Awadh

This article is about the cultural and historical region in India. For the state during the British Raj, see Oudh State.

Awadh
Region
Ram ki Paidi, Ayodhya
Bara Imambara, Lucknow
Brahmavart Ghat, Bithoor
Kathak
IIT Kanpur
Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
Modern map of the Awadh region
Modern map of the Awadh region
Coordinates: 26°53′N 80°58′E / 26.883°N 80.967°E / 26.883; 80.967
ContinentAsia
CountryIndia
StateUttar Pradesh
Covering territory
LanguagesAwadhi, Hindi and Urdu
Area
 • Total68,006 km2 (26,257 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total55,119,236[citation needed]
Largest Cities
Lal Bagh entrance in Faizabad, Municipal Corporation of Ayodhya, as depicted in Gate of the Loll-Baug at Fyzabad by Thomas and William Daniell, 1801* (BL).[1]

Awadh (Hindi: [əˈʋədʱ] ⓘ), known in British historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a historical region in northern India, now constituting the northeastern portion of Uttar Pradesh. It is roughly synonymous with the ancient Kosala region of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain scriptures.[2]

It was a province of all the major Islamic dynasties in India including the Mughal Empire. With the decline of late Mughal Delhi, Awadh became a major source of literary, artistic, religious, and architectural patronage in northern India under the rule of its eleven rulers, called Nawabs. From 1720 to 1856, the nawabs presided over Awadh, with Ayodhya and Faizabad serving as the region's initial capitals.[3] Later, the capital was relocated to Lucknow, which is now the capital of Uttar Pradesh.[4]

The British conquered Awadh in 1856, which infuriated Indians and was recognised as a factor causing the Indian Mutiny (1857-58), the biggest Indian uprising against British rule.[5]

  1. ^ "Gate of the Loll-Baug at Fyzabad". British Library, Online Gallery. Archived from the original on 12 December 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  2. ^ Awadh, historic region, India. 31 January 2013. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022. {{cite encyclopedia}}: |website= ignored (help)
  3. ^ Sarvepalli Gopal (1993). Anatomy of a Confrontation: Ayodhya and the Rise of Communal Politics in India. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 39–. ISBN 978-1-85649-050-4. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Awadh". Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE. doi:10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_com_26360. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Awadh | historic region, India | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.