 It was formed on 12 November 1774 by the decision of Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa, through the special charter, as the specific feudal governmental administrative unit with headquarters in Velika Kikinda (today Kikinda, Serbia).Inhabitants of the District had, for that period, substantial economic, and even political privileges within the Habsburg Monarchy.Until 1778, the District of Velika Kikinda was part of the Banat of Temeswar (a separate Habsburg land), and then part of the Torontal County within the Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary.