Chunar
Encyclopedia
Chunar छुनर شُنَر, located in Mirzapur District
of Uttar Pradesh
state
, India
, is an ancient town. The railway tracks passing through Chunar leads to major destinations of India, including Howrah, Delhi
, Tatanagar and Varanasi
. National Highway number 7 also passes through Chunar. It is connected to Varanasi, the ancient and pilgrimage city also well-known as Kashi or Benaras, by roads and rails. Chunar is well-known for its pottery work especially clay toys.
The Chunar Fort was established by Maharaja Vikramaditya
, the King of Ujjain
, in honour of the stay of his brother Raja Bhrithari. It is believed that Raja Bhrithari left his body and took Mahasamadhi at this fort, a servant disciple is still taking care of the place and offers deepam dhupam to the Raja everyday (as of 8th Nov 2011).
As per Alha Khand in 1029 AD. King Sahadeo made this fort as his capital and established the statue of Naina Yogini in a cave of Vindhya hill and put the name as Nainagarh. King Sahadeo built a stone umbrella based on 52 pillars in the memory of the victory on 52 other kings, inside the fort which is still preserved. He had a brave daughter who got married with Alha the then King of Mahoba whose marriage place in still preserved with the name of Sonya Mandap. Beside this some other stories are also related with the fort as Magna- Deogarh, Ratan Deo’s Burj (tower) and King Pithaura who named it Patthargarh as well.
In mid July 1537 Humayun
left Agra
and arrived at Chunar after 5 months and spent 3 months besieging the Chunar fort. Humayun later offered Chunar and Jaunpur
to Sher Shah Suri
in exchange for Bengal
It has got much importance due to the stay of the founder of Mughal Dynasty Babar in 1525 AD. Later on Shershah Suri obtained the possession of the fort by marrying the widow wife of Taj Khan Sarang-Khani, the Governer of Ibrahim Lodi.
In 1574 AD. Akbar the great captured this fort and since that very time it was in the Mughal regime upto 1772 AD. Once emperor Jahangir appointed one Iftikhar Khan as Nazim and in the regime of Aurangzeb one of his Governor’s Mirza Bairam built a mosque in 1663 AD. near the Bhairo-Burj.
In 1772AD this fort was captured by East India Company who established in it a depot of Artillery and ammunition. Later it was taken by Maharaja Chet Singh of Benaras temporarily and after Chet Singh outbreak in 1781 AD. Warren Hestings retired for safety to Chunar where a force was collected by Major Phophan, which expelled Chet Singh from his strong hold in his neighbourhood. Hastings liked the situation and climate, his residence is still standing. Near it, there is a Sundial bearing the inscription.
In the medieval period, from 1553-1556, Adil Shah Sur of the Afghan Dynasty of Sher Shah Suri, had his rule from Chunar. Hemu
, also known as Hemu Vikramaditya or Hem Chandra vikramaditya
looked after his empire. Hemu
was Prime Minister and chief of army of Adil Shah's empire. According to Abul Fazal, Hemu
virtually was like the king as he took all the important decisions in the administration. Hemu successfully quelled the rebellion by Afghan Jagirdars against Adil Shah and had won 22 battles, from Bengal to Punjab. Hemu had defeated Akbar's forces two times, at Agra
and Delhi
in the year 1556 and had established Hindu Raj
in North India after his victory in Delhi
on 7 October 1556. Hemu earned the title of Samrat as he continuously won 22 battles without losing any, to be called Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya. He was called a Vikramaditya king for establishing Hindu Raj in North India.
Chunargarh of 'Chandrakanta', the famous classic novel by Babu Devakinandan Khatri, is only 40 km from the holy city of Varanasi. The Chunar Fort is situated on an extension of the Vindhyan range of mountains, with the river Ganges flowing near its base. Various exotic waterfalls and religious worship places attract thousands of tourists and locals.
Chunar is very well known for its pottery industries.
The Indian writer, Premchand, taught in a mission school here at the end of the nineteenth century.
, Chunar had a population of 33,919. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Chunar has an average literacy rate of 57%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 66% and, female literacy is 47%. In Chunar, 16% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Chunar is also a place of tourist interest. A temple of Durga is situated in a cave near in the midst of beautiful sceneries.
Chunar is also known for its communal harmonies. People of all communities live together with peacefully and take part in the each other communal festivals.
Chunar and surrounding villages are majorly populated with Kurmi Kshatriya
, constituting more than 80% of the population.
Chunar consist of a cement factory established by the JAYPEE group and this factory has its own railway line for transporting cement.
Mirzapur District
Mirzapur district is one of the 70 districts of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. The district is bounded on the north by Sant Ravidas Nagar and Varanasi districts, on the east by Chandauli district, on the south by Sonbhadra district and on the norhwest by Allahabad district. The district...
of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, is an ancient town. The railway tracks passing through Chunar leads to major destinations of India, including Howrah, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Tatanagar and Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
. National Highway number 7 also passes through Chunar. It is connected to Varanasi, the ancient and pilgrimage city also well-known as Kashi or Benaras, by roads and rails. Chunar is well-known for its pottery work especially clay toys.
History
In spite of being a small town, Chunar has a great influence in history. As per Puranas, Hindu book of preachings, the oldest name of Chunar was Charanadri as Lord Vishnu had taken his first step in his Vaman incarnation in the dynasty of Great king Bali in the age of Satyug. It was also well known as Nainagarh.The Chunar Fort was established by Maharaja Vikramaditya
Vikramaditya
Vikramaditya was a legendary emperor of Ujjain, India, famed for his wisdom, valour and magnanimity. The title "Vikramaditya" was later assumed by many other kings in Indian history, notably the Gupta King Chandragupta II and Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya .The name King Vikramaditya is a...
, the King of Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
, in honour of the stay of his brother Raja Bhrithari. It is believed that Raja Bhrithari left his body and took Mahasamadhi at this fort, a servant disciple is still taking care of the place and offers deepam dhupam to the Raja everyday (as of 8th Nov 2011).
As per Alha Khand in 1029 AD. King Sahadeo made this fort as his capital and established the statue of Naina Yogini in a cave of Vindhya hill and put the name as Nainagarh. King Sahadeo built a stone umbrella based on 52 pillars in the memory of the victory on 52 other kings, inside the fort which is still preserved. He had a brave daughter who got married with Alha the then King of Mahoba whose marriage place in still preserved with the name of Sonya Mandap. Beside this some other stories are also related with the fort as Magna- Deogarh, Ratan Deo’s Burj (tower) and King Pithaura who named it Patthargarh as well.
In mid July 1537 Humayun
Humayun
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained an even larger one...
left Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
and arrived at Chunar after 5 months and spent 3 months besieging the Chunar fort. Humayun later offered Chunar and Jaunpur
Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh
Jaunpur is a city and a municipal board in Jaunpur district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.Jaunpur district is located to the northwest of the district of Varanasi in the eastern part of the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. According to the 2001 census, Jaunpur district had a population...
to Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri , birth name Farid Khan, also known as Sher Khan , was the founder of the short-lived Sur Empire in northern India, with its capital at Delhi, before its demise in the hands of the resurgent Mughal Empire...
in exchange for Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
It has got much importance due to the stay of the founder of Mughal Dynasty Babar in 1525 AD. Later on Shershah Suri obtained the possession of the fort by marrying the widow wife of Taj Khan Sarang-Khani, the Governer of Ibrahim Lodi.
In 1574 AD. Akbar the great captured this fort and since that very time it was in the Mughal regime upto 1772 AD. Once emperor Jahangir appointed one Iftikhar Khan as Nazim and in the regime of Aurangzeb one of his Governor’s Mirza Bairam built a mosque in 1663 AD. near the Bhairo-Burj.
In 1772AD this fort was captured by East India Company who established in it a depot of Artillery and ammunition. Later it was taken by Maharaja Chet Singh of Benaras temporarily and after Chet Singh outbreak in 1781 AD. Warren Hestings retired for safety to Chunar where a force was collected by Major Phophan, which expelled Chet Singh from his strong hold in his neighbourhood. Hastings liked the situation and climate, his residence is still standing. Near it, there is a Sundial bearing the inscription.
In the medieval period, from 1553-1556, Adil Shah Sur of the Afghan Dynasty of Sher Shah Suri, had his rule from Chunar. Hemu
Hemu
Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, Hemu Vikramaditya or simply Hemu was a Hindu Emperor of India during the sixteenth century, in medieval times...
, also known as Hemu Vikramaditya or Hem Chandra vikramaditya
Hem Chandra Vikramaditya
Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, Hemu Vikramaditya or simply Hemu was a Hindu Emperor of India during the sixteenth century, in medieval times...
looked after his empire. Hemu
Hemu
Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, Hemu Vikramaditya or simply Hemu was a Hindu Emperor of India during the sixteenth century, in medieval times...
was Prime Minister and chief of army of Adil Shah's empire. According to Abul Fazal, Hemu
Hemu
Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, Hemu Vikramaditya or simply Hemu was a Hindu Emperor of India during the sixteenth century, in medieval times...
virtually was like the king as he took all the important decisions in the administration. Hemu successfully quelled the rebellion by Afghan Jagirdars against Adil Shah and had won 22 battles, from Bengal to Punjab. Hemu had defeated Akbar's forces two times, at Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
and Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
in the year 1556 and had established Hindu Raj
Hindu Raj
The Hindu Raj is a mountain range in northern Pakistan, between the Hindu Kush and the Karakoram ranges. Its highest peak is Koyo Zom, 6,872 m . Other notable peaks include Buni Zom and Ghamubar Zom. The range is less well-known than its neighbors, partly because of the absence of any 8000 or 7000...
in North India after his victory in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
on 7 October 1556. Hemu earned the title of Samrat as he continuously won 22 battles without losing any, to be called Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya. He was called a Vikramaditya king for establishing Hindu Raj in North India.
Chunargarh of 'Chandrakanta', the famous classic novel by Babu Devakinandan Khatri, is only 40 km from the holy city of Varanasi. The Chunar Fort is situated on an extension of the Vindhyan range of mountains, with the river Ganges flowing near its base. Various exotic waterfalls and religious worship places attract thousands of tourists and locals.
Chunar is very well known for its pottery industries.
The Indian writer, Premchand, taught in a mission school here at the end of the nineteenth century.
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Chunar had a population of 33,919. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Chunar has an average literacy rate of 57%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 66% and, female literacy is 47%. In Chunar, 16% of the population is under 6 years of age.
People and place
People here are humble, simple and down to earth. Primary mode of earning livelihood is agriculture and agri-based business. Agriculture is primarily dependent on the moderate rainfall occurring between July to September, and the area is well connected with water sources by means of canals. Local dramas and melas (fun-fair and social gathering during off-time in agriculture primarily focused for entertainment), are favourites of the locals.Chunar is also a place of tourist interest. A temple of Durga is situated in a cave near in the midst of beautiful sceneries.
Chunar is also known for its communal harmonies. People of all communities live together with peacefully and take part in the each other communal festivals.
Chunar and surrounding villages are majorly populated with Kurmi Kshatriya
Kurmi
The Kurmi are a Hindu agricultural Jāti in India.The group has been associated with the Kunbi, though scholars differ as to whether the terms are synonymous. In 2006, the Indian government announced that Kurmi was considered synonymous with the Kunbi and Yellam castes in Maharashtra...
, constituting more than 80% of the population.
Chunar consist of a cement factory established by the JAYPEE group and this factory has its own railway line for transporting cement.