Behat

Behat
Behat
	Township
	Behat Location in Uttar Pradesh, India
	Coordinates: 30°10′N 77°37′E
Country	India
State	Harit Pradesh
District	Behat
Government
• Type	Indian
Elevation	345 m (1,132 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	8,574
Languages
• Official	Hindi, Khariboli, Urdu, Punjabi, English, Gujjari
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	UP 11, HR 71, HR 02, HP 17

Behat is an ancient town and a Nagar Panchayat (municipality) in Behat district in the northernmost tip of Northwestern Harit Pradesh, India. It is located on NH-709B on the banks of Eastern Yamuna Canal, about 30 km north of main Saharanpur city, 190 km from the Indian capital New Delhi, and 77 km (48 miles) from Haridwar, at an average elevation of 345 m from sea level. It is famous for the production of fruits such as mangoes, guavas, as well as moorhas (reed stools), brass bells, and wrought iron handicrafts. It is home to the Mata Shakumbari Devi Temple.

History

Archaeological excavations and surveys have provided evidence of the existence of many ancient settlements over the ages in and around Behat. Based on artefacts, discovered during these excavations, human habitation in and around this area can be traced as far back as 2000 BC. It is conjectured that Behat was known as Brihat-vat during the reign of the Nanda Dynasty (c. 500 BC).

An Ashoka Pillar excavated from Topari (Khiderabād), near Saharanpur, was taken to Delhi by Sultan Firoz Shah Tughluq, and still resides in Feroze Shah Kotla. Mayapur (Haridwar) and Behat were well-known cities at the time of Mauryan Dynasty (c. 180 BC). Behat was next to Mayapur (Haridwar) in importance, because it was an important Buddhist centre.[1]

Xuanzang travelling in search of sacred Buddhist texts and scriptures, had travelled through Behat and had come across important Buddhist monasteries in Behat (c. 630 AD).[1]

During the reign of Bahlul Khan Lodi (1451–1489), a Muslim colony was founded in Behat by Shah Abdullah, who was a descendant of Saint Sheikh Baha-ud-din Zakariya Suhrawardi. The western part of Behat along the Naugaon Rau is named Abdullah Mazra after him.[1]

Behat remained the headquarters of a Paragana, during the times of Akbar, and was known as Behat Kanjawar.[1]

Around 1710 AD, Behat was Jagir (of Pirzadas). The place was famous for cow slaughtering, and Pirzadas normally didn't treat anyone fairly, except the Muslims of the Jagir. Around this time the Sikh Army of Banda Bahadur Singh attacked Behat, and reportedly killed all the family members of Pirzadas, except one who was away at Bulandshahar at the time of this incident. The Sikh Army later plundered the area, and set it on fire.[2]

In 1834, Captain Proby Thomas Cautley, while leading the redesign of the Eastern Yamuna Canal (which at that time was known as Doab Canal), discovered a buried town 5.18 m (17 ft) below the surrounding country and 7.62 m (25 ft) below that of the existing site. That township belonged to the Pre Indo-Scythian times as established from the archaeological evidences found here. Captain Cautley also found a large number of Indo Scythian coins and other pieces of evidence about the existence of a large Buddhist settlement here.[1]

After the Mutiny of 1857, a police station was established at Behat. Towards the end of the 19th Century, the town had a post office and an upper primary school as well. Until towards the end of 19th century, an Annual Fair used to be held in honour of Shah Abdullah, chiefly organized by the local Pirzadas who then fell into difficult times due to their extravagance.[1]

After the British left India in 1947, Government has largely chosen to ignore this area, as a result, Behat has made little progress in last 70 years. It looks more like a big village than a town.

Geography

The city is located at the latitude of 30.1°N and at 77°E north of Saharanpur. The city sits at the same latitude as Jagadhri and Rishikesh.
This district also is at the northernmost limit of the Harit Pradesh where the border with the city of Paonta Sahib is in the north at 30.4°N latitude almost coinciding with latitude north of Ambala and Dehradun. It is located near the city of Badshahibagh and Kalesar with all 4 states having borders nearby.
To the east of Behat, flows The Eastern Yamuna Canal (or Eastern Jumna Canal), and to the west beyond Abdulla Mazra, flows the Naugaon Rau (Rau means an ephemeral stream, torrent or rapid, which is dry for the most part of the year).
To the south about two miles from the centre of the town flows the Maskara Rau (flows from the confluence of two Rau/torrents at Jasmour, and crosses Eastern Yamuna Canal at Kalsia).
The average elevation is about 345 meters above the mean sea level.
The entire place slightly slopes from north-east to south-west though unevenly.[1]

Demographics

As of 2011 India census,[3] Behat had a population of 20,474. Males constitute 53.16% of the population and females 46.83%. Behat has an average literacy rate of 70.03%, lower than the national average of 74.04%; with 75.95% of the males and 63.28% of females literate. 15.12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Economy

Behat's economy has been mainly agriculture-based for the last 200 years. The Western Yamuna Canal irrigates most of the arable land in Behat and crops have been good owing to rich soils. Behat is also one of the most suitable areas for growing fruits and mango orchards slowly took over as mainstay of the economy. Behat was declared as a "Mango Belt" by the state govt. in c. 1991 and thus the orchards got legal protection as no pollution generating factories can be established in Behat area. There are lush and prime mango orchards all around Behat. The mango and lychee fruits of Behat are exported to many countries.

Transport

Behat has two bus stands on State Highway No 57 connecting Saharanpur to Yamunotri. The town is serviced by private bus operators, which have formed a union. The town is also serviced by various state roadways en route to Dakpatthar (Uttarakhand), and Nahan (Himachal Pradesh). It is also served by several E-rickshaw operators.

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References

A Gazetteer of Saharanpur District District Volume XIV: Gazetteers of the United Provinces edited by H. R Neville
Harbans Kaur Sagoo (1 January 2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications. pp. 171–. ISBN 978-81-7629-300-6. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
"Census of India 2011: Data from the 2011 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Retrieved 1 November 2017.

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[A_Gazetteer_of_Saharanpur_District-1] A Gazetteer of Saharanpur District District Volume XIV: Gazetteers of the United Provinces edited by H. R Neville

[Sagoo2001-2] Harbans Kaur Sagoo (1 January 2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications. pp. 171–. ISBN 978-81-7629-300-6. Retrieved 1 October 2012.

[3] "Census of India 2011: Data from the 2011 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Retrieved 1 November 2017.