Ancient History

Uttaranchal has two distinct hilly divisions – Kumaon and Garhwal. According to Hindu scriptures, the region has been described as Devbhoomi (Land of the Gods) and it houses some of the most important pilgrimage sites of the country. Garhwal region of Himalayas finds a mention in the mythological stories of the Puranic period. The traditional name of Garhwal was Uttarakhand and excavations near the site have revealed that it formed part of the Mauryan Empire.

In the course of time an imperial institution was introduced in the region by the Guptas in 330 AD. But this tradition could not last long and the emergence of Vardhanas came in 500AD. Then Turkish came to rule over the land and divided it into many principalities which were controlled by chiefs. Uttaranchal also finds mention in the 7th-century travelogue of Huen Tsang. But in more recent times, Garhwal came to be associated with Adi Shankaracharya who established the Joshimath and restored the sacred shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath.

The history of Kumaon is no less intriguing. Certain evidences of stone-age settlements have been found in Kumaon. The paintings in the rock shelter at Lakhu Udyar date back to the Mesolithic period. In the medieval years, Kumaon was the seat of the Katyuri Dynasty between the 7th and 11th centuries. Baijinath near Almora was the capital of the dynasty and a centre for art. Temple building flourished under the Katyuris and the main architectural innovation introduced by them was the replacement of bricks with hewn stone.


Modern History

The modern history of Uttaranchal is not very old; it dates back to the early 20th century (1910) when social and political awareness started among the people of the state to overcome the poverty and backwardness. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India had stated that the people of the region had special rights to take their decision under special circumstances.

The human movement in the region was enhanced during late 1970s when a new political party called "Uttarakhand Kranti Dal" came into existence; but it took a new turn in the year 1994 when the then state chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav passed reservation quota bill for the minorities. The movement spread quickly in the whole Uttaranchal region and within no time people from every sections of the society took part in the revolution and demanded for a separate state. The struggle came to an end on 9th November 2000 when the central government passed the bill and Uttaranchal became the 27th state of Indian union. The state includes 14 hilly districts of former Uttar Pradesh. It is filled with flora and fauna and exotic natural beauty which is treated as the most imperative pilgrimage spot of the world.