Historical Background of Uttarkashi
Historical Background of Uttarkashi
Historical Background of Uttarkashi
Early Inhabitants and References in Ancient Texts
Early Tribes
Historical Background of Uttarkashi : The early inhabitants of the land that now comprises Uttarkashi district included the Kiratas, Uttara Kurus, Khasas, Tanganas, Kunindas and Pratanganas. These hill tribes find reference in the Upayana Parva of the Mahabharat.
Sacred Land
The land of present-day Uttarkashi has been considered sacred by Indians since ancient times. Seers and sages found solace here and performed penances. The devas were believed to have performed sacrifices here. The Vedas were better known and spoken here than elsewhere. People travelled here to learn the Vedic language and speech.
Mentions in Ancient Texts
According to the Mahabharat, the sage Jada Bharata performed penance in Uttarkashi. The Kedar Khand of the Skanda Purana mentions Uttarkashi along with the rivers Bhagirathi, Jahnavi and Bhil Ganga.
Invasion by Gorkhas and British Rule
Gorkha Invasion
In 1803, the Gorkhas of Nepal invaded Garhwal kingdom, which included present-day Uttarkashi. Amar Singh Thapa was made governor of the region by the Gorkhas.
Conflict with British
In 1814, the expanding Gorkha empire came into conflict with the British along the Garhwal border. This led to the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816).
British Victory
In April 1815, the British expelled the Gorkhas from Garhwal. They then annexed Garhwal as a new British district.
Uttarkashi Part of Tehri Garhwal
The former Garhwal kingdom was split into eastern and western parts. Eastern Garhwal was retained by the British. Western Garhwal, west of the Alaknanda River, was returned to the Garhwal dynasty ruler Sudarshan Shah, as a princely state called Tehri Garhwal. This included present-day Uttarkashi.
Incorporation into Uttarakhand
Merger with Uttar Pradesh
In 1949, after India’s independence in 1947, the princely state of Tehri Garhwal was merged into the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Demand for Separate State
In the 1990s, demands grew for a separate hill state carved out of Uttar Pradesh, to address concerns over development and other issues in the hilly regions.
Formation of Uttarakhand
On November 9, 2000, the state of Uttaranchal, now Uttarakhand, was formed out of the hilly districts of northwest Uttar Pradesh, including Uttarkashi.
So in summary, Uttarkashi has a long history with references dating back to ancient texts. It was invaded by the Gorkhas before coming under British rule. It was part of the princely state of Tehri Garhwal after independence, before becoming part of the new state of Uttarakhand in 2000.
