The
history of Uttarakhand sings the glorious past of the territory.
Uttarakhand has a long
history of its genesis, and evolution, that highlights the great emperors, such as the Kushanas, Kudinas, Kanishka, Samudragupta, Katuria, Palas, Chandras and Pawaras.
Talking about the
history of Uttarakhand, it can be said that Uttarakhand finds reference in many holy Hindu scriptures. But the
history of Uttarakhand can be best understood through the
history of Garhwal and Kumaon:
Garhwal:
The ancient history of Garhwal says that it had once been a part of the Mauryan Empire.
The history of Garhwal began as a unified whole in the 15th century, when king Ajai Pal merged the 52 principalities of the Garhwal region.
Garhwal remained a consolidated kingdom for about 300 years, with Srinagar as its capital.
But during the British Period, the territories of Pauri and Dehradun went under the British domain: the two region were given to the Britishers in return of their help during the Gurkha invasion in the 19th century.
Kumaon:
- The history of Kumaon can be traced back to the Stone Age.
- Moreover, the early medieval history of Kumaon started with the Katyuri dynasty that ruled from 7th to the 11th century.
- Under the Katyuri dynasty, as the ancient history of Uttarakhand suggests, art and architecture flourished tremendously. Many new architectural buildings and designs flourished during this period.
- However, like all kingdoms that fall after a period of time, Katyuris also lost to the Chands of Pithoragarh.
- The history of Uttarakhand bears witness to the many temples that were built under the Chands of Pithoragarh.
Thus, it can be said that the history of Uttarakhand is, indeed, a record of the genesis and evolution of Uttarakhand.
To know more about the Uttarakhand history, follow the given links:
