Lord Cornwallis, who died here. His tomb is situated in Western part of City, and is conserved by Archaeological Survey of India
.
History
Early history
The district has derived its name from its headquarters town of Ghazipur. It was during the reign of Harsha, a Chinese pilgrim known with the name of
Buddha who had been here in the district. Regarding the nomenclature of Ghazipur there has also been a version that it has its derivation from the word "Ghadi", who happened to be a Hindu king in the 9th century the original name of the place was Gadhipura. But, Gandhipura was located little far from the present city of Ghazipur.[2][3]
According to one story Raja
Mandhata was said to have been an heir (descendant) of Prithvi Raj of Delhi and was suffering from a skin disease and wanted to get rid of the affliction by bathing in the tank at Kathot. He did take bath under the direction of Brahmins and cured sometimes later. After overcoming his disease he settled in Ghazipur and built a fort. Subsequently, his nephew and his successors seized a Muslim girl whose mother got worried for her daughter and as a measure for the safety of her daughter, she appealed to the sultan of Delhi, with the result that a band of forty ghazis under the headship of Ghazi Saiyad Mausaud reached Kathot and captured the fort and slew Raja Mandhata and his nephew. Thus the Ghazis got charge of the area and where Masud is supposed traditionally to have founded a city in 1330 commemorating his newly acquired title of Malik-Us-Sadal Ghazi. He established a new city near to the old Gandhipura and the place got name Ghazipur.[2][3][4][5]
The region covered by the present district of Ghazipur once formed part of the ancient
kingdom of Kashi, a famous centre of Aryan civilization. The ancient history of Ghazipur can, therefore, be pieced out from that of Kashi. Archaeological finds of Saidpur–Aurihar and Bhitri also proved that it is related to an oldest time. The Chinese pilgrim Hiuen- T-Sang (630 to 644) visited and described this place. A legend states that the Jamadagani Rishi lived near to the present day Zamania town with his wife. According to the Mahabharat, Haihaya king Kartivirya came to residence of Jamadagni Rishi, after hospitality, he had taken Kamdhenu by force, but Parshuram son of Jamadagani Rishi overcome him and Kamdhenu was recovered. Kartivirya offered a sacrifice in atonement of his sin.[2][3][4][5]
The early political history of this region is complex,
Jatakas, early in the sixth century, Kashi kingdom completely collapsed in its struggle with Kosala. After the fall of the Kanvas (27 BC) Kashi seems to have been occupied by the Vatsas of Kaushambi. In the last of first century A.D. the Kushanas had established a state kingdom in the greater part of the northern India. Kushans rules came to end in the beginning of 3rd century in this region and a branch of Nagas, Bharashiva took the region in their hand. For nearly two centuries (from about 325 to 535 AD) this region formed part of the Gupta Empire. Chandragupta I (320–355 AD), Samundragupta, Chandragupta, Vikramaditya (376–415 AD), Kumargupta (415–455 AD), Skandagupta ruled over this region. In the middle of sixth century the Yashodharman of Malwa, the district had come under his meteoric sovereignty after which it passed under the rule of the Maukharis of Kannauj. In the first half of the 7th century A.D. it had come under the Harsha, after the death of Harsha it had gone to the hand of Yashovarman of Kannau (690–740 AD). In 770 AD the district had gone to the Dharampala, king of Bengal and there after Devapala (810–850 AD). After him it gone under Bhojadeva (Cen. 836–882 AD) Gurjar Pratihar king of Kannauj. About the close of the tenth century the hold of Gurjar Pratihar king of Kannauj on Ghazipur became nominal. There after it had gone under the Pal king Mahipala I (992- 1040 AD), after him, it had gone to the Kalchuri or Chedi king Gangeyadeva (1015–1041). It was during the early part of this period that India suffered from the invasions of Mahmud Ghazni who sacked Kannauj in 1019. Chandradeva, the founder of the Gahadvala dynasty who was, about 1090, occupied this region and Kannauj. His son Madanpala (1100–1114) and his son Govind Chandra (1114–1154) and his son Vijay Chandra
(1154–1170) ruled over this region.
Medieval history
Ibrahim Lodi was crowned, his younger brother Jalal Khan declared himself king of Jaunpur and remained independent for a considerable time.[2][3][4][5]
After the battle of Panipat (21 April 1526), the rule of Lodi dynasty came to an end Babur became the ruler of Delhi. He sent Humayun to the east. He came to Jaunpur and punished Nasir Khan and obliged him to flee from Ghazipur, which came into Humayun possession, but he short stayed here as he was recalled by the Babar to fight against Rajputs and Afghans. District was soon recaptured by the Afghans, so Babar left Agra on 20 January 1529 and reached Ghazipur. Soon after his return Babar died and his successor Humayun had come to the east where Afghan was rising in which Sher Shah was also included. Humayun had defeated all Afghans including Sher Khan ( Sher Shah) and by an agreement the Chunar Fort gave to him by Humayun. In 1539, the district once again fell to the Afghan under Sher Khan who defeated Humayun at Chausa and assumed the title of Sher Shah at Varanasi. Kam Dev's brother name as Dham Dev who lived at Maa khamakhya Dham near Gahmar also helped Sher Shah Suri in the battle of Chausa. Ghazipur had gone to the house of Sur.[2][5][3][4]
In the mean while
Munim Khan Khan-i-Khanan who administered his territories with great success for many years. After Munim Khan the charge was Given to Sarkar Dewan Raja Quttul Khan jagirdar during late rule of Akbar in 1600 and then to Quttul's cousin, Daud Khan. Quttul Khan was a Sarkar or Governor of Ghazipur Sarkar, Dewan of Bihar and a Jagirdar of Ghazipur. After the death of Quttul his cousin handled all the post. Both brother belonged to Kamsar region of Ghazipur which back then was a large Raja Zamindarana estate and had many jagirs under it during Mughal and Nawab times. In Akbar's time the Ghazipur government had great importance. After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, as his successor Bahadur Shah I he brought Ghazipur directly under his sway. During Aurangzeb a large part of Ghazipur and Kamsar-O-Bar jagirs were given to Raja Deendar Khan, the founder of Dildarnagar
.
Nawabs period
A considerable change occurred in this area when
Chait Singh succeeded. In September 1773, the confirmation of Chait Singh in his paternal state was made by the Shuja-ud-Daula in presence of Warren Haistings. In 1775, a treaty between Asaf-ud-Daula and East India Company was made by which Ghazipur to cede to the company but the administrative power of Chait Singh remained much the same as before. But in 1781 he was deposed.[2][3][5]
British era
The administrative controls were transferred from a deposed Raja Chait Singh to the resident by the revenue policy of
Burma but had not been affected by the representatives of the rebel leaders. In spite of the bad example set in other stations the men remained loyal to the British. The company also established an opium factory in the main city of Ghazipur in year 1820.[2][3][4][5]
640).[1] Out of the total population males are 1,856,584 and females are 1,766,143. The area of the district is 3,378 km2 and it constitute 1.82% of the population of Uttar Pradesh. It has a population density of 1,072 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,780/sq mi).[1] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 19.26%.[1] Ghazipur has a sex ratio of 951 females for every 1,000 males,[1] and a literacy rate of 74.27% (higher than the national average of 74.04%). Male literacy is 85.77% and female literacy is 62.29%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up 20.07% and 0.79% of the population respectively.[1] 92.44% of the total population is rural and 7.56% is urban. Out of the total population of 3,622,727, rural population is 3,348,855 and urban population is 273,872 (7.56%). Average literacy of rural population is 73.62% and that of urban population is 82.05%.[1]
2011 Census of India, 66.16% of the population in the district spoke Bhojpuri, 30.98% Hindi and 2.80% Urdu as their first language.[10]
The language of the district is Bhojpuri, although some write their language as Hindi. The Bhojpuri variant of Kaithi is the indigenous script of Bhojpuri language.[11]
Map showing development blocks in Ghazipur District.
Ghazipur District is present in the sub-tropical region and it is best known for rice and rose cultivation. The district is also famous for Black rice. The district forms the border of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Rivers in the district include the Ganges, Gomati, Gaangi, Beson, Magai, Bhainsai, Tons and Karmanasa River.
