History of Kumaon

History

The Kunindas was the first ruling dynasty of Kumaon and reigned from 500 BCE to CE 600.

From the 7th to the 11th century, the Katyuri kings ruled the Kumaon region and built the 900-year-old sun temple of Katarmal, on a hilltop facing east (opposite Almora). Karttikeyapura (modern Baijnath) was the new capital and the Gomati Valley came to be known as the Katyur Valley after the ruling dynasty.

almora bazar c1860

Sometime in the 10th century, the Chand kingdom was established by Som Chand, who came from Kannuaj near Allahabad, and displaced the Katyuri Kings. He continued to call his state Kurmanchal, and established its capital in Champawat in Kali Kumaon. The Baleshwar and Nagnath temples were built in this former capital city during the 11th and 12th centuries.From the 13th to 18th centuries, Kumaon prospered under the Chand monarchs who had their origins in the plains of India. During this period, learning and new forms of painting (the Pahari school of art) developed. During 1591–1611 Kumaon invaded Garhwal seven times. Finally King Man Shah of Garhwal defeated King Laxmi Chand of Kumaon and took his capital after repelling each of the seven incursions of Kumaon. The present king of Kumaon is Mahendra Chand of Lamakhet (Pithoragarh), he is married to Gita Chand of Rina and has three childrens (Aakanksha Chand, Mallika Chand, Aryan Chand).

British Raj

In 1791, the expanding Gurkha Empire of Nepal overran Almora, the seat of the Kumaon Kingdom. With the conclusion of the Anglo-Nepalese War, Kumaon was ceded to the British as part of the Treaty of Sugauli. It was governed for seventy years on the non-regulation system by three administrators: Mr. Traill, Mr J. H. Batten and Sir Henry Ramsay.

Kumaon Division

Kumaon (Hindi: कुमाऊं) or Kumaun is one of the two regions and administrative divisions of Uttarakhand, a mountainous state of northern India, the other being Garhwal. It includes the districts of Almora, Bageshwar,Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar. It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east byNepal, on the south by the state of Uttar Pradesh, and on the west by the Garhwal region. The people of Kumaon are known as Kumaonis and speak the Kumaoni language.

It is home to a famous Indian Army regiment, the Kumaon Regiment.

Important towns of Kumaon are Haldwani, Nainital, Almora, Pithoragarh, Rudrapur, Kashipur, Pantnagar,Mukteshwar and Ranikhet. Nainital is the administrative centre of Kumaon Division and this is where the Uttarakhand high court is located.