Kanpur

Sister cities

• Alexandria
• Manchester
• Okayama

History

The city of Kanpur is widely believed to have been founded by Raja Hindu Singh Chandel of the Sachendi state. Its original name was Kanhpur, possibly derived from Kanhiyapur or established to commemorate the Kanhaiya Ashtam festival, a day the Raja considered auspicious. An alternative theory suggests the name is a variation of Karnapur, linking it to the Mahabharata character, Karna. In its early stages, Kanpur was a collection of smaller villages, including Patkapura, Kuraswam, Juhi, and Seesamau. The official transfer to British control occurred through the Treaty of 1801 with Nawab Saadat Ali Khan. This marked a turning point in Kanpur's history, as the British began to develop it into a major hub. Leveraging its strategic location on the banks of the Ganges, the East India Company initiated an indigo trade. The city's growth was further accelerated by major infrastructure projects, including the construction of the Grand Trunk Road in 1832 and the addition of roads connecting it to Lucknow and Kalpi in 1864. Though controversy surrounds what exactly happened at the Sati Chaura Ghat and who fired the first shot, it is known that soon afterwards the departing British were shot at by the sepoys and were either killed or captured. Some of the British officers later claimed that the sepoys had, on purpose, placed the boats as high in the mud as possible, to cause delay. They also claimed that Sahib's camp had previously arranged for the sepoys to fire upon and to kill all of the English. Although the East India Company later accused Sahib of betrayal and murder of innocent people, no evidence has ever been found to prove that he planned or ordered the massacre. Some historians believe that the Sati Chaura Ghat massacre was the result of confusion and not of any plan…

Geography

Kanpur is located at in the central-western part of the state of Uttar Pradesh. The city lies southeast of the national capital, New Delhi, and southwest of the state capital, Lucknow. It is a part of the historical region of Awadh. Situated in the flat Indo-Gangetic Plains, Kanpur has an average elevation of above sea level. The Ganga flows by the city and several ghats are located on its banks, notably the Sati Chaura Ghat and Sarsaiya Ghat. The Brahmavart Ghat located at Bithoor (25 km northwards) is another ghat of religious importance. Several parks and recreational areas are located in Kanpur. Nana Rao Park and Phool Bagh are among the prominent parks in city that have existed from the time of the British Raj. The Moti Jheel, a rectangular lake, was originally developed as a drinking water reservoir. The lake has now been developed as a recreational area with a landscaped garden and a children's park. Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary is also located near Kanpur. Like most of lowland northern India, Kanpur has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Cwa) bordering on a hot semi-arid climate (BSh) under the Köppen climate classification. Kanpur sees an annual precipitation of . The southwest monsoon enters around 20–23 June, and total precipitation from the monsoon is . Southwest monsoon withdrawal takes place generally between the last week of September and the first week of October. The month of October saw heavy monsoon rains in the years 1971 (133 mm), 1985 (367 mm), 1999 (137 mm), 2013 (143 mm), and 2022 (225 mm), and 2024. Annual precipitation reached at least in 2008, 2010, 2013, 2018–2022 and 2024. Kanpur has been ranked the fifth best National Clean Air City in India under Category 1 (cities with populations…

Most-observed species

• House Crow

  Corvus splendens Vieillot, 1817 · Aves
  714
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  660
• Common Myna

  Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  645
• Purple Sunbird

  Cinnyris asiaticus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  610
• Laughing Dove

  Spilopelia senegalensis (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  588
• Indian Peafowl

  Pavo cristatus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  555
• Oriental Magpie-Robin

  Copsychus saularis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  537
• Jungle Babbler

  Turdoides striata (Dumont, 1823) · Aves
  524