| Kanpur Cawnpore |
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| "Leather City of the world" ; "Economic Capital of U.P"(archaic) | |
| — metropolitian city — | |
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| Coordinates | 26°27′39″N 80°20′00″E / 26.460738°N 80.333405°E |
| Country |  India |
| Region | Awadh Lower Doab |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| District(s) | Kanpur Nagar District Kanpur Dehat District |
| Mayor | Ravindra Patani (Member of Bharatiya Janata Party) |
| Population |
4,952,468[1] (10) (2010) |
| Sex ratio | 0.869 ♂/♀ |
| Literacy | 77.63% |
| Official languages | Hindi, English, Avadhi, Urdu |
|---|---|
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area |
>1642.0000 km2 (634 sq mi) • 126 m (413 ft) |
| Climate • Precipitation |
Cfa (Köppen) • 980 mm (38.6 in) |
| Website | www.kanpurnagar.nic.in |
Kanpur 
pronunciation (·info) (Hindi: कानपुर, Urdu: کان پور), spelled as Cawnpore before 1948, is the ninth most populous city in India and the largest within the state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the second largest city of the Hindi-speaking belt after Delhi. Remains one of the oldest industrial townships of North India,[4] although it has not kept pace with industrial growth in the rest of India due to political indifference. It has a metropolitan area of over 1,640 square kilometres (630 sq mi) and a city area of around 829 sq. km with a population of approximately 5 million,[1]. With this huge population city also has lot of problems with traffic and pollution. Continuous development in the city like over-bridges,sewage lines and roads caused problems to citizens for last 2 to 3 years.The status of the city was upgraded when it was included in the "Counter Magnets" of National Capital Region (NCR). To tackle the traffic problem state government and local administration have planned to set up metro service in city known as Kanpur Metro. Owing to the city's industrial importance, one of the few branches of the Reserve Banks of India and Institute of Chartered Accountants of India were established in the city. It is also home to several globally recognized institutions such as IIT Kanpur, Harcourt Butler Technological Institute (HBTI) and GSVM Medical College.
History
Nestled on the banks of the river Ganga, Kanpur stands as one of North India’s major industrial centres with its own historical, religious and commercial importance. It is believed to have been founded by Hindu Chandel King of the state of Sachendi.[5] The city's name is believed to have been derived from Kanhiyapur, the town of Kanhiya (Lord Krishna). In the course of time, Kanhiyapur probably was abbreviated as Kanhapur and subsequently as Kanpur. "Cawnpore" was the Anglicized spelling of the name during the British Raj.
Others believe that the name is derived from Karnapur and is associated with Karna, one of the heroes of the Mahabharata. Duryodhana made Karna a king, seeing him as a fitting match to Arjuna, and granted him this area; the region was named after its first king. Another theory is that it came from the nearby town of Makanpur, earlier known as Khairabad, where the Sufi saint of the Madariya Sufi order, Badiuddin Zinda Shah Madar (d. 1434 CE), settled.[6] Historically, Jajmau, on the eastern outskirts of present day Kanpur, is regarded as one of the original settlements in the Kanpur district.
Kanpur's development is unclear until the 13th century. Although no reference to Kanpur is found in history, the history of two of its suburbs, Jajmau and Bithoor, can be traced back to legendary times. Bithoor is located about 20 km upstream from the city and is approximately 10 km from the IIT Kanpur Campus. Jajmau is about 8 km east of Kanpur city and is nearly 20 km downstream from the IIT Campus. According to Hindu mythology, just after creating the universe, Lord Brahma performed the Ashvamedh Yajna (a horse is released and escorted by armies, which engaged in battle anyone who impeded the horse's progress) at Bithoor (also known as Brahmavart) and established a shivalingam there. Another legendary site at Bithoor is the Valmiki Ashram, where the famous sage Valmiki is supposed to have written the Sanskrit epic, the Ramayana. According to this epic, queen Seeta, on being exiled by King Ramachandra of Ayodhya, spent her days in seclusion at the ashram bringing up her twin sons, Lava and Kush.
At Jajmau there are remains of an ancient fort, now surviving as a huge mound. Recent excavations on this mound indicate that the site is very ancient, perhaps dating back to the Vedic age. Popular legends state that the fort belonged to Yayati, a king of the ancient Chandravanshi race, the eighth in succession to Lord Brahma. The famous Siddhnath temple of Lord Shiva and the Siddha Devi temple at Jajmau belong to the Buddhist period. The place was once known as Siddhpuri. Now one museum is going to open in Jajmau named Jajmau Museum.The museum will contain the things of pre-mauryan period which are found in tila
At Shivrajpur, 20 km from the Kanpur Central Railway Station, there is an ancient temple built by Chandel Raja Sati Prasad in memory of his queen. This temple is supposed to have been built in a night and is situated on the banks of river Ganga. This temple is famous for its beautiful architectural work and its unique carving designs.
Gurjar Parihar rulers of Kannauj may have ruled this place for a significant part of history long before the beginning of Mughal era. Some historical accounts suggest Gurjara Pratihara emperor, Mihir Bhoja, has ruled in Kanpur since nearby Kannuaj was the capital of Gurjar Parihar.[7]
In 1207 AD, Raja Kanti Deo of Prayag (connected to the throne of Kannauj) established the village Kohna, which later came to be known as Kanpur. Kanpur continued its association with Kannauj during the reigns of Harsha Vardhan, Mihir Bhoja, Jai Chand and early Muslim rulers through the Sur Dynasty. The first mention of Kanpur was made in 1579 during Sher Shah's regime. Up to the first half of the 18th century, Kanpur continued to survive as an insignificant village. Its fate, however, took a new turn in the second half of the 18th century. In May 1765, Shuja-ud-daula, the Nawab Wazir of Awadh, was defeated by the British near Jajmau. From 1773 to 1801, it was part of the Oudh kingdom and then came into the hands of the British. At this time, the British realized the strategic importance of the site of Kanpur. European businessmen had, by this time, started establishing themselves in Kanpur. In order to ensure protection for their lives and property, the European business shifted the `Awadh local forces’ here in 1778. Kanpur passed into British hands under the treaty of 1801 with Nawab Saadat Ali Khan of Awadh. This forms a turning point in the history of Kanpur, as it became one of the most important military stations of British India. It was declared a district on 24 March 1803. South of Parmat were the British infantry lines and the parade grounds. Indian infantry occupied the space from the present Chunniganj to the Christ Church College. The Company Bagh was laid in 1847 and the construction of the Ganga canal was completed in 1854.
The Kanpur Sangrahalaya/Kanpur Museum housing valuable artifacts from pre-colonial and colonial period, was established in 1999, in a section of KEM Hall, Phool Bagh Maidan.
First War of Independence 1857
In the 19th century, Kanpur was an important British garrison with barracks for 7,000 soldiers. During the First War of Independence 1857, 900 British were besieged in the fortifications for 22 days by rebels under Nana Sahib. They surrendered on the agreement that they would get safe passage to the nearby Satti Chaura Ghat whereupon they would board barges and be allowed to go by river to Allahabad.
Though controversy surrounds what exactly happened at the Satti Chaura Ghat, and who fired the first shot, it is known that soon afterwards, the departing British were shot at, by the rebel sepoys, and were either killed or captured. Some of the British officers later claimed that the rebels had placed the boats as high in the mud as possible, on purpose to cause delay. They also claimed that Nana Sahib's camp had previously arranged for the rebels to fire upon and kill all the English. Although the East India Company later accused Nana Sahib of betrayal and murder of innocent people, no evidence has ever been found to prove that Nana Sahib had pre-planned or ordered the massacre. Some historians believe that the Satti Chaura Ghat massacre was the result of confusion, and not of any plan implemented by Nana Sahib and his associates. Lieutenant Mowbray Thomson, one of the four male survivors of the massacre, believed that the rank-and-file sepoys who spoke to him did not know of the killing to come.
Many were killed and the remaining 200 British women and children were brought back to shore and sent to a building called the Bibighar (the ladies' home). After some time, the commanders of the rebels decided to execute their hostages. The rebel soldiers refused to carry out orders, and butchers from the nearby town were brought in to kill the hostages three days before the British entered the city on July 18. The dismembered bodies were thrown into a deep well nearby. The British under General Neill retook the city and committed a series of retaliations against the rebel Sepoys and those unfortunate civilians caught in the area, including women, children and old men. The Kanpur Massacre, as well as similar events elsewhere, were seen by the British as an occasion for unrestrained vengeance.[8]
The British dismantled the Bibighar and raised and a memorial railing and a cross at the site of the well. In 1862, they built a church called All Souls' Cathedral in memory of those killed; renamed the Kanpur Memorial Church. This Church still stands at what was the northeast corner of Wheeler’s entrenchment. The marble gothic screen with the famous `mournful seraph’ was transferred to the churchyard after independence in 1947, and in its place a bust of Tantya Tope installed at Nana Rao Park. The well is now bricked over, but the remains of a circular ridge and 'Boodha Bargad' (Old Banyan Tree) are still there.
Development of industries
After 1857, it became an important center of the leather and textile industries. The Government Harness and Saddler Factory was started in 1860 to supply the army with leather products, followed by Cooper Allen & Co. in 1880. The first cotton textile mill, the Elgin Mills, was started in 1862 and Muir Mills in 1882, and many others that followed in the next 40 years, such as Victoria Mills and Atherton West & Co. (Atherton Mills), made Cawnpore a major textile producer.The Elgin Mills of Cawnpore was famous for its Drill Khakhi during the early/mid Twentieth Century. The Khaki cloth was famous for its colour and durability. The man behind this was the Dyeing Master Gopal Sadashiv Gogate, who unfortunately died on 17th December, 1942. Today he remains forgotten and unsung for all his efforts and perseverance that contributed to the success of the company. The British India Corporation (BIC) was headquartered here and led the development of many industries.[citation needed]
The first Indian business house of Cawnpore was the firm NihalChand KishoriLal, which set up a trading facility in 1857. This firm was a leader in oil milling and had many oil mills spread across North India. The Juggilal Kamlapat Singhania family launched many factories between 1930 and 1970. The Jaipuria family contributed to the patriotic cause, by building the Swadeshi Cotton Mills in response to charges that the foreign rulers were raiding India of its cotton only to sell back textiles to the residents. Kanpur was known as the "Manchester of India" during the 20th century. The NihalChand KishoriLal group (also known as Kejriwal Group) over time diversified into flour milling, tea plantations and steel. They bought the Cawnpore Flour Mills in 1942, which had been established in 1886 by Edward Foy, a Scotsman. New Cawnpore Flour Mills is at present one of the larger flour mills of North India and still managed by the same family.[citation needed] In 1901, with a population of 1,258,868, second only to Allahabad, the district headquarters, Kanpur was the largest trading and manufacturing centre in the United Provinces [9]
The steel industry was first brought to Kanpur by Singh Engineering. The Kejriwals set up a ministeel mill on the outskirts of Kanpur, which is now a leading long products manufacturer. Kanpur is also an important center for India's leather industry. It is also one of the largest sugar producing areas in northern India. As of now, the city also owns many leather tanneries, and over a dozen Defence Ordnance Factories.[citation needed]
Recent years has brought a change to the area industry, with LML Automobiles, the largest Industry in the city slowing down production drastically and eventually shitting down. There has been some growth in the plastics and the 3-wheeler automotive industries.
Kanpur has been, for a long time neglected by the local state governments despite its huge contribution to the economy, it not only has the largest population in the state but also is the largest Industrial Hub in all of North India after New Delhi Region. Traditionally Kanpur has elected Indian National Congress Representatives, whereas the party has become very week in the state, causing the neglect of the city by the Regional Parties. The city suffers among other things, immense power cuts, even in the Industrial Zones. It requires an influx of funding and political support if it is to return to its former glory. The city has the potential to spear-head the development of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous but also one of the poorest states in the country[citation needed]
The British contributed to charitable causes in the city by building the Ursula Horsman Hospital, the Hallet Hospital, Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, by protecting the Allen Forest (now a zoo) and many other efforts. Most of these are now renamed, though a lot of residents still call them by their old names. The distortion of names is most visible at the railway crossing bridge next to the Railway Station, where the now-closed Murray Company is conveniently called Mare Company (Dead).[citation needed]
Due to the onset of leather industries, the pollution levels have risen dangerously high. Due to lack of proper planning, the city is equaling Delhi as a victim of congestion and overcrowding. Urban planning has yet to evolve. Agencies responsible for this have still a long way to go from selling plots of land to planning wholesome development. A recent article in the Time Asia magazine[10] says it all regarding the pollution in the city.
New industries such as detergent, saddlery, food processing, pan masala, tea packaging, plastics and packaging, jewellery manufacturing and exports, leather processing and goods, have developed in the city. Among them, the Pan Masala industry is the largest employer in the region as well as the largest source of tax for the government. The world famous brands -"Pan Bahaar" & "Pan Parag" among many originated in the city.
- Kanpur, now a 'Town of Export Excellence'
The centre has announced Kanpur as 'Town of Export Excellence'
The announcement would now facilitate the city exporters with various extra facilities and concessions. Leather and other exporters have welcomed the news.
Cultural history
Nestled on the banks of the eternal Ganga, Kanpur stands as one of North India’s major industrial centres with its own historical, religious and commercial importance. Believed to have been founded by king Hindu Singh of the erstwhile state of Sachendi, Kanpur was originally known as "Kanhpur". Historically, Jajmau on the eastern outskirts of present day Kanpur is regarded as one of the most archaic townships of Kanpur district. Up to the first half of the 18th century, Kanpur continued to survive as an insignificant village. Its fate, however, took a new turn soon after. In May 1765, Shuja-ud-daula, the Nawab Wazir of Awadh, was defeated by the British near Jajmau. It was probably at this time that strategic importance of the site of Kanpur was realised by the British. European businessmen had by this time gradually started establishing themselves in Kanpur. In order to ensure protection to their lives and property, the "Awadh local forces" were shifted here in 1778. Kanpur passed into British hands under the treaty of 1801 with Nawab Saadat Ali Khan of Awadh. This forms a turning point in the history of Kanpur. Soon Kanpur became one of the most important military stations of British India. It was declared a district on 24 March 1803.
Kanpur was a hotbed of change in the independence and literary movements during the 1900–1950 period. The largest shopping centre is named Navin Market, after the poet Bal Krishna Sharma aka "Navin". Later poets included Gopal Das "Niraj" who wrote songs for Bollywood movies. Kanpur is also the birthplace of Shyamlal Gupta `Parshad’, composer of the famous ditty Vijayee Vishwa Tiranga Pyara. The propagation and popularization of Hindi also owes much to this city, with great Hindu literatteurs such as Acharya Mahavir Parasad Dwivedi, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, Pratap Narain Mishra and Acharya Gaya Prasad Shukla `Sanehi’. The Agricultural University is named after the revolutionary Chandrashekhar Azad and the Medical College after Ganesh Shanker Vidyarthi; both men spent much time in Kanpur. While Chandrashekhar 'Azad' shot himself when surrounded by a huge posse of British soldiers at Alfred Park, Allahabad, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi was killed during the Hindu-Muslim riots of 1931 at Machli Bazar in Kanpur.
About 25 km from Kanpur is Bithoor. Legend has it that Sita, the wife of Lord Rama came to live at the ashram of sage Valmiki, after Rama expelled her from Ayodhya. It was here that she gave birth to the twins Lava (Ramayana) and Kusha (Ramayana), and disappeared back into the earth (from where she was born) when confronted by a repentant Rama. Bithoor is also the site of the fort to which Nana Sahib escaped following the British retaking of Kanpur. Today, Bithoor is a tourist spot on the banks of the Ganges and Kanpur is expanding very fast with new residential complexes sprouting up everywhere. Among festivals Ganga Mela is a unique festival that is played only in kanpur, 7 days after the festival Holi. The festival is celebrated in the memories of revolutionaries who were released by British government who were held prisoners during 1857 revolution.
Geography
The city's coordinates are 26.4670° North and 80.3500° East, placing it 83 km from Lucknow.The Government of Uttar Pradesh has carved out the new district of Kanpur Dehat from the old Kanpur Rural district. Kanpur, along with Allahabad and Fatehpur, are part of the Lower Doab, which in antiquity was known as the Vatsa country. It is surrounded by two main rivers of India, the Ganges in the northeast and the Pandu River (Yamuna) in the south. The districts surrounding Kanpur are Hamirpur in the south and Unnao in the north-east. The arid region of Bundelkhand lies just south of Kanpur. Kanpur district along with Kanpur Dehat district lie between the fertile Doab region of Ganga and Yamuna rivers. The river Yamuna marks the boundary between the Avadh and Bundelkhand regions. Kanpur City comes under the Indo-Gangetic planes of India. There are facilities of clean drinking water. Water comes from Kanpur City by Ganga Barge and there are various pumping stations for providing water to Farmers for crops. Kanpur is situated on the left side of river Ganges and right side is Shuklaganj which is in Unnao District but is also the part of Kanpur.
Surrounding Districts
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