UKPCS- UTTARAKHAND HISTORY

KRAANTI.IN Uttarakhand — A Historical Study Comprehensive Chapter Notes with MCQs, Rapid Revision Tables and a Prelims/Mains-oriented Fact Checklist Prepared by Prabhakar — UKPCS Preparation   Table of Contents • 1. Sources of Uttarakhand History • 2. Prehistoric Period • 3. Protohistoric / Puranic Period • 4. Ancient Uttarakhand • 5. Medieval Uttarakhand • 6. Gorkha Rule • 7. British Rule • 8. Tehri Garhwal State • 9. Socio-Religious and Political Awakening • 10. Freedom Movement in Uttarakhand • 11. Important Personalities • 12. Important Dates and Chronology • 13. Important Places and Their Historical Associations • 14. Important Books, Authors and Organisations • 15. MCQ Practice Set • 16. Additional Exam-Relevant Facts • 17. Rapid Revision Tables • 18. UKPCS-Oriented Fact Checklist   1. Sources of Uttarakhand History Reconstruction of Uttarakhand's history draws on literary, archaeological, numismatic, epigraphic and colonial-administrative sources. Every category below is examinable. A. Literary / Textual Sources • Puranas: Skanda Purana's Kedarkhand section describes the Garhwal Himalaya, and its Manaskhand section describes Kumaon; together the two regions were anciently referred to as Brahmapura/Brahmapur mandal (also styled Kurmanchal for Kumaon). • Epics: The Mahabharata mentions Subahu, a Kirat king ruling from the Srinagar-Garhwal area and associated with the Kunindas; the Pandavas are said to have passed through the region on their final journey (Mahaprasthanika), and Sage Vyasa is traditionally believed to have composed the Mahabharata in this Himalayan tract. • Later texts/traditions: local vamshavalis (dynastic genealogies), copper-plate charters (tamrapatras) issued by Katyuri and Chand kings, and ballads/folk narratives (jagar, bhagnaul) preserve genealogical and cultural memory. B. Archaeological and Art-Historical Sources • Rock shelters and paintings: Lakhudiyar, Petshal, Phalsima, Lwethap (Almora), Gwarkhya cave/Kimni (Chamoli), Hudli (Uttarkashi) and Bakhot (Pithoragarh) supply the earliest visual record of human occupation. • Temple architecture: Katyuri-era temples (Jageshwar, Baijnath, Katarmal) and Chand/Panwar-era temples (Champawat, Almora, Devalgarh) are dated stylistically and via inscriptions. • Excavations: finds from Malari (Chamoli) point to early historic/Vedic-period material culture in the high Himalaya. C. Numismatic and Epigraphic Sources • Kuninda coins: silver/copper coins bearing Karttikeya-Lakshmi and Brahmi legends are the single most important source for the earliest historical dynasty of the region. • Ashokan edict at Kalsi (Dehradun): one of the fourteen major rock edicts of Ashoka, it proves the area's early integration into the Mauryan orbit and the spread of Buddhism. • Katyuri copper-plate inscriptions: record land grants and genealogies and are the main epigraphic source for Katyuri chronology. D. Colonial and Modern Sources • Administrative gazetteers and settlement reports: E.T. Atkinson's Himalayan Gazetteer (a monumental survey of Kumaon's history, ethnography and religion) and G.W. Traill's early revenue settlement records are indispensable colonial-era compilations. • Modern historical works: Badri Datt Pandey's Kumaon ka Itihas is regarded as a foundational modern history of Kumaon written by a participant-historian of the freedom movement. Exam Note: Prelims favourites from this section: the Kalsi edict's location and significance; the Puranic pairing of Kedarkhand (Garhwal) and Manaskhand (Kumaon); the identification of Kuninda coins as the earliest numismatic source; and the authorship of Kumaon ka Itihas.   2. Prehistoric Period 2.1 Palaeolithic Stone tool assemblages of Palaeolithic character have been reported from the Kumaon hills, indicating the presence of early hunter-gatherer groups exploiting river valleys and rock shelters. Palaeolithic-phase rock art (where present) tends to be simpler, linear figuration in comparison to later phases. 2.2 Mesolithic The bulk of the surviving rock-shelter art in Uttarakhand is attributed to the Mesolithic, characterised by microliths, hunting scenes, and stylised human and animal figures. Mesolithic assemblages mark the transition toward more organised group life before settled agriculture. 2.3 Rock Shelters and Paintings • Lakhudiyar (Almora district): the most important rock-art site of Uttarakhand, on the bank of the river Suyal near Barechhina, about 16 km from Almora on the Almora–Barechhina road. Discovered/documented by Dr M.P. Joshi in 1968. The name literally means 'one lakh caves.' Paintings — in red, white, black and green ochre/haematite pigment — depict two large groups of hand-linked dancing human figures (about 34 on one panel and 28 on another), hunting scenes (including a bison hunt), animals (bison, deer, a fox-like figure), and geometric/tectiform motifs; the site shows super-imposition of Upper Palaeolithic through Mesolithic and even later (Iron Age/early historic) work. • Other rock-art sites: Petshal, Phalsima and Lwethap (Almora district); Gwarkhya Udyar/cave near Kimni village (Chamoli district); Hudli caves (Uttarkashi district); Bakhot (Pithoragarh district). 2.4 Metal Age • Copper/Bronze traditions: isolated metal finds and continuing use of stone tools alongside early metal objects mark the transitional Chalcolithic-to-Iron phase in the hills. • Malari (Chamoli district): archaeological material from Malari has been read as evidence of early Vedic-period (c. 1500 BCE) cultural presence in the high Himalayan valleys. • Script evidence: later Gupta-Brahmi and Sankha-script inscriptions in the region bridge the prehistoric material record with the historic/epigraphic record proper. Exam Note: Remember the site-to-district mapping for MCQs: Lakhudiyar → Almora (Suyal river); Gwarkhya → Chamoli (Kimni village); Hudli → Uttarkashi; Bakhot → Pithoragarh; Malari → Chamoli (metal age/early Vedic evidence).   3. Protohistoric / Puranic Period • Settlement pattern: the region was first settled by Munda-speaking Kol peoples, later joined by Indo-Aryan Khas tribes migrating from the north-west around the Vedic period; Tibeto-Burman Kirata groups settled the higher northern valleys and are considered ancestral to today's Bhotiya, Raji, Buksha and Tharu communities. • Puranic nomenclature: Garhwal = Kedarkhand; Kumaon = Manaskhand; the combined region was called Brahmapura/Brahmapur, and Uttarakhand as a whole is described in Puranic literature as Devabhumi ('Land of the Gods') on account of its shrines and its status as a haunt of Rishis and sages. • Epic association: the Mahabharata's Vana Parva places the Kirat king Subahu (linked with the Kunindas) in this region; the Pandavas' final Himalayan journey (Swargarohan) and the tradition that Ved Vyasa composed the Mahabharata here (associated with Vyas Gufa near Mana village) are central Puranic-epic associations tested in exams. • Trans-regional rule: the Puranas and epigraphic tradition together suggest a long succession of ruling groups — Pauravas, Kushanas, Kunindas, Guptas, Katyuris, Palas (as overlords/influence), Chands, Parmars/Panwars, briefly the Sikhs (in parts of the Terai/Dehradun tract), Gorkhas, and finally the British. Exam Note: The Kedarkhand–Manaskhand–Brahmapura terminology is a recurring one-mark question; do not confuse Kedarkhand (Garhwal) with Manaskhand (Kumaon). 4. Ancient Uttarakhand 4.1 Kunindas (c. 2nd century BCE – 3rd century CE) • Status: generally regarded as the first identifiable political/ruling dynasty of Uttarakhand, known overwhelmingly through their coinage. • Territory: power was concentrated in the foothill tracts (between the Sutlej and the Ganga, extending into the Garhwal-Kumaon foothills) rather than the interior hills; interior finds of Kuninda coins are attributed to trade and pilgrimage. • Economy and religion: the Kunindas practised an early form of Shaivism (coins show six-headed Karttikeya/Shashthi imagery with a Brahmi legend, 'Bhagavata-svamino Brahmanya') and conducted salt trade with Western Tibet. • Buddhist contact: the Ashokan edict at Kalsi indicates Buddhism had made inroads into the western part of the region during/after the Mauryan period, predating or overlapping with the Kunindas. • Decline: in the 4th century CE the Kunindas were succeeded/overshadowed by Naga dynasties, though Kuninda-linked groups persisted in the hills even as Shakas and others ruled the adjoining plains. 4.2 Katyuris (c. 7th–11th century CE, some estimates 500–1200 CE) • Founder and origin theories: tradition credits Vasudev Katyuri (Vasu Dev/Basu Dev) as founder, associated with the Basdeo temple at Joshimath; his name does not appear in inscriptions. Historians differ on Katyuri origins — Badri Datt Pandey traced them to the Shalivahana house of Ayodhya; other scholars (e.g., E.T. Atkinson/Price Powell-type views) link them to the Kunindas on the basis of coin finds; Rahul Sankrityayan traced Khasa/Shaka ancestry. • Capitals: the Katyuris are traditionally said to have begun at Joshimath in the Katyur valley and later shifted their principal seat to Baijnath (also 'Katyur', on the Gomti river) in present Bageshwar district. • Religion and Brahminisation: though Vasu Dev is described as originally of Buddhist leaning, the dynasty became a vigorous patron of Brahminical Shaivism, a shift often attributed to the influence of Adi Shankaracharya's tour of the Himalaya (c. 788–820 CE). • Temple building: the Katyuris were the most prolific temple-builders of early Uttarakhand: the Jageshwar temple cluster (Lakulisha, Mahishasuramardini, Navadurga and Nataraja shrines), temples at Baijnath and Bageshwar (Bagnath), and the unique Surya (sun) temple at Katarmal (built by the lesser-known Katyuri ruler Karatamalla, with 44 subsidiary shrines) are their signature legacy. Bhudev (r. c. 955–970) is named among the temple-building Katyuri kings. • Peak and extent: at its zenith the kingdom covered Kumaon, Garhwal and parts of far-western Nepal; parallels between Katyuri administration/art and the contemporary Pala empire of Bengal-Bihar have been noted by historians. • Decline and fragmentation: internal succession conflicts fragmented the kingdom from roughly the 11th–12th century into a mosaic of smaller principalities (12th–15th century); one notable Katyuri offshoot is the Rajbar/Rajwar dynasty of Askot (Pithoragarh), founded in 1279 CE by Abhay Pal Deo, grandson of the Katyuri king Brahma Deo — this line survived down to the British period (merged after the Treaty of Sugauli, 1816). Kumaon was eventually reunified by the rising Chand dynasty around 1450 CE. 4.3 Other Important Dynasties and Rulers • Nagas: succeeded the Kunindas in the region from about the 4th century CE. • Guptas: exercised influence/suzerainty over parts of the region, evidenced by Gupta-Brahmi script inscriptions found locally. • Khasas: a Khasa (Khas) ruling group is placed by some regional accounts in the period c. 200 BCE–200 CE, contemporaneous with or overlapping the Kunindas; the Khas/Khasa people are also cited as one theory of Katyuri ethnic origin. • Palas: the Pala emperors Dharmapala and Devapala are recorded referring to a 'Khasa Desha' under their sway, and Pala administrative/artistic models are seen as influencing the Katyuris. Dynasty Approximate Period Core Area Kuninda 2nd c. BCE – 3rd c. CE Foothills, western Himalaya Naga from c. 4th c. CE Post-Kuninda successor power Katyuri c. 7th – 11th c. CE (some: 500–1200 CE) Kumaon and Garhwal (Katyur valley, Baijnath) Chand c. 10th/13th – 18th c. CE Kumaon (Champawat, later Almora) Parmar/Panwar c. 9th c. CE – 1949 Garhwal (Chandpur Garhi → Devalgarh → Srinagar → Tehri) Exam Note: A very common MCQ trap: Kunindas are the FIRST political/ruling dynasty of Uttarakhand (by coinage evidence), while the Katyuris are the first dynasty to leave large-scale monumental (temple) evidence.   5. Medieval Uttarakhand 5.1 Chand Dynasty (Kumaon) • Origin and early capital: tradition places the earliest Chand ruler (Som Chand) around the 10th–11th century at Champawat; the dynasty consolidated after the decline of the Katyuris and reunified Kumaon by around 1450 CE. • Shift of capital: Almora was founded in 1568 by the Chand king Kalyan Chand (Balo Kalyan Chand) and became the new capital, with the royal residence at Malla Mahal. Important Chand Rulers Ruler Approx. Reign Key Achievements Kirti Chand 1488–1503 Unified/annexed Nainital tract; brought Garhwal under nominal Chand pressure. Rudra Chand 1565–1597 Friendly relations with Emperor Akbar; captured Sira (Doti tract); active temple patron. Lakshmi Chand 1597 onward Continued campaigns against Garhwal; built the Bagnath temple at Bageshwar (1602). Baz Bahadur Chand 1638–1678 Most powerful Chand ruler; met Emperor Shah Jahan at Delhi, joined a Mughal expedition against Garhwal (1655), captured Terai region including Dehradun (separating it from Garhwal), extended territory east to the Karnali river; centralised administration and modernised revenue collection. Udyot Chand late 17th century Repelled a joint Garhwal–Doti invasion (1680–82) after the Kumaon capital's defenders under his generalship prevailed; built Tripur Sundari, Udyot Chandeshwar and Parbateshwar (Nanda Devi) temples at Almora to mark victories. Gyan Chand from 1698 Attacked Garhwal in 1699, victory at the Battle of Daduli (near Melchauri). Jagat Chand 1708–1720 Defeated the combined Sikh–Garhwal forces at the Battle of Moradabad (1715), ending Banda Singh Bahadur's incursions into the hills; captured Srinagar, the Garhwal capital. Harshdeo Joshi 18th c. (de facto ruler/diplomat) Powerful Kumaoni statesman and military strategist who dominated Chand court politics during the dynasty's terminal succession crises. Mohan Chand / Lal Singh 1780s–1791 Last nominal Chand rulers; Lal Singh (r. 1788–1791) was the last ruler before the Gorkha conquest of 1790–91. Chand Administration and Military • The privy council structure was called Char Burha (council of four elders), divided into an 'upper house' Malladhara (dominated by the Mahar faction) and a 'lower house' Talladhara (dominated by the Phartyal faction). • The Diwan (chief minister) handled appointments, taxation and justice under the king. • Kumaoni soldiery served in both Chand and (at times, as auxiliaries) Mughal forces; Baz Bahadur Chand introduced military reforms, new poll taxes, and territorial expansion into the Terai. • Currency: independent minting was limited until later reigns; gold dust from local rivers supplemented the currency supply. Culture under the Chands • The 17th century is regarded as the literary 'golden age' of the Chand court; the Pahari school of painting also developed under Chand and later Panwar/Tehri patronage. • Over fifty temples are associated with Chand patronage, including the Baleshwar and Nagnath temples at Champawat, the Golu Devta temple at Ghorakhal/Gorakhal (folk deity of justice), and the Bhimeshwara Mahadev temple at Bhimtal. 5.2 Parmar / Panwar Dynasty (Garhwal) • Foundational legend: Kanak Pal, a Parmar/Paramara prince of Malwa, arrived on pilgrimage to Badrinath (traditional dates range from the 7th to the 9th century CE, commonly cited as 823 CE); he married the daughter of Bhanu Pratap, ruler of Chandpur Garhi, and inherited that principality, founding the Panwar line of Garhwal. • The 52 Garhs: before unification, Garhwal ('land of forts') was fragmented into 52 small fortified chiefdoms (garhs), each under a local Thakuri/Rajput chief. • Unification — Raja Ajay Pal (37th ruler in descent from Kanak Pal): conquered/absorbed the 52 garhs and unified Garhwal into a single kingdom, traditionally dated to 1358 CE (some sources place the culmination nearer 1500 CE); he shifted the capital from Chandpur Garhi to Devalgarh (where he built the Raj Rajeshwari temple) and finally to Srinagar (on the Alaknanda), which remained the Garhwal capital for over four centuries. Ajay Pal is sometimes compared to Ashoka for turning to peace/spirituality (Gorakhnath sect) after his conquests. Later Panwar Rulers of Note • Fateh Shah: successfully repelled a joint Garhwal-Doti offensive against Kumaon in 1680 led jointly with Doti's Deopal against Udyot Chand of Kumaon — note this was Garhwal ATTACKING Kumaon (in alliance with Doti); the attempt failed and Kumaon subsequently forced Doti to pay tribute. • Pradyuman Shah: the last independent Panwar king of Garhwal before the Gorkha conquest; defeated and killed at the Battle of Khurbura (1803), after which Garhwal fell to the Gorkhas. • Sudarshan Shah: son of Pradyuman Shah; allied with the British from 1812, recovered (only) the western/hill portion of ancestral Garhwal after 1815 and founded Tehri as new capital (see Section 8). Administration, Revenue and Land Systems (Chand & Panwar) • Land revenue terminology recorded for the hill kingdoms includes Thaat (a land grant/estate) — a landholder who received his Thaat directly from the king held a superior tenurial status; and Tandkar, a specific tax category levied under both the Chand and Panwar systems. • 'Chhatees Rakam Battis Kalam': the Chand fiscal-administrative system is remembered by this phrase (literally '36 kinds, 32 items/heads'), denoting the elaborate schedule of taxes and administrative charges — including levies to remunerate court scribes/writers — collected by the state. • Both kingdoms combined a tribute/land-revenue base with forced-labour obligations (an early form of what later British administrators formalised and intensified as begar) and control over trans-Himalayan trade routes such as salt, wool and borax as fiscal resources. Forts and Capitals Kingdom Successive Capitals / Key Forts Kumaon (Chand) Champawat (early) → Almora (from 1568, founded by Kalyan Chand) Garhwal (Panwar) Chandpur Garhi (original seat) → Devalgarh (1358/1512) → Srinagar (1358/1517) → Tehri (from 1815, after loss of Srinagar to British Garhwal) Fifty-two Garhs Fortified chieftaincies unified by Ajay Pal; e.g., Koligarh (ruled by Jhagad Singh Negi, annexed by Ajay Pal) Exam Note: Do not confuse the two 1680s events: (i) the Garhwal–Doti JOINT invasion of Kumaon (1680–82) under Fateh Shah, repelled by Udyot Chand; and (ii) later Chand campaigns INTO Garhwal under Baz Bahadur Chand (1655) and Jagat Chand (capture of Srinagar, ~1715–1720). Aggressor and direction of attack are a frequent point of confusion in MCQs.   6. Gorkha Rule (1790–1815) 6.1 Expansion into Kumaon and Garhwal • Kumaon (1790): the expanding Gorkha kingdom of Nepal invaded and defeated Kumaon's last effective Chand ruler; Gorkha commanders in the campaign included Bahadur Shah (regent of Nepal), Kazi Jagjit Pande, Amar Singh Thapa and Sur Singh Thapa. Kumaon then remained under Gorkha rule for about 25 years (1790–1815). • Garhwal (1803): the Gorkhas moved on to Garhwal, defeating and killing King Pradyuman Shah at the Battle of Khurbura (near Dehradun) in 1803; Garhwal then remained under (largely unopposed) Gorkha occupation from 1803 to 1814. • Further expansion: under commander Amar Singh Thapa, Gorkha forces went on to subjugate hill states in present Himachal Pradesh (Sirmaur, Shimla hill states etc.) by around 1804–1809, briefly extending Gorkha influence from the Sutlej to the Tista. 6.2 Administration under the Gorkhas • Gorkha rule is generally judged by historians (and by contemporary British assessments) to have been militarily effective but administratively harsh and extractive. • Court intrigues and factional infighting among Gorkha governors/commanders in Kumaon and Garhwal weakened administrative continuity. • The Gorkhas retained and intensified pre-existing forced-labour obligations on the peasantry (an antecedent of the later colonial-era begar system) alongside a heavy land-revenue demand. 6.3 Taxes and Revenue • Land revenue collection was tightened and diversified; local accounts describe the period as one of high fiscal extraction relative to Chand/Panwar norms, contributing to the population's initial welcome of British rule after 1815. 6.4 'Gorkhali' / 'Gorkhyali' • Linguistic legacy: the Gorkha period left a linguistic and administrative imprint — Gorkhali (Nepali) vocabulary entered local Kumaoni/Garhwali usage in official and military contexts. • Popular memory: in Kumaoni and Garhwali folk memory, the phrase 'Gorkhyali raj' (or the harshness associated with the period) became a byword for oppressive/tyrannical rule, reflecting the popular experience of the 1790–1815 interlude. 6.5 Land Settlement • The Gorkhas continued the existing Thaat/Khaikar-type tenurial framework but administered it more rigorously for revenue maximisation; systematic British-style cadastral settlement only began after 1815 under Commissioner G.W. Traill. Exam Note: Sequence to memorise: Kumaon fell to the Gorkhas in 1790 and Garhwal in 1803 — Kumaon was under Gorkha rule for the LONGER period (25 years) compared to Garhwal (about 11–12 years, 1803–1814/15).   7. British Rule 7.1 Anglo-Gorkha War (Anglo-Nepalese War, 1814–1816) • Frontier friction and Gorkha encroachments on Company territory led the East India Company to declare war on Nepal in November 1814. • Western theatre: General David Ochterlony led British forces that expelled the Gorkhas from Garhwal and Kumaon; a decisive action was the Battle of Malaun (April–May 1815), after which the Gorkha commander Amar Singh Thapa surrendered. • Sudarshan Shah, exiled heir of the defeated Garhwal king Pradyuman Shah, had allied with the British as early as 1812 and assisted the campaign, positioning himself to recover part of his ancestral kingdom. 7.2 Treaty of Sugauli • Drafting and signing: the draft treaty was concluded on 2 December 1815 at Sugauli (Bihar); it was signed for Nepal by Raj Guru Gajraj Mishra and ratified on 4 March 1816. • Key provisions: Nepal ceded Sikkim, the territories of Kumaon and Garhwal, and most of the Terai lowlands; the Kali (Mahakali) river was fixed as Nepal's new western boundary (a boundary dispute over the source of the Kali persists to the present day, e.g. the Kalapani/Lipu Lekh issue); the Company agreed to an annual payment to Nepal to offset lost Terai revenue (later suspended after some Terai lands were restored to Nepal in 1816). • The Treaty of Sugauli is the foundational legal document by which Kumaon and (eastern) Garhwal passed into direct British control. 7.3 Kumaon Commission (Non-Regulation Administration) • Annexed Kumaon (and, after 1815, British Garhwal) was administered NOT under the regular Regulation system of the rest of the North-Western Provinces but as a Non-Regulation tract under a Commissioner directly responsible to the provincial/central government — a system that allowed simplified, discretionary revenue and judicial administration suited to a hill frontier region. • G.W. Traill (Commissioner, 1815–1835 approx.): conducted the foundational revenue/land settlement of Kumaon (the 'Traill Settlement'), fixed village boundaries, and is remembered as an influential early administrator of the Kumaon Division. • Henry Ramsay (long-serving Commissioner, mid-to-late 19th century): widely regarded by contemporaries as a paternalistic but comparatively benevolent administrator; his reputation is one reason historians give for the relatively muted impact of the 1857 revolt in Kumaon (people compared his rule favourably to the preceding, harsher Gorkha period). 7.4 British Garhwal • After 1815 the British retained the eastern, more accessible part of the old Garhwal kingdom (broadly the present Pauri Garhwal tract, including the old capital Srinagar) as 'British Garhwal', attached administratively to the Kumaon Division. • The western, more remote hill tract was restored to Sudarshan Shah, son of the last independent Panwar king, as a subordinate/allied princely state — this became Tehri Garhwal (Section 8). 7.5 Revenue and Administrative Arrangements • Village-level revenue settlement was periodically revised; the patwari (village revenue official) system anchored local administration. • Forced labour (begar/coolie-begar/coolie-utar/begar-burdayash) for the transport of touring officials' baggage was allowed to continue and became, by the early 20th century, the single most resented feature of colonial administration in the hills (see Section 10). • Forest administration tightened after the Indian Forest Act, 1878 (reserved/protected forest categories), restricting customary grazing, fuel and fodder rights and generating recurring local unrest, both in British Kumaon/Garhwal and (independently) in the princely state of Tehri Garhwal. Exam Note: Distinguish British Garhwal (directly administered, part of the Kumaon Commissionership/Division, roughly today's Pauri Garhwal) from Tehri Garhwal (a princely state under the restored Panwar dynasty, only merging with India in 1949).   8. Tehri Garhwal State On regaining a foothold after the Anglo-Gorkha War, the Panwar dynasty could not recover its old capital Srinagar (retained by the British as part of British Garhwal). A new, smaller hill principality — 'Tehri Garhwal' or 'Tehri Riyasat' — was created for Sudarshan Shah and his line, which ruled continuously from 1815 to 1949. Sudarshan Shah (r. 1815–1859) • Founded his new capital at the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Bhilangana rivers on 28 December 1815, naming it Tehri. • A scholar-king: composed the literary anthology Sabhasar and was a noted patron of the Pahari school of miniature painting. Pratap Shah (coronated 1872, after Bhawani Shah) • Founded the town of Pratap Nagar (1877) as a cooler alternative summer seat, about 27 km from Tehri town. • Pioneer of modernisation: built roads linking Tehri to Mussoorie and Srinagar, opened the state's first English-medium school, set up a formal judiciary and a post office, revised the land-revenue system, and introduced early forest-conservancy regulation. Kirti Shah (took full ruling powers 1892, after the regency of Maharani Guleri) • Founded Kirtinagar as a new township; established the Tehri municipal board; introduced electricity and piped drinking water to the capital; expanded primary schools and hospitals; knighted by the British Crown (Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India, KCSI). Narendra Shah (r. 1913–1946) • The ruler's title was upgraded from Raja to Maharaja in 1913 (also entitled to an 11-gun salute; the state carried a privy purse of roughly Rs 3,00,000). • Shifted the capital to a newly founded town named after himself, Narendranagar, around 1919–1925; built extensive mountain roads and established a state High Court. • Forest settlements (1927–28): imposed restrictive forest settlements curbing villagers' traditional rights to water, grazing, fodder and fuelwood collection, and levied a cattle tax — the direct trigger for the Rawain/Tilari agitation of 1930 (see Section 10). Praja Mandal Movement • A popular political movement demanding an end to Tehri's autocratic monarchy and the introduction of responsible, representative government, gathering strength through the 1930s–40s alongside the wider national movement. • Sridev Suman: a leading Praja Mandal/Gandhian activist who died in 1944 after an 84-day hunger strike in Tehri state custody, becoming the movement's foremost martyr. • Nagendra Saklani: initially a Praja Mandal activist who moved toward Communist politics and organised the peasants' (Kadakot/Dangchoura) uprising in the state; his death triggered a mass funeral march to Tehri that helped force the surrender of the state's police and administration in January (context of the final 1947–48 agitation). • Post-1947, popular agitation intensified against Maharaja Manabendra/Manvendra Shah (the 60th Panwar ruler); the pressure of the Praja Mandal-led movement led to Tehri Garhwal's accession/merger into the Indian Union on 1 August 1949, after which the former state territory was reorganised (the present Tehri Garhwal and part of Rudraprayag/Uttarkashi districts). Exam Note: Chronology to lock in: capitals in order — Tehri (Sudarshan Shah, 1815) → Pratap Nagar (Pratap Shah, 1877) → Kirtinagar (Kirti Shah) → Narendranagar (Narendra Shah, c.1919–25). Merger with India: 1 August 1949, under Manabendra Shah.   9. Socio-Religious and Political Awakening 9.1 Education • Early modern schooling was introduced by missionary and government initiative in the Kumaon Division from the mid-19th century, and by the princely rulers in Tehri Garhwal (Pratap Shah's English-medium school, Kirti Shah's expansion of primary schools). • A rising English/Hindi-educated Kumaoni elite (Pants, Joshis, Pandeys, Shahs) supplied the leadership of both the Kumaon Parishad and, later, the Congress in the hills. 9.2 Printing and Newspapers • Almora Akhbar: the pioneering Hindi weekly of Kumaon, generally dated to 1871 (a Debating Club had already been founded at Almora around 1870, providing the intellectual ground for the paper); it evolved from a government/mission-associated paper into a vehicle of nationalist and social-reform opinion — carrying, for example, an 1898 appeal for the spread of technical education and an April 1914 debate on forced labour (begar) and the neglect of education. It was eventually shut down by the British for its anti-government stance while Badri Datt Pandey was its editor. • Shakti: founded by Badri Datt Pandey on 15 October 1918 (Vijayadashami) as a successor nationalist paper after Almora Akhbar's closure. • Garhwal Samachar: an early Garhwal-region newspaper, published from Lansdowne from 1902. 9.3 Debating Club • Established at Almora around 1870, the Debating Club was an early intellectual forum where the Kumaoni educated elite discussed social reform, education and (increasingly) political questions — a direct precursor to the more overtly political Kumaon Parishad. 9.4 Kumaon Parishad • Founding: established at Nainital in September 1916 (Hargovind Pant is credited by some accounts with founding a first political grouping as early as 1915) by a group of young Kumaoni activists — Hargovind Pant, Govind Ballabh Pant, Badri Datt Pandey, Indra Lal Shah, Lakshmi Dutt Shastri, Chandra Lal Shah, Mohan Singh, Prem Ballabh Pandey and Bhola Datt Pandey among them — to press local social, economic and (soon) political grievances. • The Parishad functioned as an intermediary between the peasantry and the colonial state, and gradually built village-level branches (an effort particularly associated with Lakshmi Dutt Shastri). Sessions of the Kumaon Parishad Session Year Venue President Significance 1st 1917 Almora Jaidutt Joshi Organisational consolidation; visible split between moderate old guard and younger radical (Tilak-inspired) leaders. 2nd 1918 Haldwani Tara Dutt Gairola Resolution against the coolie-begar (forced labour) system moved by Hargovind Pant. 3rd 1919 Kotdwar Badri Dutt Joshi Coincided with the first conference of the (Garhwal) Parishad at Kotdwar. 4th 1920 Kashipur Hargovind Pant Resolution endorsing Non-Cooperation; local movement formally linked to the national movement. 5th 1923 Tanakpur Badri Dutt Pandey Continued anti-begar and constructive programme. 6th (final) 1926 Ganiyadholi Mukundi Lal Kumaon Parishad formally merged into the Indian National Congress. Exam Note: The Kumaon Parishad's 1916 founding, its Almora session (1917, Jaidutt Joshi presiding) and its 1926 merger with Congress at Ganiyadholi are all independently examinable dates.   10. Freedom Movement in Uttarakhand 10.1 The Revolt of 1857 • The 1857 uprising had a comparatively limited direct impact in the Kumaon-Garhwal hills — historians attribute this to the region's lack of the socio-economic grievances (large zamindari/talukdari displacement, disbanded sepoys in large numbers) present in the plains, and to the generally benevolent reputation of Commissioner Henry Ramsay's administration, seen as a marked improvement on the preceding Gorkha period. • Kalu Singh Mahara: a Thakur of Bisung Patti near Lohaghat (Champawat district), regarded as Uttarakhand's first freedom fighter. Acting on a call for rebellion originating from Awadh, he organised a body of local youth called 'Krantiveer', carried out ambushes around Kali, Sui and Gumdesh, and burned the British barracks at Lohaghat, forcing a temporary British retreat; he was eventually driven back after a British counter-offensive at Bastia. • Haldwani uprising (17 September 1857): over a thousand rebels briefly seized control of Haldwani in the Kumaon Terai before being suppressed. 10.2 Home Rule and Early Political Organisation • The Home Rule League agitation of 1916–18 (Annie Besant/Tilak) coincided with, and helped inspire, the founding of the Kumaon Parishad (1916) as the region's first dedicated political platform. • An Almora Congress committee was organised in 1912, providing an early institutional Congress presence in Kumaon. • In Garhwal, a separate Garhwal Congress Committee was formed in 1918 through the efforts of Barrister Mukundi Lal and Anusuya Prasad Bahuguna, since the freedom movement generally took hold somewhat later there than in Kumaon. 10.3 Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22) • Kumaoni leaders — Govind Ballabh Pant, Badri Datt Pandey, Hargovind Pant, Victor Mohan Joshi and Shyam Lal Shah among them — attended the 1920 Nagpur Congress session that endorsed Non-Cooperation, and returned to mobilise the hills. • The Kumaon Parishad's Kashipur session (1920) formally resolved to support Non-Cooperation, merging the regional agitation (chiefly anti-begar) with the all-India programme. • Popular participation included boycott of foreign cloth, promotion of khadi, and — most consequentially — the escalation of the anti-begar campaign into the 1921 Bageshwar movement (below). 10.4 Kuli Begar (Coolie-Begar) Movement, 1921 • The system: begar (also called coolie-utar or coolie-burdayash) obliged hill villagers to serve, without payment, as porters for touring British officials, soldiers and surveyors; village heads maintained registers assigning coolie duty by rotation. Resentment dated at least to the 1890s (Congress passed a resolution against it in 1893). • Build-up: sporadic local resistance is recorded from 1917–18 (e.g., villagers of Bironkhal beating an abusive peon in November 1917; refusal of begar at Berinag; unrest in Chamoli and Gangoli in 1918); on 1 January 1921, about 400 peasants at Chami village pledged to stop rendering begar. • The Bageshwar Uttarayani gathering (12–14 January 1921): at the annual Uttarayani fair, held at the confluence of the Saryu and Gomti rivers, Badri Datt Pandey — accompanied by Hargovind Pant, Chiranjilal and other activists — addressed a crowd estimated at 40,000–50,000; after worship at the Bagnath temple, the gathering marched to the Saryu-Gomti Bagad carrying banners reading 'Coolie Utar Band Karo' ('Stop Coolie-Utar'). Pandey administered a public oath ('Taking the sacred Saryu's water... we will not tolerate Coolie Utar, Coolie Begar and Coolie Burdayash any more'), and the village-level begar registers were ceremonially thrown into the river. • Outcome and titles: the agitation forced the practical abandonment of the begar system in the hills (subsequently confirmed through legislative action); Badri Datt Pandey earned the title 'Kumaon Kesari' ('Lion of Kumaon') and Hargovind Pant the title 'Jannayak' ('People's Leader'). Mahatma Gandhi, writing in Young India, famously called it a 'bloodless revolution.' 10.5 Peshawar Kand / Incident (23 April 1930) • Background: as part of Civil Disobedience, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan's Khudai Khidmatgar movement organised a satyagraha at Peshawar; Ghaffar Khan was arrested, and unarmed Pathan crowds gathered in protest at the Kissa Khani Bazaar. • The refusal to fire: a platoon of the 2/18 Royal Garhwal Rifles under Havildar-Major Chandra Singh Garhwali (born Chandra Singh Bhandari, 1891, at Masaun/Ranisera village, Thalisain, Pauri Garhwal) was ordered to fire on the unarmed crowd on 23 April 1930 — the soldiers refused, in an act of organised conscientious objection. • Aftermath: the episode became known as the Peshawar Kand or Peshawar Conspiracy Case; dozens of Garhwali soldiers (accounts vary between roughly 60 and 72) were court-martialled, several receiving sentences up to life imprisonment. Barrister Mukundi Lal travelled from Lansdowne to defend the soldiers and helped save several, including Chandra Singh Garhwali, from the death penalty. Chandra Singh spent about a decade in prison (released around 1941), later serving as a Quit India commander at Allahabad in 1942 and eventually joining the Communist Party of India; Gandhi praised him warmly, and he is remembered today as 'Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali.' 10.6 Salt Satyagraha (1930) and the Rawain/Tilari Agitation • Uttarakhand's hill towns participated in the wider 1930 Salt Satyagraha/Civil Disobedience Movement through meetings, picketing and khadi promotion, alongside continuing anti-forest-law and anti-begar mobilisation. • Rawain/Tilari agitation (Tehri Garhwal State): villagers of the Rawain valley (Uttarkashi tract of Tehri state) resisted Maharaja Narendra Shah's restrictive 1927–28 forest settlement. Firing on protesters at Radi Danda occurred on 20 May 1930; ten days later, on 30 May 1930, state forces under Diwan Chakradhar Juyal opened fire on an unarmed gathering at Tilari Sera (near present Barkot) — officially 18 were killed, though local accounts put the toll above 200, with many drowning while fleeing into the Yamuna. The episode is remembered as the 'Jallianwala Bagh of Uttarakhand' (Garhwal's Jallianwala Bagh) and became a rallying point for the later Praja Mandal movement against the Tehri monarchy. 10.7 Individual Satyagraha (1940–41) • Following Gandhi's call for token, individual civil disobedience, selected Congress workers across Kumaon and Garhwal courted arrest one by one; veteran leaders such as Badri Datt Pandey were again jailed in this period, and in Garhwal, Jayanand Bharati (leader of the Dola-Palki social movement, see below) launched a related satyagraha (January 1941) against continuing caste-based persecution of Shilpkars. 10.8 Quit India Movement (1942) • The 'Quit India' call of August 1942 triggered widespread underground and overt activity across Kumaon and Garhwal, including flag hoistings, seizure of local administrative points, and disruption of communications. • Sult/Salt (Almora district): the Sult tract — dubbed 'Kumaun ki Bardoli' by Gandhi during his 1929 visit to Almora — became a major centre of 1942 activity. From July 1942 the village of Khumar saw sustained nationalist meetings and a flag-hoisting campaign; a village trumpet-warning system alerted people to police movements. On 5 September 1942, Deputy Collector Johnson opened fire on an assembled crowd at Khumar, killing four villagers — Gangaram, Khimdev, Chudamani and Bahadur Singh — who are remembered as local martyrs of the movement. • Chandra Singh Garhwali served as a Quit India commander (organising underground resistance) at Allahabad and was arrested and imprisoned again during this phase. • Badri Datt Pandey was jailed once more, from January 1942 to August 1943 — his fourth and final term of imprisonment. 10.9 Salt/Salm and Other Local Movements • Sult (Salt) tract, Almora: beyond its Quit India role (above), the Sult/Salt region was a long-standing centre of nationalist activity from the late 1920s, reflected in Gandhi's own 'Kumaun ki Bardoli' epithet. • Dola-Palki movement (from 1923, Pauri Garhwal): a social-reform movement led by Jayanand Bharati (Swami Jayanand Bharatiya) on behalf of the Shilpkar (artisan, then a Scheduled Caste) community, who were denied the customary right to use the dola/palki (bridal/groom's palanquin) in marriage processions and faced violent enforcement of this ban by upper-caste groups. Bharati took the issue to Gandhi in person; the movement over time merged into the broader freedom struggle — Bharati was jailed several times, including for showing the tricolour to the U.P. Governor at Pauri in June 1932, and launched a fresh satyagraha in January 1941. • Tilari/Rawain movement (Tehri State): covered above under Salt Satyagraha; frequently treated as a distinct 'local' movement given it targeted the princely administration rather than the British directly. 10.10 Women's Participation • Women participated widely in cloth-boycott, khadi and picketing activities during Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience across the hill towns, and joined mass gatherings such as the Bageshwar Uttarayani meeting (1921) and Quit India activity in Sult (1942), even though most named leadership positions of the period were held by men; oral and local histories increasingly document this grassroots participation. • The region's later, better-documented tradition of women-led mass mobilisation — most famously the Chipko movement (Gaura Devi, Reni village, 1974) — is usually treated as a post-Independence social/environmental movement rather than part of the colonial-era freedom struggle proper, but examiners sometimes test the distinction. Exam Note: Do not conflate the Tehri-state Tilari/Rawain Kand (a princely-state forest-rights massacre, 30 May 1930, ~18 officially/200+ by local count) with the Peshawar Kand (a Garhwal Rifles mutiny against British orders, 23 April 1930) — both fall in 1930 but are analytically distinct: one is anti-monarchical/forest-rights, the other is a case of military disobedience against colonial orders.   11. Important Personalities Personality Known For Vasudev Katyuri Traditional founder of the Katyuri dynasty; associated with the Basdeo temple, Joshimath. Ajay Pal 37th Panwar ruler; unified the 52 Garhs of Garhwal (1358 CE); moved capital to Srinagar. Baz Bahadur Chand Most powerful Chand king (1638–78); captured Terai/Dehradun; met Shah Jahan. Kalyan Chand (Balo Kalyan Chand) Founded Almora in 1568 as the new Chand capital. Harshdeo Joshi 18th-century Kumaoni statesman/diplomat dominant during the Chand dynasty's decline. Pradyuman Shah Last independent Panwar king of Garhwal; killed at the Battle of Khurbura (1803). Sudarshan Shah Founder of Tehri (1815); scholar-king (Sabhasar); patron of Pahari painting. Kirti Shah Tehri ruler; modernised the capital, founded Kirtinagar; knighted (KCSI). Narendra Shah Tehri Maharaja (1913–46); founded Narendranagar; imposed the 1927–28 forest settlement that triggered the Tilari agitation. Kalu Singh Mahara Regarded as Uttarakhand's first freedom fighter; led resistance in Kali Kumaon during 1857. G.W. Traill First major British Commissioner of Kumaon; conducted the earliest revenue settlement. Henry Ramsay Long-serving, comparatively benevolent Kumaon Commissioner (mid–late 19th century). Badri Datt Pandey 'Kumaon Kesari'; led the 1921 Coolie-Begar movement; editor of Almora Akhbar and founder of Shakti; author of Kumaon ka Itihas; jailed four times. Hargovind Pant 'Jannayak'; founder of the Kumaon Parishad; co-led the 1921 anti-begar movement. Govind Ballabh Pant General Secretary of the Kumaon Parishad; later Union Home Minister and Bharat Ratna (1957) for reorganisation of states along linguistic lines. Chandra Singh Garhwali Led the 1930 Peshawar mutiny of the Royal Garhwal Rifles; later a Quit India commander and CPI member. Mukundi Lal Barrister; defended the Garhwal Rifles soldiers in the Peshawar Conspiracy Case; founded the Garhwal Congress Committee (1918). Anusuya Prasad Bahuguna Co-founder of the Garhwal Congress Committee (1918). Jayanand Bharati (Swami Jayanand Bharatiya) Led the Dola-Palki movement (from 1923) for Shilpkar social rights; met Gandhi; jailed multiple times. Sridev Suman Praja Mandal/Gandhian martyr; died in 1944 after an 84-day hunger strike against the Tehri monarchy. Nagendra Saklani Praja Mandal activist turned Communist organiser of peasant uprisings in Tehri State. Manabendra (Manvendra) Shah 60th and last ruling Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal; acceded the state to India, 1 August 1949. Lakshmi Dutt Shastri Organised village-level branches of the Kumaon Parishad. Badri Datt Joshi Presided over the 3rd Kumaon Parishad session (Kotdwar, 1919); opposed radical elements within the Parishad. Exam Note: Distinguish the two 'Badri Datt' figures: Badri Datt PANDEY ('Kumaon Kesari', anti-begar leader, journalist-historian) versus Badri Dutt JOSHI (a relatively moderate Kumaon Parishad president, 1919 session).   12. Important Dates and Chronology Year / Period Event 2nd c. BCE – 3rd c. CE Kuninda rule — first political dynasty of Uttarakhand. 3rd c. BCE Ashokan edict inscribed at Kalsi (Dehradun). c. 7th – 11th c. CE Katyuri dynasty dominant in Kumaon and Garhwal. 1279 Rajwar dynasty of Askot founded by Abhay Pal Deo (Katyuri offshoot). 1358 Ajay Pal unifies the 52 Garhs; Garhwal (Panwar) kingdom founded; capital later at Srinagar. 1450 Kumaon reunified under the Chand dynasty. 1568 Almora founded by Kalyan Chand as new Chand capital. 1602 Bagnath temple, Bageshwar, built by Lakshmi Chand. 1638–1678 Reign of Baz Bahadur Chand, most powerful Chand ruler. 1680–82 Garhwal–Doti joint invasion of Kumaon; repelled by Udyot Chand. 1715 Jagat Chand defeats combined Sikh–Garhwal forces at the Battle of Moradabad. 1790 Gorkha conquest of Kumaon. 1803 Battle of Khurbura; Gorkha conquest of Garhwal; death of Pradyuman Shah. 1814–1816 Anglo-Gorkha (Anglo-Nepalese) War. 2 Dec 1815 / 4 Mar 1816 Treaty of Sugauli drafted / ratified. 28 Dec 1815 Sudarshan Shah founds Tehri as new capital. 1857 (17 Sept) Haldwani uprising; Kalu Singh Mahara's resistance in Kali Kumaon. 1870/71 Almora Debating Club founded (1870); Almora Akhbar begun (1871). 1877 Pratap Nagar founded by Pratap Shah. 1902 Garhwal Samachar newspaper launched from Lansdowne. 1912 Almora Congress committee organised. 1913 Tehri ruler's title raised from Raja to Maharaja (Narendra Shah). 1916 (Sept) Kumaon Parishad founded at Nainital. 1917 1st Kumaon Parishad session, Almora (Jaidutt Joshi). 1918 2nd Kumaon Parishad session, Haldwani (begar resolution); Garhwal Congress Committee formed; Shakti newspaper launched (15 Oct). 1919 3rd Kumaon Parishad session, Kotdwar; 1st Garhwal Parishad conference. 1919–25 Capital of Tehri State shifted to Narendranagar. 1920 4th Kumaon Parishad session, Kashipur — Non-Cooperation resolution; Nagpur Congress session. 12–14 Jan 1921 Coolie-Begar (Kuli Begar) movement, Bageshwar Uttarayani fair. 1923 5th Kumaon Parishad session, Tanakpur; Dola-Palki movement begins (Jayanand Bharati). 1926 6th (final) Kumaon Parishad session, Ganiyadholi — merger with INC. 1927–28 Narendra Shah's restrictive forest settlement in Tehri State. 1929 Gandhi visits Almora; names Sult 'Kumaun ki Bardoli'. 20 & 30 May 1930 Radi Danda firing and Tilari Sera massacre (Rawain agitation, Tehri State). 23 April 1930 Peshawar Kand — Royal Garhwal Rifles mutiny under Chandra Singh Garhwali. 1932 (June) Jayanand Bharati jailed for showing the tricolour to the U.P. Governor at Pauri. 1940–41 Individual Satyagraha in the hills. 1942 Quit India Movement; Khumar (Sult) firing, 5 September 1942. 1944 Death of Sridev Suman after 84-day hunger strike (Tehri). 1946 Death of Narendra Shah; succession of Manabendra/Manvendra Shah. 1 August 1949 Tehri Garhwal State merges with the Indian Union.   13. Important Places and Their Historical Associations Place Historical Association Kalsi (Dehradun) Site of a major Ashokan rock edict; evidence of early Buddhist influence. Joshimath Traditional first capital/seat of the Katyuri dynasty (Basdeo temple). Baijnath (Bageshwar dist.) Later Katyuri capital in the Katyur valley, on the Gomti river. Jageshwar (Almora dist.) Cluster of Katyuri-era Shiva temples (Lakulisha, Mahishasuramardini, Navadurga, Nataraja). Katarmal (Almora dist.) Rare Katyuri-era Surya (sun) temple, built by Karatamalla. Lakhudiyar (Almora dist.) Foremost prehistoric rock-art site of Uttarakhand, on the Suyal river. Champawat Early capital of the Chand dynasty; Baleshwar and Nagnath temples. Almora Chand capital from 1568 (Kalyan Chand); later a major centre of the freedom movement (Almora Akhbar, Kumaon Parishad activity). Bageshwar Bagnath temple (Lakshmi Chand, 1602); site of the 1921 Coolie-Begar Uttarayani gathering at the Saryu–Gomti confluence. Chandpur Garhi Original seat of the Panwar/Parmar dynasty of Garhwal. Devalgarh Intermediate Panwar capital; Raj Rajeshwari temple built by Ajay Pal. Srinagar (Garhwal) Panwar/Garhwal capital from Ajay Pal until the Gorkha conquest; later part of British Garhwal. Khurbura (near Dehradun) Site of the 1803 battle where the Gorkhas defeated and killed Pradyuman Shah. Malaun Site of the decisive 1815 battle/surrender of Amar Singh Thapa in the Anglo-Gorkha War. Sugauli (Bihar) Where the Treaty of Sugauli was concluded (1815/1816). Tehri New Panwar capital founded by Sudarshan Shah (1815) at the Bhagirathi–Bhilangana confluence. Pratap Nagar / Kirtinagar / Narendranagar Successive later capitals of the Tehri Garhwal princely state. Nainital Founding venue of the Kumaon Parishad (1916). Kashipur Venue of the 4th Kumaon Parishad session (1920); Non-Cooperation resolution. Kotdwar Venue of the 3rd Kumaon Parishad session and first Garhwal Parishad conference (1919). Bisung Patti / Lohaghat (Champawat dist.) Base of Kalu Singh Mahara's 1857 resistance. Haldwani Site of a brief rebel takeover during 1857. Sult/Salt (Almora dist.) 'Kumaun ki Bardoli' (Gandhi, 1929); centre of 1942 Quit India activity; Khumar firing. Tilari Sera / Radi Danda (Rawain valley, Uttarkashi) Site of the May 1930 firing on anti-forest-settlement protesters in Tehri State. Peshawar (Kissa Khani Bazaar) Site of the April 1930 Garhwal Rifles mutiny. Pauri Centre of the Dola-Palki movement; Jayanand Bharati's 1932 tricolour incident. Malari (Chamoli dist.) Metal Age / early Vedic-period archaeological evidence.   14. Important Books, Authors and Organisations Books and Authors Work Author Significance Kumaon ka Itihas Badri Datt Pandey Foundational modern history of Kumaon, written by a leading freedom-movement participant. Himalayan Gazetteer (Kumaon) E. T. Atkinson Monumental colonial-era compilation of Kumaon's history, ethnography, religion and geography. Sabhasar Sudarshan Shah (Tehri) Literary/poetic anthology composed by the founder of Tehri state. Traill's Settlement Reports G. W. Traill Earliest systematic British revenue/land-settlement records for Kumaon. Newspapers / Periodicals Publication Founder / Editor Year Almora Akhbar Government/mission origin; later edited by Badri Datt Pandey 1871 Shakti Badri Datt Pandey 1918 Garhwal Samachar Founded at Lansdowne 1902 Organisations and Institutions Organisation Founded / Led By Purpose Debating Club, Almora Kumaoni educated elite Early forum for social-reform and political discussion (from c. 1870). Kumaon Parishad Hargovind Pant, G. B. Pant, Badri Datt Pandey and others (1916) First dedicated political organisation of the Kumaon hills; merged with INC in 1926. Garhwal Parishad / Garhwal Congress Committee Mukundi Lal, Anusuya Prasad Bahuguna (1918) Extended organised political activity into the Garhwal region. Praja Mandal (Tehri) Various Gandhian and Left activists (Sridev Suman, Nagendra Saklani and others) Agitated for responsible government and, ultimately, merger of Tehri State with India. Tamta Sudharini Sabha / Shilpkar Mahasabha Social-reform activists Worked for the upliftment of Shilpkar/backward communities alongside the Dola-Palki movement.   15. MCQ Practice Set Note: No separate source pages were supplied for this chapter, so this section provides a comprehensive, exam-oriented question bank built directly from the notes above (Sections 1–14), rather than a reproduction of any external question paper. Each question carries the correct option and a short explanation for quick revision. Q1. Which dynasty is generally regarded as the first identifiable political/ruling dynasty of Uttarakhand, known chiefly through its coinage? (a) Katyuri (b) Kuninda ✓ (c) Chand (d) Panwar Explanation: The Kunindas (2nd c. BCE–3rd c. CE) are known mainly through coin finds and are treated as the earliest historical ruling power of the region. Q2. The Ashokan rock edict relevant to Uttarakhand's ancient history is located at: (a) Baijnath (b) Champawat (c) Kalsi ✓ (d) Srinagar Explanation: The Kalsi edict (Dehradun district) is one of Ashoka's fourteen major rock edicts and shows Mauryan-era Buddhist influence in the region. Q3. In Puranic terminology, 'Manaskhand' refers to which region? (a) Garhwal (b) Kumaon ✓ (c) Tehri (d) Terai Explanation: Manaskhand denotes Kumaon; Kedarkhand denotes Garhwal; together they were called Brahmapura. Q4. Who is traditionally credited as the founder of the Katyuri dynasty? (a) Ajay Pal (b) Kanak Pal (c) Vasudev Katyuri ✓ (d) Som Chand Explanation: Vasudev Katyuri (Vasu Dev/Basu Dev) is the traditional founder, associated with the Basdeo temple at Joshimath. Q5. The Katyuri capital was later shifted from Joshimath to: (a) Almora (b) Baijnath ✓ (c) Srinagar (d) Champawat Explanation: The Katyuris later shifted their principal seat to Baijnath in the Katyur valley. Q6. The Rajwar dynasty of Askot, an offshoot of the Katyuris, was founded in 1279 CE by: (a) Brahma Deo (b) Abhay Pal Deo ✓ (c) Karatamalla (d) Bhudev Explanation: Abhay Pal Deo, grandson of the Katyuri king Brahma Deo, founded the Askot Rajwar line. Q7. Which Chand ruler founded Almora as the new capital in 1568? (a) Rudra Chand (b) Baz Bahadur Chand (c) Kalyan Chand ✓ (d) Jagat Chand Explanation: Kalyan Chand (Balo Kalyan Chand) founded Almora in 1568. Q8. Which Chand king is regarded as the most powerful, having met Emperor Shah Jahan and captured the Terai including Dehradun? (a) Rudra Chand (b) Baz Bahadur Chand ✓ (c) Gyan Chand (d) Lakshmi Chand Explanation: Baz Bahadur Chand (1638–78) is considered the most powerful Chand ruler. Q9. The Chand administrative fiscal system, involving 36 kinds and 32 heads of taxation, was known as: (a) Thaat Vyavastha (b) Char Burha (c) Chhatees Rakam Battis Kalam ✓ (d) Khaikar Pratha Explanation: 'Chhatees Rakam Battis Kalam' names the elaborate Chand-era tax schedule. Q10. The privy council of the Chand kingdom, divided into Malladhara and Talladhara factions, was called: (a) Diwan Sabha (b) Char Burha ✓ (c) Praja Mandal (d) Kumaon Parishad Explanation: Char Burha was the powerful privy council of the Chand kingdom of Kumaon. Q11. Who unified the 52 Garhs of Garhwal to found the Garhwal kingdom, traditionally dated to 1358 CE? (a) Kanak Pal (b) Ajay Pal ✓ (c) Fateh Shah (d) Pradyuman Shah Explanation: Ajay Pal, 37th ruler in descent from Kanak Pal, unified the 52 Garhs and founded the kingdom. Q12. Kanak Pal, founder of the Panwar line of Garhwal, is traditionally said to have come from: (a) Malwa ✓ (b) Mewar (c) Marwar (d) Gujarat Explanation: Kanak Pal was a Parmar/Paramara prince of Malwa who married into the Chandpur Garhi chieftaincy. Q13. The Garhwal (Panwar) capital was shifted, in order, as: (a) Srinagar → Devalgarh → Chandpur Garhi (b) Chandpur Garhi → Devalgarh → Srinagar ✓ (c) Devalgarh → Srinagar → Chandpur Garhi (d) Srinagar → Chandpur Garhi → Devalgarh Explanation: The correct sequence is Chandpur Garhi (original) → Devalgarh → Srinagar (under Ajay Pal). Q14. The last independent Panwar king of Garhwal, defeated and killed at the Battle of Khurbura (1803), was: (a) Sudarshan Shah (b) Fateh Shah (c) Pradyuman Shah ✓ (d) Ajay Pal Explanation: Pradyuman Shah was killed at Khurbura in 1803, ending independent Garhwal rule before the Gorkha occupation. Q15. The joint Garhwal–Doti invasion of Kumaon (1680–82) was repelled by which Chand king? (a) Baz Bahadur Chand (b) Udyot Chand ✓ (c) Gyan Chand (d) Jagat Chand Explanation: Udyot Chand successfully repulsed the two-front Garhwal–Doti invasion of Kumaon. Q16. Which Chand ruler defeated the combined Sikh–Garhwal forces at the Battle of Moradabad (1715) and captured Srinagar? (a) Jagat Chand ✓ (b) Gyan Chand (c) Baz Bahadur Chand (d) Lakshmi Chand Explanation: Jagat Chand (r. 1708–1720) won the Battle of Moradabad in 1715 and captured Srinagar. Q17. Kumaon was conquered by the Gorkhas in which year? (a) 1780 (b) 1790 ✓ (c) 1803 (d) 1814 Explanation: The Gorkha conquest of Kumaon occurred in 1790; Garhwal followed in 1803. Q18. Garhwal fell to the Gorkhas after which battle? (a) Battle of Malaun (b) Battle of Khurbura ✓ (c) Battle of Moradabad (d) Battle of Daduli Explanation: The Battle of Khurbura (1803) saw the death of Pradyuman Shah and the Gorkha conquest of Garhwal. Q19. The Anglo-Gorkha War was formally concluded by which treaty? (a) Treaty of Sugauli ✓ (b) Treaty of Gandamak (c) Treaty of Amritsar (d) Treaty of Lahore Explanation: The Treaty of Sugauli (drafted Dec 1815, ratified March 1816) ended the Anglo-Nepalese War. Q20. Under the Treaty of Sugauli, which river was fixed as Nepal's new western boundary? (a) Sutlej (b) Kali (Mahakali) ✓ (c) Sharda proper (old course) (d) Yamuna Explanation: The Kali river was fixed as the western boundary, though its exact source remains disputed even today. Q21. Which British official is credited with the earliest systematic revenue settlement of Kumaon? (a) Henry Ramsay (b) David Ochterlony (c) G. W. Traill ✓ (d) E. T. Atkinson Explanation: G. W. Traill conducted Kumaon's foundational land/revenue settlement after 1815. Q22. Kumaon under British rule was administered as a: (a) Regulation Province (b) Non-Regulation tract under a Commissioner ✓ (c) Chief Commissioner's Province directly under the Governor-General (d) Presidency area Explanation: Kumaon (and later British Garhwal) was governed as a Non-Regulation tract under a Commissioner, distinct from the regular NWP administration. Q23. Who founded Tehri as the new capital of the restored Panwar dynasty in 1815? (a) Pratap Shah (b) Sudarshan Shah ✓ (c) Kirti Shah (d) Narendra Shah Explanation: Sudarshan Shah founded Tehri on 28 December 1815 at the Bhagirathi-Bhilangana confluence. Q24. Which Tehri ruler founded Pratap Nagar as a summer capital? (a) Sudarshan Shah (b) Bhawani Shah (c) Pratap Shah ✓ (d) Kirti Shah Explanation: Pratap Shah (from 1872) founded Pratap Nagar in 1877. Q25. The title of the Tehri ruler was raised from Raja to Maharaja in which year, and under whom? (a) 1892, Kirti Shah (b) 1913, Narendra Shah ✓ (c) 1877, Pratap Shah (d) 1946, Manabendra Shah Explanation: Narendra Shah's title was upgraded to Maharaja in 1913. Q26. The restrictive forest settlement that triggered the Tilari/Rawain agitation was imposed by: (a) Pratap Shah (b) Kirti Shah (c) Narendra Shah ✓ (d) Sudarshan Shah Explanation: Narendra Shah's 1927–28 forest settlement directly provoked the Rawain valley unrest. Q27. The Tilari Sera firing in Tehri State occurred on: (a) 23 April 1930 (b) 30 May 1930 ✓ (c) 5 September 1942 (d) 14 January 1921 Explanation: The Tilari Sera massacre took place on 30 May 1930, ten days after the Radi Danda firing. Q28. Who is remembered as the Praja Mandal/Gandhian martyr who died after an 84-day hunger strike in Tehri state custody? (a) Nagendra Saklani (b) Sridev Suman ✓ (c) Chandra Singh Garhwali (d) Jayanand Bharati Explanation: Sridev Suman died in 1944 after an 84-day hunger strike. Q29. Tehri Garhwal State merged with the Indian Union on: (a) 15 August 1947 (b) 26 January 1950 (c) 1 August 1949 ✓ (d) 9 November 2000 Explanation: Tehri Garhwal's merger/accession took effect on 1 August 1949. Q30. Almora Akhbar, the pioneering newspaper of Kumaon, was started in: (a) 1868 (b) 1871 ✓ (c) 1902 (d) 1918 Explanation: Almora Akhbar dates to 1871; the Debating Club that preceded it dates to about 1870. Q31. Who founded the newspaper 'Shakti' in 1918 after Almora Akhbar was closed by the British? (a) Hargovind Pant (b) Govind Ballabh Pant (c) Badri Datt Pandey ✓ (d) Mukundi Lal Explanation: Badri Datt Pandey launched Shakti on 15 October 1918. Q32. The Kumaon Parishad was founded in which year, at which venue? (a) 1915, Almora (b) 1916, Nainital ✓ (c) 1917, Haldwani (d) 1918, Kotdwar Explanation: The Kumaon Parishad was founded at Nainital in September 1916. Q33. Who presided over the first session of the Kumaon Parishad (Almora, 1917)? (a) Jaidutt Joshi ✓ (b) Badri Dutt Joshi (c) Tara Dutt Gairola (d) Mukundi Lal Explanation: Jaidutt Joshi, a retired deputy collector, chaired the first (1917) session at Almora. Q34. The Kumaon Parishad merged with the Indian National Congress at its session in: (a) 1920, Kashipur (b) 1923, Tanakpur (c) 1926, Ganiyadholi ✓ (d) 1919, Kotdwar Explanation: At the sixth and final session (Ganiyadholi, 1926, under Mukundi Lal), the Parishad merged into the INC. Q35. Kalu Singh Mahara, regarded as Uttarakhand's first freedom fighter, was active during 1857 in which area? (a) Tehri (b) Kali Kumaon (Bisung Patti/Lohaghat) ✓ (c) Pauri Garhwal (d) Dehradun Explanation: Kalu Singh Mahara, a Thakur of Bisung Patti near Lohaghat, led resistance in Kali Kumaon (Champawat district). Q36. The 1921 Coolie-Begar movement culminated at the Uttarayani fair held at: (a) Almora (b) Bageshwar ✓ (c) Kotdwar (d) Haldwani Explanation: The Bageshwar Uttarayani gathering (Saryu-Gomti confluence) was the climactic event of the anti-begar movement. Q37. Badri Datt Pandey earned which title after the success of the Coolie-Begar movement? (a) Jannayak (b) Garhwal Kesari (c) Kumaon Kesari ✓ (d) Veer Explanation: Badri Datt Pandey was given the title 'Kumaon Kesari'; Hargovind Pant received 'Jannayak'. Q38. Mahatma Gandhi described the 1921 Coolie-Begar movement as: (a) 'A silent war' (b) 'A bloodless revolution' ✓ (c) 'The awakening of Kumaon' (d) 'India's Boston Tea Party' Explanation: Gandhi, writing in Young India, called the movement 'a bloodless revolution.' Q39. The Peshawar Kand of 23 April 1930 involved soldiers of which regiment refusing to fire on unarmed protesters? (a) Kumaon Regiment (b) Royal Garhwal Rifles (2/18) ✓ (c) Rajput Regiment (d) Gorkha Rifles Explanation: The 2/18 Royal Garhwal Rifles under Chandra Singh Garhwali refused to fire at Peshawar. Q40. Who defended the Garhwal Rifles soldiers in the Peshawar Conspiracy Case? (a) Anusuya Prasad Bahuguna (b) Mukundi Lal ✓ (c) Govind Ballabh Pant (d) Jayanand Bharati Explanation: Barrister Mukundi Lal travelled from Lansdowne to Peshawar to defend the accused soldiers. Q41. The Dola-Palki movement, begun in 1923 in Pauri Garhwal, campaigned for the rights of which community? (a) Bhotiyas (b) Shilpkars ✓ (c) Rajputs (d) Brahmins Explanation: Jayanand Bharati led the Dola-Palki movement on behalf of the Shilpkar community's right to use marriage palanquins. Q42. The Sult (Salt) tract of Almora district was nicknamed 'Kumaun ki Bardoli' by: (a) Jawaharlal Nehru (b) Mahatma Gandhi ✓ (c) Govind Ballabh Pant (d) Badri Datt Pandey Explanation: Gandhi gave Sult this name during his 1929 visit to Almora. Q43. The 1942 Quit India firing at Khumar village (Sult, Almora) was ordered by: (a) Commissioner Ramsay (b) Deputy Collector Johnson ✓ (c) Diwan Chakradhar Juyal (d) Captain Rickett Explanation: Deputy Collector Johnson ordered the firing at Khumar on 5 September 1942, killing four villagers. Q44. Which of the following pairs (dynasty–region) is INCORRECTLY matched? (a) Chand – Kumaon (b) Panwar/Parmar – Garhwal (c) Katyuri – Tehri only ✓ (d) Kuninda – Foothill tracts Explanation: The Katyuris ruled both Kumaon and Garhwal (and parts of far-western Nepal), not 'Tehri only' — Tehri did not exist as an entity in the Katyuri period. Q45. Lakhudiyar, Uttarakhand's most important prehistoric rock-art site, is located on the bank of which river? (a) Kosi (b) Suyal ✓ (c) Saryu (d) Gomti Explanation: Lakhudiyar lies on the Suyal river near Barechhina, Almora district. Q46. Gwarkhya cave, another rock-art site, is located in which district? (a) Almora (b) Chamoli ✓ (c) Uttarkashi (d) Pithoragarh Explanation: Gwarkhya cave is near Kimni village in Chamoli district. Q47. The Jageshwar temple cluster is primarily attributed to the patronage of which dynasty? (a) Chand (b) Panwar (c) Katyuri ✓ (d) Gorkha Explanation: The Katyuris were the principal builders of the Jageshwar temple complex. Q48. Which Chand ruler built the Bagnath temple at Bageshwar in 1602? (a) Rudra Chand (b) Lakshmi Chand ✓ (c) Baz Bahadur Chand (d) Udyot Chand Explanation: Lakshmi Chand built the Bagnath temple in 1602, continuing campaigns against Garhwal. Q49. Who commanded the British forces that expelled the Gorkhas from Garhwal and Kumaon in 1815? (a) Lord Amherst (b) David Ochterlony ✓ (c) Henry Ramsay (d) Frederick Young Explanation: General David Ochterlony led the decisive western-theatre campaign, including the Battle of Malaun. Q50. The 60th and last ruling Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal, who signed the instrument of accession, was: (a) Narendra Shah (b) Kirti Shah (c) Manabendra (Manvendra) Shah ✓ (d) Pratap Shah Explanation: Manabendra/Manvendra Shah, the 60th Panwar ruler, oversaw Tehri's accession to India in 1949. Q51. Which historian/author wrote 'Kumaon ka Itihas', a foundational history of the Kumaon region? (a) E. T. Atkinson (b) Badri Datt Pandey ✓ (c) G. W. Traill (d) Rahul Sankrityayan Explanation: Badri Datt Pandey, the 'Kumaon Kesari,' authored this seminal history.   16. Additional Exam-Relevant Facts The following facts extend beyond the core narrative of Sections 1–14 but are frequently tested in UKPCS Prelims/Mains and are clearly separated here as supplementary material. On Terminology • Kurmanchal is an alternative old name for Kumaon, said to derive from 'Kurma' (tortoise, one of Vishnu's avatars). • Devabhumi ('Land of the Gods') and Devbhoomi are both used for Uttarakhand as a whole, referencing its shrines (Char Dham) and mythological associations. • 'Garhwal' derives from Garh (fort); 'Kumaon' is linked to Kurmanchal/Manaskhand. On Administration • Non-Regulation status meant Kumaon/British Garhwal escaped the more rigid Regulation-law framework applied to the rest of the North-Western Provinces, giving Commissioners greater discretionary revenue and magisterial powers — a system that persisted, in modified form, into the early 20th century. • The patwari (revenue official) and the Kumaon Commissioner formed the backbone of everyday British administration in the hills; forest settlement operations from the 1890s–1920s onward (culminating in the Forest Grievances Committee of 1921, appointed partly in response to unrest) are a distinct thread running alongside the political/nationalist movements covered in Section 10. On the Freedom Movement — Threads Often Missed • The word 'Kuli' in Kuli Begar/Coolie-Begar refers to porters, not a caste or community name; the system was one of universal, rotational compulsory labour on the peasantry. • The 1921 movement is sometimes compared to the Champaran/Kheda pattern of localized Gandhian mobilisation, but it was organised primarily through the Kumaon Parishad rather than direct INC machinery. • The Peshawar Kand and the Tilari/Rawain Kand both occurred in 1930 but are unrelated in cause: the former was a case of Indian soldiers' disobedience to British military orders on the North-West Frontier; the latter was a princely-state crackdown on forest-rights protesters within Tehri State. • Chandra Singh Garhwali is one of the few Uttarakhand freedom fighters directly commended by name by Gandhi ('If I had one more Chandra Singh Garhwali, India would have become independent much earlier'). • The Praja Mandal movement in Tehri ran on a track parallel to, but organisationally separate from, British-India's Congress-led movement, since Tehri was a princely state outside direct British administration. On Culture Linked to Political History • The Pahari school of miniature painting developed under both Chand (Kumaon) court patronage and, later, Tehri (Sudarshan Shah) royal patronage — a useful cross-link between the 'Medieval Uttarakhand' and 'Tehri Garhwal State' sections. • The Golu Devta temple (Ghorakhal/Gorakhal, built under Baz Bahadur Chand) remains a living 'god of justice' folk-cult site — a good example of state-patronised religion feeding into present-day popular culture. Environmental/Social Movements With Roots in this History (post-Independence, for context only) • The forest-rights grievances that produced the 1930 Tilari Kand and recurring British-era forest unrest are direct historical antecedents of the post-Independence Chipko movement (1973 onward) — examiners occasionally frame comparative questions linking colonial-era forest protest to Chipko. Exam Note: If a question mixes a 'medieval/ancient' fact with a 'freedom movement' fact in the same stem (e.g., linking Chand-era temple patronage to Tehri royal culture), it is testing exactly this kind of cross-section awareness — read every section, not just the one that seems most relevant to the keyword in the question.   17. Rapid Revision Tables 17.1 Dynasty-Wise Snapshot Dynasty Region Approx. Period Capital(s) One Key Fact Kuninda Foothills 2nd c. BCE–3rd c. CE Uncertain (foothill tract) Earliest political dynasty; known via coinage. Katyuri Kumaon & Garhwal c. 7th–11th c. CE Joshimath → Baijnath Greatest early temple-builders (Jageshwar, Baijnath, Katarmal). Chand Kumaon c. 1450–1790 Champawat → Almora (1568) Most powerful ruler: Baz Bahadur Chand (1638–78). Panwar/Parmar Garhwal c. 823–1949 Chandpur Garhi → Devalgarh → Srinagar → Tehri (1815) Unified by Ajay Pal (1358); longest-ruling dynasty (~1,100+ years, incl. Tehri phase). Gorkha Kumaon & Garhwal (occupier) 1790–1815 N/A (occupying power) Ended by the Anglo-Gorkha War / Treaty of Sugauli. 17.2 Chronology of Capitals — Garhwal/Tehri Line Order Capital Ruler / Period 1 Chandpur Garhi Kanak Pal onward (original seat) 2 Devalgarh Ajay Pal (mid-14th c.) 3 Srinagar Ajay Pal onward, until 1803/1815 4 Tehri Sudarshan Shah, from 1815 5 Pratap Nagar Pratap Shah, from 1877 6 Kirtinagar Kirti Shah 7 Narendranagar Narendra Shah, c. 1919–1925 17.3 Freedom Movement Timeline (One Line Each) Year Movement / Event One-Line Identifier 1857 Revolt of 1857 in Kumaon Kalu Singh Mahara; Haldwani uprising. 1912–1918 Early organisation Almora Congress (1912); Garhwal Congress Committee (1918). 1916–1926 Kumaon Parishad Founded Nainital 1916; merged with INC 1926 (Ganiyadholi). 1921 Coolie-Begar Movement Bageshwar Uttarayani; Badri Datt Pandey; 'bloodless revolution' (Gandhi). 1923 Dola-Palki Movement Jayanand Bharati; Shilpkar rights. 1930 Peshawar Kand Chandra Singh Garhwali; Garhwal Rifles mutiny (23 April). 1930 Tilari/Rawain Kand Tehri State forest-rights massacre (30 May); 'Jallianwala Bagh of Uttarakhand'. 1940–41 Individual Satyagraha Token courting of arrest; Bharati's fresh satyagraha (Jan 1941). 1942 Quit India Khumar/Sult firing (5 Sept); Chandra Singh Garhwali as QIM commander. 1944 Sridev Suman's martyrdom 84-day hunger strike, Tehri jail. 1949 Tehri merger 1 August 1949; Manabendra Shah, 60th ruler. 17.4 Who's Who — One-Line Identity Card Name One-Line Tag Badri Datt Pandey 'Kumaon Kesari'; anti-begar leader; journalist; author of Kumaon ka Itihas. Hargovind Pant 'Jannayak'; founder, Kumaon Parishad. Chandra Singh Garhwali Hero of the Peshawar Kand (1930). Mukundi Lal Barrister; defended Garhwal Rifles soldiers; founded Garhwal Congress Committee. Jayanand Bharati Leader, Dola-Palki movement (Shilpkar rights). Sridev Suman Praja Mandal martyr (1944 hunger strike). Kalu Singh Mahara Uttarakhand's 'first freedom fighter' (1857). G. W. Traill First major Kumaon revenue-settlement Commissioner. Henry Ramsay Benevolent long-serving Kumaon Commissioner. Sudarshan Shah Founder of Tehri (1815); scholar-king.   18. UKPCS-Oriented Fact Checklist Use this as a final self-test before the exam — if you can state each item correctly without looking, this chapter is exam-ready. Sources & Prehistory • Name the Puranic terms for Garhwal, Kumaon and the combined region. • Name at least four rock-art sites and their districts (Lakhudiyar–Almora, Gwarkhya–Chamoli, Hudli–Uttarakashi, Bakhot–Pithoragarh). • State the significance of the Kalsi edict and of Kuninda coinage. Ancient & Medieval • List the Kunindas, Katyuris, Chands and Panwars in correct chronological/territorial order. • Name at least four important Chand rulers and their signature achievement each. • Trace the Garhwal capital sequence: Chandpur Garhi → Devalgarh → Srinagar → Tehri. • Explain 'Chhatees Rakam Battis Kalam' and the Char Burha council structure. Gorkha & British Rule • State the years Kumaon (1790) and Garhwal (1803) fell to the Gorkhas, and the name of the decisive battle for each (Khurbura for Garhwal). • State the dates of drafting/ratification of the Treaty of Sugauli and its key territorial provisions. • Distinguish British Garhwal (directly ruled) from Tehri Garhwal (princely state). • Name the first Kumaon Commissioner associated with land settlement (Traill) and the long-serving 'benevolent' Commissioner (Ramsay). Tehri Garhwal State • List all named Tehri rulers in order with their new-town foundations (Tehri, Pratap Nagar, Kirtinagar, Narendranagar). • Explain the cause and consequence of the 1927–28 forest settlement. • State the date of Tehri's merger with India and name the last ruler. Awakening & Freedom Movement • Name the founding year and venue of the Kumaon Parishad, and list at least three of its six sessions with venue/president. • Narrate the sequence of the 1921 Coolie-Begar movement with correct dates, leaders and outcome. • Explain the Peshawar Kand — who, what regiment, what date, what consequence. • Distinguish the Peshawar Kand from the Tilari/Rawain Kand (same year, different causes/actors). • Describe the Dola-Palki movement and its social (caste-justice) dimension. • Recall the Quit India episode at Khumar/Sult and Gandhi's 'Kumaun ki Bardoli' epithet. • Name at least five personalities across the different movements without mixing up their movements/titles. Integration Check • Can you place any given fact from this chapter on the correct timeline relative to 1815 (Sugauli), 1857, 1921, 1930 and 1949? • Can you correctly attribute a temple, movement, or administrative term to the correct dynasty/ruler/period without confusing Chand with Panwar, or Kumaon with Garhwal/Tehri? Exam Note: This chapter alone can be worth several marks in both Prelims (fact-based MCQs) and Mains (a 10–15 mark question on 'the freedom movement in Uttarakhand' or 'the socio-political awakening of Kumaon/Garhwal' is a near-certainty in most UKPCS cycles).