Tonk District :

Tonk District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Tonk is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district is bounded on the north by Jaipur district, on the east by Sawai Madhopur district, on the southeast by Kota district, on the south by Bundi district, on the southwest by Bhilwara district, and on the west by Ajmer district.

Tonk district is famous as the 'Nawabi Nagari' not only in Rajasthan but also all over India for its historical legends. Tonk has been called Rajasthan ka Lucknow, Adab ka Gulshan, Romantic poet Akhtar Shreerani ki Nagri, Meethe Kharboojo ka Chaman and Hindu Muslim Ekta ka Maskan. It was a result of this secular nature that Tonk could keep an isolated status in Rajasthan. During the regime of Nawabs all the natives were invited to the Islamic function of Miladdunabi without any distinction of caste, colour and creed. The district represents a vision of communal harmony and intermingling of the races.

Geography :

Tonk is on National Highway 12, 100 km from Jaipur. It is in the northeastern part of the state between 75.19' and 76.16 East longitude and 25.41' and 26.24' North latitude. The total area is 7194 km2 (as per 2002-03).

It is one of the four districts headquarters of Rajasthan state that are not directly connected with rail. The nearest railway station, Newai, is within the district but is 30 km from the district headquarters. Banas Riverflows through the district.

History :

As per the history, Jaipur's King Man Singh conquered Tari and Tokra Janpad in the regime of Akbar. In 1643, twelve village of Tokra janpad were given to Bhola Brahmin. Later, Bhola named these twelve villages as 'Tonk'.The history of Tonk is very old as it is connected with Bairath culture and civilization. The first founder ruler of Tonk was Nawab Mohammed Amir Khan. It was known as Samwad Lakshya in the Mahabharata period. Following its rule as a part of the Maurya Empire, it was merged into the Malvas. A large part of the region was under Harsha Vardhan. During the regime of the Rajputs, parts of this state were under the Chavras, Solankis, Kachvahs, Sisodiyas and Chauhan dynasty. Later, it was under the regime of King Holkar and Sindhia. In 1806, Amir Khan conquered it from Balvant Rao Holkar. Later, the British government gained it from Amir Khan. It was finally returned to Amir Khan as per the treaty of 1817. 

Administration :

District Collector and District Magistrate is at the head of District Administration in Tonk. There is only one Additional District Magistrate sitting at the District Headquarters. The District Tonk has 7 subdivisions. There are 7 Subdivisional Officers working at the Sub Divisions. There are 7 Tehsil Headquarters in Tonk District and each one has a Tehsildar as an administrative Officer who works in accordance with the Land Records System. Two Sub tehsils are headed by Naib tehsildars. There are Six Panchayat samitis and each one is headed by a Block Development Officer (BDO). There is only one Nagar parishad and five Nagar Palikas in Tonk District .

Demography:

According to the 2011 census, Tonk district has a population of 1,421,711 roughly equal to the nation of Swaziland or the US state of Hawaii. This gives it a ranking of 347th in India (out of 640). The district has a population density of 198 inhabitants per square kilometre (510/sq mi).Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 17.33%.Tonk has a sex ratio of 949 females for every 1000 males and a literacy rate of 62.46%.

Economy :

The district of Tonk is mainly agriculture based, and animal husbandry constitutes the main occupation of the people. Tonk district is quite backward in terms of industries. The state Government office of District Industries is working hard to promote the small, medium-scale and handicrafts industries in the district. The RIICO and Khadi gramodyog offices are also working side-by-side in order to try and provide land to industries. Six RIICO industrial areas are working in Tonk, Newai, Malpura and Deoli Tehsil, and about 600 acres of land have been acquired for industrial purposes. The slate stone industry is fully developed in the district. Based on Slate stone some other industries like quartz grinding, PCC Poles and RCC Pipes are also in operation. Among the other industries developing in the district are readymade garments, engineering works, tyre retrading, woollen carpets, tomato ketchup, animal breeding and washing shop industries. Items exported from the district include slate stone and state tiles, cotton durrih, galicha, namda, readymade garments and ball bearings. 

Places of attraction :

Sunahari Kothi  : The Sunahari Kothi  is situated near Bada Kuwa on Najar Bagh road in Tonk city. Inside the Kothi, the walls have been beautifully made with a golden finish. Also known as the Shishmahal, one can see the diamonds, glasses, paintings, flowers, 'Pachhikari' and 'Meenakari' works adorning the walls. 

Rasiya ke Tekri : Rasiya ke Tekri, according to legend, is the place where a Kayasth lover used to sit and write love songs. On account of this romance (rasiya), this monument is called by the name of 'Rasiya Ke Tekri'. Appointed by Raja Holkar, as a governor of this place Shri Ambaji Maharaj, a scholar, known for composing love songs, renovated Rasia Ki Tekri in 1859.

Hathi Bhata : It is a monument of an elephant carved out of a single stone. It was made by Ram Nath Slat during the regime of Sawai Ram Singh in 1200 AD. This evidence is written on the right ear of the elephant. This script can be read even today.

Historical Ghanta Ghar : Historical Ghanta Ghar  was constructed by Mohammad Sadat Ali Khan, Nawab of Tonk, in 1937. As per the local history, in 1936, the people of this place suffered from the Haiza disease. Nawab Sadat Ali Khan, 5th Nawab of Tonk, distributed medicines personally from house to house. Out of gratitude, the public presented money to him. This money was used to construct this particular monument.

 Rajamahal : It is located along the banks of the Banas River. The palace is constructed on a big mountain at Kakor. This place is much frequented by national and international tourists. There is good heritage hotel that provides accommodation to the tourists. One can enjoy boating in 'Dah of Salam Singh'.

 Bisalpur : Bisalpur is located about 70 kms from the district headquarters and 13 kms from Deoli tehsil head quarter. One can visit the beautiful Dam and historical Lord Gokarneswar temple situated here. As per the local history, Ravana had made 'tapasya' here. The dam was constructed between two mountains on the Banas River. Here, the river splits the Aravali Mountain ranges. Its catchment area is 27,725 Sq. Kms.