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Bhopal

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Bhopal , former principality, Madhya Pradesh state, central India. A region of rolling downs and thickly forested hills, it is predominantly agricultural. Its Buddhist monuments include the famous stupa (3d cent. BC) at Sanchi. Bhopal was founded in the early 18th cent. and was ruled from 1844 to 1926 by the begums of Bhopal, famous women leaders. Although the population was mainly Hindu, the princely family was Muslim. Bhopal became part of the state of Madhya Pradesh in 1956.

The city of Bhopal (1991 pop. 1,062,771), the former capital of the principality and now the capital of Madhya Pradesh , was founded in 1728. It is a trade center with manufactures of cotton cloth, jewelry, electrical goods, and chemicals. Bhopal has a very modern section and an old city, and hills and lakes give the environs much scenic beauty. The city is the seat of several institutions of higher education and a large mosque, the Taj-ul-masjid. There are many sites of historical and archaeological interest in Bhopal and nearby.

In Dec., 1984, a cloud of methyl isocynate gas escaped from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal. An estimated 3,000 to 7,000 died immediately, 15,000 to 20,000 died from the effects in the years after the disaster, and 50,000 to 100,000 suffered from serious injuries as a result of the world's worst chemical disaster. The Indian government sued on behalf of 570,000 victims and in 1989 settled for $470 million in damages and exempted company employees from criminal prosecution. The Indian judiciary rejected that exemption in 1991, and the company's Indian assets were seized (1992) after its officials failed to appear to face charges. The chairman of Union Carbide's Indian branch and seven other of its Indian employees (one deceased) were convicted of death by negligence in 2010, and later that year the Indian government sued to increase the damages paid to $1.1 billion.

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"Bhopal." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Bhopal." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Bhopal.html

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Bhopāl

Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names | 2005 | | Copyright

Bhopāl, Madhya Pradesh/India Bhojapāl Said to be named after Raja Bhoj (1010–53) to which the Hindi pāl ‘embankment’ or ‘dam’ has been added. According to legend, Bhoj was instructed to atone for the murder of his mother by linking together the nine rivers which flowed through his kingdom. He did this by constructing dams and built his capital by the lakes which were thus formed. Another theory is that the name is derived from the Sanskrit bhūpāla ‘king’ or ‘prince’. Part of a princely state founded in 1723, Bhopāl joined India in 1949, having been a separate province since Indian independence in 1947.

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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Bhopāl." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Bhopāl." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Bhopl.html

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Bhopāl." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Bhopl.html

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Bhopal

A Dictionary of Contemporary World History | 2004 | | Copyright

Bhopal The capital city of the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. On 3 December 1984 it was the scene of the worst industrial accident in history, when 45 tons of the toxic gas methyl isocyanate escaped from a plant owned by the US corporation Union Carbide. Probably 2,500 people died within twenty-four hours, while an estimated 50,000 or more victims suffered greater or lesser lung disease and other complications. Efforts by the Indian government to obtain adequate compensation for the victims because of Union Carbide's sub-standard safety levels were only partially successful, mainly because of the intricacies of the legal system in the USA, where the trials were held.

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JAN PALMOWSKI. "Bhopal." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAN PALMOWSKI. "Bhopal." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-Bhopal.html

JAN PALMOWSKI. "Bhopal." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-Bhopal.html

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Bhopal

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

Bhopal State capital of Madhya Pradesh, central India. Founded in 1728, it is noted for its terraced lakes, mosques and prehistoric paintings. In 1984 poisonous gas from the Union Carbide insecticide plant killed c.2500 people, the world's worst industrial disaster. Bhopal is an industrial and trade centre with food processing, electrical engineering, flour milling and cotton textile industries. Pop. (2001) 1,433,875.

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Bhopal

A Dictionary of World History | 2000 | Copyright

Bhopal An industrial city in central India, the capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh. The city is said to have derived its name from its 11th-century founder Raja Bhoj who created lakes by building dams or pals. In December 1984 leakage of poisonous gas from a US-owned pesticide factory caused the death of about 2500 people and thousands suffered injury in the world's worst industrial disaster.

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Bhopal

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | | Copyright

Bhopal a city in central India, the capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh. In December 1984 leakage of poisonous gas from an American-owned pesticide factory in the city caused the death of about 2,500 people.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Bhopal." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Bhopal." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Bhopal.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Bhopal." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Bhopal.html

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Bhopal

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

Bhopal •Amal, Arles, banal, Barisal, Basle, Bhopal, Carl, chorale, corral, dhal, entente cordiale, Escorial, farl, femme fatale, Funchal, gayal, gnarl, halal, Karl, kraal, locale, marl, morale, musicale, Pascal, pastorale, procès-verbal, Provençal, rationale, real, rial, riyal, snarl, Taal, Taj Mahal, timbale, toile, Vaal, Vidal, Waal •Stendhal • Heyerdahl • housecarl •cantal • hartal • Wiesenthal •Lilienthal • neanderthal • Emmental •Hofmannsthal • Wuppertal •Transvaal • Roncesvalles • Kursaal

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Bhopal disaster changed handling of industrial risks; Indian tragedy... Magazine article from: Business Insurance; 12/6/2004
	The movement in Bhopal and its lessons. Magazine article from: Social Justice; 12/22/1996
	Nightmares and hope in Bhopal. (includes related article on industrial... Magazine article from: Earth Island Journal; 9/22/1997