Meerut (Hindi pronunciation: [ˈmeːɾʌʈʰ], ISO: Mēraṭha) is a city in the western region of Uttar Pradesh a state in India.

[16] The name of the city Meerut is believed to have evolved from the Sanskrit term Mahi Rashtra (मयराष्ट्र), which refers to the capital of the kingdom of Mayasura, the father of Mandodari and father-in-law of Ravana in Hindu mythology.

Over time, the name may have undergone several transformations, evolving from Mahi Rashtra to Mairashtra, then to Mai-dant-ka-khera, Mairaath, and finally to the present-day Meerut.

[20] After the archaeological excavations at Vidura-ka-tila, a collection of several mounds named after Vidura, in 1950–52, a site 37 km (23 miles) north-east of Meerut, it was concluded to be remains of the ancient city of Hastinapur, the capital of Kauravas and Pandavas of Mahabharata, which was washed away by Ganges floods.

[28] In the eleventh century AD, the region to the south-west of the city was ruled by Har Dat, the Dor Raja of Bulandshahr who built a fort, which was long known for its strength and finds mention in Ain-i-Akbari.

[31] Muhammad of Ghor's mamluk general Qutb-ud-din Aybak who went on to establish the Delhi Sultanate in 1206, attacked and captured Meerut in 1193.

[25] Also occurring during the reign of Akbar, Meerut was listed in the Ain-i-Akbari as a pargana under Delhi Sarkar, producing a revenue of 4,391,996 dams for the imperial treasury and supplying a force of 300 infantry and 100 cavalry.

[44][45][46] Nawab Mansab Ali Khan was one of the most influential personalities of this city, he built the famous Karbala and Masjid, known as Mansabiya in 1882.

[49] In 1803, with the fall of Delhi, Daulat Rao Scindia of the Marathas ceded the territory to the British East India Company (EIC).

The cantonment of Meerut was set up in 1806 with particular key interests, including its closeness to Delhi and its area inside the rich Ganga – Yamuna doab.

On 24 April 1857, Meerut's commander, Colonel Carmichael Smyth, paraded 90 Indian sepoys of the Bengal Cavalry, most of whom had come from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The case quickly became the subject of attention in England, inspiring a 1932 play titled Meerut Prisoners by left-wing Manchester street theatre group the Red Megaphones, which highlighted the detrimental effects of capitalism and Industrialisation.

[50] In the 1940s, during the height of the Indian independence movement, cinema-goers in Meerut had an unofficial policy of refusing to stand up when God Save the Queen played before the film was shown.

[citation needed] The last session of the Indian National Congress (INC) before the independence of India in 1947 was held at Victoria Park in Meerut on 26 November 1946.

[59][60] In 2006, a fire at a consumer electronics "Brand India" fair in Victoria Park Stadium killed at least 100 people, with authorities already confirming 45 fatalities, although a specific figure on a toll was difficult to put and was predicted to be much higher.

The DM is in charge of property records and revenue collection for the central government and oversees the elections held in the city.

The Divisional Commissioner of Meerut acts as the ex-officio Chairman of MDA, whereas a vice-chairman, a government-appointed IAS officer, looks after the daily matters of the authority.

[88] CGHS department of Meerut provides comprehensive health care facilities for the central govt employees and pensioners and their dependents residing in this city.

Six high courts (Shimla, Delhi, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Nainital, Jammu) from other states are closer than Allahabad from western Uttar Pradesh.

[91] The Revolt of 1857 started from "Kali Paltan" in Meerut Cantonment and Indian soldiers stationed here actively participated in the rebellion.

A June 2011 report by US financial services firm Morgan Stanley gave Meerut the 5th spot on the "vibrancy" index, ahead of Delhi and Mumbai.

While the city ranked in the bottom 10 in job creation, the report suggests that overall there are plenty of signs of "potential for urbanisation," including future employment opportunities.

[97] The infrastructure segment of Meerut is currently going through a boom phase with many new projects like Expressways, Metro, Freight corridors coming up in and around the city.

The railway will run between Ludhiana in Punjab and Dankuni (near Kolkata) in West Bengal via Meerut and Khurja in Uttar Pradesh.

[121] On 30 December 2014, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved the proposed metro rail project in Meerut, to boost the urban mass transport infrastructure in the city.

The main stations on the first corridor in the first phase will be Partapur, Panchwati Enclave, Rithani, Rithani West, Shatabdi Nagar, Devlok, Madhavpuram, Meerut Railway Station Road, Lajpat Bazaar, Begampul, Gandhi Bagh, Lekha Nagar, Pallavpuram Dorli, Ansal City and Pallavpuram.

The fair feature shops for Lucknow's Chikan work, Moradabad's brassware, Varanasi's carpets, rugs and silk sarees, Agra's footwear, Meerut's leather items, etc.

[164] Giant rides, wheels, circus, and various other recreational arenas where artists perform stunts, remain a big attraction of the fair.

Notable people from Meerut in the film and television industry include Bharat Bhushan, Aziz Mian, Mandakini,[168] Achint Kaur,[169][170] Kailash Kher,[171] Chitrangada Singh,[170][172] Vishal Bhardwaj,[170] Deepti Bhatnagar[170][172][173] and Pravesh Rana.

Players like MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard, Virat Kohli, Kumar Sangakkara and many others have used bats made in Meerut.