Shahabad, Hardoi

History

Shahabad is a city and a municipal board in Hardoi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. At one point of time it was counted among the few biggest cities of Oudh, but declined rapidly in later period and now reduced to a town. It is the site of the Tomb of Diler Khan, a governor in the time of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, Jama-Masjid, Sankta Devi temple, Balaji temple and Baram Baba temple. The legend has it that this is also site of ancient village Angadpur after Angada, nephew of Sugriva.

The prestigious town of Shahabad has many references in history sources. It was founded in 1680 A.D. by Nawab Diler Khan, an Afghan officer of Shah Jahan, who was sent to suppress an uprising in Shahjahanpur. The same man overthrew Pande Parwar bandits of Angni Khera. Joseph Tiefenthaler, one of the earliest European geographers to write on India, visited the town in 1770 and described it as a town of considerable circuit, with a palace of bricks in the middle strengthened by towers like a fortress, with a vestibule and a covered colonnade. This palace used to be known as Badi Deorhi. Although the palace no longer exists, the two grand gateways are still standing. Nawab Diler Khan also erected Jama Masjid and his own mausoleum. Both of them are built in kankar blocks and the upper story contains bands of florid decoration in red stone, a style very common to architecture of that period. He also built a grand pond near the mausoleum, known as Narbada.

In colonial period the city declined rapidly. In 1824, Reginald Heber, Bishop of Calcutta traveled to Shahabad and described it as a "considerable town or almost city with the remains of fortifications and many large houses."

The descendants of Nawab Diler Khan Daudzai also moved to a nearby area which under the zamindari and named this place as Wazirabad which is now known as village HARRAI, comes under Tehsil Shahbad, District Hardoi.

Geography

Shahabad is located at 27.65°N 79.95°E / 27.65; 79.95. It has an average elevation of 143 metres (469 feet).

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Shahabad had a population of 67,661. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Shahabad has an average literacy rate of 45%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 53%, and female literacy is 37%. In Shahabad, 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Government and politics

Shahabad comes in Hardoi Lok Sabha Seat and has its own Vidhan Sabha seat. The current M.L.A from Shahabad is Rajni Tiwari from the state ruling Bhartiya Janta Party. The current chairman of the municipal corporation is Mr Asif ali Khan as Babbu. Shahabad is divided in 52 mohollas, most of them are named after their founders.

Tourist places