Uttar Pradesh 2019: Population, History, Literacy and Facts

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state of India. It is situated in the northern part of India and shares boundary with Uttarakhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and an international border with Nepal.Here, we are giving important information on Uttar Pradesh, which is very useful as GK study material for the preparation of competitive examinations like UPSC-prelims, SSC, State Services, NDA, CDS, and Railways etc.

Physical Features

On the basis of its physiography, the main regions of Uttar Pradesh are the central plains of the Ganga and its tributaries, the southern uplands, the Himalayan region, and the submontane region between the Himalayas and the plains. The Gangetic Plain occupies about three-fourths of the total area of Uttar Pradesh. It largely consists of a fertile plain which is featureless, and varies in elevation, rising up to 300 metres in the northwest, and 60 metres in the extreme east. It is composed of alluvial deposits which are brought down by the Ganga and its tributaries from the Himalayas. The southern uplands constitute a part of the Vindhya Range, which is rugged, largely dissected, and rises towards the south-east. The elevation in this region reaches up to 300 metres.

The submontane region consists of the Bhabar, a narrow bed of alluvium and gravel, which along its southern fringes joins into the Terai area. The Terai area, which previously consisted of tall grass and thick forests, is a marshy and damp tract. A definite portion of the Terai region has been subject to deforestation. The topography of the Himalayan region is vastly varied. There are deep canyons, turbulent streams, large lakes and snow capped peaks.

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Historical Background

The history of Uttar Pradesh is recognised in the later Vedic Age as Brahmarshi Desha or Madhya Desha. Many great sages of the Vedic times like Bhardwaja, Gautam, Yagyavalkaya, Vashishtha, Vishwamitra and Valmiki flourished in this state. Several sacred books of the Aryans were also composed here. Two great epics of India, Ramayana and Mahabharata, appear to have been inspired by Uttar Pradesh. In the Sixth Century BC Uttar Pradesh was associated with two new religions- Jainism and Buddhism. It was at Sarnath that Buddha preached his first sermon and laid the foundations of his order. Several centres in Uttar Pradesh like Ayodhya, Prayag, Varanasi and Mathura became reputed centres of learning.

In the medieval period Uttar Pradesh passed under Muslim rule and led the way to new synthesis of Hindu and Islamic cultures. Ramananda and his Muslim disciple Kabir, Tulsidas, Surdas and many other intellectuals contributed to the growth of Hindi and other languages.

During the British rule in India, there were certain pockets in Uttar Pradesh that were governed by the English equity and common law. In 1773, the Mughal Emperor transferred the districts of Banaras and Ghazipur to the East India Company. The East India Company acquired the area of modernday Uttar Pradesh over a period of time. The territories occupied from the nawabs, the Scindias of Gwalior and the Gurkhas were initially placed within the Bengal Presidency.

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History Behind the creation Uttar Pradesh

1. In January 1858, Lord Canning proceeded to Allahabad and formed the North Western Province excluding Delhi division.

2. In 1856, Awadh was placed under the chief commissioner. The districts were later merged with the North Western Province and began to be known as ‘North Western Provinces and Oudh’ in 1877. The entire province came to be known as the ‘United Provinces of Agra and Oudh’ in 1902.

3. In April 1937, Lucknow became the capital of the province, the name of which was further changed to United Provinces.

4. On January 24, 1950, the then governor general of India passed the United Provinces (alteration of name) Order 1950 renaming the then United Provinces as Uttar Pradesh.

5. On 9 November 2000, a new state, Uttarakhand, was carved out from the Himalayan hill region of Uttar Pradesh.

History of Medieval India: Study Material

Uttar Pradesh at a Glance

In the above above information will increase the general awareness of the readers.

History of Modern India: Study Material