Kumaon (/ˈkɛmɔːʊ/; Kumaoni: Kumāū, pronounced [kuːmɔːʊ]; historically romanised as Kemāon[6][7]) is a revenue and administrative division in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Kumaon comprises six districts of the state: Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar.

Historically known as Manaskhand and then Kurmanchal, the Kumaon region has been ruled by several dynasties over the course of history; most notably the Katyuris and the Chands.

However, all the major cities of the region like Haldwani, Rudrapur, Kashipur,Ramnagar and Tanakpur are concentrated in the southern plain areas of Bhabar and Terai.

Kumaon is believed to have been derived from Kurmanchal, meaning the land of Kurma (the tortoise avatar of Vishnu, the preserver deity in Hinduism).

The Kassite Assyrians left their homeland Kummah, on the banks of river Euphrates, and settled in the northern part of India.

[6][7][11] The Kumaon[12] region consists of a large Himalayan tract, together with two submontane strips called the Terai and the Bhabar.

In a tract not more than 225 km in length and 65 km in breadth there are over thirty peaks rising to elevations exceeding 5500 m.[13] Rivers such as Gori, Dhauli, and Kali rise chiefly in the southern slope of the Tibetan watershed north of the loftiest peaks, amongst which they make their way down valleys of rapid declivity and extraordinary depth.

The chief trees are the chir pine, Himalayan cypress, pindrow fir, alder, sal and saindan.

Initially settled by Kol tribals, the region witnessed successive waves of Kiratas, Khasas and Indo-Scythians.

[9] Around 1100–1200 AD, after Katyuri kingdom disintegration, Kurmanchal was divided into eight different principalities: Baijnath-Katyur, Dwarhat, Doti, Baramandal, Askot, Sira, Sora, Sui.

One of the most powerful rulers of Chand dynasty was Baz Bahadur (1638–78) AD, who met Shahjahan in Delhi, and in 1655 joined forces with him to attack Garhwal, which was then under the King Pirthi Sah.

Baz Bahadur subsequently captured the Terai region including Dehradun, which was thus separated from the Garhwal kingdom.

[26] Later, Jagat Chand (1708–20), defeated the Raja of Garhwal and pushed him away from Srinagar (in Uttarakhand, not to be confused with the capital of present-day Indian Kashmir), and his kingdom was given to a Brahmin.

[27] In the latter half of the 18th century, the power of Kumaon was on decline, as the king Mahendra Chand was unable to properly administer the country.

The Gorkha forces, under the leadership of Amar Singh Thapa crossed the kali river, and reached the outskirts of Almora via Sor and Gangoli.

Hearing about his uncle's death, Mahendra Chandra became frightened and fled to the plains, and Kumaon was annexed to the Gorkha Kingdom.

The British forces under Colonel Nicholas, consisting of about forty five hundred men and six pounder guns, entered Kumaon through Kashipur and conquered Almora on 26 April 1815.

On the same day, Chandra Bahadur Shah, one of the principle Gurkha chiefs, sent a flag of truce, requesting to end hostilities in the region.

People now aware of the excesses of British Raj became defiant of it and played an active part in the Indian Struggle for Independence.

While staying in Kumaon for 12 days, recovering from the rigors of imprisonment, Gandhi wrote Anashakti Yoga, his commentary on the Gita.

After having been nearly three weeks in Almora hills, I am more than ever amazed why our people need go to Europe in search of health.Gandhi was revered in these parts and on his call the struggle of Salam Saliya Satyagraha led by Ram Singh Dhoni was started which shook the very roots of British rule in Kumaon.

After India became independent in 1947, United Provinces were converted into the newly formed Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Pichaura (पिछोङा) is a traditional attire worn by married Kumaoni women generally for religious occasions, marriage, and other rituals.

Aipan is not only an important folk art of Kumaoni community but other ethnic groups of Kumaon, like Shaukas and Rungs, as well.

[35] These folk songs are played on instruments including dhol, damau, turri, ransingha, dholki, daur, thali, bhankora, mandan and mashakbaja.

This is to say that the Ram Leela in Kumaon is not a staged performance; rather, it is a musical fest, which is made special by the beats of instruments like harmonium, dholak and table.

[45] In Kumaon, every peak, lake or mountain range is somehow or the other connected with some myth or the name of a god or goddess, ranging from those associated with the Shaiva, Shakta and Vaishnava traditions, to local gods like Bambai Nath Swami, Haim, Saim, Golu, Nanda, Sunanda, Chhurmal, Kail Bisht, Bholanath, Gangnath, Airi and Chaumu.

Fruits like apples, oranges, pears, peaches, lychees, and plums are widely grown and are important to the large food processing industry.

The higher mountains in the north of Kumaon are home to the Sino-Tibetan Byangsi, Chaudangsi, Darmiya, Raji, Rawat and Rangas (the last now extinct).