Azamgarh district

Azamgarh district is one of the three districts of Azamgarh division in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

The district is named after its headquarters town, Azamgarh. Azam, a son of Vikramajit, founded the town in 1665. Vikramajit, a descendant of Gautam of Mehnagar in pargana Nizamabad, had converted to Islam. He had two sons, namely, Azam and Azmat. It is also known as land of the sage Durvasa whose ashram was located in Phulpur sub-district, 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, a Gautam Rajput from Azamgarh district was assimilated into the Mughal court at Delhi, where he had gone in search of greater influence. His mission was a success, with the royal court eventually awarding him 22 parganas in the Azamgarh region that marked the establishment of a family line which culminated in his descendants becoming rajas of the area. This was a typical route whereby relatively obscure lineages rose to prominence.

The district was ceded to the British in 1801 by the wazirs of Lucknow. Both Hindu and Muslim landowners (known as Rautaras) of Azamgarh aided the Sepoy 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 to Faizabad. The district became a centre of the fighting between the Gurkhas and the rebels, and was brought under control in October 1858 by Colonel Kelly. The most notable rebels were Late. Janab Lal Mohammed Chivtahvin. Later, many of the local land owners were crushed by the British. Later, residents of Azamgarh participated in various national movements including the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Quit India Movement in 1942. The historian, social reformer, nationalist Mahapandit 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 the Ganges and the Ghagahara. Azamgarh district is surrounded by the districts of Mau in the east, Gorakhpur in the north, Ghazipur in the south-east, Jaunpur in the south-west, Sultanpur in the west and Ambedkar Nagar in the north-west.

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.

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.

According to the 2011 census Azamgarh district has a population of 4,613,913. This gives it a ranking of 30th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 1,139 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,950/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 17.11%. Azamgarh has a sex ratio of 1019 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy 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.