Dhule district is a district of Maharashtra state with its administrative headquarters located at Dhule town. Earlier, the district of Dhulia was popularly known as West Khandesh district. During the ancient period this region was wellknown as Rasika. After some time, the place was the ruled by a king called Seunchandra of the early Yadava dynasty and in those the country was as Seunadesa. In the same way, when the place was went into the hands of Faruqi kings by King Ahmad I of Gujarat then its name was again changed to Khandesh inorder to suit their title Khan. The Maurya dynasty as well rule this region for a significant peeriod of time but they were overthrew by Pushyamitra, the founder of Shunga dynasty. Then came the rule of Abhiras who used some copperplates during their time. Thus, the copperplates inscripted the names of their feudatories were found here during the time of excavation. On 6th January, 1601 Khandesh became the regime of great Mughal emperor, Akbar. At that time, Khandesh was fancifully named by Akbar a Dandes after his son Daniyal. In 1634 he made Khandesh, a Suba of his empire. In this way the place was ruled by different dynasties during different periods of time. Finally, the British rule was started in this region on 3rd June, 1818 when the Peshva surrendered himself before them. It was part of Khandesh district till that district was divided in 1906 but the present name was not used at that time.

Ram Vanji Sutar, an illustrious Indian sculptor was born in the year 1925 at Dhule town. The Government of India honored him with the prestigious Padma Bhushan Award in 2016 and Padma Shri Award in 1999 for his remarkable contribution in the field of art.

Geographically, the district lies at 20°90'N latitude, 74°77'E longitude and 240 m altitude. In the year 2021, there was a total 4.19% forest area of total geographical area. The district encompasses a geographical area of 7,195 sq km. and in terms of geographical area it occupies the ranks of 24th in the state and 122nd in India. It is bounded by Madhya Pradesh on the North, Nandurbar district on the North West, Nashik district on the South, Jalgaon district on the East and Gujarat on the West. The climate of the district remains extremely dry throughout the year except the monsoon season. The actual rainfall in the district was 908.3 mm in the year of 2021-22.

Administration wise, the district is divided into 4 tehsils namely Dhule, Shirpur, Sindkheda and Sakri. Moreover, it comprises 8 towns and 674 villages. The administrative language in the district is Marathi.

According to 2011 census the district has a population of 20,50,862 out of which 10,54,031 are males and 9,96,831 are females. The district has a sex ratio of 946 females for every 1000 males. During the year 2001-2011 the population growth rate in the district was 20.08% including 20.00% were males and 20.16% were females. The population density in the district is 285 persons per sq. km. In the year 2020 the number of live births in the district was 37,131 out of which 19,861 were males and 17,270 were females. In the same year the number of deaths in the district was 15,672 out of which 9,425 were males and 6,247 were females. As per 2011 census the major religion in the district is Hindu with 89.01% of the total population. According to 2011 census the principal languages in the district are Khandeshi and Marathi with 28.70% and 33.78%.

The economy of the district is mainly based on agriculture. Most of the lands in the district are use for agricultural purposes. More than half of the populations are engaged in agriculture in order to earn their livelihood. Dhule is famous as one of the biggest edible oil, power-loom, and a textile clusters in the Maharashtra state. Today, Dhule is emerging as the biggest edible oil, power-loom, and a textile cluster. The agricultural products in the district are groundnut, cotton, jowar, chillies, sugarcane, etc. every year a huge chunk of revenue comes from the agricultural products in the district helps in its economy to a great extent. Dhule is renowned for ‘milk-ghee’ production and agro-based industries. In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj declared Dhule as one of the country's 250 most backward districts and currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). In the year 2020-21 the gross domestic product in the district was Rs. 34,05,300 lakhs at current price and Rs. 23,19,600 lakhs at constant prices in the year 2011-2012. The net domestic product in the district during the period 2020-21 was Rs. 30,29,800 lakh at current price and Rs. 20,42,200 lakh at constant prices in the year 2011-2012. The Per Capita Income or NDDP, At Factor Cost during the period 2020-21 was Rs. 1,36,459 at current price and Rs. 91,979 at constant prices in the year 2011-2012.

The district is well-known as an abode of several reputed educational institutions. It provides a platform for higher education. Some of its recognized educational institutions are Kamalabai Shankarlal Kanya Shala, Jijamata Kanya High School, L.M. Sardar Urdu High School & Jr. College, Haji Badlu Sardar High School, St. Xavier's Canossa Convent School, Canossa Convent High School, New City High School, etc. As per 2011 census the literacy rate in the district is 72.8% including 79.5% are males and 65.77% are females.

Bapu Hari Chaure, an eminent Indian politician and a member of the 14th Lok Sabha was born on 1st January, 1949 at Dhule town. He is a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) political party.

The district has several centers of attraction which allures many travelers from different parts of the country as well as world. Ekvira Mata temple, a very significant temple located on the banks of the Panjhara River has the idol of Great Goddess Ekvira Mata. Every year the temple organizes a yatra in the months of Chaitrya and Ashwin of Marathi Calendar. Dhamma Sarovara, situated near to the Dedargaon water plant on the Mumbai-Agra Road is a very calm and peaceful site which encompasses an area of 35-acre. Double and triple-sharing accommodation is available. Moreover, the dining hall and kitchen are presently temporary structures. Shiv Teerth Circle in the Dhule town is a perfect destination for recreation which has the statues of Shivaji and Shahid Smarak. It is constructed in the memory of Shahid Abdul Hamid, the hero of Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Some other places of interest in the district are Shri Samartha Vagdevta Mandir, Gurudwara of Dhule, Laling Fort, Gajanan Maharaj Temple, Shree Vimalnath Bhagwan Tirth, Swami Narayan Mandir and many more.