Adilabad district is a district located in the northern region of Telangana, India. It is known as the gateway district to South and Central India. The town of Adilabad is its headquarters. The district shares boundaries with Asifabad, Nirmal districts and with the state boundary of Maharashtra. As of 2022, the district is a part of the red corridor. Historically, Adilabad was known as Edlabad during the rule of Qutub Shahis. The district was named for Ali Adil Shah, sultan of Bijapur. The heavily forested Godavari basin was inhabited during the Mesolithic and Paleolithic periods. Excavations have taken place in the surrounding areas of Luxettipet, Asifabad, Boath, Bhainsa, and Nirmal. The district was ruled at different times by different dynasties, including the Mauryas, Sathavahanas, Kakatiyas and Gond Rajas. Some Telugu inscriptions made during the time of the Kakatiya dynasty have been found in the Adilabad District, which indicates the historical importance of the area. Due to the district's reorganization in October 2016, the erstwhile Adilabad district was divided into four districts: Adilabad district, Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, Mancherial district, and Nirmal district. The Adilabad district is located in the Telangana state of India. It is bordered to the north by Yavatmal district and Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, to the east by Komaram Bheem district, to the southeast by Mancherial district, to the south by Nirmal district, and to the west by Nanded district of the Maharashtra. It occupies an area of . According to the Census of India, the residual Adilabad district has a population of 708,972, with a ratio of 989 females to 1000 males. 23.66% of the population lives in urban areas. The literacy rate is 63.46%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 99,422 (14.02%) and 224,622 (31.68%) of the population respectively. Badankurti village in Khanapur mandal of the erstwhile Adilabad district (now in Nirmal district) was explored and remnants of a Buddhist monastery were found on a small island of Godavari river near Badankurthi.