States PCS: Uttarakhand GK for UKPSC Exams

Notes:
Askot Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand. It was established to conserve the musk deer and covers about 600 km² in the Kumaon region. The sanctuary hosts species like the Himalayan brown bear and Indian leopard. Askot village, near which the sanctuary lies, is approximately 54 km from Pithoragarh town.

Notes:
Uttarakhand has 5 Lok Sabha constituencies: Nainital–Udham Singh Nagar, Almora, Tehri Garhwal, Garhwal, and Haridwar. Almora is the only SC-reserved constituency; others are unreserved. Thus, only one seat is reserved for SC candidates in Uttarakhand.

Notes:
Some Indian states provide 2% reservation in direct recruitment for dependents of freedom fighters. Additionally, around 10% reservation may be given for state agitators or special categories as per state rules and Supreme Court guidelines limiting reservations to 50% overall.

Notes:
The Begar movement began on 13–14 January 1921 during the Uttarayani fair at Bageshwar. Leaders like Badri Datt Pandey led villagers to oppose forced labour. The event occurred where the Saryu and Gomati rivers meet, marking the formal start of organized resistance against the British-imposed Coolie-Begar system.

Notes:
The Skanda Purana contains the terms “Kedarkhand” for Garhwal and “Manaskhand” for Kumaon. It is a Sanskrit Purana detailing pilgrimage sites and sacred geography, including the Himalayan regions of Kedarnath and Kumaon.

Notes:
Joshimath is the historical initial capital of the Asantidev dynasty, a branch of the Katyuri line. It is located in present-day Uttarakhand. Historical records associate the early rule of the Asantidev dynasty with Joshimath. This city has also been an important religious and administrative center in the region.

Notes:
Ashok Challa, a Khas king from Nepal, invaded the region now called Uttarakhand in 1191. This invasion led to the collapse of the existing kingdom there and brought Garhwal under his control. Krachalla, his successor, invaded the area in 1223, continuing Khas expansion in the western Himalayan region during the medieval period.

Notes:
Ashokan inscriptions were primarily written in Prakrit, often identified as Pali, during the Mauryan Empire in the 3rd century BCE. They were mostly inscribed using the Brahmi script. In some northwestern regions, edicts were written in Prakrit using the Kharosthi script. These inscriptions are known as the Edicts of Ashoka and represent the earliest extensive political use of Prakrit in India.

Notes:
Timur invaded India in 1398 and attacked Haridwar on 13 January 1399 during his return from Delhi.

Notes:
The term “गोरख्याली” refers to the Gorkha rule over Kumaon and Garhwal during 1791–1815, noted for forced labour, heavy taxation, and severe repression leading to depopulation and local suffering.