Allahabad
| Allahabad Uttar Pradesh • India | |
 | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
• 98 m (322 ft) |
| District(s) | Allahabad |
| Population • Density |
4,941,510[1] (2001) • 911 /km² (2,359 /sq mi)[2] |
| Mayor | |
| Codes • Pincode • Telephone • Vehicle |
• 211 0xx • +0532 • UP-70 |
Coordinates:
- This article is about the Indian city. For other uses, see Allahabad (disambiguation).
Allahabad (Hindi: इलाहाबाद; Urdu: الہ آباد Ilāhābād) is the English name of a city in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The name is derived from the one given to the city by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1583. In Indian languages or in India generally, the name is Ilāhābād, with ilāh being Arabic for "(a) god" (in this context from Din-i-Ilahi, the religion founded by Akbar), and "-ābād" being Persian for "place of".
The ancient name of the city is Prayāga (Sanskrit for "place of sacrifice", (Prayāg in modern Hindi) and is believed to be the spot where Brahma offered his first sacrifice after creating the world. It is one of four sites of the Kumbh Mela (Hindu pilgrimage sites), the others being Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. The city has a strong position of importance in the Hindu religion and mythology, since it is situated at the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga and Yamuna, as well as the the invisible Sarasvati River which is believe to join the other two according to Hindu beliefs.
The city encompasses a large area and is an inland peninsula surrounded by the rivers Ganga and Yamuna from three sides with only one side connected to the mainland. For this reason and because of the immense traffic it receives, Allahabad is also famous for its large number of grand and magnificent bridges.
Along with all of these things, the city is famous for producing a number of prime ministers of India in some form or another. Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Gulzari Lal Nanda, Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Chandrashekhar were all either born in Allahabad, alumni of Allahabad University or elected by a constituency from Allahabad. Through these connections, Allahabad has produced 7 out of the 14 historical Prime Ministers of India.
Allahabad city is made up of a number of large areas, but it also has several satellite cities that are located on the other side of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna. In addition to these, there are also a large number of townships and villages near the city of Allahabad within Allahabad District.
Since solar events in Allahabad occur 5 hours and 27.4 minutes ahead of Greenwich, the city is very close to the reference point for IST or Indian Standard Time which is + 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich. Allahabad is -2.6 minutes behind IST and Varanasi is +2 minutes ahead of IST. Actual IST longitude is between these two cities.
History
Allahabad has a rich and varied history which is deeply embedded in various areas throughout the city. The ruins of Kaushambi, which was once the capital of the Vatsa kingdom and later a thriving center of Buddhism, is located towards the southwest of the city, on the banks of the Yamuna River, and provides an interesting insight into a long forgotten era. On the eastern side, across the Ganges River and connected to the city by the Shastri Bridge is Jhunsi, which is identified with the ancient city of Pratisthanpur, the old capital of the Chandra Dynasty. About 58 kilometers northwest of this location is the medieval site of Kara, with its impressive wreckage of Jayachand's fort. Sringverpur, another ancient site discovered relatively recently, has become a major attraction for tourists and antiquarians alike.
The Puranas record that Yayati left Allahabad and conquered the region of Saptha Sindhu.[3] His five sons Yadu, Druhyu, Puru, Anu and Turvashu became the main tribes of the Rig Veda.
When the Aryans first settled in what they termed the Aryavarta, or Madhyadesha, Allahabad was an important part of their territory. The Vatsa (a branch of the early Indo-Aryans) were rulers of Hastinapur (near present day Delhi), and they established the town of Kaushambi near present day Allahabad. They shifted their capital to Kaushambi when Hastinapur was destroyed by floods.
In the times of the Ramayana, Allahabad was made up of a few rishis' huts at the confluence of the sacred rivers, and most of the vast countryside was made up of jungles. Lord Rama, the main protagonist in the Ramayana, spent some time here, at the Ashram of Sage Bharadwaj, before proceeding to nearby Chitrakoot.
The Doaba region, including the city of Allahabad was controlled by several empires and dynasties throughout Indian history. It initially became a part of the Mauryan and Gupta empires of the east and the Kushan empire of the west, before becoming part of the local Kannauj empire which became very powerful in northern India.
Objects unearthed in the city indicate that it was part of the Kushana empire in the 1st century AD. In his memoirs on India, Huien Tsang, the Chinese chronicler who traveled through India during Harshavardhana's reign (607-647), wrote that he visited the city of Prayag (or Allahabad) in the year 643.
When the Muslim rule came, Prayag became a part of the Delhi Sultanate when the town was annexed by Mhd Ghori in A.D. 1193. Then the Mughals took over from the slave rulers of Delhi and under them Prayag rose to prominence once again.
Acknowledging the strategic position of Prayag in the Doaba or the "Hindostan" region, at the confluence of its defining rivers which had immense navigational potentials, Akbar built a magnificent fort – one of his largest – on the banks of the holy Sangam and re-christened the town as Illahabad in 1575. The Akbar fort has an Ashokan pillar and some temples, and is largely a military barracks. On the southwestern extremity of Allahabad lies Khusrobagh; it has three mausoleums, including that of Jehangir's first wife – Shah Begum.
It was from Allahabad that Prince Salim, later to become emperor Jehangir, revolted against his father, the Mughal emperor Akbar. In 1602, prince Salim held a parallel imperial court in Akbar's fort here, ignoring the royal summons to leave Allahabad and proceed to Agra. However, before his death in 1605, Akbar named Salim his successor.
Before colonial rule was imposed over Allahabad, the city was rocked by Maratha incursions. But the Marathas also left behind two beautiful eighteenth century temples with intricate architecture.
In 1765, the combined forces of the Nawab of Awadh and the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II lost the Battle of Buxar to the British. Although, the British did not take over their states, they established a garrison at the Prayag fort - realising its strategic position as the gateway to the north west. Governor General Warren Hastings later took Allahabad from Shah Alam and gave it to Awadh alleging that he had placed himself in the power of the Marathas.
In 1801 the Nawab of Awadh ceded the city to the British East India Company. Gradually the other parts of Doaba and adjoining region in its west (including Delhi and Ajmer-Mewara regions) were won by the British. When these north western areas were made into a new Presidency called the "North Western Province of Agra", with its capital at Agra. Allahabad remained an important part of this state.
In 1834, Allahabad became the seat of the Government of the Agra Province and a High Court was established. But a year later both were relocated to Agra.
In 1857,Allahabad was active in the Indian Mutiny. After the mutiny, the British truncated the Delhi region of the state, merging it with Punjab and transferred the capital of the North west Provinces to Allahabad, which remained so for the next 20 years.
In 1877 the provinces of Agra (NWPA) and Awadh were merged to form a new state which was called the United Provinces. Allahabad was the capital of this new state till the 1920s.
Geography
It is located in the southern part of the state, at 25°28′N 81°50′E, and stands at the confluence of the Ganga (Ganges), and Yamuna rivers. The region was known in antiquity as the vats country. To its south west is the Bundelkhand region, to its east and south east is the Baghelkhand region, to its north and north east is the Awadh region and to its west is the (lower) doab of which it itself is a part.
Allahabad stands at a strategic point both geographically and culturally. An important part of the Ganga-Yamuna Doaba region, it is the last point of the Yamuna river and is the last frontier of the Indian west.
The land of the Allahabad district that falls between the Ganga and Yamuna is just like the rest of Doab --- fertile but not too moist, which is especially suitable for the cultivation of wheat. The non-doabi parts of the district (which were not originally a part of Allahabad but were added later by the British) viz., the southern and eastern part of the district are somewhat similar to those of adjoining Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand regions, viz. dry and rocky.
The Indian GMT longitude that is associated with Jabalpur, also passes through Allahabad, which is 343 km north of Jabalpur on the same longitude.
Education
Allahabad has renowned institutes, colleges, and universities that are famous not only in India but also abroad. It is major center of learning for students coming from all over the world to seek knowledge from the prestigious University of Allahabad. The city is also home to Allahabad Agricultural Institute- Deemed University, which is the oldest institute in South Asia. It has produced a number of scientists, agricultural engineers and professionals working both in India and abroad.
Transportation
Allahabad is served by the Bamrauli Air Force Base (IXD) and is linked to Delhi and Kolkata (Calcutta) by jet lite and Air India regional, to Khajuraho and Agra by other airlines. Other airports in the vicinity are Varanasi (147 km) and Lucknow (210 km).
National Highway 2 runs through the center of the city. Allahabad is located in between Delhi and Kolkata on this highway. Another highway that links Allahabad is National Highway 27 that is 93 km long and starts at Allahabad and ends at Mangawan in Madhya Pradesh connecting to National Highway 7. There are other highways that link Allahabad to all parts of the country. Allahabad also has three bus stations catering to different routes - at Zero Road, Leader Road and Civil Lines.
Tourist taxis, auto-rickshaws and tempos are available for local transport. There is also a local bus service that connects various parts of the city. But the most covenient method of local transport is the cycle rickshaw. Rates are not fixed and one needs to bargain.
Served by Indian Railway. Allahabad is the headquarters of the North Central Railways Zone, and is well connected by trains with all major cities, namely, Kolkata (Calcutta), Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), Hyderabad, Lucknow and Jaipur. Allahabad has four railway stations - Prayag Station, City Station (Rambagh), Daraganj Station and Allahabad Junction (the main station).
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- ↑ POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, PERCENTAGE DECADAL GROWTH, SEX RATIO AND POPULATION DENSITY. Government of Uttar Pradesh. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ↑ Ranking of Districts by Population Density. Government of Uttar Pradesh. Retrieved 2007-02-04.
- ↑ Talageri 1993, 2000; Elst 1999
External links
- Allahabad Culture Retrieved December 19, 2007.
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