22 Facts About Awadh

Awadh, known in British historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a region and proposed state in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh.

Awadh is bounded by the Ganges Doab to the southwest, Rohilkhand to the northwest, Nepal to the north, and Bhojpur-Purvanchal to the east.

The traditional capital of Awadh is Lucknow, the station of the British Resident, which now is the capital of Uttar Pradesh.

Presently, Awadh geographically includes the districts of Ambedkar Nagar, Bahraich, Balrampur, Barabanki, Basti, Siddharth Nagar, Faizabad, Gonda, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Hardoi, Lucknow, Pratapgarh, Raebareli, Amethi, Shravasti, Jaunpur, Bhadohi, Sultanpur, Unnao, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Kanpur Dehat, Etawah, Auraiya and Kannauj from Lower Doab.

Awadh, known as the granary of India, was important strategically for the control of the Doab, a fertile plain between the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers.

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Since AD 1350 different parts of the Awadh region were ruled by the Delhi Sultanate, Sharqi Sultanate, Mughal Empire, Nawabs of Awadh, East India Company and the British Raj.

Until 1719, the Subah of Awadh was a province of the Mughal Empire, administered by a Nazim or Subah Nawab appointed by the Emperor.

The Nawabs of Lucknow were in fact the Nawabs of Awadh, but were so referred to because after the reign of the third Nawab, Lucknow became the capital of their realm, where the British station Residents from 1773.

The title of Subehdar of Awadh is mentioned as early as 1280 AD, but it can only have denoted the governor of the tract of the country above defined.

Saadat Khan, the first Nawab of Awadh, laid the foundation of Faizabad at the outskirt of ancient city of Ayodhya.

Suja-ud-daula, the third Nawab of Awadh, built a fort known as Chhota Calcutta, now in ruins.

Nawabs of Awadh were a Persian Shia Muslim dynasty from Nishapur, who not only encouraged the existing Persian-language belle-lettrist activity to shift from Delhi, but invited, and received, a steady stream of scholars, poets, jurists, architects, and painters from Iran.

Awadh took advantage of a weakening Mughal Empire in Delhi to lay the foundation of the Awadh dynasty.

Awadh's successor was Safdarjung the very influential noble at the Mughal court in Delhi.

Until 1819, Awadh was a province of the Mughal Empire administered by a Nawab.

Awadh was known as the granary of India and was important strategically for the control of the Doab, the fertile plain between the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers.

Awadh was comprehensively defeated in the Battle of Buxar by the British East India Company, after which he was forced to pay heavy penalties and cede parts of his territory.

Awadh's rule saw the building of the Asafi Imambara and Rumi Darwaza, built by Raja Tikait Rai Nawab Wazir of Awadh, which till date are the biggest architectural marvels in the city.

Region of Awadh is considered to be the center of Ganga-Jamuni culture.

Sham-e-Awadh is a popularised term referring to the "glorious evenings" in the Awadh capitals of Faizabad and later Lucknow.

Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula's son Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula, the fourth Nawab of Awadh, shifted the capital from Faizabad to Lucknow; this led to the decline of Faizabad and rise of Lucknow.

Awadh has been greatly influenced by Mughal cooking techniques, and the cuisine of Lucknow bears similarities to those of Kashmir, Punjab and Hyderabad; and the city is famous for its Nawabi foods.