Kānpur (known as Cawnpore before 1948) is the most populous city in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Kanpur is located on the banks of the Ganga and is an important industrial center. It has an area of over 1000 km² and a population of around 2.4 million in the 1991 census. Kanpur is home to several educational institutions, including one of the Indian Institutes of Technology. Kanpur also enjoys the dubious reputation of being the most polluted city in India, a result of vehicular pollution and the poisoning of the Ganga by sewage and toxic effluents from textile and leather industries.

History

In the 19th century, Kanpur was an important British garrison, and had barracks for 7,000 soldiers. In 1857, during the Indian Mutiny, 900 Europeans (about two-thirds of which were women and children) were besieged in the fortifications for 22 days by the rebels under Nana Sahib. They surrendered on the promise that they should be allowed to go safely to Allahabad, but as soon as they got off the boats to go down the river they were fired upon by cannon. Many were killed and the rest brought back to shore. The prisoners were then killed by their captors, and the corpses were discarded into a deep well. Three days afterwards (July 18), the British under General Havelock entered the city.

After 1857 it became an important center of the leather and textile industries. The British India Corporation (BIC) was headquartered here and led the development of many industries. The Singhania family launched many industrial units between 1930 and 1970. The Jaipuria family contributed to the patriotic cause, by building the Swadeshi Cotton Mills in response to charges that the foreign rulers were raiding India of its cotton only to sell back textiles to the residents. Kanpur was known as the "Manchester of India" during the 20th Century.

Many Englishmen contributed vigorously to charitable causes in the city by building the Ursula Horseman Hospital, the "Hallet" Hospital, by protecting the Allen Forest (now a Zoo) and many other efforts.

Kanpur was a tinderbox in the Independence and literary movements during the 1900-1950 period. The largest shopping centre is named Navin Market, after the poet Bal Krishna Sharma aka "Navin". Later poets included GopalDas "Niraj" who also had a successful spell writing songs for Bollywood movies. The Agricultural Univdesity is named after freedom fighter Chandrashekhar "Azad" and the Medical College after Ganesh Shanker Vidyarthi; both men spent much time in Kanpur.

Nearby to Kanpur, is the ancient village of Bithoor where legend has it, the wife of Lord Rama came to live with her twin sons Lav and Kush, after Lord Rama expelled her from Ayodhya.

Cricket lovers know Kanpur as home to Green Park and its Modi Stadium where many Test Matches are played.