Shahjahanpur District is amongst the historical districts of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The main town of Shahjahanpur district is also known as Shahjahanpur and the district is a part of Bareilly division. There are 4 Tehsils in Shahjahanpur district, namely, Kanth, Jalalabad, Tilhar and Powayan. The district is also considered as a small Punjabi district as the population of Sikhs in the region is huge and comprises more than 20% of the entire population of Shahjahanpur district. The town of Shahjahanpur is popularly known as Shaheedon Ki Nagri, meaning the Town of Martyrs. It is also called Shaheed Gadh, which literally means Fort of Martyrs.
History of Shahjahanpur District
Shahjahanpur District is very historically significant to the state of Uttar Pradesh. During the Mughal rule, Emperor Shah Jahan instructed the Mughal army to destroy and demolish Kant city. After the battle was concluded, Shah Jahan presented 14 villages to the 2 Commanding Generals, known as Sipehsalars, namely Bahadur Khan and Diler Khan. They received permission from the Mughal emperor to construct fortresses. Eventually, Bahadur Khan and Diler Khan established Shahjahanpur upon the ruins of the city of Kant.
Shahjahanpur again became popular during the Indian freedom struggle, by Ashfaqulla Khan, Thakur Roshan Singh and Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil and their valuable contribution to the independence movement of the country. The British Treasury near Kakori railway station was robbed by Chandrasekhar Azad, Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Rajendra Lahiri and Ashfaqullah Khan on 9th August 1925. 40 people were arrested in the Kakori Train Robbery case on 26 December 1925. Among them, Ram Dutt Shukla, Lala Har Govind, Ram Ratna Shukla, Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Indu Bhushan Mitra, Banarsi Lal, Thakur Roshan Singh, Madan Lal and Prem Krishna Khanna were from Shahjahanpur district.
Geography of Shahjahanpur District
Shahjahanpur District is situated in the south-east of Bareilly Division. Before it was established in the year 1813, as per government notification, Shahjahanpur was included as a part of Bareilly district. The geographical co-ordinates of the region are 27.35 N latitude and 79.37 E longitude. The total geographical area of Shahjahanpur district is 4575 sq m. the neighbouring districts of Shahjahanpur include Farrukhabad, Badaun, Lakhimpur Kheri, Pilibhit, Hardoi and Bareilly. The Gomti, Garrah and Ramganga are the major rivers that drain the region. Moreover the Mensi, Jhukma and Kathana rivers surge into the Gomti River and the Kai, Suketa and Khannaut flow into the Garrah River.
Economy of Shahjahanpur District
Agriculture is the main contributor to the economy of Shahjahanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, as it is an agriculture-based district. The main crops that are cultivated in the district are Gram, Potato, Millet and Wheat. Shahjahanpur district has an army cantonment, as well as the Ordnance Clothing Factory which is foremost clothing factory for defence forces.
Demography of Shahjahanpur District
As per the 2011 census, the total population of Shahjahanpur District is 3,002,376, which ranks it at 123rd, out of a total of 640, in India. The population density of Shahjahanpur is 673 inhabitants per sq km and population growth rate was 17.84 % during the decade 2001-2011. The gender ratio of Shahjahanpur district is 865 females for every 1000 males and literacy rate is 61.61 %.
Culture of Shahjahanpur District
Shahjahanpur Club is an elite club in the district which is famous throughout the country. Shahjahanpur is also popular for its carpet industry known as Kalin Udyog and also for Sarrafa Bazar which is a jewellery market. Hindi novelist Hridayesh and popular Hindi playwright Bhuvneshwar were born in this region. Moreover Poet laureate Madan Lal Verma Krant and revolutionary Hindi poet Damoder Swarop Vidrohi also hail from this district.