States PCS: Uttarakhand GK for UKPSC Exams

Notes:
The revenue police system in Uttarakhand was introduced in 1874 by the British. Patwaris were assigned both revenue collection and policing roles to manage hilly rural areas effectively. This dual responsibility reduced administrative costs and remained in practice even after Uttarakhand’s formation in 2000. The system limited formal police stations to towns like Almora and Nainital while Patwaris served as local authorities elsewhere.

Notes:
Kanvashram is located on the Malini River bank near Kotdwar, Uttarakhand. The Malini River flows through the Shivalik ranges and joins the Ganga. Kanvashram is linked with Sage Kanva and the epic story of Shakuntala and Bharata. There are no historical records placing it on Yamuna, Bhagirathi, or Alaknanda rivers.

Notes:
Chandpurgarh was an important principality in Garhwal after Katyuri decline. It emerged in the mid-15th century under Jagatpal in present-day Pauri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand. Ajaypal later unified the Garhwal kingdom from Chandpurgarh, shifting the capital progressively to Devalgarh and Srinagar.

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 Coolie-Begar movement was a non-violent protest in Kumaon culminating at Bageshwar in January 1921. During the Uttarayani fair, a large gathering near the Bagnath temple took an oath against forced labour. Leaders like Badri Datt Pandey led the pledge, and village headmen threw coolie-registers into the river, officially rejecting the practice.

Notes:
The Hindi newspaper “Almora Akhbar” started publication in 1871 after a press was established in Almora. It was one of the earliest newspapers in the Kumaon region and the first Hindi newspaper of present-day Uttar Pradesh. This newspaper played a role during the British rule in spreading social and political awareness.

Notes:
The name “Uttarakhand” first clearly appears in the Puranas, describing the central Himalayas and sacred regions like Kedarkhand and Manaskhand. Vedic texts such as the Rigveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda refer to larger Himalayan areas but not specifically by the name “Uttarakhand.”

Notes:
Adi Shankaracharya traveled across India and is linked with Uttarakhand, especially Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Jyotirmath. He revived and organized pilgrimage centers and established monastic institutions in the Garhwal Himalayas during his time.

Notes:
Adi Guru Shankaracharya’s samadhi is located just behind the Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand. Kedarnath is a principal Jyotirlinga and a major Himalayan pilgrimage site. Tradition holds Shankaracharya attained mahasamadhi there at about age 32. Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri are other important Himalayan pilgrimage sites but do not house his samadhi.

Notes:
The Sarvodaya movement was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and promoted by Vinoba Bhave and Jayaprakash Narayan. Kamla and Basanti, who were real sisters, actively propagated the movement’s principles of non-violence, social justice, and rural upliftment through grassroots efforts. Their work focused on moral reform and cooperative living aligned with Gandhian values.