History of Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand has a very rich and vibrant past. Many ancient Hindu texts have mentioned Uttarakhand as the combined land of Kedarkhand and Manaskhand; the two mountain regions which are now the modern day Kumaon and Garhwal. Being ruled by many races and inhabited by even more, Uttarakhand has seen various phases and has changed greatly over the years.

Uttarakhand in ancient times:

Kols, an aboriginal tribe (Dravidian Type), are believed to be the original settlers of the land and were later joined by the Khas (Indo Aryan) during the Vedic period. The various dynasties that ruled Uttarakhand have been many, including the Kunindas in the 2nd BC, the Naga dynasty during the 4th Century; the Katyuri Dynasty entered the land during the 7th century and ruled till the 14th century. Such a long period of rule influenced the land a lot and the architecture, temples as well as cultural influences on the area (present Kumaon), can still be traced back to them.

Division of Garhwal and Kumaon Kingdom:

During the medieval period, Garhwal and Kumaon got divided and for some time flourished independently and separately.

Kumaon came under the rule of Chand Kings (13th to 18th Century) who improved it in very many ways. Amongst the many things, the most famous and influential that emerged from this time, is the unique form of painting, which is still alive, in the form of Pahari style.

Likewise, Garhwal became the kingdom of the Panwar kings who had migrated from the plains and were of Rajput and Brahmin class and improved the land in cultural as well as social aspects.

Gurkha Kingdom:

Nepal was seeing the rise in its empire in the 18th century and as it expanded, it laid siege on the adjacent land. Kumaon was attacked and taken over in the year 1719, after Almora was attacked.
Garhwal followed suit, coming under the Nepal kingdom in 1803.

Anglo Nepalese War:

Things turned with the entry of the English and their intentions to take over the whole country. With the Anglo Nepalese war in the year 1816, the regions were regained from the Nepalese by the Treaty of Sugauli and Garhwal and Kumaon came under the English Empire.

Independence and After:

Independence saw the merging of both the regions into the state of Uttar Pradesh. The name Uttarakhand now remained to identify the hilly regions of the state. In the year 1979, the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, a political party was formed which voiced the people's wish for a separate state. The demand went on without much results and it was in 1994,that things turned around. On the night of 1st October, 1994, the infamous Rampur Tiraha firing took place, which was a shame on the Uttar Pradesh police. The police opened fire on the unarmed activists of the party who were going to Delhi to protest.

The event was followed by a public uproar and the government took notice of the long pending plea of the people of the hills.The bill to grant Uttarakhand the status of a separate state was thus passed during the year of 1998. On November 9, 2000 a separate state was made by the name of Uttaranchal. The name which had been changed from Uttarakhand was seen as a political act, hurting the public sentiments. After much controversy and many agitations, the name of Uttaranchal was changed to Uttarakhand in 2006, giving the glory back to the long awaiting land.

Uttarakhand Today:

Today Uttarakhand is a little state which is famous all over the country for having innumerable places of tourist attractions as well as places of religious importance. Uttarakhand is also emerging as a preferred place for adventure tourism.Be it excellent education, a vibrant culture or the sheer simplicity of its people, Uttarakhand, the land of gods, is an unforgettable experience.