Kanauj Town

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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.

Kanauj Town

Kannauj — Ancient city in Farrukhabad District, United Provinces, situated in 27 degree 3' N. and 79 degree 56' E., 2 miles from the grand trunk road and the Cawnpore-Achhnera Railway, and close to the Kali Nadi (East). The Ganges once flowed below its walls, but is now some miles away. Population (1901), 18,552. The town finds no mention in the Mahabharata, but the legend of its foundation is given in the Ramayana. Kuslnabha, the founder, had a hundred daughters, all but the youngest of whom scorned the hermit, Vayu. In revenge he cursed them, and their backs became humped, whence the city was called Kanya-kubja, or ' the crooked maiden.’ Early in the Christian era Ptolemy refers to Kanauj as Kanogiza. The town was included in the Gupta dominions in the fifth century ; and when the Gupta empire fell to pieces it became the capital of the Maukharts, one of the petty dynasties which arose in its place. In the sixth century it suffered from war with the White Huns and their ally, the king of Malwa ; but early in the seventh century it was included in the great empire of Harshavardhana in Northern India.

The Chinese pilgrim, Hiuen Tsiang, who visited this monarch and travelled with him from Allahabad to Kanauj, describes the magnificence of his court. Harshavardhana's death was the signal for anarchy, and the detailed history of the following years is unknown. In the latter half of the ninth century a dynasty of Raghuvansi kings reigned from Kanauj, which was also called Mahodaya, over an extensive dominion. One of these kings was defeated in 917 by the king of Gujarat, but restored by the Chandel king of Mahoba. In 1019 Mahmud of Ghazni plundered Kanauj, which now came into the power of the Rathors, the most celebrated of whom was Gobind Chand (n 15-55). Nearly 200 years later, in 1194, Muhammad Ghori defeated Jai Chand, the last of the Rathor kings, and the great kingdom of Kanauj came to an end- Under the Muhammadans Kanauj became the seat of a governor, but lost its old importance. In the fifteenth century it was included for some years in the Sharki kingdom of Jaunpur ; and when Mahmud, son of Firoz Tughlak, lost his hold on Delhi, he resided here for a time. It was close to Kanauj, though across the Ganges in Hardol District, that Humayun was defeated by Sher Shah. Under Akbar, when order had once been restored, Kanauj entered on a long period of peace, and it is recorded in the Ain-i-Akbari as the head-quarters of a sarkar. During the eighteenth century it belonged sometimes to the Nawabs of FarrukhSbad, again to the Nawabs of Oudh, and at times to the Marathas.

The town or kingdom of Kanauj has given its name to an important division of Brahmans, and to many subdivisions of lower castes. Of the Hindu buildings which must have graced the place, nothing remains intact. The fine Jama Masjid, built in 1406 by Ibrahim Shah of Jaunpur, was constructed from Hindu temples, and the site is still known to Hindus as Salta kl rasoi, or ' Sita's kitchen.' There are many tombs and shrines in the neighbourhood, the most notable being those of Makhdum Jahaniya south-east of the town, and of Makhdum Akhai Jamshid 3 miles away, both dating from the fifteenth century. The most conspicuous buildings are, however, the tombs of Bala Pir and his son, Shaikh Mahdi, religious teachers who flourished under Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. The neighbourhood for miles along the river is studded with ruins, which have not been explored. The town lies on the edge of the old high bank of the Ganges, and, but for the high mounds and buildings described above, is not distinguishable from many places of similar size. The houses are fairly well built but small, and the most conspicuous modern building is a fine sarai recently completed. The dispensary, tahsil, and munsift are at Sarai Miran, 2 miles south of Kanauj. The town is administered under Act XX of 1856, with an income of about Rs. 4,000. It is famous for its scent distilleries, where rose-water, otto of roses, and other perfumes are produced, which have a great reputa- tion. Calico-printing is also carried on, but is not so important an industry here as in Farrukhabad city. There was formerly a small manufacture of country paper, and a cotton gin has been worked at intervals in the last few years. The town school has 113 pupils and two primary schools 96. There is also a flourishing aided school, housed in a fine building.