Saharanpur

Saharanpur is a significant city and municipal corporation located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It serves as the administrative headquarters for the Saharanpur district. Geographically, the city is situated within a doab, which is a tract of land located between two rivers. It sits south-southeast of Chandigarh and north-northeast of Delhi. The surrounding region is also near the cities of Shamli and Dehradun. Interestingly, the Saharanpur district acts as a meeting point for four different Indian states: Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana.

The history of the region is tied to the names of holy figures and powerful empires. During the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century, the area was mostly forests and marshlands. Rivers like the Paondhoi, Dhamola, and Ganda Nala flowed through these wet landscapes. In 1340, Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq visited a Sufi saint named Shah Haroon Chishti on the banks of the Paondhoi River. To honor this sage, the Sultan ordered the region to be called Shah-Haroonpur. This is how the modern name Saharanpur originated. The saint's well-preserved tomb can still be found in the city's oldest quarter today.

Various empires have fought for and ruled this territory over many centuries. Following the decline of the Sultanate, the area was attacked by Timur the Lame in 1399. Later, the Mughal Empire was founded by Babur, a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan. During the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar, Saharanpur became part of the Province of Delhi. Akbar granted the land to Raja Sah Ranveer Singh, an Aggarwal Jain. The Raja established the foundations of the current city on the site of an army cantonment. At that time, the city was walled and featured four main gates: Sarai Gate, Mali Gate, Buria Gate, and Lakhi Gate.

Political control shifted again during the 18th century. After the invasion of Nadir Shah in 1739, the region saw periods of anarchy and was ruled by Jats. The Rohilla leaders later took control, and the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Durrani granted the territory to the Rohilla chief Najaf Khan in 1754. However, the Maratha army captured the region in 1757. Conflict between the Rohillas and Marathas ended in 1788 after the defeat of Nawab Ghulam Qadir. The city then became the northernmost district of the Maratha Empire. Eventually, the British East India Company defeated the Maratha Empire in 1803, bringing Saharanpur under British suzerainty.

Saharanpur has a history of resistance against foreign rule. In 1813, the Hindu Gujjars launched a mass revolt against the British. In 1824, Raja Kunja Singh led another armed rebellion to establish an independent state, though he was eventually defeated. During the First War of Indian Independence in 1857, the Saharanpur and Muzaffarnagar districts were part of the uprising. Following the failure of this rebellion, the British responded with severe retribution. In the years after, the city became a center for religious and social education. This included the establishment of the Mazahir Uloom theological seminary, which was supported by scholars following the ideology of the Darul Uloom Deoband.

Today, Saharanpur is a large and diverse urban center. According to the 2011 census, the city had a population of 705,478 people living in 129,856 households. The city covers an area of 131.5 square kilometers and has a population density of 5,365 people per square kilometer. It is the eleventh most populous city in Uttar Pradesh. The population is roughly half Hindu and 45 percent Muslim, with smaller numbers of Sikhs and Jains. While Hindi is the most common language, many residents also speak Urdu, Punjabi, or Haryanvi. The city is also recognized as one of India's 100 Smart Cities under a national mission.

The city contains several sites of scientific and cultural importance. The Saharanpur Botanical Gardens, or Company Garden, was established before 1750. It was once the preserve of the British East India Company and is one of the oldest gardens in India. This garden played a major role in the global economy by helping to introduce the tea plant from China to India. In 1887, Saharanpur became the center for the Botanical Survey of India's study of northern flora. Another notable landmark is the Shakumbari Devi Temple, an ancient Hindu temple located in the Shivalik hills near Behat.