History of Ghaziabad

Ghaziabad or as many refer, the “Gateway of UP” is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It’s a city adjacent to the national capital of India i.e. New Delhi and very well connected by rail and road.

It used to be a part of the Meerut Province until it was separated and given an individual district status in the year 1976. Ever since the separate provincial status, Ghaziabad has become one of the most industrialized cities in the state due to its strategic location.

From all the research work and the excavations done on the mound of Kaseri based on the banks of river Hindon which is 2 Km from Mohan Nagar exhibits the history of Ghaziabad dating back to as far as 2500 BC.

Ranging from the onus of Gupta Dynasty to Mughal’s and later on to British Colonial rule, this city is quite renowned for its prosperity when it comes to its historical, mythological and cultural heritage. KOT war that happened during the fourth century was yet another paving stone for the city being formed.

KOT war

Situated on the eastern border of the Ghaziabad District is the village called as KOT known for the association of the Samundra Gupta, the famous emperor who performed the Aswamedha yagya after winning over “Kot Kuljam” and the fort.

With more than seven wars being fought in KOT, the KOT war in the fourth century between Samundra Gupta and Kot Kujlam at Loni is the most famous one and is judged as the war which laid the foundations for the city of Ghaziabad. Since then the whole province of Ghaziabad and nearby areas was ruled by Hindu Kings till the advent of the Mughal empire.

Not many know that the former name of Ghaziabad was Ghaziuddin Nagar. The city was named after the then general of the Mughal Emperor Ghaziuddin Siddiqui Feroz Jung. A lot has been said about the Serai made by the Mughal Emperor which consisted of 120 rooms with the ends been pointed as an arch.

Legend is that the city made by the emperor was built within the large boundary with four gates namely the Dasna Gate, Delhi Gate, Sihani Gate and Shahi gate. With the passage of time, the Shahi Gate was renamed as Bazar Gate which post-independence yet again was renamed as Jawahar Gate. The other gates still retain their original names and have historical importance for the people in the city.

The Maratha-Mughal war is yet another important occurrence which paved way to the annihilation of Mughals and the beginning of Maratha rule. Following the Mughal rule, there was an advent of the British Colonial rule and it was then in the year 1857, that the Royal Maratha Army had a war with the British Army and this war has been termed as the first freedom fight of the nation. This war was a glorious one for the city.

Some of the famous freedom fighters who took charge in the resistance towards colonial rule are:

• Prem Krishna Khanna
• Udham Singh
• Sahajanand Saraswati
• Banwari Lal
• Ram Prasad Bismil
• Rammanohar Lohia

Initially a Tehsil in the District of Meerut before 14th of November 1976, it was the then Chief Minister Mr. Narayan Dutt who declared the Tehsil to a separate district.

Ever since the formation of the district, this place has seen prolific growth and change in terms of industrialization, infrastructure and development.

The city of Ghaziabad which is the head-quarters of the Ghaziabad district is based on the banks of River Hindon on the Grand Trunk Road.

Being a city which is the entrance of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Ghaziabad is one of the oldest and richest in terms of historical values and beliefs. The city is considered to be one of the most cultural cities steeped in historical values.