Bulandshahr a Persian construct equivalent to Upper Kot was known as Baran presumably established by Raja Ahibaran in ancient times and the inhabitants of the city and the region proudly attach the word Barani to their names. Ziauddin Barani has brought name and fame to this area. Aziz Barani too deserves to be mentioned here. Captain Abbas Ali, Ashiq Ilahi Bulandshahri, Masroor Hosain, Arif Mohammad Khan, Arifa Khanam Sherwani, Zafar H. Zaidi are some other prominent Muslims hailing from this area of NCR.
The history of Bulandshahr traces its trace back to 1200 B.C. Being closer to Indraprasth, Hastinapur and Ahar area related to Pandavas, the king Ahibaran built a fort and named it Baran. It finds mention as Varnavat in Mahabharata. Bhatora, Veerpur and Ghalibpur etc are witnesses to its antiquity and many ancient objects found in the district have been preserved in Lucknow State Museum.
The Islamic history of Bulandshahr begins when in 1192 CE Muhammad Gauri conquered parts of India; his general Qutubuddin Aibak conquered Fort Baran. Raja Chandrasen Baran died fighting. Maqbara of Khwaja, the commander of the Aibak army was built.
I do not know why a poem written by Hakimul Ummat, Allama Iqbal comes to my mind again and again while writing this article. Although it laments the eradication of Islamic prints on the soil of Hispania, it does not have absolute resemblances to the circumstances of India. However, anything that is Islamic is a thing to be abhorred by some sectors of the society in our beloved country. The poem mentioned above appreciates the marks of the prostration in the dust of a particular region, echoing of the silent calls to prayer in morning breezes and hope of revival for which Hakimul Ummat was willing to shed his heart’s blood.
पोशीदा तेरी खाक में सजदों के निशान हैं
खामोश अजानें हैं तेरी बाद सहर में
फिर तेरे हसीनो को ज़रुरत है हिना की
बाक़ी है अभी रंग मेरे खून-इ-जिगर में,
क्योंकर खशो व खशाक से दब जाये मुस्लमान
माना वह तबो-ताब नहीं उसके शरार में
Bulandshahr city has 35.53% Muslim and certain tehsils like Bulandshahr Tehsil 35.01%). The district is officially designated as a Minority Concentrated District by the Government of India due to the sizeable Muslim community and related socio-economic indicators. A glimpse of Muslim presence in major towns of Bulandshahr reads:
Bulandshahr City~230,000~82, 00035.53% Highest in district; significant in central areas like Moti Bagh.Khurja~120,000High (est. 30–40%) ~35–40%Famous for pottery; strong Muslim artisan community.Sikandrabad~80,000Moderate~25–30%Industrial town.Gulaothi~50,000Moderate~30%Agricultural hub.Anupshahr~30,000Lower~20–25%Near Ganga; mixed.Debai~30,000Moderate~30% (Hamid Siddiqui)
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