Godavari district
| Godavari district | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Former district in Madras Presidency | |||||||||
| 1859–1925 | |||||||||
Godavari district in Madras Presidency | |||||||||
| Capital | Cocanada (now Kakinada) | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• District established | 1859 | ||||||||
• District bifurcated | 1925 | ||||||||
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The Godavari district was an administrative region in the Madras Presidency during British India, with Kakinada (then Cocanada) as its headquarters. Established in 1859, it was formed by reorganizing the Rajahmundry, Masulipatam, and Guntur collectorates into two districts: Godavari and Kistna, with the boundary between them marked by the Upputeru and Tamaleru rivers. This restructuring followed the reorganization of the earlier Rajahmundry District, which had been created in 1802.
The district was created to address challenges in managing irrigation systems and governance in the Godavari and Krishna river deltas. The headquarters were at Kakinada, with sub-divisional offices in Rajahmundry and Narsapuram. Over time, the district expanded to include Bhadrachalam taluk in 1874 and parts of the Golgonda Agency in 1881.
The increasing administrative workload and economic growth, particularly after the construction of the Godavari anicut, necessitated a major reorganization in 1904, which transferred parts of the district to the Kistna district. The areas south and west of the Godavari River, excluding the Polavaram division, were transferred to the Kistna district. This restructuring also contributed to the formation of the Guntur district.
In 1925, the Godavari district was renamed East Godavari, with Kakinada remaining its headquarters, while West Godavari district was formed from Kistna, with Eluru as its headquarters. These names remained until 2022.