No evidence in history to back Gurugram

By KC Yadav
People are now taking a keener interest in their history. This is a development that must be appreciated. The de-anglicising of old names of some of our institutions, of cities and towns, on historical-linguistic grounds, and for the convenience of people, seems reasonable.
As for the name change of Gurgaon to Gurugram, I do not know the historical evidence on which this decision has been based.Therefore, without commenting on its merits or demerits, I would like to share whatever little I do know.
In the course of my studying, teaching and researching history, especially the history of Haryana, I came across a local belief (which is also mentioned in records like local gazettes, etc) that Guru Dronacharya taught the Kaurava and Pandava princes here, and that the grateful princes gave the land to him. The belief seems to be about 200 years old or so.
There is another oral tradition that the place was a ‘gur' (jaggery) mandi (market) in later medieval times. The banjaras (goods suppliers) gathered ‘gur' here from across the Yamuna and supplied it, over the course of the year, to different places in western India.
In ancient literature like the Mahabharata, or medieval chronicles, or even in early British accounts of our region (of Fortescue, John Lawrence, etc), I have not come across any evidence corroborating these oral traditions. Until not very long ago, Gurgaon was a very small village. It didn't have even an administrative unit until 1819 when R Cavendish — called ‘Ghamandi Saheb' by the locals — became the first deputy commissioner of the district. Cavendish was married to a Mughal princess. Ghamandi Sarai, the first historical building of some significance in the area, was built by him. The civil offices were shifted here from Bharawas (Rewari) in 1821.
Owing to the place being the abode of the Masani (Sheetala) Mata, the village was called Gurgaon-Masani (‘Gurgaon District Gazetteer', 1883-84). About 50,000 to 60,000 people visited every year; their offerings went beyond Rs 20,000.
The village enjoyed some strategic importance, too. To keep an eye on the activities of Begum Samru, the jagirdar of Jharsa, a small contingent of cavalry was placed here before the jagir lapsed to the British in 1836. The Gurgaon ammunition depot came up much later.
The village as such was really small. Its population in 1868 amounted to about 2,640 persons, and touched the 4,000 mark in 1881. Almost all towns in the district — Ferozepur, Nuh, Palwal, Rewari, etc — were much bigger. It's only in the last few decades that the village grew into a mighty city, enjoying enviable space and attention on the national and world stage.
As far as I can see, history, regional lexicology and even old mythology do not stand in support of the name change. Dronacharya's association with Gurgaon is yet to be proved, historically. As for the claim to being a centre of learning excellence, there is no evidence of that in the past, nor is there any in the present.
(The writer is a historian and founder-director of the Haryana Academy of History and Culture)