Kanpur was not known to the world before 13^th century. But the two suburbs of Kanpur, Bithoor and Jajmau had an important place in the history. There are many Hindu myths about these two regions. Bithoor is located 20 km away from Kanpur and Jajmau lies 10 km east of the city. The excavations of Jajmau and the remnants of the ancient fort reveal that the history of the place starts from the Vedic period. The stories behind these two places are quite interesting though they do not have any evidence. It is said that Ashvamedha Yaga was conducted by Lord Brahma in Bithoor and Valmiki who is believed to have written the great epic Ramayana lived here. When Sita was exiled by Rama, she spent her days in the ashram of Valmiki.

The name Kanpur is said to have originated from the name Kanhiyapur or Kohna or Makanpur or Karnapur. Kanhiyapur means the place of Kanhiya, Lord Krishna of Hindu mythology. Kohna was the name given to this place when Raja Kanti Deo of Prayag founded this village in 1207 AD. Makanpur is another village located near this place and it was formerly called as Khairabad. Karna is one of the heroes of Mahabharata and Karnapur means place of Karna. During the British rule in India, the British anglicized the name to Cawnpore. It was also called as Khanpur.

Before Kanpur went into the hands of the British in 1801, it was an insignificant village. It remained a part of the Kingdom of Oudh from 1773 to 1801. Shuja Ud Daula was defeated by the British army near Jajmau in May 1765. According to the Treaty of 1801, British got possession of the place and on 24^th March 1803, it was made into a district. British had their military base established at Kanpur. They built Ganges Canal in 1854. Many European businessmen came to Kanpur to carry out their businesses.

Kanpur had an important place in the history of the First War of Indian Independence in 1857. Under the leadership of Nana Saheb, many British were besieged for 22 days. Finally they surrendered and escaped through the Satti Chaura Ghat. They were shot at that time and many people both British and Indians lost their lives in that confusion. Kanpur Memorial Church was built in 1862 in the memory o the people who were killed in the struggle.

After the struggle of 1857, Kanpur became a major industrial center. The first business house, NihalChand KishoriLal group was established in 1857. Many textile industries and leather industries sprang up in this region. The headquarters of the British India Corporation was established here leading to the development of industries. Being one of the largest manufacturers of the textiles, it was known as the Manchester of India. Many factories were started from 1930 by Juggilal Kamlapat Singhania family.

Kanpur Sangrahalaya or Kanpur museum was established in 1999 at Phool Bagh Maidan housing various pictures and artifacts of the pre-colonial and colonial era. Kanpur photos and Kanpur videos are really interesting.

Article Posted By : Sumazla  On February 07, 2012lView All Articles

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