Azamgarh 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, units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts.Many units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Azamgarh Town
Head-quarters of Azamgarh District and tahsil, United Provinces, situated in 26 5' N. and 83 12' E., on the Tons and on a branch of the Bengal and North-Western Railway. Population (1901), 18,835. The town was founded about 1665 by Azam Khan, son of one of the Gautam Rajas referred to in the history of Azamgarh District. The dilapidated remains of the fort built by Azam Khan and a temple erected in the latter part of the eighteenth century are the only buildings of any age. Azamgarh is almost surrounded by a loop of the Tons, which is subject to heavy floods, occasionally causing great damage. Thus in 1894 it was estimated that the loss at Azamgarh was about Rs. 50,000, and the flood of 187 1 was still more serious. An embankment was made between 1896 and 1898, which affords pro- tection from floods, at a cost of Rs. 13,000. The chief public buildings are the male and female dispensaries, the town hall, the church, the Mission school, and the National high school. Azamgarh has been a municipality since 1884. During the ten years ending igor the income averaged Rs. 17,800 and the expenditure Rs. 17,000. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 19,000, chiefly derived from octroi (Rs. 11,000); and the expenditure was Rs. 22,000. The chief manu- factures are sugar-refining and the weaving of cotton cloth. There are two high schools and seven primary schools, with a total attendance of 675.
