Tehri Garhwal District

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Tehri Garhwal District is a district of Uttarakhand state of northern India. The town of Tehri is the administrative headquarters of the district.

The district has a population of 604,608 (2001 census), a 16.15% increase over the previous decade. The district is bounded on the north by Uttarkashi District, on the east by Rudraprayag District, on the south by Pauri Garhwal District, and on the west by Dehradun District.

• Tehri-Garhwal was a former princely state, counted among the Punjab Hill States of British India, which consisted of present-day Tehri Garhwal District and most of Uttarkashi District. It had an area 4180 m²./ 11,655 km²; pop. (1901) 268,885. It adjoined the British districts of Garhwal to the southeast and Dehra Dun to the southwest. The Panwar (Shah) dynasty's Hindu ruler was originally titled Raja, but since 1913 Maharaja; the salute state was entitled to 11-guns and had a privy purse of 300.000 rupees, acceeding to India on 1 August 1949.

How Tehri got its name

The name Tehri has been derived from ‘Trihari’, signifying a place that washes away the three types of sins - sins born out of Mansa, Vacha and Karmana or thought, word and deed, respectively. ‘Garh’ in Garhwal means fort. Prior to 888 AD, the region was divided into small garhs which were ruled by independent kings. These garhs were brought under one province by Kanakpal, the prince of Malwa. Kanakpal, on his visit to Badrinath, had met the then mightiest king Bhanu Pratap who later married his only daughter to the prince and handed him his kingdom. Kanakpal and his descendents gradually conquered all the garhs and ruled the whole of Garhwal region for the next 915 years, up to 1803 AD.

Gorkha menace

In 1803 AD, Gorkhas took over Garhwal. Gorkha warriors Subba Amar Singh, Hastidal Chautariya, Bamshah Chautariya and Ranjor Thapa commanded a huge army in the crusade against King Pradyumna Shah and his sons Kuwar Parakrama Shah and Kuwar Pritam Shah. A 12,000 strong army fought with the Gorkhas at Khurhbure where the king was killed. Gradually, Gorkhas captured Dehradun, Saharanpur, Kangada and Shimla and later on extended their kingdom up to Kangara.

During 1787 AD to 1812 AD, Gorkhas captured nearly 200 villages falling under East India Company. Britishers argued with the king of Nepal but to no avail. Finally, in 1814, an army of 8000 under Major General Marley attacked Kathmandu, 4000 soldiers under Major General Wood started operation from Gorakhapur, and 3500 soldiers attempted to take over Dehradun under Major General Zileswy where Gorkha army of 300–400 was led by Balbhadra Thapa. Gorkhas fought a fierce battle and crushed the Britishers, which had to be reinforced to 5000, and cannons. Finally, British army captured Dehradun on 30 Nov 1814.

Britishers then moved towards Kumaon. After a fierce battle Gorkha commanders Hastidal and Jayrakha were killed at Vinayathal. The war ended under the Treaty of Sanguli with Gorkha supreme commander Bamshah and thus, British rule started in hills. East India Company then merged Kumaon, Dehradun and east Garhwal in British Empire while west Garhwal was given to Sudarshan Shah which was then known as Tehri Riyasat.

New capital

King Sudarshan Shah established his capital at Tehri town and afterwards his successors Pratap Shah, Kirti Shah and Narendra Shah established their capital at Pratap Nagar, Kirti Nagar and Narendra Nagar, respectively. Their dynasty ruled over this region from 1815 to 1949. During the Quit India Movement people of this region actively participated for the independence of the country. Ultimately when the country was declared independent in 1947, the inhabitants of Tehri Riyasat started their movement for getting themselves freed from the clutches of Maharaja. Due to the movement the situation became out of his control and was difficult for him to rule over the region. Consequently the 60th king of Pawar Vansh Manvendra Shah accepted the sovereignty of Indian government. Thus, in 1949, Tehri Riyasat was merged in Uttar Pradesh and was given the status of a new district. Resultantly on 24 February 1960 the state government separated its one tehsil which was given status of a separate district named as Uttarkashi.

Divisions and Districts of Uttarakhand
Kumaon Division: Almora | Bageshwar | Champawat | Nainital | Pithoragarh | Udham Singh Nagar
Garhwal Division: Chamoli | Dehradun | Haridwar | Pauri Garhwal | Rudra Prayag | Tehri Garhwal | Uttarkashi