Azamgarh district | |
|---|---|
 Jamiatul Ashrafia in Azamgarh | |
| Nicknames: Land ofDurvasa Muni | |
 Location of Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| Division | Azamgarh |
| Headquarters | Azamgarh |
| Government | |
| • Lok Sabha constituencies | Azamgarh,Lalganj |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,054 km2 (1,565 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 4,613,913 |
| • Density | 1,138/km2 (2,948/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 8.53% |
| Demographics | |
| • Literacy | 70.93% |
| • Sex ratio | 1019 |
| Language | |
| • Official | Hindi[1] |
| • Additional official | Urdu[1] |
| • Regional | Bhojpuri |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| Major highways | |
| Website | azamgarh |
Azamgarh district is one of the three districts ofAzamgarh division in theIndian state ofUttar Pradesh.[2]
The district is named after its headquarters town,Azamgarh. Azam, a son of Vikramajit, founded the town in 1665. Vikramajit, a descendant of Gautam ofMehnagar in parganaNizamabad, had converted toIslam. He had two sons, namely, Azam and Azmat.[3] It is also known as land of the sageDurvasa whose ashram was located inPhulpur sub-district,[4] near the confluence of Tons and Majhuee river, 6 kilometres (4 mi) north from the Phulpur sub-district headquarters.
Towards the end of the 16th century, aGautam Rajput from Azamgarh district was assimilated into theMughal court atDelhi, where he had gone in search of greater influence. His mission was a success, with the royal court eventually awarding him 22parganas in the Azamgarh region that marked the establishment of a family line which culminated in his descendants becomingrajas of the area. This was a typical route whereby relatively obscure lineages rose to prominence.[5]
The district was ceded to the British in 1801 by the wazirs ofLucknow. Both Hindu and Muslim landowners (known as Rautaras) of Azamgarh aided theSepoy Mutiny against the British in 1857. On 3 June 1857 the 17th Regiment of Native Infantry mutinied at Azamgarh, murdered some of their officers, and carried off the government treasure toFaizabad. The district became a centre of the fighting between theGurkhas and the rebels, and was brought under control in October 1858 by Colonel Kelly.[6] The most notable rebels were Late. Janab Lal Mohammed Chivtahvin. Later, many of the local land owners were crushed by the British.[7] Later, residents of Azamgarh participated in various national movements including the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Quit India Movement in 1942.[3] The historian, social reformer, nationalistMahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan was born in Kanaila village in this district.
Azamgarh district has an area of 4,054 square kilometres (1,565 sq mi). The district lies between theGanges and theGhagahara.[3] Azamgarh district is surrounded by the districts ofMau in the east,Gorakhpur in the north, Ghazipur in the south-east,Jaunpur in the south-west,Sultanpur in the west andAmbedkar Nagar in the north-west.[8]
The slope of the land is from northwest to southeast. Roughly speaking, the district consists of a series of parallel ridges, whose summits are depressed into beds or hollows, along which the rivers flow; while between the ridges are low-lying rice lands, interspersed with numerous natural reservoirs.[6]
Azamgarh district is further divided into 8 sub-districts, and 22 development blocks. There are 4,106 villages (3,792 inhabited and 314 uninhabited) in the district.[3]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 1,103,469 | — |
| 1911 | 1,063,951 | −0.36% |
| 1921 | 1,089,471 | +0.24% |
| 1931 | 1,120,059 | +0.28% |
| 1941 | 1,298,992 | +1.49% |
| 1951 | 1,498,092 | +1.44% |
| 1961 | 1,690,536 | +1.22% |
| 1971 | 1,995,685 | +1.67% |
| 1981 | 2,493,757 | +2.25% |
| 1991 | 3,128,623 | +2.29% |
| 2001 | 3,939,916 | +2.33% |
| 2011 | 4,613,913 | +1.59% |
| source:[9] | ||
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | 84.06% | |||
| Islam | 15.58% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.36% | |||
According to the2011 census Azamgarh district has apopulation of 4,613,913.[11] This gives it a ranking of 30th in India (out of a total of640).[11] The district has a population density of 1,139 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,950/sq mi).[11] Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 17.11%.[11] Azamgarh has asex ratio of 1019females for every 1000 males,[11] and aliteracy rate of 72.69%. 8.53% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 25.39% and 0.20% of the population respectively.[11]
Azamgarh district's total population was 3,939,916 as per 2001 census with population density of 972 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,520/sq mi). The population consists of 393,401 urban and 4,220,512 rural; 2,137,805 females and 2,082,707 males. The literacy rate is 70.93%.[3]
The official language isHindi and additional official isUrdu.[1]Bhojpuri is the native language of Azamgarh.[12] The Bhojpuri variant ofKaithi is the indigenous script of Bhojpuri language.[13]
At the time of the2011 Census of India, 55.58% of the population in the district spokeBhojpuri, 35.28%Hindi and 8.21%Urdu as their first language.[14]
According to the district's official website,[16] the nine important places in Azamgarh district are:-
In 2006 theMinistry of Panchayati Raj named Azamgarh one of the country's 250most backward districts (out of a total of640).[17] It is one of the 34 districts in Uttar Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).[17]
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Mostly all major English, Hindi and Urdu dailies includingThe Times of India,Hindustan Times,The Hindu,Dainik Jagran,Amar Ujala, Hindustan, Rashtree Sahara, Inquilab, Hausla News, Third eyes, Dainik Manasha Mail. Hindi and Urdu dailies also have their bureaus in the city. Almost all big Hindi TV news channel have stringers in the city.
Notable people from Azamgarh district include:-
NB This list excludes those from Azamgarh itself which are listed in that article
Azmi is a common toponymic surname among Indian Muslims from Azamgarh.[a]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Azamgarh".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 79.
Places adjacent to Azamgarh district | |
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26°36′00″N83°11′24″E / 26.60000°N 83.19000°E /26.60000; 83.19000
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