Western Uttar Pradesh
Encyclopedia
Western Uttar Pradesh, sometimes simply referred to as West U.P., is a region in India
that comprises the western districts of Uttar Pradesh
state, including the areas of Rohilkhand
and Braj
. The region has some demographic, economic and cultural patterns which are distinct from other parts of Uttar Pradesh, and more closely resemble those of Haryana
and Rajasthan
states. Western Uttar Pradesh has experienced rapid economic growth, in a fashion similar to Haryana and Punjab, due to the successes of the Green Revolution
.
s, Gujjar
s, Gaderia
or Dhangar
s, Jats, Rajput
s, Rohilla Pashtuns
, Ranghar
s, Tyagi
s Garha
s, Jhojha
s and Yadav
s.
Although Hindu
s are in a large majority, the percentage of Muslim
s in Western Uttar Pradesh (estimated to be in the 25%-34% range) is higher than in Uttar Pradesh as a whole (where it is 17%)second is gujjar. Several communities are bi-religious, with both Hindu and Muslim components, e.g. Jats, Gadderia, Gujjars, Rajputs and the Tyagis, although they are largely Hindu.
They are an ethnic group having presence in Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs of north India. gujjars constitute 20% of the populace in the west UP and Rohilkhand, Muslim
s are between 20% and Jatav
s are between 15% and 30%. As per 2001 Census, Muslims and Jatavs together form 34-62% population in Budaun
, Saharanpur
, Muzaffarnagar
, Bijnor
, Moradabad
, Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Rampur
, Bareilly
, Pilibhit
, Meerut, Bulandshahr and Baghpat.
, Haryana
, Delhi
, Rajasthan
and Madhya Pradesh
, as well as a brief international border with Nepal
in Pilibhit district
.
, with some occurrences of sandy soil. Some loess
soil is continuously deposited by winds blowing eastwards from Rajasthan's Thar Desert
.
Ganga River pass through it.
and the Western Disturbance
s. The Monsoon carries moisture northwards from the Indian Ocean
, occurs in late summer and is important to the Kharif or autumn harvest
. Western Disturbances, on the other hand, are an extratropical weather phenomenon that carry moisture eastwards from the Mediterranean Sea
, the Caspian Sea
and the Atlantic Ocean
. They primarily occur during the winter season and are critically important for the main staple of the region, wheat
, which is part of the Rabi or spring harvest
.
) did not benefit to the same extent. These cultural and economic disparities are believed to have fueled the demand for separate statehood in Western Uttar Pradesh. A separate entity would likely become a prosperous smaller state similar to Haryana and Punjab, under greater political control of local ethnic groups.
Some politicians and parties have demanded that Western Uttar Pradesh be granted statehood under the name Harit Pradesh
. Braj Pradesh and Pashchim Pradesh are alternative names that have been proposed, because the region incorporates the historic region of Braj
and is the western (pashchim in Hindi) part of Uttar Pradesh respectively.
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...
that comprises the western districts 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, including the areas of Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand is a region of northwestern Uttar Pradesh state of India.Rohilkhand lies on the upper Ganges alluvial plain and has an area of about 25,000 km²/10,000 square miles...
and Braj
Braj
Braj is a region mainly in Uttar Pradesh of India, around Mathura-Vrindavan. Braj, though never a clearly defined political region in India but is very well demarcated culturally, is considered to be the land of Krishna and is derived from the Sanskrit word vraja...
. The region has some demographic, economic and cultural patterns which are distinct from other parts of Uttar Pradesh, and more closely resemble those of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
and Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
states. Western Uttar Pradesh has experienced rapid economic growth, in a fashion similar to Haryana and Punjab, due to the successes of the Green Revolution
Green Revolution in India
The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds and the increased use of fertilizers and irrigation are known collectively as the Green Revolution, which provided the increase in production needed to make India self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in India...
.
Demographics
The population of Western Uttar Pradesh is composed of a varied set of communities and tribes, including Ahirs, DalitDalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
s, Gujjar
Gujjar
The Gurjar are an ethnic group in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar, Gurjjara and Gūrjara. The spelling Gurjara or Gurjar is preferable to the rest....
s, Gaderia
Gaderia
Gaderia is exclusively used for the cattle grazing community of North India. Gaderia, Charvaha, Gwala and Gujar are synonyms of herdsman....
or Dhangar
Dhangar
The Dhangar caste is primarily located in the Indian state of Maharashtra...
s, Jats, Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s, Rohilla Pashtuns
Rohilla
The Rohilla are a community of Hindi-speaking Pashtun also known as Pathan, historically found in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in North India. Most are now also found in Pakistan where they are now part of the Mohajir community. At one time, they form one of the largest Pashtun diaspora community...
, Ranghar
Ranghar
Ranghar are a Muslim ethnic group, which is found in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and Haryana and Uttar Pradesh states of India. Ranghar were native to Indian state of Haryana and also found in the Doab region of Uttar Pradesh, as well as Delhi in India...
s, Tyagi
Tyagi
Tyagi is a surname of North India and Pakistan. There are both Hindu and Muslim Tyagis. Tyāgī is a sanskrit word meaning the renouncer Once localized to Western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi, they are now also found in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan due to the...
s Garha
Garha
The Garha or sometimes pronounced Gara and occasionally Gada are a Muslim community or caste found in the states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, India.-History and origin:...
s, Jhojha
Jhojha
The Jhojha are a Muslim community or caste found in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in India. Some members of this community migrated to Pakistan in 1947 and have settled in Karachi, Sindh.-History and origin:...
s and Yadav
Yadav
Yādav refers to an umbrella group of traditionally non-elite pastoral communities, or castes, in India and Nepal which since the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has claimed descent from the mythological King Yadu as a part of a movement of social and political resurgence.The term 'Yadav' now...
s.
Although Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s are in a large majority, the percentage of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s in Western Uttar Pradesh (estimated to be in the 25%-34% range) is higher than in Uttar Pradesh as a whole (where it is 17%)second is gujjar. Several communities are bi-religious, with both Hindu and Muslim components, e.g. Jats, Gadderia, Gujjars, Rajputs and the Tyagis, although they are largely Hindu.
They are an ethnic group having presence in Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs of north India. gujjars constitute 20% of the populace in the west UP and Rohilkhand, Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s are between 20% and Jatav
Jatav
Jatav , also called Jatia, Jatba in the Jammu region Jatoi, is the largest tribe of the Chamar caste in India.-Origin and etymology:...
s are between 15% and 30%. As per 2001 Census, Muslims and Jatavs together form 34-62% population in Budaun
Budaun
Badaun or Badayun is a city in the north-central Uttar Pradesh state of northern India. According to famous British Historian George Smith Budaun was named after Ahir prince Budh. Badaun comes under upper doab of Gangatic plains. Pede from Badaun are famous throughout world.-Demographics: India...
, Saharanpur
Saharanpur
Saharanpur is a city and a Municipal Corporation in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur District as well as Saharanpur Division...
, Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar is a major city and a municipal board in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city was established in Mughal period by a Sayyid Jagirdar, Munawar Lashkar Ali, and so named in honour of his father, Muzaffar Ali Khan. It is the headquarters of the Muzaffarnagar district. It is a...
, Bijnor
Bijnor
Bijnor variously spelt as Bijnaur and Bijnour, is a city and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India...
, Moradabad
Moradabad
Moradabad is a city and a municipal corporation in Moradabad district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It was established in 1600 by prince Murad, the son of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan; as a result the city came to be known as Moradabad. It is the administrative headquarters of...
, Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Rampur
Rampur
The name Rampur, together with the variations Ramapur, Ramapura and Ramapuram, may refer to:-Bangladesh:* Rampur Boalia, a medieval region near the present city of Rajshahi, in northwestern Bangladesh west of bangladesjh-India:...
, Bareilly
Bareilly
Bareilly is a prominent city in Bareilly district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Standing on the Ramganga river, it is the capital of the Bareilly division and the geographical region Rohilkhand...
, Pilibhit
Pilibhit
Pilibhit |Hafizabad]]) is a city and a municipal board in the Pilibhit district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Pilibhit is the north-eastern most district of Bareilly division, situated in the Rohilkhand region of the sub-Himalayan Plateau belt on the boundary of Nepal, known for the origin...
, Meerut, Bulandshahr and Baghpat.
Geography
Western Uttar Pradesh shares borders with the states of UttarakhandUttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, 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...
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, as well as a brief international border with Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
in Pilibhit district
Pilibhit District
Pilibhit district is one of the districts in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, and Pilibhit city is the district headquarters. Pilibhit district is a part of Bareilly Division.The city is famous for its contribution to Bollywood, Urdu literature and its involvement in Politics of India...
.
Soil conditions
Western Uttar Pradesh's soil and relief has marked differences from that of the eastern part of the state. The soil tends to be lighter-textured loamLoam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
, with some occurrences of sandy soil. Some loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
soil is continuously deposited by winds blowing eastwards from Rajasthan's Thar Desert
Thar Desert
The Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...
.
Ganga River pass through it.
Precipitation
Western Uttar Pradesh receives rain through the Indian MonsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
and the Western Disturbance
Western Disturbance
Western Disturbance is the term used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal to describe an extratropical storm originating in the Mediterranean, that brings sudden winter rain and snow to the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent. This is a non-monsoonal precipitation pattern driven by...
s. The Monsoon carries moisture northwards from the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, occurs in late summer and is important to the Kharif or autumn harvest
Kharif crop
The crops that are sown in the rainy season are called kharif crops.The Kharif crop is the autumn harvest in India and Pakistan. The term Kharif means "autumn" in Arabic Kharif crops are usually sown with the beginning of the first rains in July, during the south-west monsoon season...
. Western Disturbances, on the other hand, are an extratropical weather phenomenon that carry moisture eastwards from the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. They primarily occur during the winter season and are critically important for the main staple of the region, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, which is part of the Rabi or spring harvest
Rabi crop
Different crops have different requirements for their proper growth , as they grow in different season . Based on the season in which they grow , crops are categorised as:-1.rabi crops2.kharif crops...
.
Administrative divisions
Western Uttar Pradesh includes 22 districts in six divisions:- Meerut divisionMeerut DivisionMeerut division is an administrative geographical unit of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Meerut is the administrative headquarters of the division. Currently, the division consists of districts of Meerut, Bulandshahr, Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, and Bagh Path....
- Saharanpur divisionSaharanpur DivisionSaharanpur division is an administrative geographical unit of Uttar Pradesh state of India. The city of Saharanpur is the administrative headquarters of the division.- Administrative jurisdiction :...
- Moradabad divisionMoradabad DivisionMoradabad division is an administrative geographical unit of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Moradabad is the administrative headquarters of the division. Currently , the division consists of districts of Moradabad, Bijnor, Rampur, Jyotiba Rao Phule Nagar and Bhim Nagar. muslims are main community....
- Bareilly divisionBareilly DivisionBareilly division is an administrative geographical unit of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Bareilly is the administrative headquarters of the division. Currently , the division consists of districts of* Bareilly District* Badaun District...
- Agra divisionAgra DivisionAgra Division is an administrative unit of Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Agra Division consists of:-*Agra District*Firozabad District*Mainpuri District*Mathura District...
- Aligarh divisionAligarh DivisionAligarh division is an administrative unit of Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Aligarh division consists of:-*Aligarh District*Etah District*Mahamayanagar District*Kanshiram Nagar District-See also:Districts of Uttar Pradesh...
Demands for statehood
In Uttar Pradesh, "the cultural divide between the east and the west is considerable, with the purabiyas (easterners) often being clubbed with Biharis in the perception of the westerners." Also, while the green revolution resulted in a rapidly rising standard of living in Western Uttar Pradesh, Eastern Uttar Pradesh (like BiharBihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
) did not benefit to the same extent. These cultural and economic disparities are believed to have fueled the demand for separate statehood in Western Uttar Pradesh. A separate entity would likely become a prosperous smaller state similar to Haryana and Punjab, under greater political control of local ethnic groups.
Some politicians and parties have demanded that Western Uttar Pradesh be granted statehood under the name Harit Pradesh
Harit Pradesh
Harit Pradesh is a proposed new state of India comprising the western parts of Uttar Pradesh state. Braj Pradesh and Pashchim Pradesh are alternative names that have been proposed, because the region incorporates the historic region of Braj and is the western part of Uttar Pradesh...
. Braj Pradesh and Pashchim Pradesh are alternative names that have been proposed, because the region incorporates the historic region of Braj
Braj
Braj is a region mainly in Uttar Pradesh of India, around Mathura-Vrindavan. Braj, though never a clearly defined political region in India but is very well demarcated culturally, is considered to be the land of Krishna and is derived from the Sanskrit word vraja...
and is the western (pashchim in Hindi) part of Uttar Pradesh respectively.
See also
- Harit PradeshHarit PradeshHarit Pradesh is a proposed new state of India comprising the western parts of Uttar Pradesh state. Braj Pradesh and Pashchim Pradesh are alternative names that have been proposed, because the region incorporates the historic region of Braj and is the western part of Uttar Pradesh...
- Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar 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...
- GujjarGujjarThe Gurjar are an ethnic group in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar, Gurjjara and Gūrjara. The spelling Gurjara or Gurjar is preferable to the rest....
s - Ahir clansAhir clansThe Ahir clans are the various subsets of the Ahir, a primarily Hindu class of herdsman in India.-Nandvanshi:A legendary story of the origin of the Nandvanshi Ahirs narrates that on his way to kill the rakshas, Krishna crossed the river Yamuna accompanied by the Gawlis; those that crossed the river...
- Jats
- Yaduvanshi Ahirs
- GaderiaGaderiaGaderia is exclusively used for the cattle grazing community of North India. Gaderia, Charvaha, Gwala and Gujar are synonyms of herdsman....
- DhangarDhangarThe Dhangar caste is primarily located in the Indian state of Maharashtra...