Uttar Pradesh: Difference between revisions

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}} {{Infobox Indian state or territory

| name = Uttar Pradesh

| name = Uttar Pradesh {{Verified}}

| image = Uttar Pradesh Map.jpg

| image_caption = Map showing the location of Uttar Pradesh

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By 6000 BCE, people started living in villages with domesticated cattle, sheep, and goats, and also began practicing agriculture. From about 4000 to 1500 BCE, these settlements developed further, starting with the Indus Valley and Harappan culture, then moving into the Vedic period and later the Iron Age.

=== Ancient and Classical Period ===

In ancient India, there were sixteen great kingdoms called Mahajanapadas, out of which seven were located in present-day Uttar Pradesh. The Kingdom of Kosala was one of them, with its capital in Ayodhya, where, according to Hindu belief, Lord Rama ruled. Another important city was Mathura, said to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna, a key figure in the Mahabharata. The famous Kurukshetra War is also believed to have taken place near the Upper Doab and Delhi during the time of the Pandava king Yudhishthira. The Kuru kingdom is linked with the beginning of the Iron Age in India around 1000 BCE.

The Gangetic plains were very important for India’s major empires, including the Maurya, Kushan, Gupta, and Gurjara-Pratihara dynasties. After the fall of the Gupta Empire due to Huns’ invasions, the city of Kannauj rose to power. Under Harshavardhana (590–647 CE), Kannauj became very strong, ruling over a large part of north and central India, from Punjab to Bengal and Gujarat to Odisha. However, after his death, the empire broke into smaller kingdoms. Kannauj later came under the control of the Gurjara-Pratiharas, who often fought with the Pala Empire of Bengal. The city was also attacked many times by the Rashtrakutas of South India. Finally, after the fall of the Palas, the Chero dynasty ruled parts of Uttar Pradesh from the 12th to the 18th century.

=== Delhi Sultanate ===

The Delhi Sultanate ruled parts or all of Uttar Pradesh for about 320 years (1206–1526). It was ruled by five dynasties one after another: the Mamluk dynasty (1206–1290), the Khalji dynasty (1290–1320), the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1414), the Sayyid dynasty (1414–1451), and the Lodi dynasty (1451–1526).

The first Sultan of Delhi, Qutb ud-Din Aibak, captured places like Meerut, Aligarh, and Etawah. His successor Iltutmish expanded power further by defeating the King of Kannauj. Later, Sultan Balban faced many rebellions in Uttar Pradesh but managed to control them. Alauddin Khalji extended his rule to cities like Varanasi and Prayagraj.

This period also saw the rise of Sufism in Uttar Pradesh. Famous Sufi saints like Nizamuddin Auliya and Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki spread their teachings, which influenced the people deeply. During the Sultanate era, many mosques and tombs were built, such as the Atala Masjid in Jaunpur, the Jama Masjid in Fatehpur Sikri, and Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq’s Tomb in Tughlaqabad.

=== Medieval and Early Modern period ===

In the 16th century, Babur, a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan, came through the Khyber Pass and founded the Mughal Empire, which covered India along with modern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The Mughals were of Central Asian Turkish origin with some Mongol ancestry. During their rule, Uttar Pradesh became the heartland of the empire. Mughal rulers Babur and Humayun ruled from Delhi.

In 1540, Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun and took control of Uttar Pradesh. He and his son Islam Shah ruled from their capital at Gwalior. After Islam Shah’s death, his prime minister Hemu became ruler of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and parts of Bengal. He was crowned as Hemchandra Vikramaditya at Purana Qila in Delhi in 1556. But a month later, he was killed in the Second Battle of Panipat, and then Akbar took control. Emperor Akbar ruled from Agra and Fatehpur Sikri.

=== British India period ===

In the second half of the 18th century, the British East India Company gained control over much of North India, including present-day Uttar Pradesh. This area was first called the North-Western Provinces (NWPA), with its capital shifting between Agra and Allahabad. Later, after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, which began in Meerut with Mangal Pandey, the British reorganized the regions. Delhi was merged with Punjab, Ajmer with Rajputana, and Oudh was joined with Agra to form the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, renamed in 1902 as the United Provinces (UP).

In 1920, the capital was shifted from Allahabad to Lucknow, but the High Court remained in Allahabad. Uttar Pradesh played a major role in India’s independence movement. Important universities like Aligarh Muslim University, Banaras Hindu University, and Darul Uloom Deoband were founded here. Many freedom fighters such as Ram Prasad Bismil, Chandra Shekhar Azad, and leaders like Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Madan Mohan Malaviya, and Govind Ballabh Pant came from this region. The All India Kisan Sabha was formed in Lucknow in 1936 to fight for farmers’ rights. During the Quit India Movement in 1942, the people of Ballia district declared independence and set up their own administration under Chittu Pandey, earning the name “Baghi Ballia” (Rebel Ballia).

=== Post Independence period ===

After India became independent in 1947, the United Provinces was renamed Uttar Pradesh (meaning “northern province”) on 24 January 1950. This name also kept UP as its short form. The new state was created by merging many princely states and territories, including Agra, Oudh, and Delhi.

Uttar Pradesh has given India nine prime ministers, the highest from any state, and it also sends the largest number of seats to the Lok Sabha (India’s parliament). However, despite its political importance, the state has struggled with poor economic growth, weak administration, corruption, and crime, which made it one of India’s backward states.

The state has also faced many problems of caste and communal violence. In December 1992, the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished by Hindu activists, leading to riots across India. Later, in 2000, the northern districts of Uttar Pradesh were separated to create the new state of Uttarakhand.

== Geography ==

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Uttar Pradesh has over 32 rivers, with the Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Sarayu, Betwa, and Ghaghara being the largest and important in Hinduism. Farming is widely practiced. The state has three main agricultural zones: Middle Gangetic Plains (Zone IV), Upper Gangetic Plains (Zone V), and Central Plateau and Hills (Zone VIII). The valley areas have rich soil, while some hill slopes are farmed with limited irrigation. The Siwalik Range forms the southern Himalayan foothills, sloping into the Bhabhar. The Terai-Bhabhar belt runs along the state, with dense forests and many streams that swell during the monsoon.

===Administrative Divisions of Uttar Pradesh===

Uttar Pradesh is divided into 75 districts under 18 divisions:

* Saharanpur

* Moradabad

* Bareilly

* Meerut

* Aligarh

* Agra

* Devipatan

* Basti

* Gorakhpur

* Kanpur

* Lucknow

* Ayodhya

* Azamgarh

* Jhansi

* Chitrakoot

* Prayagraj

* Varanasi

* Mirzapur

== Culture ==

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Politics in Uttar Pradesh is dominated by four main parties – the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Indian National Congress (INC). The state’s politics is often marked by strong competition, caste-based divisions, and communal tensions. Despite being the home state of eight Prime Ministers, Uttar Pradesh still struggles with many challenges to its development.

~~===Administrative Divisions of Uttar Pradesh===~~

~~Uttar Pradesh is divided into 75 districts under 18 divisions:~~