Auraiya district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Auraiya town is the district headquarters. It lies on the south-western portion of Uttar Pradesh and also forms a part of the Kanpur Division.
History
Ancient period Auraiya district generally shares the same history as the broader middle Doab. The region was first ruled by the Panchalas during the Mahajanapada era. The Mahabharata says that Ajamida, the 5th successor of Bharata, had three sons, one of which Brihadvasu, was sent to rule Dakshina Panchala, which included the region south of the Ganga, with capital at Kampilya. During the time of the epic of the Mahabharata, Dakshina Panchala kingdom was ruled by Drupada during the Mahabharata period, with his famous daughter Draupadi being born in the region. Panchala is listed as one of the 16 Mahajanapadas during the time of Buddha, with the town of Alavi, identified with Airwa of this district, as an important settlement. Buddha and Mahavira are both said to have visited this town. Panchala fell under the rule of the Nandas, Mauryas, Shungas and Kanvas, but also had significant autonomy. After the fall of the Kanvas, the history of the region is obscure, mostly likely ruled by the Mitras who were made suboordinates of the Kushanas. After the fall of the Kushanas, the Nagas took over. During Gupta rule, the district prospered and the cities of Kudarkot and Alavi in this district were prominent centres of learning. Faxian, who visited Panchala, stayed in a monastic retreat near Alavi. The district fell under Huna rule after the Guptas collapsed, but eventually fell under the rule of the imperial dynasties of Kannauj, which it would remain under until the Muslim conquest. During the rule of Harsha, Xuanzang recorded the district as being part of the wild country beyond Alavi. The last ruler of Kannauj, Jayachandra, was defeated by Muhammad Ghori in 1194 and Auraiya fell under Muslim rule.
Medieval period Although Delhi nominally controlled the middle Doab, most of the region of Panchala was in fact dominated by numerous Rajput clans who observed only nominal submission to the Sultan. The Sengars took parts of Bidhuna and Auraiya, while the Gaurs took the eastern part of Bidhuna before falling to the Chandelas of Mahoba. The Sultans had to continually march into the region to suppress local uprisings for autonomy, such as Firuz Shah Tughlaq in 1377 suppressing a rebellion by Sumer Rai, a proimnent Zamindar in this district. In 1392, three Zamindars: Rai Nar Singh, Bri Bahan and Sumer Shah, led an uprising against the Sultan Nasiruddin Muhammad Shah, until everyone but Sumer Shah was murdered under the pretense of a peace deal. The Sultan then sent Malik Sarwar, a eunuch, to restore order. He was given the territory between Kannauj and Bihar for his own, marking the foundation of the Jaunpur Sultanate.
For the next century, the region lay in the contested area between the spheres of influence of Delhi and Jaunpur, and was a major battleground, while also witnessing numerous rebellions from the local Rajput chiefs and nearby feudal lords. Control from the centre was very weak up until the First Battle of Panipat when the Delhi Sultanate finally fell to the Mughals. At the time the region was under the control of nobleman Qutub Khan, who surrendered after the Mughal armies came into the Doab after the Battle of Khanwa. From 1540 to 1556, the region fell under Suri rule again, until the Second Battle of Panipat put it under Mughal rule again. During Akbar's time, the district was divided between several mahals of the Sarkar of Kannauj: Sakatpur, Sahar, Phaphund and Patti Nakhat. The region remained relatively undisturbed until after the death of Aurangzeb.
Early modern period In 1714, Farrukhasiyar granted to Afghan noble Muhammad Khan Bangash the middle Doab as fiefdom. After his death in 1743, Qaim Khan, his son, was sent to a disastrous battle in Rohilkhand by Safdar Jung, Nawab of Awadh, and was killed. Safdar Jung then tried to seize the Bangash territory using his deputy Nawal Rai, who was installed as Maharaja Bahadur. However, Nawal Rai's policies led to an Afghan rebellion and his death in battle with Ahmad Khan Bangash. Hearing of Nawal Rai's death Safdar Jung, along with the Marathas and the Jats of Bharatpur, crushed Ahmad Khan's army in battle. As a reward most of the present district was handed to the Marathas. In 1757, during a conflict between the Mughals and Awadh, Ahmad Khan Bangash used Mughal armies to retake Etawah from the Marathas, bringing it back under Mughal authority. However after Shuja ud Daula threatened his capital, he abandoned retaking the region of Etawah allowing the Marathas to reoccupy it.
Under the Rohillas In 1760 AD Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded India; he was opposed in 1761 by the Marathas on the field of Panipat and inflicted on them a signal defeat. Among other Maratha chieftains Govind Rao Pandit lost his life in the action. Before his departure from India the Durrani chief consigned large tracts of country to the Rohilla chieftains, and while Dhunde Khan received Shikohabad, Inayat Khan, son of Hafiz Rahmat Khan received the district of Etawah. This was then in the possession of the Marathas, and accordingly in 1762 a Rohilla force was sent under Mullah Mohsin Khan to wrest the assigned property from the Marathas. This force was opposed near the town of Etawah by Kishan Rao and Bala Rao Pandits, who were defeated and compelled to seek safety in flight across the Yamuna. Siege was then laid to the fort of Etawah by Mohsin Khan; but the fort was soon surrendered by its commander, and the district fell into the hands of the Rohillas.
The occupation, however, was merely nominal at first; the zamindars refused to pay revenue to Inayat Khan and, secure in their mud forts set his authority at defiance. Strong reinforcements were sent to the Rohillas, including some artillery, under Sheikh Kuber and Mullah Baz Khan, and many of the smaller forts were levelled to the grounds; but in their ravine fortresses the zamindars of Kamait in the trans-Yamuna tract still resisted the authority of Inayat Khan. Hafiz Rahmat and Inayat Khan then came in person to Etawah and operations were vigorously pressed against the refractory zamindars. Ultimately an annual tribute was agreed to by the latter. Hafiz Rahmat then departed to Bareilly, and Rohilla garrisons were established at convenient places in the district. Meanwhile, a new minister arose at Delhi called Najib Khan, better known as Najib-ud-daula, Amir-ul-umra, Shuja-ud-daula succeeded Safdar Jang as Nawab Wazir and occupied most of the Bangash possessions as far as Aligarh, with the exception of those granted by the Durrani to the Rohillas after he battle of Pandit. But the wazir's hostility to the Farrukhabad Afghans had not abated one jot, and in 1762 he persuaded Najib-ud-daula to join him in an attack on Farrukhabad. The attack was beaten off by the aid of Hafiz Rahmat Khan and matters once more settled down peacefully.
In 1766 the Marathas under Mulhar Rao, who had been awaiting their opportunity, once more crossed the Yamuna and attacked Phaphund, where a Rohilla force under Muhammad Hasan Khan eldest son of Mohsin Khan, was posted. On receipt of this news Hafiz Rahmat advanced from Bareilly to oppose the Marathas. He was joined near Phaphund by Sheikh Kuber, the Rohilla governor of Etawah, and prepared to give battle; but Mulhar Rao refused to risk an engagement and once more retired across the Yamuna. The ambitions Najib-ud-daula had been considerably irritated by the intervention of the Rohillas on behalf of Ahmad Khan Bangladesh in 1762; and though he had been too busily engaged otherwise to pursue his plans of revenge before, he began in 1770 to plot the downfall of Hafiz Rahmat Khan.
Accordingly, a Maratha army was invited to Delhi for the purpose of first wresting Farrukhabad from Ahmad Khan and of afterwards invading Rohillakhand. The united forces of Najib-ud-daula and the Marathas advanced from Delhi; but at Koil Najib-ud-daula fell ill and retraced his steps, leaving his eldest son, Zabita Khan to operate with the Marathas. Zabita Khan however, was by no means disposed to fight against his brother Afghans. The Marathas, knowing this, kept him practically a prisoner in their camp and he requested Hafiz Rahmat Khan to obtain his release. Hafiz Rahmat Khan accordingly opened negotiations with the Marathas for the release of Zabita Khan; but the Maratha leaders demanded as their price the surrender of the jagirs of Etawah and Shikohabad. Hafiz Rahmat Khan was not disposed to agree to those terms, and while negotiations were proceeding for buying off the Marathas Zabita Khan escaped. Several desultory engagements now took place between the Marathas and the Afghan forces. Inayat khan was summoned by his father to Farrukhabad in order that he might be consulted regarding the surrendering of his jagirs. But although Dhunde Khan agreed to give up Shikohabad Inayat Khan refused to surrender Etawah.
Ultimately, disgusted with his father's arrangements he returned to Bareilly, and his father on his own responsibility sent orders to Sheikh Kuber, the Rohilla governor of Etawah, to surrender the fort to the Marathas. The Marathas now marched to Etawah, but as the orders had not yet reached him Sheikh Kuber gave them battle. Several desperate assaults were made on the fort of Etawah which were all beaten off, but finally it was handed over to the Marathas in accordance with hafiz Rahmat Khan's orders, and the Rohillas quit the district, leaving it once more in the hands of the Marathas. Later in the same year, 1771 AD, the Marathas advanced to Delhi and reinstated the emperor Shah Alam, who had cast in his lot with them, on the throne. They were now masters of the empire and Zabita Khan determined to oppose them. Assembling his forces, he attacked the Marathas near Delhi but was signally defeated, and in 1772 the Marathas overran a large portion of Rohilkhand and captured Najafgarh, where Zabita Khan's family resided and his treasure lay.
Under the Government of Oudh Zabita Khan then solicited the aid of Shuja-ud-daula, Nawab Wazir of Oudh; but the Nawab declined to interfere unless Hafiz Rahmat Khan applied on his behalf. Negotiations were commenced with Shah Alam and the Marathas for the restoration of Zabita Khan's family and the evacuation of Rohilkhand. The Marathas agreed to accept 40 lakhs of rupees, provided that Shuja-ud-daula made himself responsible for the payment; but Shuja-ud-daula now declined to enter into any such engagement unless Hafiz Rahmat Khan gave him a bond for the money. To this Hafiz Rahmat Khan consented, the bond was signed and the Marathas retired from Rohilkhand. In 1773 AD the Marathas proposed to attack Shuja-ud-daula and attempted to gain the help of Hifaz Rahmat Khan. The latter refused to him them. Instead he sent information to Shuja-ud-daula concerning what he had done, and on the strength of this requested restoration of his bond. Shuja-ud-daula expressed his approval of Hafiz Rahmat Khan's conduct and promised the restitution of the bond when the Marathas as had been defeated. The Marathas were defeated soon after at Asadpur by the combined forces of Shuja-ud-daula and Hafiz Rahmat Khan, with the result that they quit not only Rohilkhand but Delhi also.