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Kumaon (; , ; historically romanised as KemāonJames Prinsep (Editor)John McClelland ) 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, on the east by Nepal, on the south by the state of Uttar Pradesh, and on the west by Garhwal Division. Kumaon comprises six districts of the state: Almora district, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar.
Historically known as Manaskhand and then Kurmanchal, the Kumaon region has been ruled by several dynasties over the course of history; most notably the Katyuri kings and the Chand kings. The Kumaon division was established in 1816, when the British reclaimed this region from the Gorkha Kingdom, who had annexed the erstwhile Kumaon Kingdom in 1790. It was formed into a division of what was then called Ceded and Conquered Provinces, later known as United Provinces. In independent India the state was called Uttar Pradesh. In 2000, the new state of Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh, including Kumaon.
The people of Kumaon are known as Kumauni people and speak the Kumaoni language. Kumaon is home to a famous Indian Army regiment, the Kumaon Regiment. 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.
According to another theory, the word Kumaon can be traced back to the 5th century BC. The Kassites Assyrian people left their homeland Kummah, 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.John Forbes Royle
Rivers such as Gori River, Dhauli, and Kali rise chiefly in the southern slope of the 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 River (Kali Ganga), the Pindari Glacier and Kailganga, whose waters join the Alaknanda River. The river Sharda (Kali Ganga) forms the international boundary between India and Nepal. The pilgrim route currently used to visit Mount Kailash goes along this river and crosses into Tibet at Lipulekh Pass.
The chief trees are the Chir Pine, Cupressus, Abies pindrow, alder, Sal tree 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.
Around 1100–1200 AD, after Katyuri kingdom disintegration, Kurmanchal was divided into eight different principalities: Baijnath-Katyur, Dwarahat, Doti District, Almora district, Askot, Didihat, Pithoragarh, Sui. Around 1581 AD, under Rudra Chand, the whole region was brought together again as Kumaon.
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.
One of the most powerful rulers of Chand dynasty was Baz Bahadur (1638–78) AD, who met Shahjahan in Delhi, and in 1655 joined forces with him to attack Garhwal District, 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 Ghaghara, later Baz Bahadur invaded Tibet and captured several forts including a Hindu pilgrim Lake 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 (1708–20), defeated the Raja of Garhwal and pushed him away from Srinagar (in Uttarakhand, not to be confused with the capital of present-day Indian Kashmir), and his kingdom was given to a Brahmin.
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 (which was conquered some years after the invasion of Kumaon) as frontier states and so proper administration was not practiced. Many Kumaoni people were sold to slavery by Gorkha administrators in Kumaon, who were often left unsupervised by the primary Gorkha leadership. 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 State, 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.
There was widespread opposition against British rule in various parts of Kumaon. The Kumaoni people especially Champawat District rose in rebellion against the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 under the leadership of the members like Kalu Singh Mahara. In 1891 the division was composed of the three districts of Kumaon, Garhwal District and the Tarai; but the two districts of Kumaon and the Tarai were subsequently redistributed and renamed after their headquarters, Nainital and Almora.
The area received international attention after the publication of Man-Eaters of Kumaon, by Jim Corbett, the noted hunter and conservationist, describing the author's trials seeking out and killing man-eating tigers. Animals like the Champawat Tiger and the Chowgarh Tigers plagued the area for many years, with the former estimated to have killed over four hundred humans by herself, in Nepal and then Kumaon, in the years 1920–28.
Mahatma Gandhi's advent sounded a death knell for the British in Kumaon. People now aware of the excesses of British Raj became defiant of it and played an active part in the Indian Struggle for Independence. While staying in Kumaon for 12 days, recovering from the rigors of imprisonment, Gandhi wrote Anashakti Yoga, his commentary on the Gita.
Gandhi was revered in these parts and on his call the struggle of Salam Saliya Satyagraha led by Ram Singh Dhoni was started which shook the very roots of British rule in Kumaon.
Many people died in the Saalam Satyagraha due to police brutality. Gandhi named it the Bardoli of Kumaon an allusion to the Bardoli Satyagrah. Many Kumaonis also joined the Indian National Army led by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
The year 1969 saw major administrative reforms in these hilly regions of Uttar Pradesh, and a new Garhwal division, with its headquarter in Pauri, was formed with the districts of Tehri Garhwal and Garhwal from Kumaon division, and Uttarkashi and Chamoli from Uttarakhand division. The Uttarakhand division too was disestablished the same year, and the remaining district of Pithoragarh was brought back to Kumaon division, hence giving it its present size.
Three new districts were created in the 90's, taking the total number of districts in the division to 6. Udham singh nagar from Nainital in 1995, and Bageshwar from Almora and Champawat from Pithoragarh in 1997. Two new districts, Ranikhet from Almora and Didihat from Pithoragarh were announced in 2011 by the then Chief minister of Uttarakhand, Ramesh Pokhriyal, but the districts never came into existence because no official notification was ever released.
Kumaoni men wear a Kumaoni cap, which is of black colour. However, during festivals, especially during Kumauni Holi the cap becomes white in colour.
Among the prominent local crafts is wood carving known as Likhai, which appears most frequently in the ornately decorated temples and at the doors and windows of local houses. Intricately carved designs of floral patterns, deities, and geometrical motifs also decorate the doors, windows, ceilings, and walls of village houses. Paintings and murals are used to decorate both houses and temples.
Jyuti patta is a class of water color paintings done on rituals, called Jyuti. Some scholars also consider Jyuti to be synonymous with the wod mother of the world. To give concrete form to the deity, two-dimensional geometry is given expression in the form of frescoes. This is a geometric or decorative semi-graphic structure in which different colours and symbols are used. This structure called Jyuti also gets a new dimension by the use of ochre or biswar of Tepan. Jyunti is prepared on the surface of wall or paper and the composition is given with cotton and a brush of limiter. In this artform, various qualities of a specific deity are shown.
Kumaoni Ramleela is the oldest in the world. It is 150-years-old, due to which UNESCO has declared it world's longest-running opera. In addition, the Kumaoni Ramleela is now a part of the World Cultural Heritage List.
Harela is a kumaoni festival hypothesized to date back to the indigenous population. 10–11 days before the Sankranti of Shravan, a bed is made by adding soil in bamboo pots etc. Grains grown during the rainy season like paddy, maize, urad etc. are sown, this is called Hariyala. Harakali Mahotsav, Idols of Gauri Maheshwar, Ganesha and Karkitkeya are made from clay, coloured in them and worshiped with various fruits, flowers, dishes and sweets in a bed of greenery on the night of the month of Sanat. On the second day, the Harela of Uttarang Puja is placed on the head. Sisters and daughters-in-law apply tilak and tilak and put Harela on their heads. They are given gifts.
Kumaoni holi is the historical and cultural celebration of the Hindu festival of Holi. It is one of the most important festivals for the Kumauni people as it signifies not only the victory of good over evil but also end of the winter season and the start of the new sowing season which holds great importance for this agricultural community of the North Indian Himalayas. The uniqueness of the Kumaoni Holi lies in its being a musical affair, whatever its form, be it the Baithki Holi, the Khari Holi and the Mahila Holi all of which start from Basant Panchmi.
This results in the festivities of Holi lasting for almost two months in Kumaon.
The Baithki Holi and Khari Holi are unique in that the songs on which they are based have a combination of melody, fun, and spiritualism. These songs are essentially based on classical ragas. Baithki Holi is also known as Nirvan Ki Holi or Holi of Salvation.
Almora Dussehra is a regional variant of Dussehra, dating back to 1936. It is distinct for burning fifteen distinct effigies, each representing the members of the Hindu mythological villain Ravana's entire bloodline. The effigies are all ornate and exquisitely designed. They are paraded through the city of Almora before finally being set on fire to symbolise the triumph of good over evil.
Phool-Dei is a folk festival which welcomes the spring season in the state. The festival is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu month, Chaitra. In some places, the festival is celebrated as carnival and the celebration goes on for a month. The term 'Dei' refers to a ceremonial pudding which is the key food in this festival that is made from jaggery. White flour and curd are also offered. Young children gather together and go to every house in their village/towns with plates full of rice, jaggery, coconut, green leaves, and flowers. In return, they are presented with blessings and gifts like sweets, jaggery, and money. The wishing and blessing part also include placing flowers and rice on the doorsteps of the houses by the children. People of village sing and dance on their folk songs to celebrate the festival of spring along with exchanging wishes for well-being and prosperity of their family and relatives.
Tea is also cultivated in Berinag, Bhowali, Champawat and Lohaghat. Berinag tea being specially famous for its taste. Champawat's tea is sold by the name "Kumaon Black Tea".
In the southern districts there are also sizeable numbers of speakers of Punjabi language, Urdu and Bengali language, while the two related languages of Buksa language and Rana Tharu are found in the southernmost Udham Singh Nagar district. The higher mountains in the north of Kumaon are home to the Sino-Tibetan Byangsi language, Chaudangsi, Darmiya language, Raji language, Rawat language and Rangas language (the last now extinct).
The community radio station Kumaon Vani has been broadcasting over the region since 2010.
History
Prehistoric dwellings and Stone Age implements have been discovered in Almora district and Nainital districts. Initially settled by Kol people tribals, the region witnessed successive waves of Kiratas, Khasas and . Kuninda Kingdom 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.
Kumaon Kingdom
Katyuri Raj
The Katyuri dynasty was a ruling Hindu dynasty of Khasas origin that was founded by Vashudev Katyuri. They established their kingdom and called it Kurmanchal kingdom, dominating lands of varying extent from the 'Katyur' (modern day Baijnath) 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.
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.
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 Gorkha Kingdom decided to invade over Kumaon. The Gorkha forces, under the leadership of Amar Singh Thapa crossed the kali river, and reached the outskirts of Almora via Pithoragarh and Gangolihat. 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, and Kumaon was annexed to the Gorkha Kingdom.
British Raj
Later, the region was annexed by the United Kingdom. In 1815 the Kumaon region was joined with the eastern half of the Garhwal region as a chief-commissionership on the non-regulation system, also known as the Kumaon Province.Robert Montgomery Martin, History of the Possessions of the Honourable East India Company, Volume 1, pg. 107 It was governed for seventy years by three administrators, Mr. Traill, Mr. J. H. Batten and Sir Henry Ramsay.
Independent India
After India became independent in 1947, United Provinces were converted into the newly formed Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The princely state of Tehri Garhwal joined the Indian Union in 1949, and became a district under the Kumaon division. Three new districts viz. Pithoragarh from Almora district, Chamoli district from Garhwal and Uttarkashi from Tehri Garhwal were created in 1960. A new revenue division, named Uttarakhand division was carved out from these 3 districts of Kumaon division.
Culture
Traditional attire
Pichaura (पिछोङा) is a traditional attire worn by married Kumaoni women generally for religious occasions, marriage, and other rituals. Traditionally handmade using vegetable dyes, Pichhauras are available in red and saffron. Local designs made in Almora, Haldwani and other parts of Kumaon use silk fabric and accessories made of pearl. It is also contemporarily made using machines. In recent years its popularity has seen a rise, especially in Kumaoni diaspora in other states and countries.
Folk Art
Aipan art is the most famous folk art of Kumaon. In recent times its popularity has grown.
Aipan is not only an important folk art of Kumaoni community but other ethnic groups of Kumaon, like Shaukas and Rungs, as well. Hence it also acts as a cultural link between different ethnic communities of Kumaon, therefore has significant importance.
Folk dances
Many classical dance forms and folk art are practised in the Kumaon. Some well-known dances include Hurkiya Baul, Jhora-Chanchri and Chholiya. Music is an integral part of the Kumaoni culture. Popular types of folk songs include Mangal and Nyoli. These folk songs are played on instruments including dhol, damau, turri, ransingha, dholki, daur, thali, bhankora, mandan and Bagpipe. A famous Kumaoni folk is Bedu Pako Baro Masa. Music is also used as a medium through which the gods are invoked. Jagar is a form of spirit worship in which the singer, or Jagariya, sings a ballad of the gods, with allusions to great epics, like Mahabharat and Ramayana, that describe the adventures and exploits of the god being invoked.
Cultural Hubs
Religious significance
In Kumaon, every peak, lake or mountain range is somehow or the other connected with some myth or the name of a god or goddess, ranging from those associated with the Shaiva, Shakta and Vaishnava traditions, to local gods like Bambai Nath Swami, Haim, Saim, Golu, Nanda, Sunanda, Chhurmal, Kail Bisht, Bholanath, Gangnath, Airi and Chaumu. Referring to the rich religious myths and lores associated with Kumaon, E. T. Atkinson has said, "To the beliefs of the great majority of Hindus, the Kumaon is what Palestine is to the Christians".
Economy
Kumaon is home to the financial capital of the state, Haldwani. Kumaon has the state's most commercial, economic and industrial activities specially in Bhabar and Terai regions. Agriculture also plays a huge role in Kumaoni
economy. It employs a large percentage of Kumaoni population.
Economic Hubs
Agriculture
Basmati rice, Red rice, wheat, Ragi(Madua in Kumaoni), soybeans, groundnuts, coarse cereals, pulses, and oil seeds are the most widely grown crops. Fruits like apples, oranges, pears, peaches, lychees, and plums are widely grown and are important to the large food processing industry. Ramgarh, in Nainital District, specially, is famous for its fruits.
Administrative Subdivisions
Cities
Languages
The main language used in administration and education is Hindi, which according to the 2011 census is the first language of well over a million of the region's inhabitants (mostly concentrated in the south). The major native language, however, is Kumaoni language, spoken by about 2 million people.
Bengali language 414 67 555 519 4,174 129,537
135,266 3.2% Bhojpuri 1,654 200 885 462 6,688 60,141
70,030 1.7% Garhwali 1,634 1,867 17,939 561 15,348 5,840
43,189 1.0% Hindi 35,590 10,680 33,198 50,254 369,373 1,028,354
1,527,449 36.1% Kumauni language 423,862 243,965 561,642 203,022 462,493 86,078
1,981,062 46.8% Pahari language 653 7 200 193 683 2,067
3,803 0.1% Tharu language 10 74 0 83 364 47,501
48,032 1.1% Nepali language 7,259 2,158 2,604 1,266 5,984 1,622
20,893 0.5% Punjabi language 383 101 536 378 19,644 166,327
187,369 4.4% Urdu language 1,224 222 1,408 1,474 63,170 105,148
172,646 4.1% Halam language 5,623 157 18 15 94 38
5,945 0.1% Gujari language 8 0 1 0 1,416 859
2,284 0.1% – Others| align=right 5,125
400 3,520 1,421 5,174 15,390
31,030 0.7% Total 483,439 259,898 622,506 259,648 954,605 1,648,902
4,228,998 100.0%
See also
Further reading
External links
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