Kumaon Kingdom
Kingdom of Kumaon कुमाऊं राज्य (Kumaoni) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600–1791 | |||||||||
Location of the Kumaon kingdom, and main South Asian polities in 1175, on the eve of the Ghurid Empire invasion of the subcontinent. | |||||||||
| Status |
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| Capital | |||||||||
| Common languages | |||||||||
| Ethnic groups | |||||||||
| Religion | State religion: Hinduism Other: Buddhism Islam | ||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Kumaoni | ||||||||
| Government | Federal Aristocracy under an Absolute monarchy influenced by Political Factions
or Occasionally an Oligarchy with a Monarchial Figurehead | ||||||||
| Maharajadhiraja | |||||||||
• 600 | Vasu Dev (First {Katyuri dynasty} | ||||||||
• 1064–1065 | Bir Dev (Last {Katyuri dynasty} | ||||||||
• 700–721 | Som Chand (First {Chand dynasty} as Feudatory) | ||||||||
• 1450–1488 | Ratna Chand (36th {Chand dynasty}, First of united Kumaon) | ||||||||
• 1638–1678 | Baz Bahadur Chand | ||||||||
• 1788–1791 | Mahendra Chand (Last) | ||||||||
| Diwan | |||||||||
• 700–721 | Joshi Sudhanidhi Chaube (First {Chand dynasty}) | ||||||||
• 1788–1791 | Lal Singh (Last) | ||||||||
| Legislature | Panchayat of Kumaon (Powerful Privy council) | ||||||||
| Malladhara (Mahar Faction) | |||||||||
| Talladhara (Phartyal Faction) | |||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | 600 | ||||||||
• Fall of Katyuri dynasty | 11th Century | ||||||||
• Period of fragmentation | 12th century–15th century | ||||||||
• Reunification of Kumaon by Chand dynasty | 1450 | ||||||||
• Invaded by Kingdom of Nepal | 1791 | ||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
• Total | 72,000 km2 (28,000 sq mi)(Approx. area during peak of Chand dynasty) | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• Estimate | 500,000 | ||||||||
| Currency | Rupee, Paisa | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Uttarakhand, India Sudurpashchim Province, Nepal | ||||||||
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29°35′50″N 79°39′33″E / 29.5971°N 79.6591°E
The kingdom of Kumaon (English: /kuˈmaʊn/ KOO-maown; Kumaoni: कुमाऊं राज्य; Tibetan: ཀུ་མའོ་རྒྱལ་ཕྲན།; HT: Kumāū̃; [kʊˈmä.ʊ̃], also anglicised as Kemaon), also known as Kurmanchal (कूर्मांचल), was a Himalayan kingdom that existed for nearly 1200 years. The kingdom was established by Vasu Dev of the Katyuri dynasty in the 7th Century after he unified many small principalities. After the fall of the Katyuris in the 11th century and about three centuries of fragmentation, the Chand dynasty managed to reunify Kumaon in the middle of the 15th Century. They shifted the capital from Kartikeyapura (Baijnath) to Champawat in the 12th Century, and finally to Almora in 1563. During their rule Kumaon was spread sovereign from river Tons to river Karnali. The kingdom of Kumaon had also accepted the suzerainty of the Mughal Empire and paid tribute to them as the writings of Abul Fazl state that from the reign of Rudra Chand onwards, Kumaon began to send gifts and was obedient to the Emperor in Delhi.
During the 500-year Katyuri rule, Kumaoni culture began to form, with Shaivism as the dominant belief. Notable temples like those in Jageshwar and Katarmal were built, and Sanskrit and Pali were widely used. The administration was efficient, with well-built roads and bridges. After the Katyuris' decline, Kurmanchal fragmented into petty kingdoms. The Chand dynasty, present in Kumaon since the 8th century, unified the region, including Doti, in the 15th century. During their 700-year rule (400 years over united Kumaon), folk Hinduism flourished, and Kumaoni gained prominence while Sanskrit was reserved for religion and education. A party system government existed, and for a century, Kumaon thrived as a hub for trade, religion, and learning. Culture bloomed and Kumaon saw a century of Golden Age. However, political instability and financial crises weakened the kingdom by the 18th century, leading to its annexation by the newly unified Kingdom of Nepal in 1791. After 24 years of oppressive Nepalese rule, the British East Indian Company and later the British Crown took control.
The Katyuris and the Chands left a substantial legacy to modern-day Uttarakhand. Much of the Kumaoni culture, societal norms, and folk traditions, along with the Kumaoni language, derive from the practices and traditions of the Katyuris and the Chands.