History Himachal Pradesh

History himachal:- The earliest known inhabitants of the region were tribals called Dasas. Later, Aryans came and they assimilated in the tribes. In the later centuries, the hill chieftains accepted suzerainty of the Mauryan Empire, the Kaushans, the Guptas and Kanuaj rulers. During the Mughal period, the Rajas of the hill states made some mutually agreed arrangements which governed their relations. In the 19th century, Ranjit Singh annexed/subjugated many of the states. in the history of himachal pradesh. it is mentioned that When the British came, they defeated Gorkhas and entered into treaties with some Rajas and annexed the kingdoms of others. The situation more or less remained unchanged till 1947. After Independence, 30 princely states of the area were united and Himachal Pradesh was formed on 15th April, 1948. With the recognition of Punjab on 1st November, 1966, certain areas belonging to it were also included in Himachal Pradesh. On 25th January, 1971, Himachal Pradesh was made a full-fledged State. The State is bordered by Jammu & Kashmir on North, Punjab on West and South-West, Haryana on South, Uttarakhand on South-East and China on the East.

The name ‘Himachal’ was coined from Sanskrit him means ‘snow’ and achal means ‘mountain’, by Acharya Diwakar Datt Sharma, one of the state’s most eminent Sanskrit scholars. A lesser known fact is that Himachal Pradesh, which is famous for its natural beauty, hill stations, and temples, produces surplus hydroelectricity and sells it to states like Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, etc. Let’s read more about Himachal Pradesh and its diverse and beautiful Himalayan landscapes that attract tourists from all over the world.

Himachal Pradesh
Capital & Imp Cities	– Shimla (Summers) & Dharamsala (Winters) – Shimla, Kullu, Mandi and Hamirpur.
Date of Formation	– After India’s independence in 1947, there was a demand in some quarters for the merger of Hill state with east Punjab but it met with opposition from the rulers and people. – In what is Himachal Pradesh today, Praja Mandal workers and rulers had different opinions about the future of these hilly states. They decided to inform Govt. of India to form a union of these small hill states with name ‘Himachal Pradesh’. – As a result, Himachal Pradesh came into being as part ‘C’ State of the Indian Union on 15th April, 1948 by merger together of 31 big & small hill states. – Himachal Pradesh was conferred statehood on 25th January 1971.
Districts	12
Languages	– Hindi (Official Language) & English (Additional official language) – Pahari, Dogri, Mandeali, Kangri and Kinnauri.
Known as/for	Fruit bowl of the country, All Seasons’ State & Apple State All houses have a toilet & 100% hygiene has been achieved in the state. Also,
Physical characteristics	Entirely hilly region Himachal Pradesh can be divided into 3 distinct regions: – Shivalik or Outer Himalayas – Middle Himalayas or Inner Himalayas – Greater Himalayas or the Alpine zone The state lies on foothills of Dhauladhar range. The climate varies from hot & subhumid tropical to cold & glacial. While Dharamsala receives heavy rainfall, Lahaul-Spiti gets less rainfall.
Natural Vegetation	– Forest cover = 66.52% – High diversity of Medicinal & Aromatic plants – The state government is gearing up to make Himachal Pradesh the flower basket of the world. – Has around 463 birds, 77 mammalian, 44 reptile and 80 fish species. – 30 wildlife sanctuaries & 3 conservation reserves. – Alpine to the north-east gradually transforms to dry temperate grasslands through moist temperate while moving to the southwest
Major rivers	– Satluj flows from Rakas Tal near Manasarovar Lake to the Chenab – Ravi flowing from Bhandal & Tantgiri glaciers in Chamba in Himachal Pradesh to the Indus. – Beas flowing from Vyas Kund at Rohtang Pass to the Sutlej – Chenab flowing from Bara Lacha pass to the Sutlej – Yamuna flows from Kalinda Parbat in Uttarakhand to the Ganga (Triveni Sangam – the Ganga, Yamuna & the invisible Saraswati river at Allahabad)
Major Regional festivals	Halda, Lohri, Baisakhi, Himachal Winter carnival, Kullu Dussehra, Phulaich, Lossar, Gotsi, Sairi, Faguli
Major art forms	– Schools of painting: Kangra, Chamba, Basohli, Garhwal, Thangka – Dance: Kayang Mala dance, Demon or Rakshasa Dance, Shan, Shabu and Shabbo dance, Dalshone and Cholamba, Keekali, Kullu Natti dance
Industry	– Over 93% of the population in Himachal depends directly upon agriculture, which provides direct employment to 71% of its people. – Electronics, toys, etc.
Minerals	Rock salt, limestone, gypsum, silica-sand, and baryte
Agriculture	– Wheat, rice, maize, barley, apples, plums, olives, figs. – Apple (major cash crop) → avg. annual production – 5 lakh tonnes → constitute 49% of total area under fruit crops and 85% of total fruit production in the state with an estimated economy of ₹3500 crore and per hectare production of 8 to 10 tonnes. – Apples from Himachal are also exported to Indian states and other countruies.
Geographical indications	Kullu shawl, Kangra Tea, Chamba Rumal, Kinnauri Shawl
State animal	Snow leopard
State bird	Western tragopan (Jujurana)
State flower	Common rhododendron
Important historical sites	Ruined fort and rock inscription in Kangra, Bhim-ka-Tila in: Buddhist Stupa in Kangra, Katoch Palace in Hamirpur, Phoo Gumpha in Tabo, Vice Regal Lodge in Shimla
World heritage sites	Great Himalayan National Park, Kalka-Shimla Railway under Mountain Railways of India
Ramsar sites	Chandra Taal, Pong Dam Lake, Renuka Lake
Biodiversity hotspots	—
Endemic bird areas	Western Himalaya
Bird sanctuaries	Gamgul Siahbehi Sanctuary
National parks	– Great Himalayan National Park – Pin Valley National Park, Inderkilla National Park, Khirganga National Park, Simbalbara National Park
Biosphere Reserve	Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve: Pin Valley National Park and surroundings, Chandra Taal, Sarchu & Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife Sanctuaries	Bandli WLS, Chail WLS Chandratal WLS, Churdhar WLS Daranghati WLS, Dhauladhar WLS Gamgul Siyabehi WLS, Kais WLS Kalatop-Khajjiar WLS, Kanawar WLS Khokhan WLS, Kibber WLS Kugti WLS, Lippa Asrang WLS Majathal WLS, Manali WLS Nargu WLS, Pong Dam Lake WLS Renuka WLS, Rupi Bhaba WLS Sangla Valley (Rakchham Chitkul) WLS Sech Tuan Nala WLS Sainj WLS, Shikari Devi WLS Shimla Water Catchment WLS Talra WLS, Tirthan WLS, Tundah WLS
Tiger reserve	—