Kumaon division
Kumaon is a revenue and administrative division in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It spans over the eastern half of the state and is bounded on the north by Tibet Autonomous Region of China, on the east by Nepal, on the south by the state of Uttar Pradesh, and on the west by Garhwal Division. Kumāon comprises six districts of the state: Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar.
Historically known as Manaskhand and Kurmanchal, the Kumaon region has been ruled by several dynasties over the course of its history; most notably the Katyuris and the Chands.
The people of Kumaon are known as Kumaonis and speak the Kumaoni language. Kumaon is home to a famous Indian Army regiment, the Kumaon Regiment of IHR within Indian Republic. The hill town Nainital is its administrative centre and this is where the Uttarakhand high court is located. Other notable hill towns of Kumaon are Almora, Ranikhet, Pithoragarh, Champawat and Bageshwar. However, all the major cities of the region like Haldwani, Rudrapur, Kashipur, Ramnagar and Tanakpur are concentrated in the southern plain areas of Bhabar and Terai.
Etymology
The Kumaon region is mentioned in the Skanda Purana as Manaskhand. Kumaon is believed to have been derived from Kurmanchal, meaning the land of Kurma.According to another theory, the word Kumaon can be traced back to the 5th century BC during the time of Vedic period. The Khasas Assyrians left their homeland Kummaoh, on the banks of river Euphrates, and settled in the northern part of India.
During this time of the British control of the region, between 1815 and 1857, it was also known as Kemaon.
Geography
The Kumaon region consists of a large Himalayan tract, together with two submontane strips called the Terai and the Bhabar. The submontane strips were up to 1850 an almost impenetrable forest, given up to wild animals; but after 1850 the numerous clearings attracted a large population from the hills, who cultivated the rich soil during the hot and cold seasons, returning to the hills in the rains. The rest of Kumaon is a maze of mountains, part of the Himalaya range, some of which are among the loftiest known. In a tract not more than 225 km in length and 65 km in breadth there are over thirty peaks rising to elevations exceeding.Rivers such as Gori, Dhauli, and Kali rise chiefly in the southern slope of the Tibetan watershed north of the loftiest peaks, amongst which they make their way down valleys of rapid declivity and extraordinary depth. The principal is the Sharda, the Pindari and Kailganga, whose waters join the Alaknanda. The river Sharda forms the international boundary between India and Nepal. The pilgrim route currently used to visit Kailash-Mansarovar goes along this river and crosses into Tibet at Lipu Lekh pass.
The chief trees are the chir pine, Himalayan cypress, pindrow fir, alder, sal and saindan. Limestone, sandstone, slate, gneiss and granite constitute the principal geological formations. Mines of iron, copper, gypsum, lead and asbestos exist, but they are not thoroughly worked. Except in the submontane strips and deep valleys, the climate is mild. The rainfall of the outer Himalayan range, which is first struck by the monsoon, is double that of the central hills, in the average proportion of 2000 mm to 1000 mm. No winter passes without snow on the higher ridges, and in some years, it is universal throughout the mountain tract. Frosts, especially in the valleys, are often severe.
History
Prehistoric dwellings and Stone Age implements have been discovered in Almora and Nainital districts. Initially settled by Kol belonging to the AASI lineage. Later, it witnessed successive genetic and cultural waves of Indo-Iranians, Kiratas, Khasas, Indo-Huns and Indo-Sythians.Kunindas were the first rulers of the region. They were followed by the Katyuri kings of Khasas origin who controlled the region from 700 to 1200 AD.
Around 1100–1200 AD, after Katyuri kingdom disintegration, Kurmanchal was divided into eight different principalities: Baijnath-Katyur, Dwarhat, Doti, Baramandal, Askot, Sira, Sora, Sui. Around 1581 AD, under Rudra Chand, the whole region was brought together again as Kumaon.
Kumaon Kingdom
was a historical Himalayan state located in the eastern part of present-day Uttarakhand, India. It existed as an independent political entity for several centuries and played an important role in the regional history of the Central Himalayas.The kingdom covered much of the Kumaon region, including areas around Almora, Champawat, Nainital, and Bageshwar. Its geography consisted of mountainous terrain, river valleys, and forested areas, which influenced its defense, economy, and settlement patterns. Agriculture, pastoralism, and trade formed the economic base of the kingdom. Land revenue systems and local administrative units were used to govern rural areas. who controlled the region from 700 to 1200 AD.
Culturally, the kingdom contributed significantly to the development of Kumaoni language, folklore, religious traditions, and temple architecture. Hinduism was the dominant religion, with strong influences of Shaivism and Shaktism, and the region became known for its temples and pilgrimage centers. who controlled the region from 700 to 1200 AD.
The Kumaon Kingdom maintained a distinct political and cultural identity despite conflicts and interactions with neighboring Himalayan states. Its independence ended in 1791, after which the region came under external rule. Following the Anglo-Nepalese War, Kumaon was incorporated into British India. who controlled the region from 700 to 1200 AD.
Katyuri Raj
The Katyuri dynasty was a ruling Hindu dynasty of Khasha origin that was founded by Vashudev Katyuri. They established their kingdom and called it Kurmanchal kingdom, dominating lands of varying extent from the 'Katyur' valley in Kumaon, between 7th and 11th centuries AD, and establishing their capital at Baijnath in Bageshwar district, which was then known as Kartikeyapura and lies in the centre of 'Katyur' valley. Brahmadev mandi in Kanchanpur District of far western Nepal was established by Katyuri king Brahma Deo. At their peak, the kurmanchal kingdom of Katyuri kings was extended from Sikkim in the east to Kabul, Afghanistan in the west, before fragmenting into numerous principalities by the 12th century.It is believed that from king Dham Deo and Bir Deo the downfall of this powerful dynasty began. Birdeo used to collect heavy taxes and forced his people to work as his slaves, King Birdeo teased his subjects by his tyranny to the extent that he forcibly married his own maternal aunt Tila. It is said that the Kumaoni folk song Mami tile dharo bola became popular from that very day. after death of Birdeo the kingdom was divided between his eight sons and they were able to form their different small kingdoms in the region for a short period of time until Chands emerged in the region defeating most of katyuri principalities and united Kurmanchal again as Kumaon.
The Rajwar dynasty of Askot in Pithoragarh, was set up in 1279 AD, by a branch of the Katyuri kings, headed by Abhay Pal Deo, who was the grandson of Katyuri king Brahma Deo. The dynasty ruled the region until it became part of the British Raj through the treaty of Sighauli in 1816.
Chand Raj
The Chand dynasty was established by Som Chand in the 10th century, by displacing the Katyuri Kings, who had been ruling the area from the 7th century AD. He continued to call his state Kurmanchal and established its capital in Champawat in Kali Kumaon called so, due to its vicinity to river Kali. Many temples built in this former capital city, during the 11th and 12th century exist today, this includes the Baleshwar and Nagnath temples.One of the most powerful rulers of Chand dynasty was Baz Bahadur, who met Shahjahan in Delhi, and in 1655 joined forces with him to attack Garhwal, which was then under the King Pirthi Sah. Baz Bahadur subsequently captured the Terai region including Dehradun, which was thus separated from the Garhwal kingdom. Baz Bahadur extended his territory east to Karnali river, later Baz Bahadur invaded Tibet and captured several forts including a Hindu pilgrim Kailash Manasarovar. he also built the Golu Devata Temple, at Ghorakhal, near Bhimtal, after Lord Golu, a general in his army, who died valiantly in battle. He also built the famous Bhimeshwara Mahadev Temple at Bhimtal.
Towards the end of the 17th century, Chand kings again attacked the Garhwal kingdom, and in 1688, Udyot Chand erected several temples at Almora, including Tripur Sundari, Udyot Chandeshwar, and Parbateshwar. To mark his victory over Garhwal and Doti, the Parbateshwar temple was renamed twice, to become the present Nanda Devi temple. Later, Jagat Chand defeated the Raja of Garhwal and pushed him away from Srinagar, and his kingdom was given to a Brahmin.
Nepalese invasion and its defeat
In the latter half of the 18th century, the power of Kumaon was on decline, as the king Mahendra Chand was unable to properly administer the country. After the fall of Doti, the Kingdom of Nepal decided to again invade over Kumaon. The Gorkha forces, under the leadership of Amar Singh Thapa crossed the kali river, and reached the outskirts of Almora via Sor and Gangoli. After facing tough resistance by King Mahendra Chand's uncle who was leading the army, and retreating temporarily, the Gorkha's returned again and in the ensuing battle Mahendra Chand's uncle was killed. Hearing about his uncle's death, Mahendra Chandra became frightened and fled to the plains. Kumaon was annexed to the Kingdom of Nepal in 1790.The Gorkha rule over Kumaon lasted for 24 years. The only architectural advancements during the period was a road connecting kali river to Srinagar via Almora. The Gorkha rule over Kumaon is said to have been cruel and barbaric. The Gorkha's only thought of Kumaon and Garwhal as frontier states and so proper administration was not practiced. Almora was the largest town of Kumaon during the Gorkha period, and is estimated to have about 1000 houses.
After the Gorkhas started meddling in the territories of Oudh, the Nawab of Oudh, who was then a suzerain of the British Empire, asked for their help, thus paving way for the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814. The British forces under Colonel Nicholas, consisting of about forty five hundred men and six pounder guns, entered Kumaon through Kashipur and conquered Almora on 26 April 1815. On the same day, Chandra Bahadur Shah, one of the principle Gurkha chiefs, sent a flag of truce, requesting to end hostilities in the region. A negotiation was brought up the following day, under which the Gurkhas agreed to leave the Country, and all its fortified places. The war ended with Nepal signing the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816, under which, Kumaon officially became a British territory.