Mon district

{{About|the district|its eponymous headquarters|Mon, India}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=August 2018}} {{Infobox settlement  | name = Mon district | native_name = | native_name_lang = | settlement_type = [[List of districts of Nagaland|District of Nagaland]] | image_skyline = Mon-Nagaland-Jim-Ankan-Deka-photography.jpg | image_alt = "Shangnyu Village, Mon district, Nagaland" | image_caption = Shangnyu Village in Mon District | image_flag = | flag_alt = | image_seal = | seal_alt = | image_shield = | shield_alt = | nickname = Land of Anghs | motto = | mottoeng = | image_map = Mon in Nagaland (India).svg | map_alt = | map_caption = Mon District in Nagaland | pushpin_map = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = | coordinates = | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|India}} | subdivision_type1 = [[States and union territories of India|State]] | subdivision_name1 = {{flagicon image|}} [[Nagaland]] | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | established_title = | established_date = | founder = | seat_type = Headquarters | seat = [[Mon, India|Mon]] | government_footnotes = | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = <ref name="Mon District 2011">{{cite web|url=https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/1301_PART_B_DCHB_MON.pdf|title=Mon district 2011|work=Govt of India Census|accessdate=18 July 2021}}</ref> | area_total_km2 = 1786 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_note = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | population_footnotes = | population_total = 250,260<ref name="Mon District 2011"/> | population_as_of = 2011 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = | population_note = | demographics_type1 = Demographics | demographics1_title1 = [[Literacy in India|Literacy]] | demographics1_info1 = 56.99% | demographics1_title2 = [[Human sex ratio|Sex ratio]] | demographics1_info2 = 899 [[female|♀]]/ 1000 [[male|♂]] <ref name="Mon District 2011"/> | demographics1_footnotes = | demographics_type2 = Languages | demographics2_title1 = Official | demographics2_info1 = [[English language|English]] | demographics2_footnotes = | demographics2_title2 = Spoken | demographics2_info2 = [[Konyak language|Konyak]], [[English language|English]] | leader_title = [[Lok Sabha|Lok Sabha Constituency]] | leader_name = [[Nagaland (Lok Sabha constituency)|Nagaland]] | leader_title1 = [[Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha|Rajya Sabha MP]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Members/MemberHomePage.aspx?mpsno=4950|title=Lok Sabha Members|work=Lok Sabha|accessdate=12 July 2021}}</ref> | leader_name1 = {{nowrap|[[Phangnon Konyak]], [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]]}} | leader_title2 = [[Vidhan Sabha|Assembly constituencies]] | leader_name2 = [[List of constituencies of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly|9 constituencies]] | leader_title3 = [[Deputy commissioner|Deputy Commissioner]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mon.nic.in/deputy-commissioner-mon/|title=Mon DC|work=Mon district website|accessdate=18 July 2021}}</ref> | leader_name3 = Sh. Ajit Kumar Verma. ([[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]]) | timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] | utc_offset1 = +05:30 | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type = | area_code = | registration_plate = NL-04 | blank_name_sec1 = [[Roads in India|Major highways]] | blank_info_sec1 = {{flagicon image|NH702-IN.svg}} [[National Highway 702 (India)|NH 702]] | iso_code = IN-NL-MN | website = {{url|mon.nic.in}} | footnotes = }}

'''Mon district''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɒ|n}}) is a [[List of districts of Nagaland|district]] of [[Nagaland]], a state in [[India]]. It is the second-largest district in Nagaland in terms of area.<ref name="Mon District 2011"/> The district has a population of 250,260 people. [[Mon, Nagaland|Mon Town]] is the headquarters of the district.

== History == After India's independence in 1947, Tuensang was created as a separate administrative centre and in 1952, it became a sub-division of [[North-East Frontier Agency]] (NEFA) under a separate Assistant Political Officer. In 1957, the Tuensang subdivision was bifurcated from North-East Frontier Agency and merged into the Naga Hills-Tuensang Area along with three Districts of Kohima, Mokokchung and Tuensang.<ref name="Mon District 2011"/> The present Mon District was carved out of the erstwhile Tuensang District in 1973. The name Mon originates from its district headquarters. Till 1971, the area presently constituting Mon District was a subdivision of Tuensang District.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mon.nic.in/history/|title=Mon History|work=Mon district website|accessdate=18 July 2021}}</ref>

== Geography == Mon District is the northernmost district of Nagaland. It is surrounded by the state of [[Arunachal Pradesh]] to its north, [[Assam]] to its west, [[Myanmar]] to its east, [[Longleng district|Longleng District]] to its south-west and [[Tuensang district|Tuensang District]] to its south. The town of [[Mon, India|Mon]] is its district headquarters.

== Economy == In 2006 the [[Ministry of Panchayati Raj]] named Mon one of the country's 250 [[Poverty in India|most backward districts]] (out of a total of [[Districts of India|640]]).<ref name=brgf/> It is one of the three districts in Nagaland currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).<ref name=brgf>{{cite web|author=Ministry of Panchayati Raj|date=8 September 2009|title=A Note on the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme|publisher=National Institute of Rural Development|url=http://www.nird.org.in/brgf/doc/brgf_BackgroundNote.pdf|accessdate=27 September 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405033402/http://www.nird.org.in/brgf/doc/brgf_BackgroundNote.pdf|archivedate=5 April 2012}}</ref>

== Demographics == {{Pie chart |thumb = right |caption = Religion in Mon District (2011)<ref name="Mon District religion">{{cite web|url=https://www.censusindia2011.com/nagaland/mon-population.html|title=Mon district religion|work=Census India 2011|accessdate=18 July 2021}}</ref> |label1 = [[Christianity]] |value1 = 94.5 |color1 = Blue |label2 = [[Hinduism]] |value2 = 3.24 |color2 = DarkOrange |label3 = [[Islam]] |value3 = 1.38 |color3 = Green |label4 = [[Buddhism]] |value4 = 0.5 |color4 = Gold |label5 = [[Jainism]] |value5 = 0.13 |color5 = Maroon |label6 = [[Sikhism]] |value6 = 0.03 |color6 = Yellow |label7 = Not stated |value7 = 0.23 |color7 = Black }}

According to the [[2011 census of India|2011 census]] Mon District has a [[Demographics of India|population]] of 250,260,<ref name="Mon District 2011"/> roughly equal to the nation of [[Vanuatu]].<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|accessdate=2011-10-01|quote = Vanuatu 224,564 July 2011 est.}}</ref> Mon has a [[sex ratio]] of 899 [[Women in India|females]] for every 1000 males,<ref name="Mon District 2011"/> and an average [[Literacy in India|literacy rate]] of 56.99%.<ref name="Mon District 2011"/><ref name="Mon District religion"/>

Most of the inhabitants of the district are [[Konyak Naga|Konyak Nagas]].

=== Culture === Mon District is the home of the [[Konyak Naga]]s. The Konyaks are famous for their tattooed faces and bodies.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Konyak |first1=Phejin |title=The Konyaks: Last of the Tattooed Headhunters |publisher=Lustre Press/Roli Books |isbn=9789351941125 |pages=200 |year=2018}}</ref> The most colourful festival of the Konyaks, [[Aoling Festival|Aoling]] (Aoleng), is observed during the first week of April every year.

Konyaks are the largest ethnic group among the Nagas. They speak the [[Konyak language]], a [[Sino-Tibetan]] language, with each village having their local dialect. The Konyaks were the last practising headhunters among the Nagas which continued into the 1960s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mukherjee |first1=Sugato |title=The Last Headhunters of Nagaland |url=https://thediplomat.com/2018/04/the-last-headhunters-of-nagaland/ |website=thediplomat.com |accessdate=16 July 2020}}</ref> Konyaks decorate their houses with skulls, hornbill beaks, elephant tusks, horns and wooden statues.

Konyaks are ruled by hereditary chiefs known as Anghs, and the institution of Anghship is still prevalent among the Konyaks. Every village has an Angh. Some of the smaller villages are ruled over by neighbouring village Anghs. The Angh's house is always the largest in the village, with a display of skulls in the front as a testament to his capability as a leader. Anghs still rule over the villages of [[Chi Village|Chi]], Mon, Shangnyu, [[Lungwa]], Tangnyu, Sheanghah Chingnyu, Jaboka.

Konyaks are adept artisans and skilled craftsmen. They make excellent wood carvings, daos ([[machete]]s), guns, [[gunpowder]], head brushes, headgear, necklaces, etc. The older males wear large earrings made of boar horn and a loincloth. Some carry a [[machete]] called dao or a gun. The older women wear a short piece of cloth wrapped around their waist only. They carry bamboo baskets on their backs or tie children to their backs with a cloth. The Konyak women are adept in weaving intricate traditional designs and in bead craft. Both men and women wear a lot of traditional beads and brass ornaments. During festivals, the males wear colourful shawls and headgear decorated with feathers, and dance with daos or spears and guns chanting/singing rhythmically. They brew a home-brewed liquor made out of rice. They also farm in the hills by clearing the forests using a method of controlled burning called "[[Jhum]]".

The tribe embraced [[Christianity]] during the late 20th and early 21st century.

== Tourism == === Places of attraction === [[File:Ceremonial basket Konyak Naga.jpg|thumb|Ceremonial basket of the Konyak Naga]]

==== Shangnyu Village ==== Ruled by the chief Angh, Shangnyu is one of the prominent villages in Mon District. There is a wooden monument measuring 8 feet in height and 12 feet in breadth – believed to be constructed by heavenly angels. Carvings of human beings and other creatures are engraved on this monument. Memorial stones are also found in front of the Angh's palace. It is believed that there was a friendly trade relationship between the Shangnyu and the Ahom Kings.

==== Chi ==== {{main|Chi Village}} Chi is another prominent village in Mon district and one of the oldest villages in Nagaland. It is ruled by the Ahng and administered by the Village Council.The Ahng's house is the biggest in the village and has a display of skulls of enemies killed during the head hunting era. The village has three morungs with different wood sculptures and log drums in them.

==== Lungwa ==== {{main|Lungwa}} Lungwa (Longwa) is one of the biggest villages in Mon District and sits on the [[India-Myanmar barrier|India-Myanmar international border]]. The village has a road connecting it to Loji village in Myanmar's [[Sagaing Division]], that also provides access to the larger [[Tatmadaw]] military towns of [[Lahe, Myanmar|Lahe]] and Yengjong in Myanmar.<ref name=de10>{{cite web | url=https://thewire.in/education/nagaland-myanmar-education-employment | title=From Mon in Nagaland to Myanmar, Schoolkids Cross the Border For a Better Future | date=25 September 2016 | publisher=The Wire | first=Rajeev | last=Bhattacharyya | accessdate=25 August 2018}}</ref><ref name=de11>[http://www.dailymoss.com/longwa-village-nagaland/ An Indian Village Where Villagers Have Dual Citizenships And Its King Has 60 Wives], Daily Moss, 22 May 2015.</ref> The Lungwa Angh's house is situated in the middle of the border of India and Myanmar. One half of the Angh's house falls within Indian territory, whereas the other half lies under [[Myanmar]] control. However, the whole village is controlled by the Angh. He has 60 wives and he rules over 60 villages of the [[Konyak people|Konyak tribe]] extending up to Myanmar and Arunachal Pradesh.<ref name=de11/>

==== Veda Peak ==== This highest peak in the Mon District is Veda Peak, which lies approximately 70 km east of Mon. The peak offers a clear sight of both the [[Brahmaputra]] and the [[Chindwin River|Chindwin]] on a clear day. There is a [[waterfall]] near the peak which is considered as one of the most beautiful locations in the whole of the Konyak countryside.<ref>{{cite web |title=Veda Peak |url=https://mon.nic.in/tourist-place/veda-peak/ |website=mon.nic.in |accessdate=16 July 2020}}</ref>

==== Naganimora ==== {{main|Naganimora}} Naganimora, formerly known as Lakhan, is a subdivision in the Mon district. The town lies on the border of [[Nagaland]] and [[Assam]]. The name of the town is derived from the words "Naga Rani Mora", which mean "the burial place of the [[Naga people|Naga]] queen". It is one of the biggest exporters of coal in Nagaland.

== Transportation == === Air === The nearest airport is [[Dibrugarh Airport]] in Assam located 122 kilometres from district headquarters [[Mon, India|Mon]]. There is a helipad in Mon as well.

=== Rail === The nearest railway station is [[Dibrugarh railway station]] located 115 kilometres from district headquarters [[Mon, India|Mon]].

=== Road === The district is well-connected with roads. The [[National Highway 702 (India)|NH 702]] passes through the district alongside other intra-district roads.

== See also == * [[Mon, India|Mon]] * [[Singphan Wildlife Sanctuary]], wildlife sanctuary in the district. * [[2021 Nagaland killings]]

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == {{commons category}} * [http://mon.nic.in/ Official site]

{{Geographic location |Centre = Mon district |North = [[Sivasagar district]], [[Assam]] |Northeast = |East = [[Tirap district]], [[Arunachal Pradesh]] |Southeast = ''[[Myanmar]]'' |South = [[Noklak district]] <br/> [[Tuensang district]] |Southwest = |West = [[Longleng district]] |Northwest = }} {{Districts of Nagaland}} {{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mon district| ]] [[Category:Districts of Nagaland]] [[Category:1973 establishments in Nagaland]]