Moradabad

Moradabad (Hindi pronunciation: [mʊɾaːd̪aːbaːd̪] ^ⓘ) is an industrial city, commissionerate, and municipal corporation in Moradabad district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is situated on the banks of the Ramganga river, at a distance of 165 km (103 mi) from the national capital, New Delhi and 356 km north-west of the state capital, Lucknow. Based on the 2011 census, it is 10th most populous city in the state and 54th most populous city in the country. It is one of the largest cities in the Western UP region, serving as a crucial hub for employment, education, industry, culture, and administration.

The city is popularly known as Pital Nagri ("Brass City") for its famous brass handicrafts, which are exported across the world. In the last few decades it has started emerging as a hub for working in other metals also, including aluminium, steel, and iron. In October 2014, leading financial daily Livemint included Moradabad in its list of "25 emerging cities to watch out for in 2025".

Moradabad also holds the distinction of being among the 100 smart cities being modernized under the National Smart Cities Mission of the Union Government of India.

Throughout its four centuries of existence, the city has gone through multiple regime changes. It was firstly a part of the Delhi Sultanate, then flourished under Mughal empire, then was annexed into the Kingdom of Rohilkhand in 1742, and then came under the control of Oudh State in 1774 after the fall of Rohillas in the First Rohilla War. Finally, it was ceded to the British East India Company by the Nawab of Oudh in 1801. In the early 19th century, the British divided the Rohilkhand area into the Rampur State and two districts: the Bareilly and Moradabad districts. The city of Moradabad then became the headquarters of the latter.

Moradabad was connected with railway lines during the latter half of the nineteenth century. A line connecting Moradabad to Chandausi was built in 1872 and it was continued up to Bareilly in 1873. The Bareilly-Moradabad chord via Rampur was completed in 1894, which was extended to Saharanpur in 1886. A branch line to Aligarh via Chandausi was opened in 1894, while Moradabad was linked to Ghaziabad in 1900. It is also the divisional headquarter of the Moradabad division of Northern Railway (NR).