages |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Official |
| Demographics2 Info1: | Bengali[1] [2] |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Additional official |
| Demographics2 Info2: | English |
| Timezone1: | IST |
| Utc Offset1: | +05:30 |
West Dinajpur (Pron: ˈpoʃtʃim dinad͡ʒpur), or sometimes Paschim Dinajpur, is a former district in the Indian state of West Bengal, headquartered in Balurghat. On 1 April 1992, the district was bifurcated into two separate districts namely Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur.[3] [4]
Undivided Dinajpur district was part of the Pundra and Gauda Kingdom of ancient Bengal. The whole of Pundra was part of the Maurya Empire, and Jainism was spread in the region in the fourth century BCE. Their capital was at Pundrabardhan (now in Bangladesh), and two other ancient towns were Gourpur and Kotibarsha, now called Bangarh. Later multiple inscriptions show how the Guptas also controlled Pundra. After the reign of Gauda Kingdom, the district was then ruled by Pala Empire from 750 CE. The Senas overthrew the Palas in 1143. In 1204, Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji defeated the Senas and had Bangarh as its capital. After his murder, it was controlled by various governors sent by the Delhi Sultan from Gauda. In 1586, Mughal Emperor Akbar conquered Bengal and Dinajpur was controlled by the sarkars of Tajpur and Panjara. In 1765, it fell under the rule of the East India Company and was ruled from Murshidabad. In the later part of the 18th century, the district was home to the Sanyasi-Fakir rebellion until the early 19th century. At the time of India's independence, the former Dinajpur district of undivided Bengal was partitioned along religious lines,[5] and West Dinajpur became one of the 14 districts of West Bengal.[6] The other part of the district continues as Dinajpur district of Bangladesh.
With the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, some Bengali-speaking areas from Bihar were added to this district. On 1 April 1992, the West Dinajpur district was divided into Uttar Dinajpur district and Dakshin Dinajpur district.[7] [8]