Budaun Town
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Budaun Town
{Badayun). — Head-quarters of the District awd tahsil of the same name. United Provinces, situated in 28° 2'N. and 79° 7' PI, on a branch of the Rohilkhand and Kumaun Railway from Bareilly to Soron, and on the road from Bareilly to Muttra. Population (1901), 39,031, of whom 21,995 were Musalmans and 16,033 Hindus. Accord- ing to tradition, the town was founded by a mythical Raja Buddh, an Ahar by caste, about a. d, 905, or by a descendant of his named Ajayapala. An inscription, dating probably from the early part of the twelfth century, records the founding of a temple and mentions a list of eleven Rathor kings reigning at Budaun, which is called Vodamayuta^ legend relates that the town was taken by Saiyid Salar in 1028 ; but the first historical event is its capture by Kutb-ud-din in 1196, when the last Hindu king was slain.
Budaun then became an important post on the northern boundary of the Delhi empire, and its governors were chosen from distinguished soldiers who had constantly to face revolts by the turbulent Katehriya Rajputs. Two of its governors in the thirteenth century, vShams-ud-din Altamsh and his son Rukn-ud-din Firoz, passed from Budaun to the throne at Delhi. In the fifteenth century Mahabat Khan, the governor, imitated the example of the Jaunpur ruler and became independent for a time. About 1450 Ala- ud-dln, the last of the Saiyid kings of Delhi, after abdicating the throne, retired to Budaun, where he lived for twenty-eight years.
In 1571 the town was destroyed by fire ; and in the reign of Shah Jahan, nearly a century later, the governor of the safkar was transferred to Bareilly, and the importance of Budaun declined. For a time it was included in the State formed early in the eighteenth century by the Nawab of Farrukhabad ; but it then passed to the Rohillas. In 1838 it became the head-quarters of a British District. On the outbreak of the Mutiny in May, 1857, the treasury guard at Budaun rose, and being joined by the townspeople broke open the jail, and burned the civil station. A native government was then established and remained in power till General Penny's victory at Kakrala in the following April, when the rebel governor fled the city, and order was again re-established.
Budaun stands about a mile east of the river Sot, and consists of two parts, the old and new town. In the former are the remains of the old fort, with massive ramparts once so vvide that four carriages could be driven abreast. The jama Masjid, built in 1223 by Shams-ud-di'n Altamsh, largely from the materials of the temple referred to above, is an immense building 276 feet long by 216 broad, with a central dome restored in Akbar's time. It stands high and is an imposing feature in the landscape for many miles. Numerous smaller mosques and dar- gdhs remain as memorials of the palmy days of Pathan and Mughal rule^ In the neighbourhood are graveyards filled with mouldering tombs, chief among which may be mentioned that of Sultan Ala-ud-din and his wife. Budaun is also famous as having been the birthplace of the historian BadayunT, the rival of Abul Fazl. The chief modern public buildings are the District courts, the jail, a commodious dis- pensary, two large sarais, and a small leper asylum ; and a park is now being laid out. Budaun is a centre for the work of the American
' Epigraphia Indiia, vol. i, ji. 63. -' Journal. .Isia/ic Socic/y of Bengal, vol. xli.Methodist Mission in the District. The municipality was constituted in 1S84. During the ten years ending 1 900-1 tlie income averaged Rs. 35,500 and the expenditure Rs. 34,500. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 57,000, including Rs. 32,000 from octroi and Rs. 15,000 from rents ; and the expenditure was Rs. 56,000. The municipality has Rs. 10,000 invested. Budaun is not now a great trade centre; but its former proximity to the railway, as compared with Bilsi, has given it some advantages which may increase now that a line actually passes through it. The grain market, called Carmichaelganj after a former Collector, belongs to the municipality. Papier mache pen-boxes made here have some reputation. The District school has 160 pupils, a mission school 120, and the talmll school 270. The municipality manages 10 schools and aids 16 others, attended by more than 1,000 pupils.
