Latur district (Marathi pronunciation: [laːt̪uːɾ]) is a district in Maharashtra state of India. Latur city is the district headquarters and is the 16th largest city in the state of Maharashtra. The district is primarily agricultural. Urban population comprises 25.47% of the total population. Officer Members of Parliament Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangare (BJP) Omprakash Rajenimbalkar (SS(UBT)) Guardian Minister list of Guardian Minister District Magistrate/Collector list of District Magistrate / Collector History Latur has an ancient history, which probably dates to the Rashtrakuta period. It was home to a branch of Rashtrakutas which ruled the Deccan 753-973 AD. The first Rashtrakuta king Dantidurga was from Lattalur, probably the ancient name for Latur. Anecdotally, Ratnapur is mentioned as a name for Latur. The King Amoghavarsha of Avinash developed Latur city, originally the native place of the Rashtrakutas. The Rashtrakutas who succeeded the Chalukyas of Badami in 753 AD called themselves the residents of Lattalur. It was, over the centuries, ruled by the Satavahanas, the Sakas, the Chalukyas, the Yadavas of Devgiri, the Delhi Sultans, the Bahamani rulers of South India, Adilshahi, and the Mughals. In the 17th century, it became part of the independent princely state of Hyderabad. Under the Hyderabad of Nizams, the tax system was reformed and many of the exploitative taxing practices were ended. In 1905 it was merged with surrounding areas, renamed Latur tehsil, and became part of Osmanabad district, which until 17 September 1948 was a part of Hyderabad Kingdom under the Nizams. The chief of Nizam's Razakar army Qasim Rizwi was from Latur. After independence and the merger of Hyderabad with the Indian Union, Osmanabad became part of Bombay Province. On 1 May 1960, with the creation of Maharashtra, Osmanabad was one of its districts. Because of the concerted efforts of Former Cooperation minister Keshavrao Sonawane and then newly elected member of assembly Vilasrao Deshmukh on 16 August 1982, a separate Latur district was carved out of Osmanabad district. In Latur's Papvinashak Temple a 12th-century Kannada inscription of Western Chalukya emperor Someshvara III was found. According to that inscription, 500 scholars were living in Lattlaur (Latur) at that time and that Latur was the city of King Someshwar. Geography Latur district is in the Marathwada region in Maharashtra in India, located between 17°52' North to 18°50' North and 76°18' East to 79°12' East in the Deccan plateau. It has an average elevation of above mean sea level. The