page_title: Kashipur, Uttarakhand
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Kashipur, Uttarakhand / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Vishnu Trivikrama. Pratihara, 11th century, from Kashipur. Delhi National Museum, India. In this incarnation, Vishnu measures out the universe in three giant steps.
context_page_description: Kashipur is a city of Udham Singh Nagar district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and one of its seven subdivisions. Located in the western part of Udham Singh Nagar district, it is Kumaun's third most populous city and the sixth most populous in Uttarakhand. According to the 2011 Census of India, the population is 121,623 for the city of Kashipur and 283,136 for Kashipur Tehsil.
  Historically part of Kumaun, Kashipur is named after Kashinath Adhikari, the founder of the township and governor of the pargana, one of the officers of the Chand Kings of Kumaun in the 16th and 17th centuries. Kashipur remained under the rule of Chand Kings until the latter half of eighteenth century until Nand Ram, the then governor of Kashipur, became practically independent.
  Kashipur was ceded to British in 1801, after which, it played a major role in the conquest of Kumaon during the Anglo-Gorkha war in 1815. After Kumaun was ceded to the British under the Treaty of Sugauli, Kashipur became the headquarters of Terai district in the Kumaon division. The Municipality of Kashipur was established in 1872, and was upgraded to a Municipal Corporation on 26 January 2013.
context_section_description: Kashipur was known as Govishana, during the time of Harsha (606–647 AD). The ruins of the large settlement of those days can be still seen near the city. The famous Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang also travelled the city in the 7th century. He described it as "The Capital was 15 li in circuit. Its position was lofty, and of difficult access, and it was surrounded by groves, tanks and fishponds". Kashipur is believed to have a good historic trade of clothes and metal vessels.
  The modern town of Kashipur was founded by Kashinath Adhikari, the governor of Tarai under King Devi Chand of Champawat. Later Raja Mohan Chand ; one the Kings of Kumaon's younger brother Lal Singh was given the estate Kashipur and Raja Guman Singh became its first King. Kashipur's last king Raja Hari Chand Raj Singh again got back the titular throne of Kumaon in British India as Raja Anand Singh (Raja of Almora) had no issues. The exact date of the foundation of the town is disputed, several historians having expressed their own views on the matter. Bishop Heber, in his book Travels in India wrote that Kashipur was founded by a deity named Kashi 5000 years back (approx 3176 BC). Sir Alexander Cunningham invalidated his views in his book, The Ancient Geography of India, in which he wrote "the good bishop was grossly deceived by his informant, as it is well known that the town is a modern one, it having been built about AD 1718 by kashi-nath, a follower of Raja Devi-Chandra of Champawat in Kumaon". Badri Datt Pandey in his book Kumaun Ka Itihaas, contradicting Cunningham's views, claimed the town to be founded in 1639. Kashipur remained under the rule of Chand Kings until the latter half of eighteenth century until Nand Ram the governor of Kashipur became practically Independent and established his kingdom at Kashipur.
  When the British arrived in Kumaun at the end of the 18th century AD, Kashipur was ruled by King Shib Lal, the second King of Kashipur. Kashipur was ceded to the British by Shib Lal in 1801 after which it became a revenue division. Bishop Heber visited here during his travel to Almora in November 1824. Heber described Kashipur as a "famous place of Hindu Pilgrimage". On 10 July 1837, Kashipur was included in the Moradabad district. The revenue divisions of muradabad district were rearranged in 1944 following which Bajpur, Kashipur and Jaspur were rearranged into one pargana named as Kashipur. Bajpur was brought under Tarai district in 1859 followed by Kashipur in October 1870. Kashipur was later made the headquarters of Tarai district in the Ceded and Conquered Provinces.
caption: Vishnu Trivikrama, an 11th-century Pratihara stone sculpture from Kashipur
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