Kalpi

History

The ancient name of Kalpi was Kalapriya.

Paleolithic

Lithics and fauna from the Middle Paleolithic of Kalpi have been described, aged at around 45,000 ka. These tools consist of diminutive quartzite choppers, possible manuports, cores, atypical points, scrapers, and debitage; bone tools include end-scrapers, points, notched tools, burins, and atypical end scrapers in greater abundance than their stone counterparts. They exhibit evidence of charring, suggesting fire usage.

Medieval

Kalapriya was an important tirtha dedicated to Surya. Skanda Purana and Samba Purana state about the existence of a shrine to Surya that had been consecrated by Krishna's son, Samba, alongside those in Multan and Konark. The Rastrakuta king Indra III sacked the city, including the temple, while on his Kannauj expedition, as it was under the rule of his enemy, the Pratihara king Mahipala I.

In 1196, it fell to Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the viceroy of Mohammed Ghori, and during the subsequent Muslim period it played a significant part in the history of central India. In the early 16th-century Rajput king of Chittor Rana Sanga defeated Ibrahim Lodhi twice and establish his control over some parts of Uttar Pradesh including Kalpi and Chandawar and appointed Manik Chand Chauhan to rule there. Rana Sanga also died in Kalpi in January 1528 poisoned by his own Nobles. The city was then captured by the Mughals under Babur. During Akbar's reign, Kalpi was a governor's seat and had a mint for copper coinage. The witty Raja Birbal of Akbar's court is considered to be born near this city. About the middle of the 18th century the city was lost by the Mughals and it passed into the hands of the Marathas.

Modern

The town was captured by the British in 1803, and after 1806 remained in British possession until India's independence in 1947. Kalpi was a part of Bundelkhand Agency, formed in 1811, and also housed its headquarters from 1818 to 1824. During this period the political agent to Governor General of India was appointed and headquartered in Kalpi. The British East India Company made it one of their principal stations for providing "commercial investment". In May 1858 Hugh Rose (Lord Strathnairn) defeated here a force of Indian rebels led by the Rani of Jhansi. The fortified post of Kalpi, the former residence of the rulers of Jalaun State, was dismantled in 1860 by the British and its place was taken by a market known as Whiteganj.