Saharanpur
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saharanpur (Hindi: सहारनपुर, Urdu: شاہجہان پور) is a town in Uttar Pradesh state of northern India, famous for its woodworking industry. It is the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur District. It lies in a very fertile agricultural belt, plentiful in grains and fruits. Even though Dehradun is more famous for basmati rice, a lot of it is grown in the Saharanpur area. Saharanpur is also rich in industrial wealth: textile, sugar, paper and cigarette factories operate there.
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[edit] History of Saharanpur
[edit] Ancient period
The physical features of Saharanpur district have been most conducive to human habitation. Archaeological surveys have provided evidence of the existence of many settlements over the ages.
Excavations have been carried out in different parts of the district, such as Ambakheri, Bargaon, Hulas, Bahadarabad, and Naseerpur. On the basis of artifacts discovered during these excavations, human habitation can be traced as far back as 2000 B.C. Traces of the Indus Valley civilization and even earlier have been found. Ambakheri, Bargaon, Naseerpur and Hulas were centres of Harappan civilisation, going by the evidence available.
The history of the region can be traced from the days of the Aryans. However, an exact history, the system of administration of the local kings, and the lifestyle of the people will become known only with further exploration. The name of the place has evolved over the ages.
[edit] Medieval period
During the reign of Iltutmish, Saharanpur became a part of the territory under the Slave Dynasty.
Muhammad Tughlag undertook a campaign in the northern Doab to crush the Shivalik Kings in 1340. He came to know about the presence of a Sufi saint on the banks of the Paondhoi river. After visiting the sage, he ordered that henceforth the place would be known as 'Shah-Harunpur', named after the Saint, Shah Harun Chisti.
Akbar was the first Mughal ruler to make Saharanpur an administrative hub. A governor was appointed and it was designated the 'Saharanpur-Sarkar', part of the Delhi province. The Jagir of Saharanpur was granted to Raja Sah Ranveer Singh, who founded the present city of Saharanpur. At that time, Saharanpur was a small village and served as an army cantonment. The nearest settlements at that time were Shekhpura and Malhipur. Most of the area was covered with forests and the ‘Paondhoi', 'Dhamola' and 'Ganda Nala’ (Kregi Nala) rivers flowed through marshlands. The climate was humid hence prone to malaria.
Sah Ranveer Singh’s Saharanpur was a walled city, with four gates - the Sarai Gate, the Mali Gate, the Buria Gate, and the Lakhi Gate.
The ruins of Sah Ranveer Singh’s fort can still be seen in the Chaudharian locality of Saharanpur.
[edit] British period and the rise of nationalism
Saharanpur passed to the British raj in 1803. Those who went on to found world famous Darul Uloom Deoband, participated actively in the Great Uprising of 1857, organised the masses outside Delhi and, for a while, were successful is ousting the British from the area of their operations. The centre of their activities was Shamli, a small town in the present Muzaffarnagar District.
After 1857, the cultural and political history of Muslims began to revolve around Aligarh and Deoband. Deoband came to represent Indian Nationalism and opposition to British rule, promoted the concept of Hindu Muslim unity and a united India. It also supported the revolutionary ideas of Shah Waliullah, which were responsible for social and political awakening.
Maulana Nanautvi and Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi established a school in Deoband in 1867, which found popularity as the Darul Uloom. The founders wanted to raise religious and social consciousness through peaceful methods. The Deoband Madrassa made efforts to awaken the Muslims and bring about a feeling of nationalism and unity. Thus the district came to be associated with the activities of the Ulema of the Deoband School.
The school went on to play an important role in the revolutionary activities aimed at turning out the British from India. The spirit showed in the Mutiny of 1857 continued unabated. In fact, the famous revolutionary, Maulana Mahmudul Hasan, was the first student of the Madrassa.
[edit] Population
The 2001 census showed a population of 452,925
[Current Member Of Parliament : Qazi Rasheed Masood (Samajwadi Party)]
[Current Member Of State Assembly : Sanjay Garg (Samajwadi Party, Jagdish Singh Rana & Rajendra Singh Rana
Current Chairman Of Municipal Corporation :Imran Masood (Samajwadi Party)
[edit] IIT Roorkee, Saharanpur Campus
IIT Roorkee - one of the most renowned engineering institutions in India has a campus at Saharanpur. Engineering Courses in Paper technology and polymer Science are offered at this campus.
The campus is located on the Paper mill Road opposite Star Paper Mill, Saharanpur.
