BAREILLY, Uttar Pradesh

Main Attraction: Surma

Manufacturing of ‘Surma’ (a grinded grey and black medicated powder) for beautifying the human eyes and to medicate them, had been an important industry in the city for which the district Bareilly had been famous all over the world. ‘Surma’is basically a powder of antimony mixed with grinded pearls and other ingredients including a rare mineral imported from Afghanistan which was used in earlier times,. Surma making industry is very old one in the city, originally formulated by Syed Hashim, hence the ‘Surma’ is famous as Hashmi surma. Hashmi surma has been known for its brand, produced by a particular family, which possesses an old ancestral small shop located at the crossing of the main old bazar of the city, called ‘Kutubkhana’. Various qualities of Surma depending upon the needs and demands of the users for eye ailments or for beautification of eyes are produced. Keeping in view the popularity of the product, manufacturers were encouraged to expand the market and now a days nearly fifty units are engaged in the manufacturing of the product which fulfill the demand from all over the country and abroad.

Aside from the dusty powder form of the Surma, another form of it, in the kind of black paste termed as ‘Kajal’ is also manufactured which is prepared by adding some medicinal herb juices. This paste is generally applied on the eyelets with ladies-finger only. Mostly it is used in night at sleeping time which in turn cleans the eyes throughout the night and keeps the eyes and eyesight healthy. In rural areas of the country, it has a very potential market.

Brief History

The early history of the region covered by the present district of Bareilly is not without interest. It once formed part of the ancient country of Panchala, which is said to have extended from the foot of the Himalayas in the north to the river Chambal in south. Later, when Panchala was divided into north Panchala and south Panchala (west Ganga is line of demarcation), the Bareilly district was included in the former and it has the distinction of having possessed Ahichchhatra or Chhatravati the capital of that kingdom, which was one of the most celebrated places in ancient India and is identified with the ruined site of this name, which is outside the village of Ramnagar in Paragana Siraulli of tahsil Aonla. Like other prominent ancient cities of U.P., Ahichchhatra was also a great centre, simultaneously of Hinduism, Jainism and Budhism with the traditions of each of which it has been intimately associated and which even now is held by Jains as a sacred place of pilgrimage.

The district Bareilly also known as Bans Bareilly forms a part of Rohilkhand division. District headquarter city is also the Divisional headquarters and it came into existence about the beginning of the sixteenth century. The district was founded in 1537 by Bans Deo and Barel Deo, the two sons of Jagat Singh Katchriya, who had founded the village of Jagatpur, which is still the name of a locality in the old city. Another, version recounts that Jagat Singh was a Barhela ‘ Rajput who had two sons Ban Deo and Nag Deo, the former having built a fort in 1550 which was named ‘Bans Bareilly’ and latter founding the city, the remains of the fort still being traceable in the locality known as Kot (meaning fort). The city was first mentioned by the historian Budayuni, who wrote that Husain Quli Khan was appointed the governor of "Bareilly and Sambhal" in 1568. The divisions and revenue of the district "being fixed by Todar Mal" were recorded by Abul Fazl in 1596. The foundation of the modern city of Bareilly was laid by Mukrand Rai in 1657. In 1658, Bareilly became the headquarters of the province of Budaun.

In the time of Akbar, the district was a part of the Subah of Delhi and was divided into Sirkars of Sambhal and Badaun, the former comprising the Paraganas of Balai, Kabar Sarsawan and Hatamana and latter those of Aonla, Barsir, and part of Sanha, Bareilly and Ajaon. In 1623 two Afghan brothers from the Barech tribe (Shah Alam and Husain Khan) settled in the region, bringing other Pashtun settlers. With the immigration of Daud Khan, an Afghan slave originally from Roh, Afghanistan, the Afghan Rohillas rose to prominence. His adopted son, Ali Muhammad Khan, established his headquarters in the region and was named governor of Kateher by Aurangzeb; the region was known as "the land of the Ruhelas". After the fall of the Mughal Empire, many Pathans migrated from Rohilkhand. Bareilly (like other cities in Uttar Pradesh) experienced economic stagnation and poverty, leading to the migration of Rohilla Muslim Pathans to Suriname and Guyana as indentured labour.

Ali Muhammad Khan (1737–1749), grandson of Shah Alam, captured the city of Bareilly and made it his capital; he later united theRohillas in the State of Rohilkhand from 1707 to 1720. He rose to power, and was confirmed to own the lands he had seized. The emperor made him a nawab in 1737 and governor of Rohilkhand in 1740. Ali Muhammad was succeeded by Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech (1749–1774), whom he appointed regent of Rohilkhand on his deathbed. Barech extended the power of Rohilkhand from Almora in the north to Etawah in the southwest. Under him Rohilla power continued to grow, although the area was torn by strife among rival chieftains and struggles with neighbouring powers (particularly the Nawab Vazirs of Awadh, the Bangash Nawabs and the Marathas). Under Barech at the 1761 Third Battle of Panipat, Rohilkhand blocked the expansion of the Maratha Empire into northern India. In 1772 it was invaded by the Marathas, repulsing the invasion with the aid of the Nawab of Awadh. After the war, Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula demanded payment for the nawabs' help from Barech. When his demand was refused, the nawab joined the British (under Governor Warren Hastings and his Commander-in-Chief, Alexander Champion) to invade Rohilkhand. The combined forces of Daula and the Company defeated Barech (who was killed in battle at Miranpur Katra, ending Rohilla rule) in 1774. Rohilkhand was handed over to Daula, and from 1774 to 1800 the province was ruled by the Nawab of Awadh. In 1801, when Rohilkhand came under British rule, Bareilly was one of the two districts into which it was divided, Moradabad being the other.

After the Rohilla War, the change in the power structure increased discontent throughout the district. Increased taxation from 1812 to 1814 increased resentment of the British: "Business stood still, shops were shut and multitudes assembled near the courthouse to petition for the abolition of the tax." The Magistrate Dembleton, already unpopular, ordered the assessment to be made by a Kotwal. A skirmish between rebels and the sepoys (under Captain Cunningham) cost 300–400 lives. In 1818, Glyn was posted as Acting Judge and Magistrate of Bareilly and the Joint Magistrate of Bulundshahr. Glyn asked Ghulam Yahya to write an account of "craftsmen, the names of tools of manufacture and production and their dress and manners". The most popular trades in and around Bareilly during the 1820s were manufacturing glass, jewellery, glass and lac bangles and gold and silver thread, crimping, bean drying, wire drawing, charpoy weaving, keeping a grocer's shop and selling kebabs. Bareilly was a centre of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The rebellion began as a mutiny of native soldiers (sepoys), employed by the British East India Company's army, against race and religion-based injustices and inequities on 10 May 1857 in Meerut. It expanded into other mutinies and civilian rebellions, primarily in the major north-central Indian River valleys; local episodes extended northwest to Peshawar (on the northwest frontier with Afghanistan) and southeast (beyond Delhi). There were riots in many parts of Uttar Pradesh, and Muslims in Bareilly, Bijnor and Moradabad called for the revival of a Muslim Kingdom. The Rohillas actively opposed the British, but were disarmed. Khan Bahadur Khan Rohilla, grandson of Hafiz Rahmat Khan, formed his own government in Bareilly in 1857 and a widespread popular revolt in Awadh, Bundelkhand and Rohilkhand took place. In 1857, Khan Bhadur Khan issued silver coins from Bareilly as an independent ruler. When the rebellion failed, Bareilly was subjugated. Khan Bahadur Khan was sentenced to death, and hanged in the police station on 24 February 1860.

The Wahabi movement was founded by Saiyid Ahmad (of Rai Bareilly) who initiated the project of reviving Muslim rules in India by lighting the Sikhs and the British. On May 29, Naubat Ram, a prominent citizen of Bareilly sent a secret message to the authorities that there would be a rising in the town after the Friday prayer of the Muslims. The commandant of the irregular cavalry stationed at Bareilly called them out and they moved off in direction of Naini Tal but the bulk galloped back to join the fighters who after releasing all the prisoners in the jail, proclaimed Khan Bahadur King. On the May 5th 1921, a big rally was held in town area of Bareilly. In 1929 a political conference was held at Lakhanganj outside the city of the Bareilly –under the president ship of Saifudeen Kichalu. In 1936 provincial political conference of the congress was held at Bareilly under president ship Achary Narendra Deo. It was address by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. In 1942 ‘Quit India movement’ was launched on August 9 in Bareilly. There was widespread agitation and congress leaders were arrested and detained in jails. In freedom struggle the role of the district Bareilly was prominent.