Kara (Kaushambi)
Encyclopedia
Kara is an old township situated near Sirathu
, on the banks of Ganges, 69 km (42.9 mi) west of the city of Allahabad
in Kaushambi district
in Uttar Pradesh
state in India
. It was capital of a very big region for centuries under the Delhi Sultanate
and Jaunpur Sultanate
rule.
Centuries ago it was the seat of the Governor of the Sirkar of Kara ("the Province of Kara"). Between the 7th century and the 16 century AD it retained its charm and importance as the capital, but in 1526, the Mughal
emperor Akbar made Allahabad
the capital and thus reduced Kara to a subdivision of the province. During British Rule, Allahabad gained so much importance that Kara went into oblivion and today it is a town of dilapidated havelis, forts, and monuments unknown. Hundreds of thousands of graves are lying in an area with a diameter of 7–8 km (5 miles). This stunning fact which emboldens its claim that it had been certainly inhabited by many people during its history.
In the eleventh century the warrior saint of Islam, Saiyid Salar Masud Ghazi, defeated the princes of Manikpur and Kara, but Muhammadan rule was not established till the defeat of Jai Chand by Muhammad Ghorl. Manikpur and Kara on the opposite bank of the Ganges were important seats of government in the early Muhammadan period. Ala-ud-dfn Khilji was governor here, before he gained the throne of Delhi by murdering his uncle on the sands of the river between these two places. In the fifteenth century the District came under the rule of the Sharqi kings of Jaunpur, and after its restoration to Delhi the Rajput chiefs and the Muhammadan governors were frequently in revolt. The Afghans long retained their hold on the District, and early in the reign of Akbar the governor of Manikpur rebelled.
Kara lost its importance when Allahabad became the capital of a Province, and from that time it was merely the chief town of a sarkar. The Rajputs again rose during the anarchy which marked the disruption of the empire after the death of Aurangzeb. They were, however, gradually reduced by the Nawabs of Oudh, and in 1759 Kara was removed from the Sufrah of Allahabad and added to Oudh.
A lot of noble Muslim families had settled there. With the passage of time they left the town due to the lack of civic amenities and the carelessness of the government for the upkeep and development of the town.
It is the same place where Jalaluddin Feroz Khilji was murdered by his nephew Alauddin Khilji.
Shah Karak Abdal, a famous sufi saint lies buried here whose annual Urs is the largest Urs in the area of Allahabad.
Kara is a place of pilgrimage. It is the site of the holy temple of Kara Devi (Shitala Devi). Once the provincial capital of the Delhi Sultanate, its ruins extend 3.5 km (2.2 mi). This place has been a religious pilgrimage since at least A.D. 1000. Kara was also an important township in the medieval kingdoms of northern India and even today one can see the remains of the fort of Jaichand of Kannauj
, the last Hindu king of Kannauj
.
Places of historical interest include; the Dargah of Khwaja Karak, the Kara Devi Temple, the Samadhi of Saint Maluk Das, a mound called fort of Jai Chand, Jama Masjid, Kshetrapal Bharav Temple, Kaleshwar Mahadev Temple, and Shivala Maharishi Ashramractions.
Scores of noble families descended in Kara at various period of time.Specially the saiyyids are reported to have come here earlier then any other region in eastern UP.For examples Saiyid Qutub al Din Al Madani , Saayid Abul Khair Mashhadi, Sayyed Muhammad Isfahani and scores of families of Shuyukh & Sadaat originated from here.Amongst them was a family of Sayyid Muhammad Isfahani who came and settled at Kara in 1256. The direct descendant of Syed Mohammad Isfehani lives in Allahabd. They also have their ancestre's house in Kara.
Sirathu
Sirathu is a town and a nagar panchayat in Kaushambi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Demographics: India census, Sirathu had a population of 12,208. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Sirathu has an average literacy rate of 53%, lower than the national average of...
, on the banks of Ganges, 69 km (42.9 mi) west of the city of Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
in Kaushambi district
Kaushambi District
Kaushambi district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Manjhanpur town is the district headquarters. Kaushambi district is a part of Allahabad Division.- History :...
in 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...
state in India
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...
. It was capital of a very big region for centuries under the Delhi Sultanate
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...
and Jaunpur Sultanate
Jaunpur Sultanate
The Jaunpur sultanate was an independent kingdom of northern India between 1394 to 1479, whose rulers ruled from Jaunpur in the present day state of Uttar Pradesh. The Jaunpur sultanate was ruled by the Sharqi dynasty. The Khwajah-i-Jahan Malik Sarwar, the first ruler of the dynasty was a wazir ...
rule.
Name
It has been sometimes spelt at Karrah, Kada and Kurrah but actually it is Kara and often called with its sister town across the river Ganges called Manikpur. Still it is called Kara Manikpur. Kara falls in Kaushambi district while Manikpur has now become a part of Partapgarh Ddstrict.Overview
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
emperor Akbar made Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
the capital and thus reduced Kara to a subdivision of the province. During British Rule, Allahabad gained so much importance that Kara went into oblivion and today it is a town of dilapidated havelis, forts, and monuments unknown. Hundreds of thousands of graves are lying in an area with a diameter of 7–8 km (5 miles). This stunning fact which emboldens its claim that it had been certainly inhabited by many people during its history.
In the eleventh century the warrior saint of Islam, Saiyid Salar Masud Ghazi, defeated the princes of Manikpur and Kara, but Muhammadan rule was not established till the defeat of Jai Chand by Muhammad Ghorl. Manikpur and Kara on the opposite bank of the Ganges were important seats of government in the early Muhammadan period. Ala-ud-dfn Khilji was governor here, before he gained the throne of Delhi by murdering his uncle on the sands of the river between these two places. In the fifteenth century the District came under the rule of the Sharqi kings of Jaunpur, and after its restoration to Delhi the Rajput chiefs and the Muhammadan governors were frequently in revolt. The Afghans long retained their hold on the District, and early in the reign of Akbar the governor of Manikpur rebelled.
Kara lost its importance when Allahabad became the capital of a Province, and from that time it was merely the chief town of a sarkar. The Rajputs again rose during the anarchy which marked the disruption of the empire after the death of Aurangzeb. They were, however, gradually reduced by the Nawabs of Oudh, and in 1759 Kara was removed from the Sufrah of Allahabad and added to Oudh.
A lot of noble Muslim families had settled there. With the passage of time they left the town due to the lack of civic amenities and the carelessness of the government for the upkeep and development of the town.
It is the same place where Jalaluddin Feroz Khilji was murdered by his nephew Alauddin Khilji.
Shah Karak Abdal, a famous sufi saint lies buried here whose annual Urs is the largest Urs in the area of Allahabad.
Kara is a place of pilgrimage. It is the site of the holy temple of Kara Devi (Shitala Devi). Once the provincial capital of the Delhi Sultanate, its ruins extend 3.5 km (2.2 mi). This place has been a religious pilgrimage since at least A.D. 1000. Kara was also an important township in the medieval kingdoms of northern India and even today one can see the remains of the fort of Jaichand of Kannauj
Jaichand of Kannauj
Jaichand was the Rajput ruler of Kannauj. He was the father of Sanyogita, Prithvi Raj Chauhan's wife. Jaichand was the name of the last ruler of Kannauj belonging to the Rathore dynasty.-Sources:...
, the last Hindu king of Kannauj
Kannauj
Kannauj , also spelt Kanauj, is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is traditionally derived from the term Kanyakubja . Kannauj is an ancient city, in earlier times the capital...
.
Places of historical interest include; the Dargah of Khwaja Karak, the Kara Devi Temple, the Samadhi of Saint Maluk Das, a mound called fort of Jai Chand, Jama Masjid, Kshetrapal Bharav Temple, Kaleshwar Mahadev Temple, and Shivala Maharishi Ashramractions.
Scores of noble families descended in Kara at various period of time.Specially the saiyyids are reported to have come here earlier then any other region in eastern UP.For examples Saiyid Qutub al Din Al Madani , Saayid Abul Khair Mashhadi, Sayyed Muhammad Isfahani and scores of families of Shuyukh & Sadaat originated from here.Amongst them was a family of Sayyid Muhammad Isfahani who came and settled at Kara in 1256. The direct descendant of Syed Mohammad Isfehani lives in Allahabd. They also have their ancestre's house in Kara.
See also
- Kara-ManikpurKara-ManikpurKara-Manikpur was a subah in medieval India. It was constituted of two strongholds of Kara and Manikpur, on the opposite side of the river Ganges.In 1193 Qutb-ud-din Aibak created the subah of Kara-Manikpur with its headquarters at Kara...