Budaun

Prof. Goti John referred this city was named Bedamooth in an ancient inscription based on stone scripts at the Lucknow Museum. Later this region was called Panchal. According to the lines on stone scripts there was a village Bhadaunlak near the city. The Muslim historian Roz Khan Lodhi said that Ashoka The Great built a Buddh Vihar and Quila; he named it BuddhMau (Budaun Fort). According to George Smith, Budaun was named after the Ahir prince Budh.[6][7]

Recent Archaeology- Though it is an ancient as well as archaeological-rich city yet it do not get much more importance in terms of archaeology. Recently, in a village in Budaun known as Kheda Jalalpur village, fragments of Hindu temple idols, ancient bricks have been recovered from the mound of that village. According to the ASI, these remains belong to the post-Gupta period (7th-8th century).

According to the (Budaun District, Govt. Of Uttar Pradesh) mythological stories, Budaun was named after Ahir prince Budh.[8] The local tradition regarding this city is that it was founded in 905 A.D. by an Ahir prince whose name was Budh. and after whom it was called Budaun.[9] and an inscription, probably of the 12th century, gives a list of twelve Rathore kings reigning at Budaun then called Vodamāyuta.[10] Kanauj was conquered after 1085 by Mahmūd, the son of the Ghaznavid Sultān, driving out the Rāshtrakūta chief. This the Rāshtrakūta chief then move their capital to Vodamāyuta, where they ruled until conquered by Qutb-ud-din Aibak.[11]

Mission House of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Budaun (1895)

The first authentic historical event connected with it, however, was its capture by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1196, after which it became a very important post on the northern frontier of the Delhi empire. In 1223, a mosque of imposing size, crowned with a dome, was built. In the 13th century two of its governors, Shams-ud-din Iltutmish, the builder of the mosque referred above, and his son Rukn ud din Firuz, attained the imperial throne. In 1571 the town was burnt, and about a hundred years later, under Shah Jahan, the seat of the governorship was transferred to Sahaspur-Bilari. Budaun and its district was ceded to the British government in 1801 by the Nawab of Oudh.[10]

In 1911, Budaun was a town and district of British India, in the Rohilkhand division of the United Provinces. At the time, an American Methodist mission maintained several girls schools and there was a high school for boys.[10]

Sanghmitra Maurya is the MP of the Budaun Constituency and is the daughter of Swami Prasad Maurya. Budaun has large population of Ahirs which according to British historian Matthew Atmore Sherring came from Hansi and Hisar which is in Haryana.[12][13]

As of 2011 census, Budaun City had a population of 159,221 (83,475 male 75,746 female = 1000/907), 39,613 (12.3%) of whom were aged 0–6. The adult literacy rate was 73.%. The widely spoken language in the city is Hindi and Awadhi. The sex ratio of Budaun city is 907 per 1000 males. Child sex ratio of girls is 882 per 1000 boys. The area of the city is 81 square km. Budaun Metro Area have a population of around 417000 and an area of 103 km² (40 sq mi) With Badaun City, it includes Shekhupur, Bahedi, Islamganj, Chandanpur, Salarpur, Salarpur Industrial Estate, Shekhupur Firing Range, Padauna and Khera Buzurg.%.[1][15]

Budaun is considered to be of immense religious significance among both Hindus and Muslims. At the first glance, with its dusty avenues and sleepy streets, it seems nothing more than a secluded small town. But there are numerous ruins and monuments that reveal many legends from its past. Casting a nostalgic charm, Budaun transports visitors to an era of mighty rulers and mystic Sufi saints like Nizamuddin Auliya - a Sufi saint. Adding to its allure is an aura of spirituality throughout the town.[16] Budaun is home to a number of ruins that can be traced back to the Mughal era. The Budaun Fort and the iconic clock tower Ghanta Ghar, are among the prominent attractions, as are the tombs of rulers such as Iltutmish and Ala-ud-Dīn Alam Shah, who was the last ruler of the Sayyid dynasty. The 13th century Jama Masjid, which was built by Iltutmish and the Qadri Dargah are among the popular shrines in Budaun. Budaun also hosts the ancient Gauri Shankar Temple dedicated to Hindu god Shiva, it is India's first rasling[17] a Shivling made by amalgamation of liquid mercury and gold.

• Bareilly - 51 km via NH530b
• Delhi - 234 km via SH 18 and Eastern Peripheral Expressway
• Mathura - 165 km via NH 530b
• Agra - 172 km via NH21
• Kanpur - 253 km via SH 43
• Meerut - 215 km via SH18
• Muzaffarnagar - 270 km via SH18

• Badayuni
• Panchala
• Sotha
• Shyam Nagar
• Civil Lines, Budaun
• Great Mosque, Budaun