Moradabad () is an industrial city, police commissionerate and municipal corporation in Moradabad district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is on the banks of the Ramganga river, from the national capital, New Delhi and 356 km north-west of the state capital, Lucknow. Based on the 2011 census, it is the tenth most populous city in the state and 54th most populous city in the country. It is one of the largest cities in the Western UP region, and a hub for employment, education, industry, culture and administration.
The city is sometimes called Pital Nagri ("Brass City") for its brass handicrafts, which are exported across the world. In the last few decades it has started emerging as a hub for working in other metals also, including aluminium, steel, and iron. In October 2014, financial daily Livemint included Moradabad in its list of "25 emerging cities to watch out for in 2025".
Moradabad is also among the 100 smart cities being modernised under the National Smart Cities Mission of the Union Government of India.
During its four centuries of existence, the city has gone through multiple regime changes. It was firstly a part of the Delhi Sultanate, then flourished under the Mughal Empire, then was annexed into the Kingdom of Rohilkhand in 1742, and then came under the control of Oudh State in 1774 after the fall of Rohillas in the First Rohilla War. Finally, it was ceded to the British East India Company by the Nawab of Oudh in 1801. In the early 19th century, the British divided the Rohilkhand area into the Rampur State and two districts: the Bareilly and Moradabad districts. The city of Moradabad then became the headquarters of the latter.
Moradabad was connected with railway lines during the latter half of the nineteenth century. A line connecting Moradabad to Chandausi was built in 1872 and it was continued up to Bareilly in 1873. The Bareilly-Moradabad chord via Rampur was completed in 1894, which was extended to Saharanpur in 1886. A branch line to Aligarh via Chandausi was opened in 1894, while Moradabad was linked to Ghaziabad in 1900. It is also the divisional headquarter of the Moradabad division of Northern Railway (NR).
Etymology
The settlement was founded by Rustam Khan, the governor of Katehar under the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Moradabad is named after prince Murad Bakhsh, the youngest son of the emperor. It was originally known as Chaupala and was a part of the Katehar region, before falling to Mughal governor Rustam Khan Dakhani in 1624, who changed its name to Rustamnagar after himself.
The name Rustamnagar, however, was short-lived. Shah Jahan called Rustam Khan to his court and demanded an explanation for why he had exceeded his orders. In an attempt to placate the emperor, Rustam Khan named the city Muradabad in honour of the young prince, Murad Bakhsh. The emperor was satisfied and permitted Rustam Khan to remain in charge of the new city, which replaced Sambhal as the Mughal governors' capital of the Katehar region, and the names Muradabad or Moradabad have remained.
History
Delhi Sultanate era (12th century–16th century)
Moradabad was originally part of the Katehr (pronounced K-the-r) region, and was a stronghold of the Katheria Rajputs. It produced a revenue of 1,340,812 dams for the imperial treasury and provided a force of five hundred infantry and a hundred cavalry to the Mughal army.
left|thumb|The facade of Moradabad's Jama Masjid founded by Rustam Khan
In 1624, a Katheria leader of Rampur, Raja Ram Singh, invaded the Tarai region. The raja of Kumaon Kingdom complained about it to Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who sent his general and governor of Sambhal district Rustam Khan Dakhani to deal with the disturbance. Rustam Khan captured Chaupala, put Ram Singh to death, and refounded the city as Rustamnagar. He built a fort and mosque (Jama Masjid) on the banks of Ramganga river, and shifted the capital from Sambhal to the new city. It was the first Jama Masjid to be built on the banks of a river, and is still there, with an inscription dated to 1632.
For ordinary people, average income and wages almost halved. The discontent this produced led to the rebellion against British rule in 1857. On April 30, 1858, the British rule over Moradabad was re-established. When the movement began in 1932, Moradabad's people took part to protest against the unlawful arrests and repression of freedom fighters.
The Quit India Movement saw large-scale violence in Moradabad, including a massacre at Pan Dariba in which six people were killed and more than two hundred injured by the police firing on the protesters. There were more protests and violence in the city afterwards. The immediate catalyst for rioting was a rumour that a stray animal had entered the Eidgah on 13 August 1980, the day of Eid al-Fitr when more than 50,000 Muslims had gathered at the Eidgah for their prayers.
The city is rich in groundwater resources. It is at an elevation of 198 meters from sea level on the banks of the Ramganga river, which is a tributary of the Ganges. Another small river, called Gagan, flows through the city. These rivers form the main water flow system of the city, with direction of the flow north-west to south-east.
The city has minimal forest cover, but green zones have been established in some areas. There are at least 29 trees in the city that are more than a hundred years old, all of which have been preserved under the city administration's Green Heritage project. Most of these trees fall in the central Civil Lines area of the city, and they include Neem, Banyan, Indian Blackberry and Ficus virens.
The soil in the city is loam and clay loam with high fertility.
Climate
Moradabad has a subtropical humid climate
Average annual rainfall in the city is 107.7 cm, with almost 87% during the southwest monsoon season between July and August. The average highest rainfall is recorded in August at 34.4 cm, and average annual rainy days are 42. Average lowest rainfall is recorded in the month of November at 0.3 cm. The single day heaviest rainfall recorded was 12 February 1996, with 40 cm of rain within 24 hrs.
Demographics
Population
Moradabad's estimated population in 2025 (based on growth rate data) is at least 1,296,000. The city had 464,580 males and 423,291 females, which translates into a sex ratio of 911 females for every 1000 males.