Hinduism in Assam

Hinduism is the largest religion of Assam, practiced by 61.47% of the population of the state as per as 2011 census report. The Hindus form majority religion in 18 out of 29 districts of Assam state.

Hinduism in Assam
Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam.
Total population
19,180,759 (2011)[1]
61.47% of population
Languages
Majority
Assamese
Minority
Bengali, Bodo, Hindi, Sadri, Mishing, Nepali and others
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Assamese Muslims and Assamese Christians

History
Sankardev, founder of Ekasarna sect of Hinduism.

Most of the Hindus in Assam belongs to the Ekasarna sect of Vaishnavism which is the dominant faith of the region since its formation from 15th-16th century in Brahmaputra valley, Assam. The Ahom kings during their 600 yrs rule in Assam, have increasingly patronizing Hinduism alongside the proselytizing activities of Ekasarana Dharma since the 16th-century—a large section of the Bodo-Kachari peoples converted to different forms of Hinduism in the 17th-18th century and a composite Assamese consisting of caste-Hindus, tribals began to form.[2] Suhungmung, was the first Ahom king who have converted into Hinduism and adopt a Hindu title, Swarganarayana during that medieval period of ahom rule.[3]

Demography
Assam hindu population (1901-2011)[4]
Year State population Hindu Population Percentage
1901 3,289,680 2,781,424 84.55
1911 3,848,617 3,201,664 83.19
1921 4,636,980 3,726,277 80.36
1931 5,560,371 4,214,761 75.8
1941 6,694,790 4,131,355 74.3
1951 8,028,856 5,682,824 70.78
1961 10,837,329 7,731,350 71.34
1971 14,625,152 10,604,697 72.51
1981 18,041,248 12,578,358 69.72
1991 22,414,322 15,048,975 67.14
2001 26,655,528 17,296,772 64.89
2011 31,205,576 19,182,067 61.47

Assam’s total fertility rate is 1.9 according to NFHS-5. The rate is below the replacement rate of 2.1. In NFHS-3, which was conducted in 2005-06, Hindus in Assam had fertility rates of 1.95 respectively. By 2019-20, NFHS-5 showed Hindu fertility rate have fallen to 1.6.[5] The estimated hindu population of Assam for upcoming 2021 census is around 20,159,301 out of total 35,998,752 population,and will constitute about 56% of the state population.[6]

Population by district (2011 year)

Below is a breakdown of the Hindu population by district in the Indian state of Assam according to the 2011 Census of India: [7] Hindus are majority in eighteenth districts out of twenty-nine in Assam.[8]

#DistrictTotal populationHindu populationPercentage
1Baksa950,075782,90182.4%
2Barpeta1,693,622492,96629.11%
3Bongaigaon738,804359,14548.61%
4Cachar1,736,6171,038,98559.83%
5Chirang482,162320,64766.5%
6Darrang928,500327,32235.25%
7Dhemaji686,133655,05295.47%
8Dhubri1,949,258388,38019.92%
9Dibrugarh1,326,3351,198,40190.35%
10Dima Hasao214,102143,59367.07%
11Goalpara1,008,183347,87834.51%
12Golaghat1,066,888917,42685.99%
13Hailakandi659,296251,19438.1%
14Jorhat1,092,2561,008,21992.31%
15Kamrup1,517,542877,49557.82%
16Kamrup Metropolitan1,253,9381,064,41284.89%
17Karbi Anglong956,313766,00080.1%
18Karimganj1,228,686521,96242.48%
19Kokrajhar887,142529,06859.64%
20Lakhimpur1,042,137797,13076.49 %
21Morigaon957,423451,88247.2%
22Nagaon2,823,7681,225,24643.39%
23Nalbari771,639491,58263.71%
24Sivasagar1,151,0501,007,27787.51%
25Sonitpur1,924,1101,422,82473.95%
26Tinsukia1,327,9291,181,34788.96%
27Udalguri831,668612,42573.64%
28Hojai931,218424,06545.53%
29South Salmara district249,5084,5891.84%
Assam (Total)31,205,57619,180,75961.47%

Hindu population by race
Race of Assam Hindu population[8]
Valley Hindu population (%)
Assamese Hindus 10,013,013
Bengali Hindus 6,027,705
Indigenous Tribal Hindus 1,605,432
Other Hindu immigrants (Uttar Pradesh & Bihar & Rajasthan) 1,535,917
Total 19,182,067
Decadal growth of Hindus
YearPop.±%
19012,781,424—    
19113,201,664+15.1%
19213,726,277+16.4%
19314,214,761+13.1%
19414,131,355−2.0%
19515,682,824+37.6%
19617,731,350+36.0%
197110,604,697+37.2%
198112,578,358+18.6%
199115,048,975+19.6%
200117,296,772+14.9%
201119,182,067+10.9%
Source: Census of India

The Hindu population in Assam have increased from 2.78 million in 1901 to 19.18 million in 2011 census (a growth of 16.4 million in 110 years).[9] Hindus in Assam have a fertility rate of 1.6 in 2019-20.[10]

Hindu percentage by decades in Assam[9]

Year Percent Increase
1901 84.55% -
1911 83.19%

-1.36%

1921 80.36%

-2.83%

1931 75.8%

-4.56%

1941 74.3%

-1.5%

1951 70.78%

-3.52%

1961 71.34% +0.56%
1971 72.51% +1.17%
1981 69.72% -2.79%
1991 67.14% -2.58%
2001 64.89% -2.25%
2011 61.47% -3.42%

While the Hindu percentage have been steadily decreasing since a century. The percentage of Hindus was 84.55% in 1901 and have been rapidly declined to 61.47% in 2011 census (which is a decline of 23.08% in 110 years).[9]

References
  1. "Population by religion community – 2011". Census of India, 2012. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015.
  2. (Misra 1999:1264)
  3. Baruah 1986, p. 227.
  4. "Citizenship Amendment Act: BJP chasing ghosts in Assam; Census data shows number of Hindu immigrants may have been exaggerated-India News , Firstpost". Firstpost. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  5. "Numbers tell the story: Assam CM should look at state's fertility data". Times of India Blog. 12 June 2021.
  6. "Assam Population 2021".
  7. 2011 Census Data: Assam.
  8. "Census of India". Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  9. "Decline of Hindus and the Rise of Muslims in Assam" (PDF). cpsindia.org.
  10. "Assam Muslims have recorded sharpest fall in fertility since 2005-06: Govt data". The Times of India.
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