Kannauj District
Encyclopedia
Kannauj District is an administrative district
of Uttar Pradesh
state
in northern India
, along the river Ganges. The historic town of Kannauj
, northwest of Kanpur, is the administrative center.
The Ganges is the main river of the district at the North East border of the district. Kali river is at the northern border of the district while the Ishan river flows through the District.
The climate of the district is characterized by a hot dry summer and a pleasant cold season. The average rainfall of the District is approximately 80 cm.
The district is bounded by the districts of Farrukhabad
to the north, Hardoi
to the northeast, Kanpur Nagar to the east, Kanpur Dehat
to the southeast, Auraiya
to the south, Etawah
to the southwest, and Mainpuri
to the west. The district is divided into three tehsil
s and seven development blocks. The district was split from Farrukhabad on September 18, 1997, and is part of Kanpur Division
.
Kannauj district has a population
of 1,658,005, roughly equal to the nation of Guinea-Bissau
or the US state of Idaho
. This gives it a ranking of 299th in India (out of a total of 640
). The district has a population density of 792 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
over the decade 2001-2011 was 19.37 %. Kannauj has a sex ratio
of 879 females
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
of 74.01 %.
The District's population was 1,388,923 in 2001. Of these, 1,156,951 (or 83.3%) lived in rural areas, while 231,972 (or 16.7%) lived in urban areas.
weapons and tools and large numbers of stone statues have been found here. The ancient names of this place, Kanyakubja, are found in the Ramayana
, Mahabharata
, and the Puranas
.
Amavasu founded a kingdom, the capital of which became Kanyakubja. Jahnu was such a powerful king that the river Ganges is said to have been named after him as Jahnaui. This region rose into great prominence during the Mahabharata period. Kampilya
was the capital of South Panchala
and the scene of the famous Svayamvara of Draupadi
.
Panchala, the tenth in the list of the sixteen premier states (Mahajanpada) in the time of Mahavira
and Buddha
, was the region covered by the present districts of Bareilly
, Badaun and Farrukhabad
. This territory was annexed to the Nanda empire
of Magadha
about C.400 BC. Many coins found at Mathura, Kannauj, and in the Panchala
region have been associated with the Mitra
rulers. The area flourished between C.100 BC and C.200 AD Kannauj was known as Kangora or Kanogiza by the geographer, Ptolemy
(C.140 AD).
Fa-hien
, the Chinese pilgrim, visited Kannauj between 399 and 414 AD, during the reign of Chandragupta II
, at a retreat at the Dragon-Shrine. Fa-hien observed, "This country is very productive and the people are flourishing and happy beyond compare. When men of other nations come, care is taken of all of them and they are provided with what they require". He noted the monolithic elephant pillar
erected by Asoka at Sankisa.
Harivarman appears to have been the founder of the Maukhari
dynasty of Kannauj. Harsha
also advanced towards Kannauj. The Chinese pilgrim, Hiuen Tsang, visiting Kannauj in 643 AD, found 100 Buddhist monasteries with more than 10,000 priests. He mentions Kah-Pi-Ta (Kapitha, identified with Sankisa) as the other important place of the district.
Between the eight and the tenth centuries, a tripartite struggle for the resources of the rich Gangetic plains, with three empires—the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, the Pala Dynasty of Bengal and the Prathihara dynasty of Gujarat—annexing the seat of power at Kannauj for short periods of time.
Rajyapala
was the ruler of Kannauj when Mahmud of Ghazni
attacked India. After sacking Mathura, Mahmud proceeded towards Kannauj. In 1018 AD he encountered "a city which raised its head to the skies and which in strength and beauty might boast of being unrivalled."
An inscription of the Chalukya dynasty
of Lata, dated 1050 AD, associates the Rashtrakuta Empire with Kannauj. Kannauj recovered a large measure of its old importance during 1114 to 1154. During the reign of the Chauhans (1170-1194 AD) Kannauj became powerful and was annexed to Delhi
. Kannauj, as (Jaichand of Kannauj
's capital) was the scene of Svayamvara of his daughter Samyogita, who was carried off by Prithviraj III
. Mohammad Ghauri
invaded India and killed Jaichand in 1193 AD.
Ghiyas ud din Balban
, who then possessed the Delhi throne, (1268–87) marched towards this region and divided the whole area into a number of military commands. Although order was restored, the region was continually up in arms against imperial authority. Reinforced by the neighboring Chauhan
s and Solanki
s, the Rajputs of this area broke out in open rebellion. In 1394, with another regional rebellion afoot, the sultan conferred on Khwaja Jahan the title of Malik-ul-Sharq "and appointed him governor of Hindustan from Kannauj to Bihar devolving upon him full power." Malik-ul-Sharq died in 1399 and his adopted son, Mubarak Shah became the virtual ruler at Delhi and reached Kannauj.
In 1414, under the Sayyid dynasty
in 1423, Mubarak Shah Sayyid marched to Kampil to suppress the Rajputs. Kannauj became a fief under the sovereignty of the Mughals. In 1527 Babar
mobilised his forces to capture Chanderi but lost Kannauj and Shamsabad to the Afghans. Kannauj became a dependency of the rebels who found themselves at the head of Muslims and Rajputs. Humayan's continued occupation in the north gave the ambitious Sher Shah Suri
a free hand to prosecute his designs in the east. It appears that immediately after the capture of Kannauj Sher Shah destroyed the old city and built a fort of burnt brick there "and on the spot of gaining victory he built a city Sher Sur." The Afghans were overthrown in 1855 and the power of the Mughals was once again established by Humayun, who had returned to India after 12 years; he died soon after, in January 1556, and was succeeded by his son Akbar the Great
.
Districts of Uttar Pradesh
The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh borders with Nepal and the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand and National Capital Territory of Delhi. The Himalayas lies in the north of the state and the Deccan Plateau is at the south...
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...
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:...
in northern 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...
, along the river Ganges. The historic town 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...
, northwest of Kanpur, is the administrative center.
Geography
Kannauj pooing at 27.07°N 79.92°E. It has an average elevation of 139 metres (456 feet).The Ganges is the main river of the district at the North East border of the district. Kali river is at the northern border of the district while the Ishan river flows through the District.
The climate of the district is characterized by a hot dry summer and a pleasant cold season. The average rainfall of the District is approximately 80 cm.
The district is bounded by the districts of Farrukhabad
Farrukhabad District
Farrukhabad district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. The town of Fatehgarh is the district headquarters. The district is part of Kanpur Division....
to the north, Hardoi
Hardoi District
Hardoi disctrict is a district of Uttar Pradesh, India, and Hardoi town is the district headquarters. Hardoi district is a part of Lucknow division.-Economy:...
to the northeast, Kanpur Nagar to the east, Kanpur Dehat
Kanpur Dehat district
Ramabai Nagar district , formerly known as Kanpur Dehat district, is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. The administrative headquarters of the district are at Mati, Akbarpur. This district is part of Kanpur division.-History:...
to the southeast, Auraiya
Auraiya district
Auraiya district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Auraiya town is the district headquarters.-History:On 17 September 1997 two tehsils named Auraiya and Bidhuna were separated from district Etawah to form the new district named as Auraiya.-Geography:The district of...
to the south, Etawah
Etawah District
Etawah district is a district in the southwestern portion of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Etawah town is the district headquarters. Etawah district is part of Kanpur Division. The district covers an area of 2311 km²...
to the southwest, and Mainpuri
Mainpuri District
Mainpuri district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Mainpuri town is the district headquarters. Mainpuri district is a part of Agra division.-Demographics:...
to the west. The district is divided into three tehsil
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
s and seven development blocks. The district was split from Farrukhabad on September 18, 1997, and is part of Kanpur Division
Kanpur Division
Kanpur division is an administrative geographical unit of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Kanpur is the administrative headquarters of the division...
.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census2011 census of India
The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, houselisting and population enumeration. Houselisting phase began on April 1, 2010 and involved collection of information about all buildings...
Kannauj district has a population
Demographics of India
The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people , more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing...
of 1,658,005, roughly equal to the nation of Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
or the US state of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. This gives it a ranking of 299th in India (out of a total of 640
Districts of India
A district is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. Districts are further subdivided, in some cases into Sub-Divisions, and otherwise directly into tehsils or talukas.District officials include:...
). The district has a population density of 792 PD/sqkm . Its population growth rate
Family planning in India
Family planning in India is based on efforts largely sponsored by the Indian government. In the 1965-2009 period, contraceptive usage has more than tripled and the fertility rate has more than halved , but the national fertility rate is still high enough to cause long-term population growth...
over the decade 2001-2011 was 19.37 %. Kannauj has a sex ratio
Sex ratio
Sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
of 879 females
Women in India
The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful...
for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate
Literacy in India
Literacy in India is key for socio-economic progress, and the Indian literacy rate grew to 74.04% in 2011 from 12% at the end of British rule in 1947. Although this was a greater than sixfold improvement, the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84%, and India currently has the...
of 74.01 %.
The District's population was 1,388,923 in 2001. Of these, 1,156,951 (or 83.3%) lived in rural areas, while 231,972 (or 16.7%) lived in urban areas.
History
Kannauj has a rich archeological and cultural heritage. Many Bronze ageBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
weapons and tools and large numbers of stone statues have been found here. The ancient names of this place, Kanyakubja, are found in the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, and the Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
.
Amavasu founded a kingdom, the capital of which became Kanyakubja. Jahnu was such a powerful king that the river Ganges is said to have been named after him as Jahnaui. This region rose into great prominence during the Mahabharata period. Kampilya
Kampilya
Kampilya was the Capital of the Panchala Kingdom ruled by Drupada during Mahabharata period. It is mentioned in Mahabharata that when Pandavas were in exile and staying at place called Ekachakra , they came to know that Drupada, King of Panchala, had announced the Swayamvara of his daughter...
was the capital of South Panchala
Panchala
Panchala is an ancient region of northern India, which corresponds to the geographical area around the Ganges River and Yamuna River, the upper Gangetic plain in particular. This would encompass the modern-day states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. During the ancient times, it was home to a...
and the scene of the famous Svayamvara of Draupadi
Draupadi
In the epic Mahābhārata, Draupadi, also known as ' is the "emerged" daughter of King Drupada of Panchāla and the wife of the five Pandavas. When Yudhisthira becomes the king of Hastinapura at the end of the war, Draupadi becomes the queen of Indraprastha...
.
Panchala, the tenth in the list of the sixteen premier states (Mahajanpada) in the time of Mahavira
Mahavira
Mahāvīra is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamāna who established what are today considered to be the central tenets of Jainism. According to Jain tradition, he was the 24th and the last Tirthankara. In Tamil, he is referred to as Arukaṉ or Arukadevan...
and Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
, was the region covered by the present districts of Bareilly
Bareilly
Bareilly is a prominent city in Bareilly district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Standing on the Ramganga river, it is the capital of the Bareilly division and the geographical region Rohilkhand...
, Badaun and Farrukhabad
Farrukhabad
Farrukhābād , is one of the important cities of Central Doab Region in the State of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. The city was founded in 1717 by Mohammed Bangash who named it after the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar. Farrukhabad is situated on the bank of sacred river Ganges.-Demographics: India...
. This territory was annexed to the Nanda empire
Nanda Dynasty
The Nanda Empire originated from the region of Magadha in Ancient India during the 5th and 4th centuries BC. At its greatest extent, the Nanda Empire extended from Bengal in the east, to Punjab in the west and as far south as the Vindhya Range...
of Magadha
Magadha
Magadha formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas or kingdoms in ancient India. The core of the kingdom was the area of Bihar south of the Ganga; its first capital was Rajagriha then Pataliputra...
about C.400 BC. Many coins found at Mathura, Kannauj, and in the Panchala
Panchala
Panchala is an ancient region of northern India, which corresponds to the geographical area around the Ganges River and Yamuna River, the upper Gangetic plain in particular. This would encompass the modern-day states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. During the ancient times, it was home to a...
region have been associated with the Mitra
Mitra (Vedic)
This article is about the Vedic deity Mitra. For other divinities with related names, see the general article Mitra.Mitra is an important divinity of Indic culture, and the patron divinity of honesty, friendship, contracts and meetings...
rulers. The area flourished between C.100 BC and C.200 AD Kannauj was known as Kangora or Kanogiza by the geographer, Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
(C.140 AD).
Fa-hien
Faxian
Faxian was a Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India, Sri Lanka and Kapilavastu in today's Nepal between 399 and 412 to acquire Buddhist scriptures...
, the Chinese pilgrim, visited Kannauj between 399 and 414 AD, during the reign of Chandragupta II
Chandragupta II
Chandragupta II the Great, very often referred to as Vikramaditya or Chandragupta Vikramaditya in Sanskrit; was one of the most powerful emperors of the Gupta empire in northern India. His rule spanned c...
, at a retreat at the Dragon-Shrine. Fa-hien observed, "This country is very productive and the people are flourishing and happy beyond compare. When men of other nations come, care is taken of all of them and they are provided with what they require". He noted the monolithic elephant pillar
Pillars of Ashoka
The pillars of Ashoka are a series of columns dispersed throughout the northern Indian subcontinent, erected or at least inscribed by the Mauryan king Ashoka during his reign in the 3rd century BCE. Originally, there must have been many pillars but only nineteen survive with inscriptions. Many are...
erected by Asoka at Sankisa.
Harivarman appears to have been the founder of the Maukhari
Maukhari
The Maukhari Dynasty, classically called the Megar Dynasty, was a royal Indian dynasty that controlled vast areas of Northern India for over six generations. They earlier served as vassals of the Guptas as well as related to Harsha and his short-lived Vardhan dynasty. The Maukhari's established...
dynasty of Kannauj. Harsha
Harsha
Harsha or Harsha Vardhana or Harshvardhan was an Indian emperor who ruled northern India from 606 to 647 AD. He was the son of Prabhakara Vardhana and younger brother of Rajya Vardhana, a king of Thanesar, Haryana...
also advanced towards Kannauj. The Chinese pilgrim, Hiuen Tsang, visiting Kannauj in 643 AD, found 100 Buddhist monasteries with more than 10,000 priests. He mentions Kah-Pi-Ta (Kapitha, identified with Sankisa) as the other important place of the district.
Between the eight and the tenth centuries, a tripartite struggle for the resources of the rich Gangetic plains, with three empires—the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, the Pala Dynasty of Bengal and the Prathihara dynasty of Gujarat—annexing the seat of power at Kannauj for short periods of time.
Rajyapala
Rajyapala
Rajyapala was the seventh emperor of the Pala dynasty. He succeeded his father Narayanapala. He reigned for 32 years. The Bargaon inscription is dated in his 24th regnal year. He was succeeded by his son Gopala II....
was the ruler of Kannauj when Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...
attacked India. After sacking Mathura, Mahmud proceeded towards Kannauj. In 1018 AD he encountered "a city which raised its head to the skies and which in strength and beauty might boast of being unrivalled."
An inscription of the Chalukya dynasty
Chalukya dynasty
The Chalukya dynasty was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynasty, known as the "Badami Chalukyas", ruled from Vatapi from the...
of Lata, dated 1050 AD, associates the Rashtrakuta Empire with Kannauj. Kannauj recovered a large measure of its old importance during 1114 to 1154. During the reign of the Chauhans (1170-1194 AD) Kannauj became powerful and was annexed to Delhi
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...
. Kannauj, as (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:...
's capital) was the scene of Svayamvara of his daughter Samyogita, who was carried off by Prithviraj III
Prithviraj III
Prithvi Raj III, commonly known as Prithviraj Chauhan , was a king of the Hindu Chauhan dynasty, who ruled the kingdom of Ajmer and Delhi in northern India during the latter half of the 12th century....
. Mohammad Ghauri
Muhammad of Ghor
Sultan Shahāb-ud-Din Muhammad Ghori , originally called Mu'izzuddīn Muḥammad Bin Sām , was a ruler of the Ghurid dynasty who reigned over a territory spanning present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India.Shahabuddin Ghori reconquered the city of Ghazna Sultan Shahāb-ud-Din Muhammad Ghori...
invaded India and killed Jaichand in 1193 AD.
Ghiyas ud din Balban
Ghiyas ud din Balban
Ghiyasuddin Balban was ninth sultan of the Mamluk dynasty who ruled from 1266 to 1287.-Biography:He was son of a Central Asian Turkic noble of the Ilbari tribe, but as a child he was captured by Mongols and sold as a slave at Ghazni...
, who then possessed the Delhi throne, (1268–87) marched towards this region and divided the whole area into a number of military commands. Although order was restored, the region was continually up in arms against imperial authority. Reinforced by the neighboring Chauhan
Chauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
s and Solanki
Solanki
The Solanki was a royal Hindu Indian dynasty that ruled parts of western and central India between the 10th to 13th centuries. A number of scholars including V. A. Smith assign them Gurjar origin....
s, the Rajputs of this area broke out in open rebellion. In 1394, with another regional rebellion afoot, the sultan conferred on Khwaja Jahan the title of Malik-ul-Sharq "and appointed him governor of Hindustan from Kannauj to Bihar devolving upon him full power." Malik-ul-Sharq died in 1399 and his adopted son, Mubarak Shah became the virtual ruler at Delhi and reached Kannauj.
In 1414, under the Sayyid dynasty
Sayyid dynasty
The Sayyid dynasty ruled Delhi sultanate in India from 1414 to 1451. They succeeded the Tughlaq dynasty and ruled that sultanate until they were displaced by the Lodi dynasty.This family claimed to be Sayyids, or descendants of Prophet Muhammad...
in 1423, Mubarak Shah Sayyid marched to Kampil to suppress the Rajputs. Kannauj became a fief under the sovereignty of the Mughals. In 1527 Babar
Babur
Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty of South Asia. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his mother...
mobilised his forces to capture Chanderi but lost Kannauj and Shamsabad to the Afghans. Kannauj became a dependency of the rebels who found themselves at the head of Muslims and Rajputs. Humayan's continued occupation in the north gave the ambitious Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri , birth name Farid Khan, also known as Sher Khan , was the founder of the short-lived Sur Empire in northern India, with its capital at Delhi, before its demise in the hands of the resurgent Mughal Empire...
a free hand to prosecute his designs in the east. It appears that immediately after the capture of Kannauj Sher Shah destroyed the old city and built a fort of burnt brick there "and on the spot of gaining victory he built a city Sher Sur." The Afghans were overthrown in 1855 and the power of the Mughals was once again established by Humayun, who had returned to India after 12 years; he died soon after, in January 1556, and was succeeded by his son Akbar the Great
Akbar the Great
Akbar , also known as Shahanshah Akbar-e-Azam or Akbar the Great , was the third Mughal Emperor. He was of Timurid descent; the son of Emperor Humayun, and the grandson of the Mughal Emperor Zaheeruddin Muhammad Babur, the ruler who founded the Mughal dynasty in India...
.