Hathras district is an administrative district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Its headquarters is the town of Hathras. The district forms part of the Aligarh division and lies in the western region of Uttar Pradesh, in the doab between the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| Division | Aligarh |
| Headquarters | Hathras |
| Region | Braj / Western Uttar Pradesh |
| Official languages | Hindi, Urdu |
| Common local language | Braj Bhasha |
Hathras district was carved out as a separate district in 1997, taking territory from the neighbouring districts of Aligarh, Mathura and Agra. At the time of its creation it was briefly known as Mahamaya Nagar, a name later reverted to Hathras. The district is administered by a District Magistrate, and policing is headed by a Superintendent of Police. For revenue and development administration the district is divided into tehsils and community development blocks, with Hathras, Sasni, Sadabad and Sikandra Rao among the principal subdivisions.
The district occupies a flat alluvial plain typical of the upper Ganga–Yamuna doab. It is bordered by Aligarh district to the north, Mathura district to the west, Agra district to the south, and Etah district to the east. The terrain supports intensive irrigated agriculture, with canals drawn from the Upper Ganges Canal system supplementing tubewell irrigation. The climate is humid subtropical, with hot summers, a monsoon season from late June to September, and cool, dry winters.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the local economy. Wheat, bajra, mustard and pulses are widely grown, and the district is known for the cultivation of potatoes, with a significant network of cold storages supporting the trade. Hathras town has historically been a commercial centre for hing (asafoetida) processing and trade, as well as for ghee, spices, cotton textiles and dyes. Small-scale industry includes handlooms, brassware and agro-processing units.
The district is served by the Delhi–Howrah main line of the Indian Railways, with stations including Hathras Junction (located at Mendu) and Hathras City. A metre-gauge heritage link historically connected Hathras City with Mathura and Kasganj. National Highway 509 and a network of state highways connect Hathras to Aligarh, Agra, Mathura and Etah. The nearest major airports are at Agra and Delhi.
The population is predominantly Hindi-speaking, with Braj Bhasha widely used in everyday speech, reflecting the district's location within the cultural region of Braj. Hindus form the majority, with a sizeable Muslim minority. The district has a long tradition in classical and folk performance, especially the Hathras gharana of Hindustani music and the rasiya folk genre. Hathras is associated with the 19th-century poet Kaka Hathrasi, known for his satirical Hindi verse.