Meerut is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is an ancient city, with settlements dating back to the Indus Valley civilization having been found in and around the area. The city lies 70 km northeast of the national capital New Delhi, and 430 km northwest of the state capital Lucknow.
The Great Upsurge of 1857
The British formally touched base in Meerut in 1803, through an arrangement with the Marathas. The cantonment of Meerut was set up in 1806 with particular key interests including its closeness to Delhi and its area inside the rich Ganges – Yamuna doab. With time Meerut advanced into one of the biggest and most vital military stations of India.
Colonial-era
In 1803, with the fall of Delhi, Daulat Rao Scindia of the Marathas ceded the territory to the British. The city was made headquarters of the eponymous district in 1818.
Meerut is famously associated with the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British East India Company. The famous slogan “Dilli Chalo” (“Let’s march to Delhi!”) was first raised here. Meerut cantonment is the place where the rebellion started.
The revolt, which catapulted Meerut into international prominence, started in March 1857 at Barrackpore, Bengal. Sepoy Mangal Pandey shot and missed two Europeans, failed to kill himself, and was hanged. By April, the fire of Pandey’s Uprising scorched north India and reached Meerut, the second-largest East India Company garrison. Here, Europeans and native sepoys were evenly balanced, with a little more than 2,000 on each side. The European cantonment was separated from the ‘native lines.’ Close by were Sadar Bazar and Lal Kurti Bazar, the latter named after the red uniforms worn by Company soldiers. On 24 April 1857, Meerut’s commander, Colonel Carmichael Smyth, paraded 90 Indian sepoys of the Bengal Cavalry, hired mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. He ordered them to fire the new Enfield cartridges: 85 refused. The cartridges were covered with paper that had to be torn off: Muslims believed the paper was greased with pig fat and Hindus, with cow fat.
Post-independence era
The city and district also suffered from communal (Hindu -Sikh ) riots in 1984 and (Hindu-Muslim) riots in 1982 and in 1987, during which the Hashimpura massacre took place, in May 1987, when personnel of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) shot dead 42 Muslims, the trial of the case is still pending. In 2006, a fire at a consumer electronics “Brand India” fair in Victoria Park Stadium killed at least 100 people, with authorities already confirming 45 fatalities, although a specific figure on a toll was difficult to put and was predicted to be much higher.
Mythology
- Meerut was founded as Maharashtra (lit. Maya’s country) by Maya, who was the father of Mandodari, Ravana’s wife in the Ramayana. Meerut was the capital of Maya. Thus the city is also known as ‘Ravan Ka Sasural’ literally meaning “Ravana’s wife’s home”. There is an old Chandi Devi temple in the compound of Nauchandi ground. It is believed that Ravan’s wife Mandodari used to come here to worship Goddess Chandi.
- Every year, after the festival of Holi, a fair is conducted at the Nauchandi grounds. There is a temple, known as Chandi Devi temple, and a mosque near Bale Miyan’s mausoleum facing each other. Hence, this fair represents the unity between the Hindus and the Muslims.
- It is said that this is where King Dasharatha had accidentally shot Shravan begetting the curse of the old and blind parents. Therefore, Meerut is supposed to be the grounds from where the entire epic Ramayana grew.
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