Azamgarh
Encyclopedia
Azamgarh is a town in the India
n state
of Uttar Pradesh
. It is headquarters of Azamgarh district
and Azamgarh Division
.
kingdom, except the north-eastern part of it which was included in the kingdom of Malla. Kosala figured prominently among the four powerful monarchies of northern India during the time of the Buddha when its prosperity reached its zenith. The kingdom of Kosala was bounded on the east by the Ganga and the kingdom of Magadha, on the north-east by the territories of Vriji-Lichchhavis and those of Mallas on the north by the territories of the Sakyas, on the west by Surasena and on the south and south-west by the kingdom of Vatsa with Kausambi as its capital.
The district of Azamgarh possesses hardly any remains of much antiquarian value. Of the few that exist, neither the origin nor the history are known, for the most part. There are some deserted sites, forts and tanks to be seen in every tehsil of this district, and they carry vague legends regarding their builders. The early history of the district can be traced only from the extant antiquities.
According to a local tradition, the country of the Bhars, which was included in the kingdom of Ayodhya in Rama's time, was occupied by Rajbhars and Asuras.
The headquarters of the district derives its name for Azam Khan who founded it on the ruins of the village Ailwal and Phulwaria about 1665 A.D. Azamat Khan, the brother of Azam Khan, built a fort and settled a bajar of Azmatgarh in pargana Sagari about the same time as that of Azamgarh. Only the ruins of the fort constructed by Azmat remain in Azamgarh. Adjoining Azmatgarh there is the great 'Salona', Azamgarh Tal, which was named after Azam Khan.
Azam Khan died in Kannauj in 1675 A.D. After the attack of Chabile Ram, Azmat Khan fled northwards followed by the interior forces. He attempted to cross the Ghaghra into Gorakhpur, but the people on the other side opposed his landing, and he was either shot in mid stream or was drowned in attempting to escape by swimming.
In 1688 A.D. during Azamt's lifetime, his eldest son Ekram took part in the management of the state, and after Azam's death he was perhaps left in possession together with Mohhabat, another son. The remaining two sons were taken away and for a time detained as hostages for their brothers' 'good behaviour'.
The successor of Ikram finally confirmed the title of his family to the Jamidari. Ikram left no heirs and was succeeded by Iradat, son of Mohhabat, But the real ruler all along had been Mohhabat, and after Ikram's death, he continued to rule in his son's name.
named Sadar. The city was founded around 1665 by one Azam Khan son of Bikramjit. The old fort of Azam Shah is on the bank of river Tamsa in east of city. There are two boys' degree colleges (D.A.V. Degree College and Shibli National P. G. College), and one girls' degree college (Agrashen Girls Degree College). Shri Durgaji Post Graduate Degree College, Chandeshar is on the Azamgarh-Ghazipur road. The agricultural and homoeopathic medical college is also here. Shibli Library, a famous Urdu library, is located at Shibli Academy. The Kunwar Singh Park is situated in the city. Azamgarh is famous for its Education system, with Children College and Jyoti Niketan providing English Medium education and Shibli College providing Higher Education. Azamgarh lacks industries and its basic income comes from Agriculture. Most of the people from educated background leaves azamgarh for metro Cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Labour class has strong presence in Gulf countries from this Area.
, Azamgarh has a population of 46,16,509. Males constitute 22,89,336 of the population and females 23,27,172. Azamgarh has an average literacy rate of 62%. 22% of the population is under 6 years of age. Azamgarh is the fourth most populous city in Uttar Pradesh. The largest part of the community belongs to the Hindu
religion. Muslims
account for nearly 15% of the district population. The majority of the Muslims in the district belong to the Sunni sect. Among them the most numerous are Julahas or weavers. There are minorities of other religions including Sikhism
, Christianity
, Buddhism
, and Jainism
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. It is headquarters of Azamgarh district
Azamgarh district
Azamgarh district is one of the three districts of Azamgarh Division in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Etymology:The district is named after its headquarters town, Azamgarh. Azam, son of Vikramajit, founded the town in 1665. Vikramajit a descendant of Gautam Rajputs of Mehnagar in pargana...
and Azamgarh Division
Azamgarh Division
Azamgarh division is an administrative unit of Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Azamgarh division consists of:-* Azamgarh District* Ballia District* Mau District-See also:* Districts of Uttar Pradesh...
.
History
Azamgarh, one of the easternmost districts of the State, once formed a part of the ancient KosalaKosala
Kosala was an ancient Indian region, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Awadh in present day Uttar Pradesh. According to the Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya and the Jaina text, the Bhagavati Sutra, Kosala was one of the Solasa Mahajanapadas in 6th century BCE and its cultural and...
kingdom, except the north-eastern part of it which was included in the kingdom of Malla. Kosala figured prominently among the four powerful monarchies of northern India during the time of the Buddha when its prosperity reached its zenith. The kingdom of Kosala was bounded on the east by the Ganga and the kingdom of Magadha, on the north-east by the territories of Vriji-Lichchhavis and those of Mallas on the north by the territories of the Sakyas, on the west by Surasena and on the south and south-west by the kingdom of Vatsa with Kausambi as its capital.
The district of Azamgarh possesses hardly any remains of much antiquarian value. Of the few that exist, neither the origin nor the history are known, for the most part. There are some deserted sites, forts and tanks to be seen in every tehsil of this district, and they carry vague legends regarding their builders. The early history of the district can be traced only from the extant antiquities.
According to a local tradition, the country of the Bhars, which was included in the kingdom of Ayodhya in Rama's time, was occupied by Rajbhars and Asuras.
Medieval period
The second battle Tarain in 1192 A.D. established the Islamic power in India, but the region including the district of Azamgarh does not appear to have been subject to the sovereignty of the Muslims immediately. In 1193 A.D. after the death of Jayachandra, the region from Varanasi to Gaya including the district of Azamgarh passed into the hands of the Muslims by Shihab-ud-din-Muhammad Ghuri. From the establishment of the Jaunpur kingdom to its extinction, most of the tract now included in this district fell under its rule, but no important place in this district of Azamgarh can be mentioned as having been the seat of administration for the surrounding parganas.The headquarters of the district derives its name for Azam Khan who founded it on the ruins of the village Ailwal and Phulwaria about 1665 A.D. Azamat Khan, the brother of Azam Khan, built a fort and settled a bajar of Azmatgarh in pargana Sagari about the same time as that of Azamgarh. Only the ruins of the fort constructed by Azmat remain in Azamgarh. Adjoining Azmatgarh there is the great 'Salona', Azamgarh Tal, which was named after Azam Khan.
Azam Khan died in Kannauj in 1675 A.D. After the attack of Chabile Ram, Azmat Khan fled northwards followed by the interior forces. He attempted to cross the Ghaghra into Gorakhpur, but the people on the other side opposed his landing, and he was either shot in mid stream or was drowned in attempting to escape by swimming.
In 1688 A.D. during Azamt's lifetime, his eldest son Ekram took part in the management of the state, and after Azam's death he was perhaps left in possession together with Mohhabat, another son. The remaining two sons were taken away and for a time detained as hostages for their brothers' 'good behaviour'.
The successor of Ikram finally confirmed the title of his family to the Jamidari. Ikram left no heirs and was succeeded by Iradat, son of Mohhabat, But the real ruler all along had been Mohhabat, and after Ikram's death, he continued to rule in his son's name.
Azamgarh
The principal town of the district also gives its name to the district headquarter and forms a tahsilTehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
named Sadar. The city was founded around 1665 by one Azam Khan son of Bikramjit. The old fort of Azam Shah is on the bank of river Tamsa in east of city. There are two boys' degree colleges (D.A.V. Degree College and Shibli National P. G. College), and one girls' degree college (Agrashen Girls Degree College). Shri Durgaji Post Graduate Degree College, Chandeshar is on the Azamgarh-Ghazipur road. The agricultural and homoeopathic medical college is also here. Shibli Library, a famous Urdu library, is located at Shibli Academy. The Kunwar Singh Park is situated in the city. Azamgarh is famous for its Education system, with Children College and Jyoti Niketan providing English Medium education and Shibli College providing Higher Education. Azamgarh lacks industries and its basic income comes from Agriculture. Most of the people from educated background leaves azamgarh for metro Cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Labour class has strong presence in Gulf countries from this Area.
Mubarakpur
The place is famous for the manufacture of Benarasi saris, which are also very popular and exported to the World.It is located at a distance of 13 km north-east of the district headquarters in Azamgarh.Nizamabad
The famous Gurudwara possessing a pair of wooden slippers and a dagger said to be of Guru Nanak who once visited the place is situated here.Durvasa
This place is situated on the sangam of Tons and Majhuee river which is 6 km north from the Phulpur Tehsil headquarters. It is famous for the Ashram of Durvasa Rishi where thousands of students used to come to gain the knowledge of famous fair held every year on the occasion of Kartik Purnima.10 km east from durvasa patwadh sarai is situated. Here is a village Pandeychawar.Dattatreya
This place is situated on the sangam of Tons and Kunwar river, 3 km south-west of Nijambad Tehsil headquarters. There is an ashram of Dattatreya Rishi where people used to come to achieve knowledge and peace. On the day of Shivratri, a fair is organized.Govindsahab
Mahatma Govind Sahab worshipped here. This place is 6 km from the Atraulia Block. A large fair is held. On the day of Agahan sudi Dashmi, in which cattle like cows, bulls, buffalo, camels, horses, donkeys and elephants, are bought and sold. The fair lasts about one month.Avantikapuri (Awank)
This place is situated in the Muhammadpur development block. Tradition says that Raja Janmejai organized Yagya for killing all snakes on the earth. The temple and ponds of this place are famous. People come here to take a holy dip in the pond.Geography and topography
Azamgarh has an average elevation of 64 metres (209 feet). Azamgarh consists of a series of parallel ridges, whose summits are depressed into beds or hollows, along which the rivers flow; while between the ridges are low-lying rice lands, interspersed with numerous natural reservoirs. The soil is fertile, and very highly cultivated, bearing magnificent crops of rice, sugar-cane, wheat and orchards of mango and guava.Connectivity
Azamgarh is connected to Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ajmer, and Amritsar. Buses regularly travel between Azamgarh and the capital, Lucknow.Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Azamgarh has a population of 46,16,509. Males constitute 22,89,336 of the population and females 23,27,172. Azamgarh has an average literacy rate of 62%. 22% of the population is under 6 years of age. Azamgarh is the fourth most populous city in Uttar Pradesh. The largest part of the community belongs to the Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
religion. Muslims
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
account for nearly 15% of the district population. The majority of the Muslims in the district belong to the Sunni sect. Among them the most numerous are Julahas or weavers. There are minorities of other religions including Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
, Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, and Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
.
Culture
Azamgarh's culture is a reflection of the Avadh culture of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Since Azamgarh lies in the eastern part of the Uttar Pradesh, the traditional language is Bhojpuri or Purvi.Notable people
- Shibli NomaniShibli NomaniAllamah Shibli Nomani was a respected scholar of Islam from Indian subcontinent during British Raj. He was born at Bindwal in Azamgarh district of present-day Uttar Pradesh. He is known for the founding the Shibli National College in 1883 and the Darul Mussanifin in Azamgarh...
(Muslim writer, educationist, poet) - Mirza Aslam Baig (Former Chief of Army Staff Pakistan and Director General of ISI)
- Rahul SankrityayanRahul SankrityayanMahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan , who is called the Father of Hindi Travel literature, was one of the most widely-traveled scholars of India, spending forty-five years of his life on travels away from his home. He became a buddhist monk and eventually took up Marxist Socialism...
(Hindi/Sanskrit scholar) - Kaifi AzmiKaifi AzmiKaifi Azmi was an Indian Urdu poet. He is considered to be one the greatest Urdu poets of 20th century. Together with Pirzada Qasim, Jon Eliya and many others he participated in many memorable mushairas of 20th century.-Early life:...
(Urdu poet) - Ram Naresh YadavRam Naresh YadavRam Naresh Yadav , is the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India. He was from Janata Party, later he joined the Congress. He was appointed Governor of Madhya Pradesh on 26th August 2011 by President Pratibha Patil and was sworn into office on 8 September 2011.He was born on 1 July 1928in...
(politician, former U.P. Chief Minister, Governor of Madhya Pradesh ) - Shabana AzmiShabana AzmiShabana Azmi is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. An alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India of Pune, she made her film debut in 1974 and soon became one of the leading actresses of parallel cinema, an Indian New Wave movement known for its serious content and...
(Bollywood film actress, politician) - Abu Asim AzmiAbu Asim AzmiAbu Asim Azmi born 8 August 1955, is the state president of Maharashtra Samajwadi Party. He represented Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament from November 2002- Nov 2008....
(politician) - Shamim JairajpuriShamim JairajpuriMohammad Shamim Jairajpuri, D.Sc., commonly known as Shamim Jairajpuri, is an Indian zoologist and academic who is known for his contributions to the field of nematology...
(an Indian zoologist and academic who is known for his contributions to the field of nematology) - Maulana Aslam JairajpuriMaulana Aslam JairajpuriMaulana Aslam Jairajpuri ' was a great scholar of Qur'an, Hadith, Muslim History. He was famous for his books Talimat-e-Qur'an and "History of Qur'an. He was distinuished professor of Arabic and Persian at Aligarh University and Jamia Millia Islamia...
(Islamic scholar) - Qamaruzzaman AzmiQamaruzzaman Azmi.Allama Maulana Qamaruzzaman Azmi is a prominent scholar in the Ahle sunnah wal jamah and Sufism. Millions of people across the Indian Sub-Continent, Middle East, Europe, America and Canada revere and respect him...
(Muslim scholar, writer and educationalist) - Shaikh Shamim AhmedShaikh Shamim AhmedShaikh Shamim Ahmed is a politician and social worker from Bombay, India...
(Politician, Ex. M.L.A Mumbai) - Prem Chand PandeyPrem Chand PandeyPrem Chand Pandey is an Indian scientist and academic in the fields of Satellite Oceanography, Remote Sensing, Atmospheric Science, Antarctic and Climate Change.-Education and career:...
(scientist, founder director National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa) - Waqar AzmiWaqar AzmiDr. Waqar Azmi OBE is the chairman of Waterhouse Consulting Group and EU Ambassador of Intercultural Dialogue . Prior to this, he was the UK Government’s Chief Diversity Adviser at the Cabinet Office. He worked at the highest levels with responsibility for driving forward Government priorities...
(UK Prime Minister's Chief Diversity Adviser) - Amar SinghAmar SinghAmar Singh may refer to:* Amar Singh , Indian test cricketer* Amar Singh , Indian politician* Amar Singh, son of Maharana Pratap...
(politician and businessman) - Laxmi Narayan MishraLaxmi Narayan MishraLaxmi Narayan Mishra was born in the village Basti, district Azamgarh.He was a popular play writer of HINDI.He was a theatre personality of Uttar Pradesh...
(play writer of Hindi) - Abu SalemAbu SalemAbu Salem is an underworld don originally from Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh, India. He is convicted for the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case and killing of India's music baron Gulshan Kumar in 1997. He has unsuccessfully attempted to kill Bollywood film directors Rajiv Rai and Rakesh Roshan....
Major Convict BOMBAY BLASTS He is convicted for the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case and killing of India's music baron *Gulshan KumarGulshan KumarGulshan Kumar was the founder of the T-Series music label , the best known in India, and an Indian Bollywood movie producer. T series is now run by his son Bhushan Kumar...
in 1997 - Nagendra Kumar SinghNagendra Kumar SinghDr Nagendra Kumar Singh is an eminent Indian agricultural scientist. He is presently a National Professor under ICAR at National Research Centre for Plant Biotechnology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He was born in a small village called Rajapur in the Mau District of Uttar...
(National Professor, Agriculture Scientist, ICAR)