The name of Haryana instantly conjures up the image of a State which astonishingly
combines both-antiquity and plenty. The Vedic land of Haryana has been a cradle
of Indian culture and civilization. Indian traditions regard this region as the
matrix of creation of northern altar’ where Brahma performed the pristine
sacrifice and created the universe. This theory of creation has been confirmed to
a large extent by archaeological investigations carried out by Guy E. Pilgrim in
1915, who has established that 15 million years ago, early man lived in the Haryana
Shivaliks. The Vamana Purana states that King Kuru ploughed the field of Kurukshetra
with a golden ploughshare drawn by the Nandi of Lord Shiva and reclaimed an area
of seven Kosas.
Replete with myths, legends and vedic references, Haryana's past is steeped in glory.
It was on this soil that saint Ved Vyas wrote Mahabharata. It was here, 5,000 long
years ago that Lord Krishna preached the gospel of duty to Arjuna at the on set
of the great battle of Mahabharata:"Your right is to do your duty and not to
bother about the fruits (Outcome) thereof !" Since then, this philosophy of
the supremacy of duty has become a beacon to succeeding generations.
The Mahabharata knows Haryana as the land of plentiful grains (Bahudhanyaka) and
immense riches (Bahudhana). Before the Mahabharata war, a battle of ten kings took
place in the Kurukshetra region. But it was the Mahabharata fought for the highest
values of righteousness which gave to the region world-wide fame because of the
profound and sophisticated thought expounded in the holy Bhagavadgita by Lord Krishna
recited to the quivering Arjuna.
The region has been the scene of many a war because of its being ‘A Gateway
to North India’. As years rolled by, successive streams of the Huns, the Turks
and the Tughlaqs invaded India and decisive battles were fought on this land. At
the end of the 14 century, Tamur led an army through this area to Delhi. Later,
the Mughals defeated the Lodhis in the historic battle of Panipat in the year 1526.
Another decisive battle was fought in the year 1556 at this very site, establishing
the supremacy of the Mughals for centuries to come.
Towards the middle of the 18th century, the Marathas had established their sway
over Haryana. The intrusion of Ahmed Shah Durrani into India, culminating Maratha
ascendancy and the rapid decline of the Mughal empire, leading ultimately to the
advent of the British rule.
Indeed, the history of Haryana is the saga of the struggle of a virile, righteous,
forthright and proud people. From ancient times, the people of Haryana have borne
the main brunt of invaders and foreign hordes with their known traits if bravery
and valour. They have survived many an upheaval, upholding the traditional glory
and greatness of the land to this day. The epoch-making events of yore, the martyrdom
in the First War of Indian Independence in 1857, the great sacrifices in the freedom
struggle, and the display of outstanding valour, unflinching courage, and heroism
in recent years are all in keeping with the character of this land of action. Bold
in spirit and action, the people of Haryana have formed a bulwark against forces
of aggression and anti-nationalism.
Haryana has always remained a rendezvous for diverse races, cultures and faiths.
It is on this soil that they met, fused and crystallized into something truly Indian.
Hindu Saints and Sikh Gurus have traversed the land of Haryana spreading their message
of universal love and brotherhood. Sihi in Faridabad, the birth place of great Hindi
poet Surdas, is another nucleus of culture in Haryana while the legend of Lord Krishna
is very evident in the lives of the people. The love for cattle and the abundance
of milk in the diet of Haryanavis persists to this day which gave to the region
world-wide fame.
Haryana emerged as a separate State in the federal galaxy of the Indian Republic
on November 1,1966. With just 1.37% of the total geographical area and less than
2% of India’s population, Haryana has carved a place of distinction for itself
during the past three decades. Whether it is agriculture or industry, canal irrigation
or rural electrification, Haryana has marched towards modernity with leaps and bounds.
Today, it enjoys the unique distinction in India of having provided electricity,
metalled roads and potable drinking water to all its villages within record time.
Haryana is among the most prosperous states in India, having one of the highest
per-capita income in the country.
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