Editing Dhule (section)

==History==

Until the beginning of the 19th century, Dhule was an insignificant village, subordinate to Laling, the capital of the Laling or Fatehabad Subdivision. Under the rule of the Nizam, Laling was incorporated with the District of Daulatabad. The town passed successively through the hands of the Arab kings, the Mughals, and the Nizam, and into the power of the Peshwas about 1795. In 1803, it was completely deserted by its 
inhabitants on account of the ravages of Holkar and the terrible famine of that year. In the following year, Balaji Balwant, a dependant of the Vinchurkar, to whom the ''parganas'' of Laling and Songir had been granted by the Peshwa, repeopled the town and received from the Vinchurkar, in return for his services, a grant of ''inam'' land and other privileges. He was subsequently entrusted with the entire management of the territory of Songir and Laling, and fixed his headquarters at Dhule, where he continued to exercise authority till the occupation of the country by the British in 1818. Dhule was immediately chosen as the headquarters of the newly formed District of Khandesh by Captain John Briggs. In [[British Raj]] Britishers call it Dhulia.In January 1819, he obtained sanction for building public offices for the transaction of revenue and judicial business. Artificers were brought from distant places, and the buildings were erected at a total cost of £2700. Every encouragement was offered to traders and others to settle in the new town. Building sites were granted rent-free in perpetuity, and advances were made both to the old inhabitants and strangers to enable them to erect substantial houses. At this time, Captain Briggs described Dhule as a small town, surrounded by garden cultivation, and shut in between an irrigation channel and the river. The town was located on the southern bank of the [[Panzara River]] with an area of about one square mile. In 1819, the population numbered only 2509 persons, living in 401 houses. In 1863, there were 10,000 inhabitants; while by 1872 the number had further increased to 12,489, with 2620 houses. From the date of its occupation by the British, the progress of Dhule had been steady. Towards the end of the 19th century the town had already become a significant trading center due to the trade in cotton and linseed. Coarse cotton, woolen cloths and turbans were manufactured for local use around this time. In 1872, Dhule was visited by a severe flood, which did much damage to houses and property.<ref name="Hunter 1881 580">{{cite book |last=Hunter |first=William Wilson |url=https://archive.org/stream/imperialgazette02unkngoog#page/n5/mode/2up |title=The imperial gazetteer of India |publisher=Trubner and Company |year=1881 |location=London |page=580}}</ref><ref name="Trubner and Company">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/imperialgazette02unkngoog |title=The imperial gazetteer of India [by] W.W. Hunter |work=W.W. Hunter |publisher=Trubner and Company |year=1881 |quote=Dhulia. |access-date=10 January 2012}}</ref>

The Dhulia aka Dhule civil hospital was established in 1825 by the British government.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Campbell |first=James M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rbUBAAAAYAAJ |title=Gazetteer of Bombay presidency : Khandesh |publisher=British Government of India |year=1880 |location=[[Bombay presidency]], India |pages=1}}</ref>

Dhule was a cantonment town, and in year 1881 had two hospitals, telegraph and post offices. In 1873–74 there were four Government schools, with 551 pupils. Historically, the town has been divided into New and [[June Dhule|Old Dhule]]. In the latter, the houses were irregularly built, the majority being of a very humble description.<ref name="Hunter 1881 580" /><ref name="Trubner and Company" />