Uttar Pradesh /t.tr prd/ , lit. "Northern Province"; formerly known as United Provinces, abbr.

UP) is a state located in northernIndia. It was created on 1 April 1937 as the United Provinces with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and renamed Uttar Pradesh in 1950. Lucknow is the capital of Uttar Pradesh. On 9 November 2000, a new state, Uttarakhand, was carved from the mountainous Himalayan region of Uttar Pradesh. The state is bordered by Rajasthan to the west, Haryana and Delhi to the northwest, Uttarakhand and the country of Nepal to the north,Bihar to the east, Jharkhand to the southeast, and Madhya Pradesh to the southwest. It covers 93,933 square miles (243,290 km2), equal to 6.88% of the total area of India, and is the fifth largest Indian state by area. With over 200 million inhabitants as of 2011, it is the most populous state in the country as well as the most populous country subdivision in the whole world. Hindi is the official and most widely spoken language in its 75 districts. Uttar Pradesh is the fourth largest Indian state by economy, with a GDP of 708000 crore(US$120 billion). Agriculture and service industries are the largest parts of the state's economy. The service sector comprises travel andtourism, hotel industry, real estate, insurance and financial consultancies. Uttar Pradesh was home to powerful empires of ancient and medieval India, including Magadha, Nanda, Mauryan, Sunga, Kushan, Gupta,Gurjara, Rashtrakuta, Pala and Mughal empires. The two major rivers of the state, the Ganga and Yamuna, join at Allahabad and then flow as the Ganga further east. The state has several historical, natural, and religious tourist destinations, such as the Taj Mahal,Varanasi, Piprahwa, Kaushambi, Kanpur, Ballia, Shravasti, Kushinagar, Lucknow, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Allahabad, Meerut and Mathura. History[edit source | editbeta] Main article: History of Uttar Pradesh Archeological finds have indicated the presence of Stone Age Homo sapiens hunter-gatherers in Uttar Pradesh[2][3][4] between around[5]85 and 72 thousand years old. Other pre-historical finds have included Middle and Upper Paleolithic artifacts dated to 2131 thousand years old[6] and Mesolithic/Microlithic hunter-gatherer's settlement, near Pratapgarh, from around 10550 9550 BC. Villages with domesticated cattle, sheep, and goats and evidence of agriculture began as early as 6000 BC, and gradually developed between c. 4000 and 1500 BC beginning with the Indus Valley Civilization and Harappa Culture to the Vedic period; extending into the Iron Age.[7][8][9]

Rama portrayed as exile in the forest, accompanied by his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana The kingdom of Kosala, in the Mahajanapada era, was located within the regional boundaries of modern day Uttar Pradesh.[10] According to Hindu legend, the divine king Rama of the Ramayana epic reigned inAyodhya, the capital of Kosala.[11] Krishna, another divine king of Hindu legend, who plays a key role in the Mahabharata epic and is revered as the eighth reincarnation

(Avatar) of the Hindu god Vishnu, is said to have been born in the city of Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh.[10] The aftermath of the Mahabharata yuddh is believed to have taken place in the area between the Upper Doab and Delhi, (in what was KuruMahajanapada), during the reign of the Pandava king Yudhisthira. The kingdom of the Kurus corresponds to the Black and Red Ware and Painted Gray Ware culture and the beginning of the Iron Age in North-west India, around 1000 BC.[10] Most of the invaders of North India passed through the Gangetic plains of what is today Uttar Pradesh. Control over this region was of vital importance to the power and stability of all of India's major empires, including the Maurya (320200 BC), Kushan (100250 CE), Gupta (350600 CE), and Gurjara-Pratihara(6501036 CE) empires.[12] Following the Huns invasions that broke the Gupta empire, the Ganges-Yamuna Doab saw the rise of Kannauj.[13] During the reign of Harshavardhana (590647 CE), the Kannauj empire reached its zenith.[13] It spanned from Punjab in the north and Gujarat in the west to Bengal in the east and Odisha in the south.[10] It included parts of central India, north of the Narmada River and it encompassed the entire IndoGangetic plain.[14] Many communities in various parts of India claim descent from the migrants of Kannauj.[15] Soon after Harshavardhana's death, his empire disintegrated into many kingdoms, which were invaded and ruled by the Gurjara-Pratihara empire, which challenged Bengal's Pala Empire for control of the region.[14] Later, in the Mughal era, Uttar Pradesh became the heartland of the vast empire of Hindustan, which is used to this day as an alternate name for India.[15] Mughal emperors Babur and Humayun ruled from Delhi.[16][17] In 1540 an Afghan, Sher Shah Suri, took over the reins of Uttar Pradesh after defeating the Mughal king Humanyun.[18] Sher Shah and his son Islam Shah ruled Uttar Pradesh from their capital atGwalior.[19] After the death of Islam Shah Suri, his prime minister Hemu became the de facto ruler of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and the western parts of Bengal. He was bestowed the title of Vikramaditya at his coronation or Rajyabhishake at Purana Quilain Delhi and was titled as Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya. Hemu died in the Second Battle of Panipat, and Uttar Pradesh came under Emperor Akbar's rule.[20] Akbar ruled from Agra and Fatehpur Sikri.[21]

Business & Economy of Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh provides employment to nearly one-third of the state's total workforce in its textiles and sugar-refining industries. Other prominent industries in Uttar Pradesh include vegetable oil, jute, and cement. The Union Government has established a number of large factories that manufacture heavy equipment, machinery, steel, aircraft, telephone, electronics equipment, and fertilizers. An oil refinery at Mathura and the development of coalfields in the southeastern district of Mirzapur are also major Union Government projects. The state government promotes medium- and small-scale industries. Agriculture is the mainstay of the state's economy. The chief crops are rice, wheat, millet, barley, and sugarcane. Since the late 1960s, with the introduction of high-yielding varieties of seed for wheat and rice, greater availability of fertilizers, and increased use of irrigation, the state has become the largest producer of food grains in the country.

Rivers of Uttar Pradesh

Main rivers in Uttar Prdaesh are Alaknanda, Ramganga, Bhagirathi, Yamuna & Ganga Education in Uttar Pradesh The female literacy situation in Uttar Pradesh is dismal at 42.98%. However, the male literacy rate is reasonably better at 70.23%. The overall literacy rate is still poor at 57.36% and much lower than the all India average. The State government has taken steps to make the population totally literate. There are special programs like the World Bank aided DPEP. Steps are being taken with the help of NGOs and other organizations to raise participation. At the level of higher education and technical education Uttar Pradesh has 16 general universities, famous among those are Lucknow University, Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU), Allahabad University, Madan Mohan Malaviya Engineering College, Agra University, Banaras Hindu University, Chaudhary Charan Singh University (Meerut), Aligarh Muslim University, prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (Kanpur), Indian Institute of Management (Lucknow), Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Indian Institute of Information Technology (Allahabad), National Institute of Technology (Allahabad) and large number of polytechnics, engineering institutes and industrial training institutes. Food of Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh is a gourmet's paradise. The cuisine consists of simple, vegetables curries of all kinds. However, a whole lot of fried foods like the kachori and puri, which are necessary during festivities, and the meat delicacies of Awadh are world famous. A lot of emphasis is placed on savories and sweetmeats in this state. The range could be anything from mathris to jalebis. Lucknow is also known worldwide for its biryanis and meat preparations. Arts & Culture of Uttar Pradesh The population mostly comprises of an Indo-Dravidian ethnic group. Only a small population, in the Himalayan region, displays Asiatic origins. Hindus constitute more than 80 percent of the population, Muslims more than 15 percent, and other religious communities include Sikhs, Christians, Jains, and Buddhists. The handicrafts of Uttar Pradesh have earned a reputation for themselves over the centuries. The traditional handicrafts are of a vast variety such as textiles, metal ware, woodwork, ceramics, stonework, dolls, leather products, ivory articles, papier-mch, articles made of horns, bone, cane and bamboo, perfume, and musical instrument. These cottage crafts are spread all over the state but the more important centers are located at Varanasi, Aamgarh, Maunath Bhanjan, Ghazipur, Meerut, Muradabad, and Agra. Carpets from Bhadohi and Mirzapur are prized worldwide. Silks and brocades of Varanasi, ornamental brassware from Muradabad, chickan (a type of embroidery) work from

Lucknow, ebony work from Nagina, glassware from Firozabad, and carved woodwork from Saharanpur also are important. The traditional pottery centers are located at Khurja, Chunar, Lucknow, Rampur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, and Azamgarh. Khurja's dishes, pitchers, and flower bowls in blazed ceramic in blue, green, brown and orange colors are the most attractive. Muradabad produces exquisite brass utility articles. Besides, minakari on silver, gold, and diamond-cut silver ornaments have made Varanasi and Lucknow world famous. Festivals of Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh has a long list of fairs and festivals. More than 2,230 festivals are held annually. Some are organized at several places simultaneously while others have only local importance. Festivals and feasts are linked with the golden harvest - the sensuous spring, the reverence for mythology, religion or in honor of the past great men. These are zestfully celebrated with song, dance, and merriment; others with solemnity, fervor, fast, or feast. These fairs and festivals help the people keep the culture vibrant and promote artistic activities.