Duars

Duars, also spelled Dwars or Dooars, region of northeastern India, at the foot of the east-central Himalayas. The name Duars (“Doors”) is derived from the several passes that lead from the region into the Lesser Himalayas. Area 3,400 square miles (8,800 square km).

It is divided by the Sankosh River into the Western and Eastern Duars. Both were ceded by Bhutan to the British at the end of the Bhutan War (1864–65). 

• The Eastern Duars, in western Assam state, comprises a level plain intersected by numerous rivers and only slightly populated. 
• The Western Duars lies in northern West Bengal state and is a portion of the Tarai, a lowland belt linking the Himalayas and the plains region. The Western Duars is an important centre of the tea industry. 

The Western Dooars is known as the Bengal Dooars and the Eastern Dooars as the Assam Dooars. 

• Dooars is synonymous with the term Terai used in Nepal and northern India.

The Dooars belonged to the Kamata Kingdom under the Koch dynasty; and taking advantage of the weakness of the Koch kingdom in subsequent times, Bhutan took possession of the Dooars. 

This region was controlled by the kingdom of Bhutan when the British annexed it in 1865 after the Bhutan War under the command of Captain Hedayat Ali. 

The area was divided into two parts: the eastern part was merged with Goalpara district in Assam and the western part was turned into a new district named Western Dooars. 

• Again in the year 1869, the name was changed to Jalpaiguri District. 

After the end of the British rule in India in 1947, the Dooars acceded into the dominion of India and it merged with the Union of India shortly afterwards in 1949.

The Dooars region politically constitutes the plains of Darjeeling District, the whole of Jalpaiguri district and Alipurduar district and the upper region of Cooch Behar district in West Bengal and the districts of Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Goalpara and Bongaigaon in the state of Assam.

The beauty of the region lies not only in its tea gardens but also in the dense jungles that make up the countryside. 

• Many wildlife sanctuaries and national park like Manas National Park in Assam, 
• Jaldapara National Park, Buxa National Park, Gorumara National Park, Chapramari Wildlife Reserve and the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in West Bengal are located in this region.

A number of rare endangered species of animals like tiger, rhinoceros and elephant make their habitat in the forests of the Dooars. 

• Other animals includes different types of deer, bison, birds and reptiles. 

source: wikipedia and encyclopedia