Roorkee got its name from Ruri, the wife of a Rajput tribal chief. This is supported by the fact that Roorkee was once spelled as Rurki. During Akbar’s reign, Roorkee was the headquarters of the Mahal or Pargana. Its status, however, diminished with the founding of Skaruda, the estate of Rao Qutb-ud-Din during Zabita Khan’s time.
In the eighteenth century, it was incorporated into the Landhaura estate, which was ruled by the Gurjars. It remained with them until 1813, when their king, Raja Ramdaval, died. It was a small village until work on the Ganga Canal began. The canal's construction marked this village's transition into a planned and developed town. Col. P.T. Cautley, a British Army officer, played a key role in building the canal. According to the Department of Hydrology, the canal, still regarded as an engineering marvel, was completed in 1853, with water first released on April 8, 1854.
Roorkee also holds the distinction of being the first place in the country where a railway engine was first run. The honor goes to a locomotive that ran in 1846, and its model can still be seen outside Roorkee station.
The town also witnessed the upheavals of the freedom movement. Trees around Roorkee still stand where freedom fighters were publicly hanged—particularly in the village of Sunehra, beside the K.L. Polytechnic hostel.
Visitors can also see the historic government irrigation workshop, located in the tunnel shelter used by British officers, civilians, and their families during the 1857 revolt.
It’s worth noting that the renowned IIT has its origins in Roorkee College, established in 1847 as the country’s first engineering college. This institution was later renamed Thomason College of Civil Engineering in 1854. In 1946, it expanded to include electrical and mechanical engineering, and the name was changed to Thomason College of Engineering. In 1949, it became India’s first independent engineering university, and on September 21, 2001, it was elevated to the status of IIT.
Another landmark is the Roorkee Cantonment, one of the oldest in India, serving as the headquarters for the Indian Army’s Bengal Engineering Group and Centre, popularly known as the Bengal Sappers. The Bengal Sappers originally trace their origins back to the Bengal Pioneers, which were formed in Kanpur by Captain Tom Wood in 1803, with the Bengal Sappers officially established in 1819. Later, the two groups merged and relocated their headquarters to Ludhiana. In 1853, the headquarters was relocated to Roorkee, where it remains today. For more info, visit: http://www.bsoaroorkee.org/