Editing Nainital (section)

==History==
=== Early history ===
Nainital has historically been a part of the [[Kumaon region]]. After the fall of [[Katyuri kings|Katyuri Dynasty]] in 10th century, Kumaon was divided into several small princely states, and the region around Nainital was under various branches of a Khasiya family.<ref>{{harvnb|Clay|1927|p=3}}</ref> The first dynasty to achieve consolidated dominance over Kumaon after the Katyuris was the [[Chand dynasty]], but it took many centuries and Nainital and its surroundings were one of the last areas to be absorbed.<ref name="Clay 1927 p4">{{harvnb|Clay|1927|p=4}}</ref> Trilok Chand had built a fort at [[Bhimtal]] in the thirteenth century,<ref>{{harvnb|Nevill|1904|p=195}}</ref> But at that time, Nainital itself was not under the Chand rule, and was situated near the western border of the Kingdom. During the reign of Udyan Chand, the western boundary of the Chand kingdom extended to the Koshi and Suyal rivers, but [[Ramgarh, Uttarakhand|Ramgarh]] and [[Ramnagar, Nainital|Kota]] were still under the former Khasia rule. Kirat Chand, who ruled from 1488 to 1503 was finally able to establish authority over Nainital and the surrounding region. The Khasia chiefs made an attempt to regain their independence in 1560, when they enjoyed a brief moment of success under the leadership of a Khasiya of Ramgarh, but were later subdued with ruthlessness by Balo Kalyan Chand.<ref name="Clay 1927 p4" />

=== Founding  ===
The [[Kumaon division|Kumaon]] Hills came under [[British Raj|British]] rule after the [[Gurkha War|Anglo-Nepalese War]] (1814–16). The [[hill station]] town of Naini Tal was founded only in 1841, with the construction of the first European house (Pilgrim Lodge) by P. Barron, a sugar trader from [[Shahjahanpur]]. In his memoir, he wrote: "It is by far the best site I have witnessed in the course of a {{convert|1500|mi|km}} trek in the Himalayas."<ref name=barronquote1>{{Harv|Barron|1844}}</ref> In 1846, when a Captain Madden of the [[Bengal]] [[Artillery]] visited Naini Tal, he recorded that "houses were rapidly springing up in most parts of the settlement: some towards the crest of the military ranges were nearly {{convert|7500|ft|m|abbr=on}} above sea level: the rugged and woody Anyarpatta 
Aashish
(Anyar-patt&nbsp;– in [[Kumaoni language|Kumaoni]] means&nbsp;– complete blackout. The reason for this nomenclature by the locals was because there were minimal sun rays due to its location and dense forests) was being gradually planted and that the favourite sites were on the undulating tract of forest land which stretched back from the head of the lake to the base of China and Deopatta (Camel's Hump). The church, St. John(1846) in the Wilderness, was one of the earliest buildings in Nainital, followed by Belvedere, Alma lodge, Ashdale Cottage(1860)..."<ref name=murphy>{{Harv|Murphy|1906}}</ref> Soon, the town became a health resort favoured by British soldiers and by colonial officials and their families trying to escape the heat of the plains. Later, the town became the summer residence of the governor of the [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh|United Provinces]].

=== Landslip of 1880 ===
{{Main|1880 Nainital landslide}}
{{multiple image
| align     = right
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| image1    = Nainital before landslip BLcollection.JPG
| width1    = 258
| alt1      =
| caption1  = 1875
| image2    = Nainital landslip1880 BLcopyright2.JPG
| width2    = 250
| alt2      =
| caption2  = 1882
| footer            = A general view of the north end of Naini Tal before and after the landslip of 1882.
| footer_align      = left
}}
On 18 September 1880 a [[landslide]] ('the landslip of 1880') occurred at the north end of the town, burying 151 people. The first known landslide had occurred in 1866 (old Victoria hotel was destroyed), and in 1869 there was a larger one at the same spot, Alma Hill, but "the ''great slip"'' occurred on "Saturday 18 September 1880."<ref name=murphy/>

{{blockquote|During Friday (17th) and Saturday (18th), 33 inches of rain fell, of which {{convert|20|in|mm}} to {{convert|25|in|mm|abbr=on}} fell during the 40 hours preceding Saturday evening, and the downpour still lasted and continued till the evening of the next day. This heavy fall made the whole hillside one mass of semi-fluid matter, and required little to set in motion. The motive power was a shock of a minor earthquake, which was felt on that day itself by competent observers in the [[Bhabar]] below and Nainital itself. On the site of the Slip was the Victoria Hotel and its offices, and below it was the Hindu temple of "naina devi" and the Assembly Rooms, both by the side of the lake, and Bell's shop, which was close to the temple. Initial slip started around 10 am of 18 September, taking away western wing of the Victoria Hotel and portion of the hotel's out-houses. Tragically, most of the people were not moved much further away from the spot of the morning slip. At quarter to two the major landslip occurred and within few seconds all the buildings mentioned above were destroyed and made into an unrecognisable heap of rubble and much of it was swept into the lake."<ref name=murphy/><ref>{{Cite book|title=NAINITAL: A Historical and Descriptive Account|last=CLAY|first=J.M.|publisher=PAHAR|year=2010|isbn=978-81-86246-52-8|location=Talla danda, Tallital, NAINITAL|pages=17, 18, 19}}</ref>}}

The number of dead and missing were 108 Indian and 43 Europeans, along with numerous people who narrowly escaped. (See poem by [[Literary references to Nainital#Hannah S. Battersby|Hannah Battersby]] on the page [[Literary references to Nainital]].) The Assembly Rooms and the Naina Devi Temple were destroyed in the disaster. A recreation area known as 'The Flats' was later built on the site and a new temple was erected. To prevent further disasters, storm water drains were constructed and building bylaws were made stricter.

=== 1950 mass stabbing ===

A [[Nainital wedding massacre|mass stabbing]] occurred at a wedding in Nainital in 1950 that left 22 people dead.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=529YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EPgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1389,1304611&dq= |title=22 guests slain |newspaper=[[The Bend Bulletin]] |date=21 April 1950}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/ogden-standard-examiner/1950-04-21/ |title=22 guests slain as wedding held |newspaper=[[The Ogden Standard-Examiner]] |date=21 April 1950}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/423532671.html?dids=423532671:423532671&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Apr+22%2C+1950&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Studio+Electrician+Loses+Paternity+Suit+Verdict&pqatl=google |title=Drunk Gurkha Kills 22 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=22 April 1950 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313203331/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/423532671.html?dids=423532671:423532671&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Apr+22%2C+1950&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Studio+Electrician+Loses+Paternity+Suit+Verdict&pqatl=google |archive-date=13 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/huntingdon-daily-news/1950-04-22/page-5 |title=Murders 22 at wedding |newspaper=[[The Huntingdon Daily News]] |date=22 April 1950}}</ref>