The primary spoken language is a dialect of Hindi, Braj Bhasha, which is closely related to Khariboli, one of several dialects spoken in the Delhi region.[4] It is known for production of asafoetida.[5]
Administration
Hathras is a district headquarter with four subdivisions — Hathras, Sasni, Sikandra Rao, and Sadabad. It is a Lok Sabha constituency under the reserved category of Schedule Caste. The district has three assembly constituencies, following three subdivisions. The Hathras district, formerly known as Mahamaya Nagar, was created in 1997 with the incorporation of parts of the Aligarh, Mathura and Agra districts.[6]
Hathras is located at 27°36′N78°03′E / 27.6°N 78.05°E / 27.6; 78.05.[9] It has an average elevation of 185 metres (606 feet) and is situated on the Agra, Aligarh and Mathura, and Bareilly highway crossings. It is known for its extreme temperature variations.[10] As of the 2001 Indian census, Hathras had a population of 123,243, of which 53% were male and 47% female. Hathras has an average literacy rate of 60%, higher than the national average of 59.5%, of which 66% being male and 53% being female. 14% of the population is under six years of age.
Hathras has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate, typical of north-central India. Summers start in April ending around May. The monsoon season starts in late June, continuing until early October, bringing high humidity.[11]
Hathras is the only city in the area to have five railway stations named after it.
History
At the end of the 18th century, the town of Hathras was held by a Jat chieftain, whose fort stood at the east end of the town, and was annexed by the British in 1803, who besieged the fort in 1817. Under British rule, Hathras rapidly rose to commercial importance, and for a while ranked second to Cawnpore (now Kanpur) among the trading centres of the Doab.[15]
Hathras became a district on 6 May 1997 with the merging of some Tehsils of Aligarh and Mathura.[16] Hathras falls under the Braj region of Northern India and is famous for its industrial, literary, and cultural activities as a part of Aligarh. It has been an industrial centre since the British Raj era.
