Jhansi - WikiHQ

Jhansi () is a historic city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. (Toshan) Balwant Nagar was the old name of Jhansi. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand, on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme south of Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi is the administrative headquarters of Jhansi district and Jhansi division. Also called the Gateway to Bundelkhand, Jhansi is situated near and around the rivers Pahuj and Betwa at an average elevation of . It is about from national capital New Delhi, 109 kilometres (67.7 mi) from Gwalior, 240 kilometres (150 mi) from Kanpur and from state capital Lucknow.

Jhansi is well connected to all other major towns in Uttar Pradesh by road and railway networks. The National Highways Development Project has supported development of the city. Jhansi is also being developed as the defence corridor by the NDA government which will boost the economy of the city and the region at the same time. The Srinagar to Kanyakumari north–south corridor passes closely to Jhansi, as does the east–west corridor; consequently there has been a sudden rush of infrastructure and real estate development in the city. Jhansi was adjudged the third cleanest city of Uttar Pradesh and the fastest moving city in the North Zone in Swachh Survekshan 2018 rankings. The development of a greenfield airport has been planned in the city. On 28 August 2011, Jhansi was selected among 98 cities for smart city initiative by the Government of India.

Name

According to Paul Whalley, the name Jhānsī means "covered in bushes or undergrowth", from a variant of standard Hindi jhāṛ ("bushes, undergrowth"; ultimately from Sanskrit jhāṭa). The ending -sī represents a reduced form of the Sanskrit genitive suffix -sya.

A fanciful old folk etymology for the name Jhānsī derives the name from Hindi jhāīṁ sī, meaning "like a shadow" (or, in context, "rather indistinct"). This was supposedly said by the raja of Jaitpur, when asked by his host Bir Singh Deo if he could see the fort at Jhansi from the rooftop of his palace in Orchha. (The Jaitpur raj was only founded well after Bir Singh's death, and the entire story is probably entirely spurious.)

After the death of Jhujhar Singh, Bir Singh's son and successor in Orchha, Jhansi came under Mughal control. Mughal troops and governors appear to have been posted here uninterrupted until the early 1700s.

Naru Shankar's tenure as governor was pivotal in Jhansi's history. Up until now, Jhansi had been a fairly small village below the fort, but during this period it grew to become a large town. Naru Shankar undertook construction projects in the town, including a major expansion of the fort. He also populated Jhansi with deportees from other towns, primarily Orchha. (The rajas of Orchha moved their capital to Tikamgarh around this time, and the town of Orchha itself rapidly declined.)

The Mughal rule of Jhansi only lasted for four years before Malhar Rao Holkar recaptured it for the Marathas. Naru Shankar was apparently re-appointed governor; after his death, he was succeeded by Vishwas Rao Lachman for five years. Jhansi lies on the plateau of central India, an area dominated by rocky relief and minerals underneath the soil. The city has a natural slope in the north as it is on the south western border of the vast Tarai plains of Uttar Pradesh and the elevation rises on the south. The land is suitable for species of citrus fruit and crops include wheat, pulses, peas, and oilseeds. The region relies heavily on monsoon the rains for irrigation purposes. Under an ambitious canal project (the Rajghat canal), the government is constructing a network of canals for irrigation in Jhansi and Lalitpur and some part of Madhya Pradesh. The trade in agricultural products (including grain and oilseeds) is of great economic importance. The city is also a centre of brassware manufacture.

Climate

Being on a rocky plateau, Jhansi experiences extreme temperatures. Winter begins in October with the retreat of the southwest monsoon (Jhansi does not experience any rainfall from the Northeast Monsoon) and peaks in mid-December. Temperatures are about minimum and maximum. Spring arrives by the end of February and is a short-lived phase of transition. Summer begins by April and summer temperatures can peak at in May. The rainy season starts by the third week of June (although this is variable year to year), while the monsoon rains gradually weaken in September and end before the last week of September. In the rainy season, the average daily high temperature hovers around with high humidity. The average rainfall for the city is about per year, occurring almost entirely within the three-and-a-half months of the Southwest Monsoon. In summer Jhansi experiences temperatures as high as degrees while in winter the temperatures can fall as low as as recorded in winter 2011.

Jhansi has been ranked 3rd best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results' The city has shown a 19% improvement in air quality compared to the previous year.

Demographics

As of 2011 Indian Census, Jhansi city had a total population of 505,693, of which 265,449 were males and 240,244 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 55,824. The total number of literates in Jhansi city was 373,500, which constituted 73.9% of the population with male literacy of 78.9% and female literacy of 68.3%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Jhansi city was 83.0%, of which male literacy rate was 88.9% and female literacy rate was 76.6%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 110,318 and 1,681 respectively. Jhansi city had 91,150 households in 2011.