Western Uttar Pradesh

Western Uttar Pradesh
Region
Indirapuram, Ghaziabad
Greater Noida
Delhi–Meerut Expressway
Augarhnath Temple, Meerut
GAIL, Noida
Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary
Location of Western Uttar Pradesh in India
Location of Western Uttar Pradesh in India
ContinentAsia
CountryIndia
StateUttar Pradesh
Covering territory
LanguagesHindi, Urdu, Braj, Kannauji
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
71,217,132
Largest cities

Western Uttar Pradesh is a region in India that comprises the western districts of Uttar Pradesh state, including the areas of Rohilkhand and those where Hindi, Urdu and Braj are spoken; it is in the region of Western Uttar Pradesh that Hindi-Urdu originated.[1] The region has some demographic, economic and cultural patterns that are distinct from other parts of Uttar Pradesh, and more closely resemble those of Haryana and Rajasthan states.[2][3] The largest city of the region is Ghaziabad, while the second-largest city, Agra, is a major tourist destination.

Western Uttar Pradesh has experienced rapid economic growth, in a fashion similar to Haryana and Punjab, due to the successes of the Green Revolution.[4][5][6] A significant part of western Uttar Pradesh is a part of National Capital Region of India.

Demographics

[edit]
Religions in Western Uttar Pradesh
Religion Percent
Hindus
 
 72.29%
Muslims
 
 26.21%
Others†
 
 1.41%
Distribution of religions
†Includes Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jains.[7]
Religions in Khariboli sub-region
Religion Percent
Hindus
 
 62.19%
Muslims
 
 36.17%
Others
 
 1.64%
Religions in Braj sub-region
Religion Percent
Hindus
 
 82.78%
Muslims
 
 16.00%
Others
 
 1.22%

The population of Western Uttar Pradesh is composed of a varied set of communities and tribes, including Gurjars, Jats, Meos, Rajputs, Kayasthas, Tyagis, Ahir (Yadavs), Brahmins, Kachhi, Kahar, Gadaria, Kumhar, Bania, Khatik, Lodha, Valmikis, Nai, Jatav, Kurmis and Rohilla Pashtuns.[8]

The unique setup of Western UP arises largely from the castes engaged in agriculture like the Tyagis, Jats , Yadavs, Gurjars, Gadariyas and Rajputs. The region in 1980s and 1990s was witness to the "sugarcane mafia" led by the above mentioned communities.[9][10] Yadavs have a very small presence in this region.[11] Jats make up 17-18 percent in the western region, also called UP's Jatland.[12][13]

As per 2011 Census, the total population of Western Uttar Pradesh is 71,217,132, out of which 72.29% is Hindu and 26.21% is Muslim.[7] The population in Khariboli region is 29,669,035, (Hindu 59.19% and Muslim 39.17%) and the population of Braj region is 29,754,755 (Hindu 82.78% and Muslim 16%). Muslim population share in eight districts of Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Moradabad, Rampur, Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Meerut and Bareilly has increased from 29.93% in 1951 to 40.43% in 2011. This has been point of contention in politics with demands for population control bill being raised from Hindu groups.

The percentage of Muslims in Western Uttar Pradesh (~26%) is higher than the whole state of Uttar Pradesh (where it is 19.3%).[14][15] Out of 77 assembly seats in this region, Muslim candidates won 26 seats in the 2012 assembly elections.[16] Several communities are bi-religious.[17]

The region's Rohillas are descended from immigrant groups from centuries ago, and a large subregion of Western Uttar Pradesh, Rohilkhand, takes its name from that Pashtun tribe.[18]

Sikhs from West Punjab, who came from Pakistan after partition, also migrated to the area in large numbers.[19]

Western Uttar Pradesh has gained notoriety for accounting for 30 per cent of the total honor killings in the country, according to a survey done by AIDWA.[20]

Languages

[edit]

Most people in Western Uttar Pradesh speak Hindi (or its slightly earlier version Khadiboli) and Braj.

Khadiboli

[edit]

Khadiboli is a slightly earlier version of Hindi and has very minimal differences. It is spoken in the northern part of Western Uttar Pradesh. Khadiboli-speaking districts include Muzaffarnagar, Sharanpur, Shamli, Bagpat, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Hapur, Amroha, Bijnor, and some parts of Muradabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, and Bulandshahar.

Braj

[edit]

Braj is spoken in the southern part of western Uttar Pradesh. Braj-speaking districts include Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Aligarh, Etah and some parts of Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Firozabad and Mainpuri.

Hindi and Urdu

[edit]

In the area of Delhi and Western Uttar Pradesh, Persian loanwords entered the lexicon of Old Hindi (the form of Khariboli spoken in the medieval Indian period). This is regarded as the predecessor of Hindi and Urdu, both of which are spoken throughout Western Uttar Pradesh.[1]

Geography

[edit]

Western Uttar Pradesh shares borders with the states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, as well as a brief international border with Nepal in Pilibhit district.

Western Uttar Pradesh's soil and relief has marked differences from that of the eastern part of the state.[21] The soil tends to be lighter-textured loam, with some occurrences of sandy soil.[22] Some loess soil is continuously deposited by winds blowing eastwards from Rajasthan's Thar Desert.[23]

Precipitation

[edit]

Western Uttar Pradesh receives rain through the Indian Monsoon and the Western Disturbances. The Monsoon carries moisture northwards from the Indian Ocean, occurs in late summer and is important to the Kharif or autumn harvest.[24][25] 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.[26][27][28][29] 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.[27]

Administrative divisions

[edit]

Western Uttar Pradesh includes 26 districts in six divisions:

  1. Saharanpur division – Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli
  2. Meerut division – Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr
  3. Moradabad division – Moradabad, Bijnor, Amroha, Sambhal, Rampur
  4. Agra division – Agra, Mahtura, Firozabad, Mainpuri
  5. Aligarh division – Aligarh, Etah, Hathras, Kasganj
  6. Bareilly division – Bareilly, Badaun, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur

Demands for statehood

[edit]

In Uttar Pradesh, "the cultural divide between the east and the west is considerable, with the purabiyas (easterners) often being clubbed with Biharis."[30] Also, while the green revolution resulted in a rapidly rising standard of living in Western Uttar Pradesh, Eastern Uttar Pradesh (like Bihar) did not benefit to the same extent.[31][32] These cultural and economic disparities are believed to have fueled the demand for separate statehood in Western Uttar Pradesh.[33][34] A separate entity would likely become a prosperous smaller state similar to Haryana and Punjab, under greater political control of local ethnic groups.[35]

Some politicians and parties have demanded that Western Uttar Pradesh be granted statehood under the name Harit Pradesh.[36] 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.[36][37]

Religious riots

[edit]
Jigar gate in Moradabad, named for the famous Urdu poet Jigar Moradabadi.

Western Uttar Pradesh has a history of religious riots happening frequently.[38] Many Hindu and Muslim riots happened in Meerut and Muzaffarnagar.[39] Beginning on 27 August 2013, clashes between the Hindu and Muslim communities of the Muzaffarnagar district have claimed 43 lives and injured 93.[40][41][42][43]

A girl from the Hindu community was stalked by a Muslim youth in Kawal village.[44][45] In retaliation, a Muslim youth named Shahnawaz Qureshi[46] was killed by two brothers of the girl, Sachin Singh and Gaurav Singh.[47][48] The two brothers were lynched by a Muslim mob when they were trying to escape.[48]

Another major riot in Meerut took place on 22 May 1987, during the Hindu-Muslim riots in Meerut city in Uttar Pradesh state, India, when 19 personnel of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) allegedly rounded up 42 Muslim youth from the Hashimpura mohalla (locality) of the city, took them in truck to the outskirts, near Murad Nagar, in Ghaziabad district, where they were shot, and their bodies were dumped in water canals. A few days later, dead bodies were found floating in the canals. In May 2000, 16 of the 19 accused surrendered, and were later released on bail, while 3 were already dead. The trial of the case was transferred by the Supreme Court of India in 2002 from Ghaziabad to a Sessions Court at the Tis Hazari complex in Delhi,[49] where it is the oldest pending case.

A riot broke out in the Kanth municipality of Moradabad district, on 27 June 2014, over installation of loudspeakers at a religious place, which was objected to by another community. The tension prevailed for over a week accompanied by frequent clashes.[50] Another riot occurred between the Sikh and Muslim communities in Saharanpur over a land dispute, killing three and injuring many people.[51] As much as 13 companies of the Rapid Action Force, the PAC and CRPF were conveyed by the government to take control of the situation after imposing curfew in riot-hit areas of Saharanpur.

Highway connectivity

[edit]

Major highways running through the region include NH 2, NH 3, NH 11, NH 9, NH 58, NH 73, NH 74, NH 87, NH 91, NH 509, NH 530B, NH 119, NH 235, NH 709A, NH 709B, NH 709AD,

Notable people

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Taher, Mohamed (1994). Librarianship and Library Science in India: An Outline of Historical Perspectives. Concept Publishing Company. p. 115. ISBN 978-81-7022-524-9.
  2. ^ Leaf, Murray J. (1998). Pragmatism and development: the prospect for pluralist transformation in the Third World. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0897895736. ... Village organization and district administration in western Uttar Pradesh is generally much more like the neighboring states of Rajasthan and Haryana than like eastern Uttar Pradesh. Eastern Uttar Pradesh is more like Bihar than western Uttar Pradesh ... Of all these regions, western Uttar Pradesh is generally regarded as having the best administration, the most productive agriculture, and the best managed canals ...
  3. ^ Alfred De Souza (1983), Urban growth and urban planning: political context and people's priorities, Indian Social Institute, 1983, ... The difference in the urban settlement pattern between western and eastern Uttar Pradesh is so pronounced that one could almost feel that the two regions were located in two different countries with completely different economic systems ...
  4. ^ Mohamad Riad El-Ghonemy, "The Dynamics of Rural Poverty", Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1986. ... Haryana and West Uttar Pradesh recorded spectacular production increases ...
  5. ^ V. G. Rastyannikov, "Agrarian Evolution in a Multiform Structure Society: Experience of Independent India", Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981, ISBN 0710007558.
  6. ^ B. M. Bhatia, "Food Security in South Asia", Oxford & IHB Pub. Co., 1985.
  7. ^ a b "Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner". Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  8. ^ "भाजपा को बड़ा झटका: यूपी का सबसे बड़ा वोट बैंक भाजपा के खिलाफ करेगा मतदान". www.patrika.com (in Hindi). 15 July 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  9. ^ Hindustan Times
  10. ^ "UP's wild west rises in crime status".
  11. ^ Dasgupta, Swapan (25 May 2019). Awakening Bharat Mata: The Political Beliefs of the Indian Right. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5305-530-1.
  12. ^ "Polling in UP's Jatland: BSP factor, vote transfer woes could hit Akhilesh-Jayant jodi". India Today. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Uttar Pradesh Elections 2017: Among Western UP Jats, A Sense Of Exploitation By BJP. And Yet..." NDTV.com. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Minister's demand for Muslim Pradesh condemned", The Times of India, 19 July 2006, archived from the original on 24 October 2012, retrieved 24 July 2009, "... demand is neither feasible nor proper," said Manzoor Ahmad, former vice-chancellor of Dr B R Ambedkar University, Agra ... Muslim population which is not more than 25% in Western UP. ...
  15. ^ "Ajit Singh struggling to retain Muslim vote", The Hindu, Chennai, India, 12 February 2002, retrieved 24 July 2009, ... the Muslim presence in western U.P. is said to be about 34 per cent ... [dead link‍]
  16. ^ Mishra, Mayank (19 September 2013). "Why the Jat-Muslim coalition has fallen apart in UP". Business Standard. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  17. ^ A Glossary of the Tribes & Castes of Punjab by H. A Rose
  18. ^ Ghaus Ansari (1960), Muslim caste in Uttar Pradesh: a study of culture contact (Volumes 12-13 of The Eastern anthropologist), Ethnographic and Folk Culture Society, 1960, ... confined primarily to the Rohilkhand and Meerut divisions of Uttar Pradesh. Pathans are generally considered to have come either from Afghanistan or from the Pashto-speaking tribes of the North-West ...
  19. ^ Bagaulia (2005), Encyclopaedia Of Human Geography (Set Of 3 Vols.), Anmol Publications PVT. LTD., 2005, ISBN 9788126124442, ... Sikhs also settled down in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh, transforming this once malaria-infested wetland into a granary of northern India ...
  20. ^ Jeelani, Gulam (29 October 2015). "30% honour killings of the country in west UP: AIDWA survey". News18.com. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  21. ^ Aijazuddin Ahmad (2009), Geography of the South Asian subcontinent: a critical approach, Concept Publishing Company, 2009, ISBN 9788180695681, ... These differences are caused by the depositional work of rivers, local climates, natural vegetation cover and the soil. Even the difference between the plains of western Uttar Pradesh and eastern Uttar Pradesh is quite well marked ...
  22. ^ A.K. Kolay (2007), Soil Genesis, Classification Survey And Evaluation, Volume 2, Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 2007, ISBN 9788126908035, ... ...
  23. ^ M. Hanif (2005), Encyclopaedia of Agricultural Geography, Anmol Publications Private Limited, 2005, ISBN 9788126124824, ... Loess is the finest particle of sand carried by winds from desert (Thar desert) to the neighbouring areas of Haryana, Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh and western Madhya Pradesh. Here a thin layer of loess particles ...
  24. ^ Vidya Sagar Katiyar, "Indian Monsoon and Its Frontiers", Inter-India Publications, 1990, ISBN 81-210-0245-1.
  25. ^ Ajit Prasad Jain and Shiba Prasad Chatterjee, "Report of the Irrigation Commission, 1972", Ministry of Irrigation and Power, Government of India, 1972.
  26. ^ "Western disturbances herald winter in Northern India". The Hindu Business Line. 17 November 2005. Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
  27. ^ a b Bin Wang, "The Asian Monsoon", Springer, 2006, ISBN 3-540-40610-7.
  28. ^ R.K. Datta (Meteorological Office, Dum Dum) and M.G. Gupta (Meteorological Office, Delhi), "Synoptic study of the formation and movements of Western Depressions", Indian Journal of Meteorology & Geophysics, India Meteorological Department, 1968.
  29. ^ A.P. Dimri, "Models to improve winter minimum surface temperature forecasts, Delhi, India", Meteorological Applications, 11, pp 129-139, Royal Meteorological Society, Cambridge University Press, 2004.
  30. ^ Indrani, Mazumdar (1988). "Unorganised Workers of Delhi and the Seven Day Strike of 1988". Archives of Indian Labour. Archived from the original on 1 April 2004. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  31. ^ Robert E. B. Lucas, Gustav Fritz Papanek, "The Indian Economy: Recent Development and Future Prospects", Westview Press, 1988, ISBN 0813375053.
  32. ^ Gilbert Etienne, "Rural Development In Asia: Meetings With Peasants", Sage Publications, 1985, ISBN 0803994958.
  33. ^ Gyanesh Kudaisya, "Region, Nation, Heartland: Uttar Pradesh in India's Body Politic", Sage Publications, 2006, ISBN 0761935193.
  34. ^ "RLD, BSP gear up as Mulayam exit looms". The Tribune, Chandigarh. 19 February 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
  35. ^ Jagpal Singh (4 August 2001), "Politics of Harit Pradesh: The Case of Western UP as a Separate State", Economic and Political Weekly, 36 (31): 2961–2967, JSTOR 4410945, ... It is spearheaded by the politicians, especially a section of jats, belonging to western UP. Ajit Singh has been playing a pivotal role in it ...
  36. ^ a b Sajal Basu (2005), Regionalism, ethnicity, and left politics, Rawat Publications, ISBN 978-8170339304, ... perhaps only to strengthen his own demand of a separate Harit Pradesh comprising 23 districts from western UP ...A consequent demand for the separation of the more prosperous western districts of UP which have been the bastion of the green revolution, and have variously been named as Pashchim Pradesh or more recently as Harit Pradesh by Ajit Singh ...
  37. ^ Kumar Suresh Singh; Anthropological Survey of India, eds. (1992), Ethnicity, caste, and people: proceedings of the Indo-Soviet seminars held in Calcutta and Leningrad, 1990, N. N. Miklukho-Maklai Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Manohar, ISBN 9788173040146, ... public organizations making demands for administrative autonomy for the Braj speaking people and even the setting up of a separate state "Braj Pradesh' ...
  38. ^ Varma, Gyan (12 September 2013). "Communalism gains new ground in rural India". Live Mint. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  39. ^ Singh, Manisha (12 September 2013). "Will Uttar Pradesh politics change post Muzaffarnagar riots?". Zee News. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  40. ^ "Troops deployed to quell deadly communal clashes between Hindus, Muslims in north India". Associated Press. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  41. ^ Adrija Bose (8 September 2013). "Firstpost India IBN7 journalist killed in UP communal riots, Army clamps curfewIBN7 journalist killed in UP communal riots, Army clamps curfew". Firstpost. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  42. ^ Ahmed Ali Fayyaz (8 September 2013). "9 killed in communal riots in Muzaffarnagar, curfew clamped, army deployed". The Indian Express. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  43. ^ "Fresh clashes in UPs Muzaffarnagar leave 26 dead, Army deployed in affected areas". The Hindustan Times. 7 September 2013. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  44. ^ Varma, Gyan (12 September 2013). "Communalism gains new ground in rural India". Live Mint. Retrieved 12 September 2013. The violence erupted after a girl belonging to the dominant Jat community was subjected to street harassment by some young students in Kawal village. The incident led to clashes between Jats and Muslims in the village in which three people died.
  45. ^ Sagar, Pradip R (12 September 2013). "dna in Muzaffarnagar: SP bid to gain foothold in Muzaffarnagar behind deadly riots?". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  46. ^ "The Muzaffarnagar aftermath". India Today. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  47. ^ "The Muzaffarnagar aftermath". India Today. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  48. ^ a b "Timeline of Muzaffarnagar riots: eve-teasing incident led to murders, then riots". India TV News. 8 September 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  49. ^ Narrain, Siddharth (7–20 May 2005). "Justice out of sight". Frontline. Vol. 22, no. 10. The Hindu Group. Archived from the original on 10 August 2008. Retrieved 26 February 2015.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  50. ^ "Moradabad's Kanth village tense after Communal clashes". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  51. ^ FP Staff (27 July 2014). "UP on boil: 3 dead in Sikh-Muslim clashes in Saharanpur, Moradabad tense". FirstPost. Retrieved 27 July 2014.

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