States PCS: Uttarakhand GK for UKPSC Exams

Notes:
Skandapurana designates Uttarakhand as “Devabhumi” and details its sacred sites like Kedarnath and Badrinath.

Notes:
The state named Uttaranchal was created on 9 November 2000 from Uttar Pradesh. The official renaming to Uttarakhand took effect on 1 January 2007 by the Union government through constitutional amendment and administrative order.

Notes:
The Ashokan rock edicts were found at Kalsi in Dehradun district, Uttarakhand. The site has all fourteen Major Rock Edicts of Ashoka carved in Brahmi script. Kalsi is located at the confluence of the Yamuna and Tons rivers and contains the only complete set of Ashoka’s major rock edicts in North India.

Notes:
Edward Gardner was appointed the first Commissioner of Kumaon after British annexation in 1815. He had civil, judicial, and revenue powers under the non-regulation system in Kumaon. His tenure marked the start of British formal administration in the region.

Notes:
Lakhudiyar Caves are in Barechhina village, Almora district, Uttarakhand. The site contains prehistoric rock paintings from the Mesolithic and Neolithic ages. Discovered in 1968 by Dr. M. P. Joshi, the paintings depict animals, humans, and geometric patterns. The name “Lakhudiyar” means “one lakh caves” in Kumaoni, referring to many rock shelters there. Natural rock formations protect these caves from weather damage.

Notes:
Dev Suman was a freedom fighter from Tehri Garhwal (now Uttarakhand) who protested autocratic rule. He died on 25 July 1944 after an 84-day hunger strike in prison demanding civil rights. His death is documented as a significant event in the regional freedom movement against the Tehri princely state’s rule.

Notes:
Kumaon was conquered by the Gorkha forces in early 1791 A.D. after crossing the Mahakali River. The Chand dynasty had weakened in the late 18th century, allowing Gorkha annexation. Kumaon remained under Gorkha rule until the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816), after which British administration began in 1815.

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Lalitaditya Muktapida was an 8th-century Karkota dynasty ruler of Kashmir. His conquests are detailed by Kalhana in the 12th-century work Rajatarangini. This source critically documents his campaigns in northern India and Himalayan regions.

Notes:
Asha Purohit was a prominent female freedom fighter active during the Indian independence movement. In 1932, British authorities issued orders for her capture dead or alive due to her involvement in revolutionary activities. Arrest warrants and such orders were part of colonial repression tactics against leaders in the Civil Disobedience Movement and related protests during that period.

Notes:
The Mussoorie firing on 2 September 1994 resulted in six officially recognized Uttarakhand statehood martyrs, including Dhanpat Singh, Belmati Chauhan, and Hansa Dhanai. Yashodhara Baijnwal is not listed in any government or historical records as a martyr of this incident.