Meerut district

Meerut district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Meerut is the district headquarters. Meerut district is a part of Meerut division.

History

The district was established under British rule in 1818 and, on establishment, constituted the then tehsils of Meerut, Ghaziabad, Mawana, Baghpat, Sardhana and Hapur. These now constitute the districts of Meerut, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Bagpat, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr and a part of Gautam Buddh Nagar district.

Geography

Meerut district lies between 28°57’ to 29°02’ North latitude and 77°40’ to 77°45’ East longitude in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India. It is bound on the north by Muzaffarnagar district, in the south by Bulandshahar district while Ghaziabad and Baghpat districts form the southern and western limits. The river Ganges forms the eastern boundary and separates the district from Moradabad district and Bijnor district. The Hindon forms the western boundary and separates the district from Baghpat. The ground is not rocky and there are no mountains. The soil is composed of pleistocene and sub-recent alluvial sediments transported and deposited by river action from the Himalayan region. These alluvial deposits are unconsolidated. Lithologically, sediments consist of clay, silt and fine to coarse sand. Land is very fertile for growing crops, especially wheat, sugarcane and vegetables.

Meerut

Meerut ( pronunciation ) is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is an ancient city with settlements dating back to the Indus Valley civilization having been found in and around the area. The city lies 70 km (43 mi) northeast of the national capital New Delhi, and 453 km (281 mi) northwest of the state capital Lucknow.

Meerut is the largest city in the National Capital region, and as of 2011 the 33rd most populous urban agglomeration and the 26th most populous city in India. It ranked 292 in 2006 and is projected to rank 242 in 2020 in the list of largest cities and urban areas in the world. The municipal area (as of 2001) is 141.89 km² (54.78 sq mi) with the cantonment covering 35.68 km² (3,568.06 ha). The city is one of the largest producers of sports goods, and the largest producer of musical instruments in India. The city is also an education hub in western Uttar Pradesh.

Etymology

The city may have derived its name from 'Mayarashtra' (Sanskrit: मयराष्ट्र), the capital of the kingdom of Mayasura, Mandodari's father and Ravana's father-in-law. This name may have mutated to Mairashtra, Mai-dant-ka-khera, Mairaath and eventually Meerut.