109-574: Muir Central College in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) in northern India was a college of higher education founded by William Muir in 1872. It had a separate existence to 1921, when as a result of the Allahabad University Act it was merged into University of Allahabad . The buildings (1872–1886) were a design by the British architect William Emerson . Initially the college was affiliated with
218-515: A date between 1319 CE and 1575 CE, and most of these refer to the month Magha. According to Krishnaswamy and Ghosh, these dates are likely related to the Magh Mela pilgrimage at Prayag, as recommended in the ancient Hindu texts. In papers published about 1979, John Irwin – a scholar of Indian Art History and Archaeology, concurred with Krishnaswamy and Ghosh that the Allahabad pillar was never moved and
327-679: A different course in distant past than now. The original path of river Ganges at the Prayaga confluence had settlements dating from the 8th century BCE onwards. According to Karel Werner – an Indologist known for his studies on religion particularly Buddhism, the Irwin papers "showed conclusively that the pillar did not originate at Kaushambi", but had been at Prayaga from pre-Buddhist times. The 7th-century Buddhist Chinese traveller Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) in Fascicle V of Dà Táng Xīyù Jì ( Great Tang Records on
436-455: A failed attempt to seize Agra's treasury, he came to Allahabad and seized its treasury while setting himself up as a virtually independent ruler. In May 1602, he had his name read in Friday prayers and his name minted on coins in Allahabad. After reconciliation with Akbar, Salim returned to Allahabad, where he stayed before returning in 1604. After capturing Jaunpur in 1624, Prince Khurram ordered
545-427: A fort. According to William Pinch, Akbar's motive may have been twofold. One, the armed fort secured the control of fertile Doab region. Second, it greatly increased his visibility and power to the non-Muslims who gathered here for pilgrimage from distant places and who constituted the majority of his subjects. Later, he declared Ilahabas as a capital of one of the twelve divisions ( subahs ). According to Richard Burn,
654-463: A great city in Allahabad. 'Abd al-Qadir Bada'uni and Nizamuddin Ahmad mention that Akbar laid the foundations of an Imperial City there which he called Ilahabas . Abul Fazal in his Ain-i-Akbari states, "For a long time his (Akbar's) desire was to found a great city in the town of Piyag (Allahabad) where the rivers Ganges and Jamuna join... On 13th November 1583 (1st Azar 991 H.) he (Akbar) reached
763-503: A hot, dry summer, a cool, dry winter and a hot, humid monsoon. Summer lasts from March to September with daily highs reaching up to 48 °C in the dry summer (from March to May) and up to 40 °C in the hot and extremely humid monsoon season (from June to September). The monsoon begins in June, and lasts until August; high humidity levels prevail well into September. Winter runs from December to February, with temperatures rarely dropping to
872-461: A household name when he hurled a bomb at a European club. In Alfred Park in 1931, Chandrashekhar Azad died when surrounded by British police. The Nehru family homes, Anand Bhavan and Swaraj Bhavan , were centres of Indian National Congress activity. During the years before independence, Allahabad was home to thousands of satyagrahis led by Purushottam Das Tandon , Bishambhar Nath Pande , Narayan Dutt Tiwari and others. The first seeds of
981-424: A palace with its foundations going back to 8th century BCE until 2nd century CE and built in six phases. The last phase dated to 1st - 2nd century CE featured an extensive structure which was divided into three blocks and enclosed two galleries. There was a central hall in the central block and presumably used as an audience hall surrounded by rooms which served as a residential place for the ruler. The entire structure
1090-404: A paper published in 1935, they state that the pillar was always at its current location based on the inscription dates on the pillar, lack of textual evidence for the move in records left by Muslim historians and the difficulty in moving the massive pillar. Further, like Cunningham, they noted that many smaller inscriptions were added on the pillar over time. Quite many of these inscriptions include
1199-553: A police headquarters and a public-service commission in Allahabad, making the city an administrative centre. They truncated the Delhi region of the state, merging it with Punjab and moving the capital of the North-Western Provinces to Allahabad (where it remained for 20 years). In January 1858, Earl Canning departed Calcutta for Allahabad. That year he read Queen Victoria's proclamation , transferring control of India from
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#17328590952281308-454: A population density of 4,200/km (11,000/sq mi). Natives of Uttar Pradesh form the majority of Prayagraj's population. With regards to Houseless Census in Prayagraj, total 5,672 families live on footpaths or without any roof cover, this is approximately 0.38 percent of the total population of Prayagraj district. The sex ratio of Prayagraj is 901 females per 1000 males and child sex ratio of
1417-628: A powerful center for trade and beneficial for the Vatsa Kingdom. During the 2nd millennium BCE Ochre Coloured Pottery culture spread in the region. Kosambi was one of the greatest cities in India from the late Vedic period until the end of Maurya Empire with occupation continuing until the Gupta Empire . As a small town, it was established in the late Vedic period, by the rulers of Kuru Kingdom as their new capital. The initial Kuru capital Hastinapur
1526-480: A town existed before Allahabad was founded. He adds that after Mahmud of Ghazni captured Asní near Fatehpur , he couldn't have crossed into Bundelkhand without visiting Allahabad had there been a city worth plundering. He further adds that its capture should have been heard when Muhammad of Ghor captured Benares. However, Ghori's historians never noticed it. Akbarnama mentions that the Mughal emperor Akbar founded
1635-501: Is Abhilasha Gupta , whereas the current municipal commissioner is Avinash Singh. Prayagraj was declared to have metropolitan status in October 2006. The metropolitan area is referred to in the 2011 Indian census and other official documents as Allhabad Urban Agglomeration. It consists of Prayagraj Municipal Corporation, three census towns (the cantonment, Arail Uparhar, and Chak Babura Alimabad), and 17 Outer Growth (OG) areas listed in
1744-433: Is 893 girls per 1000 boys, lower than the national average. Hindi, the official state language, is the dominant language in Prayagraj. Urdu and other languages are spoken by a sizeable minority. Hindus form the majority of Prayagraj's population; Muslims compose a large minority. According to provisional results of the 2011 national census, Hinduism is majority religion in Prayagraj city with 76.03 percent followers. Islam
1853-509: Is 90.21 percent and female literacy 82.17 percent. For 2001 census same figure stood at 75.81 and 46.38. As per census 2011, total 1,080,808 people are literate in Prayagraj of which males and females are 612,257 and 468,551 respectively. Among 35 major Indian cities , Prayagraj reported the highest rate of violations of special and local laws to the National Crime Records Bureau . Prayagraj division, comprising four districts,
1962-538: Is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh . It is the administrative headquarters of the Prayagraj district , the most populous district in the state and 13th most populous district in India and the Prayagraj division . The city is the judicial capital of Uttar Pradesh with the Allahabad High Court being the highest judicial body in the state. As of 2011, Prayagraj is the seventh most populous city in
2071-453: Is a part, is on the western Indus-Gangetic Plain region. The doab (including the Terai ) is responsible for the city's unique flora and fauna. Since the arrival of humans, nearly half of the city's vertebrates have become extinct. Others are endangered or have had their range severely reduced. Associated changes in habitat and the introduction of reptiles , snakes and other mammals led to
2180-530: Is also mentioned in the Hindu epic Ramayana , a place with the legendary Ashram of sage Bharadwaj . Inscription evidence from the famed Ashoka edicts containing Allahabad Pillar – also referred to as the Prayaga Bull pillar – adds to the confusion about the antiquity of this city. Excavations have revealed Northern Black Polished Ware dating to 600–700 BCE. According to Dilip Kumar Chakrabarti , "... there
2289-409: Is currently divided into 80 wards, with one member (or corporator) elected from each ward to form the municipal committee. The head of the corporation is the mayor, but, the executive and administration of the corporation are the responsibility of the municipal commissioner, who is an Uttar Pradesh government -appointed Provincial Civil Service officer of high seniority. The current mayor of Prayagraj
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#17328590952282398-401: Is evidence of more than one moat. The city extended to an area of approximately 6.5 km. The city shows a large extent of brickworks indicating the density of structures in the city. The Buddhist commentarial scriptures give two reasons for the name Kausambi/Kosambī. The more favoured is that the city was so called because it was founded in or near the site of the hermitage once occupied by
2507-448: Is headed by the divisional commissioner of Prayagraj, who is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of high seniority, the commissioner is the head of local government institutions (including municipal corporations ) in the division, is in charge of infrastructure development in his division, and is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the division. The district magistrate and collector of Prayagraj reports to
2616-535: Is north of the city, Bhadohi is east, Rewa is south, Chitrakoot (earlier Banda) is west, and Kaushambi , which was until recently a part of Allahabad (Prayagraj), is North-West. Prayagraj has a humid subtropical climate common to cities in the plains of North India, designated Cwa in the Köppen climate classification . The annual mean temperature is 26.1 °C (79.0 °F); monthly mean temperatures are 18–29 °C (64–84 °F). Prayagraj has three seasons:
2725-467: Is nothing to suggest that modern Prayag (i e. modern Allahabad) was an ancient city. Yet it is inconceivable that one of the holiest places of Hinduism, Prayag or the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna should be without a major ancient city." Chakrabarti suggests that the city of Jhusi , opposite the confluence, must have been the "ancient settlement of Prayag". Archaeological surveys since the 1950s has revealed
2834-465: Is the meeting place of Ganges, the Yamuna and mythical Saraswati River, which according to Hindu legends, wells up from underground. A place of religious importance and the site for historic Prayag Kumbh Mela held every 12 years, over the years it has also been the site of immersion of ashes of several national leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. The main ghat in Prayagraj is Saraswati Ghat , on
2943-422: Is the second most practised religion in the city with approximately 21.94 percent following it. Christianity is followed by 0.68 percent, Jainism by 0.10 percent, Sikhism by 0.28 percent and Buddhism by 0.28 percent. Around 0.02 percent stated 'Other Religion', approximately 0.90 percent stated 'No Particular Religion'. Prayagraj's literacy rate at 86.50 percent is the highest in the region. Male literacy
3052-573: Is well placed geographically and culturally. Geographically part of the Ganga-Yamuna Doab (at the mouth of the Yamuna), culturally it is the terminus of the Indian west. The Indian Standard Time longitude (25.15°N 82.58°E) is near the city. According to a United Nations Development Programme report, Prayagraj is in a "low damage risk" wind and cyclone zone. In common with the rest of the doab , its soil and water are primarily alluvial . Pratapgarh
3161-845: Is −0.7 °C (31 °F) on 26 December 1961. Rain from the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea branches of the southwest monsoon falls on Allahabad from June to September, supplying the city with most of its annual rainfall of 1,027 mm (40 in). The highest monthly rainfall total, 333 mm (13 in), occurs in August. The city receives 2,961 hours of sunshine per year, with maximum sunlight in May. Allahabad has been ranked 20th best “National Clean Air City” (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results' The Ganga-Jamuna Doab, of which Prayagraj
3270-464: The ex-officio chairperson of PDA, whereas a vice chairperson, a government-appointed IAS officer , looks after the daily matters of the authority. The current chairperson of PDA is Bhanu Chandra Goswami. The Prayagraj Nagar Nigam, also called Prayagraj Municipal Corporation , oversees the city's civic infrastructure. The corporation originated in 1864 as the Municipal Board of Allahabad, when
3379-563: The Akshayavat tree. The name, however, predates him, with Ilahabas and Ilahabad mentioned on coins minted in the city since Akbar's rule, the latter name became predominant after the emperor's death. It has also been thought to not have been named after Allah but ilaha (the gods). Shaligram Shrivastav claimed in Prayag Pradip that the name was deliberately given by Akbar to be construed as both Hindu ("ilaha") and Muslim ("Allah"). Over
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3488-745: The East India Company to the British Crown (beginning the British Raj ), in Minto Park . In 1877 the provinces of Agra and Awadh were merged to form the United Provinces , with Allahabad its capital until 1920. The 1888 session of the Indian National Congress was held in the city, and by the turn of the 20th century, Allahabad was a revolutionary centre. Nityanand Chatterji became
3597-461: The Grand Trunk Road . It also potentially offered sizeable revenues to the company. Initial revenue settlements began in 1803. Allahabad was a participant in the 1857 Indian Mutiny , when Maulvi Liaquat Ali unfurled the banner of revolt. During the rebellion, Allahabad, with a number of European troops, was the scene of a massacre. After the mutiny, the British established a high court,
3706-637: The Kukkutārāma , the Ghositārāma , the Pāvārika-ambavana (these being given by three of the most eminent citizens of Kosambī, named respectively, Kukkuta, Ghosita, and Pāvārika), and the Badarikārāma . The Buddha visited Kosambī on several occasions, stopping at one or other of these residences, and several discourses delivered during these visits are recorded in the books. (Thomas, op. cit., 115, n.2, doubts
3815-689: The Mahajanapadas . Kosambi was a very prosperous city by the time of Gautama Buddha , where a large number of wealthy merchants resided. It was an important entrepôt of goods and passengers from north-west and south. It figures very prominently in the accounts of the life of Buddha. Historically, Kosambi remained a solid urban centre through the Mauryan period and during the Gupta period. Pillars of Ashoka are found both in Kosambi and in Prayagraj. The present location of
3924-533: The Mughal emperor Akbar founded a great city in Allahabad. Abd al-Qadir Badayuni and Nizamuddin Ahmad mention that Akbar laid the foundations of an imperial city there which was called Ilahabas or Ilahabad . In the early 17th century, Allahabad was a provincial capital in the Mughal Empire under the reign of Jahangir . In 1833, it became the seat of the Ceded and Conquered Provinces region before its capital
4033-702: The Pakistani nation were sown in Allahabad: on 29 December 1930, Allama Muhammad Iqbal 's presidential address to the All-India Muslim League proposed a separate Muslim state for the Muslim-majority regions of India. Prayagraj's elevation is over 90 m (295 ft) above sea level. The old part of the city, at the south of Prayagraj Junction railway station, consists of neighbourhoods like Chowk, Johnstongunj , Dariyabad , Khuldabad and many more. In
4142-581: The Prayag Kumbh Mela and the Indira Marathon . Although the city's economy was built on tourism, most of its income now derives from real estate and financial services. The location at the confluence of Ganges and Yamuna rivers has been known in ancient times as Prayāga, which means "place of a sacrifice" in Sanskrit ( pra-, "fore-" + yāj- , "to sacrifice"). It was believed that god Brahma performed
4251-601: The Treaty of Allahabad signed by Lord Robert Clive , Mughal emperor Shah Alam II , and Awadh's Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula . The combined forces of Bengal's Nawab Mir Qasim , Shuja and Shah Alam were defeated by the English at Buxar in October 1764 and at Kora in May 1765. Alam, who was abandoned by Shuja after the defeats, surrendered to the English and was lodged at the fort, as they captured Allahabad, Benares and Chunar in his name. The territories of Allahabad and Kora were given to
4360-600: The University of Calcutta . According to historian Avril Powell, certain debates between Saiyid Ahmed Khan , the founder of Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in Aligarh, and William Muir led to the founding of Muir Central College. Whereas the universities at Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras (the first in India) had classes taught in English, "Muir College opened in 1872 with three departments of equal standing, teaching respectively through
4469-788: The Yogi Adityanath -led government officially changed the name of the city to Prayagraj. The earliest mention of Prayāga and the associated pilgrimage is found in Rigveda Pariśiṣṭa (supplement to the Rigveda , c. 1200–1000 BCE). It is also mentioned in the Pali canons of Buddhism , such as in section 1.7 of Majjhima Nikaya ( c. 500 BCE ), wherein the Buddha states that bathing in Payaga (Skt: Prayaga) cannot wash away cruel and evil deeds, rather
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4578-415: The divisional commissioner . The current commissioner is Ashish Kumar Goel. Prayagraj district administration is headed by the district magistrate and collector (DM) of Prayagraj, who is an IAS officer . The DM is in charge of property records and revenue collection for the central government and oversees the elections held in the district. The DM is also responsible for maintaining law and order in
4687-461: The sangam and nearby wetlands. The 2011 census reported a population of 1,112,544 in the 82 km (32 sq mi) area governed by Prayagraj Municipal Corporation, corresponding to a density of 13,600/km (35,000/sq mi). In January 2020, the boundaries of Prayagraj Municipal Corporation were expanded to 365 km (141 sq mi); according to the 2011 census, 1,536,218 people lived within those boundaries; this corresponds to
4796-536: The 7th to 5th centuries BCE, and was subsequently strengthened by brick walls and bastions, with numerous towers, battlements, and gateways but according to archaeologist G. R. Sharma, who led the archaeological excavation of the city, the rampart was built and provided with brick revetment between 1025 BC and 955 BC and the moat was excavated at the earliest between 855 and 815 BC. Carbon dating of charcoal and Northern Black Polished Ware have historically dated its continued occupation from 390 BC to 600 A.D. Kosambi
4905-452: The Buddha's Parinibbāna . It was also the most important halt for traffic coming to Kosala and Magadha from the south and the west. The city was thirty leagues by river from Benares (modern day Varanasi ). (We are told that the fish which swallowed Bakkula travelled thirty leagues through the Yamunā , from Kosambī to Banares ). The usual route from Rājagaha to Kosambī was up the river (this
5014-523: The Buddha's refusal as an insult to herself, and, after her marriage to King Udena (of Kosambi), tried in various ways to take revenge on the Buddha, and also on Udena's wife Sāmavatī, who had been the Buddha's follower. A great schism once arose among the monks in Kosambī. Some monks charged one of their colleagues with having committed the offence of leaving water in the dipper in the bathroom (which would let mosquitoes breed in it), but he refused to acknowledge
5123-549: The Grand Place of Almsgiving. According to Xuanzang's travelogue, the confluence is to the east of this "great city" and the site where alms are distributed every day. Kama MacLean – an Indologist who has published articles on the Kumbh Mela predominantly based on the colonial archives and English-language media, states based on emails from other scholars and a more recent interpretation of the 7th-century Xuanzang memoir, that Prayag
5232-448: The Hindus. He further stated that the pillar origins were undoubtedly pre-Ashokan based on the new evidence from the archaeological and geological surveys of the triveni site (Prayaga), the major and minor inscriptions as well as textual evidence, taken together. Archaeological and geological surveys done since the 1950s, states Irwin, have revealed that the rivers – particularly Ganges – had
5341-655: The IPS or the Provincial Police Service . Each of the several police circles is headed by a circle officer (CO) in the rank of deputy superintendent of police . The development of infrastructure in the city is overseen by the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA), which comes under the Department of Housing and Urban Planning of Uttar Pradesh government . The divisional commissioner of Prayagraj acts as
5450-462: The Kosambi pillar inside the ruins of the fort attests to the existence of Mauryan military presence in the region. The Allahabad pillar is an edict issued toward the Mahamattas of Kosambi, giving credence to the fact that it was originally located in Kosambi. The schism edict of Kaushambi (Minor Pillar Edict 2) states that, "The King instructs the officials of Kausambi as follows: ..... The way of
5559-545: The Kosambi. Many Indian museums, such as the National Museum, have these coins in their collections. It is possible that Pushyamitra Shunga may have shifted his capital from Pataliputra to Kaushambi. After his death, his empire was divided (perhaps amongst his sons), into several Mitra dynasties . The dynasty of Kaushambi also established hegemony over a wide area including Magadha , and possibly Kannauj as well. All sources cite Kausambi as an important site during
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#17328590952285668-602: The Lucknow Municipal Act was passed by the Government of India . In 1867, the Civil Lines and the city were amalgamated for municipal purposes. The Cantonment was counted as part of the city in censuses until the 1931 Indian census , when it was started to be counted as a separate census town . The Municipal Board became Municipal Corporation in 1959. Allahabad Cantonment has a cantonment board. The city of Prayagraj
5777-586: The Muir College was able to prove itself a valuable half-way house situated rather precariously between the near monopoly of English in Calcutta University and the uniqueness of the new Punjab University’s fully fledged Oriental Department." "By the late 1880s the Muir Central College examination results marked it as north India’s most academically successful college outside Calcutta. It would remain
5886-570: The Prayagraj Police Zone and Prayagraj Police Range, Prayagraj Zone is headed by an additional director general -rank Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, and the Prayagraj Range is headed inspector general -rank IPS officer. The district police is headed by a senior superintendent of police (SSP), who is an IPS officer, and is assisted by eight superintendents of police or additional superintendents of police for city, either from
5995-531: The Sangha must not be abandoned..... Whosoever shall break the unity of Sangha, whether monk or nun from this time forth, shall be compelled to wear white garments, and to dwell in a place outside the sangha." In the post-Mauryan period a tribal society at Kosambi (modern Prayagraj district ) made cast copper coinage with and without punchmarks. Their coinage resemble the Damaru -drum. All such coinage has been attributed to
6104-591: The Vajjian monks of Vesāli wished to excommunicate Yasa Kākandakaputta, he went by air to Kosambī, and from there sent messengers to the orthodox monks in the different centres (Vin.ii.298; Mhv.iv.17). It was at Kosambī that the Buddha promulgated a rule forbidding the use of intoxicants by monks (Vin.ii.307). Kosambī is mentioned in the Buddhist scripture Samyutta Nikāya . The archaeological excavation conducted by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Kausambi revealed
6213-599: The Western Regions ) explicitly mentions Prayaga as both a country and a "great city" where the Yamuna river meets Ganges river. He states that the great city has hundreds of " deva temples" and to the south of the city are two Buddhist institutions (a stupa built by Ashoka and a monastery). His 644 CE memoir also mentions the Hindu bathing rituals at the junction of the rivers, where people fast near it and then bathe believing that this washes away their sins. Wealthy people and kings come to this "great city" to give away alms at
6322-497: The alms-giving practice is recommended by the "records at this temple". Rongxi adds that the population of Prayaga was predominantly heretics (non-Buddhists, Hindus), and affirms that Prayaga attracted festivities of deva -worshipping heretics and also the orthodox Buddhists. Xuanzang also describes a ritual-suicide practice at Prayaga, then concludes it is absurd. He mentions a tree with "evil spirits" that stands before another deva temple. People commit suicide by jumping from it in
6431-451: The auspicious pilgrimage to Tirth Raj Prayag. Saphal scripsit. – Translated by Alexander Cunningham (1879) These dates correspond to about 1575 CE, and confirm the importance and the name Prayag. According to Cunningham, this pillar was brought to Allahabad from Kaushambi by a Muslim Sultan, and that in some later century before Akbar, the old city of Prayag had been deserted. Other scholars, such as Krishnaswamy and Ghosh disagree. In
6540-552: The authenticity of the stories connected with the Buddha's visits to Kosambī, holding that these stories are of later invention). The Buddha spent his ninth rainy season at Kosambī, and it was on his way there on this occasion that he made a detour to Kammāssadamma and was offered in marriage Māgandiyā , daughter of the Brahmin Māgandiya. The circumstances are narrated in connection with the Māgandiya Sutta. Māgandiyā took
6649-484: The banks of Yamuna. Stairs from three sides descend to the green water of the Yamuna. Above it is a park which is always covered with green grass. There are also facilities for boating here. There are also routes to reach Triveni Sangam by boat from here. Apart from this, there are more than 100 raw ghats in Prayagraj. Prayagraj is in the southern part of Uttar Pradesh, at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna. The region
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#17328590952286758-454: The belief that they will go to heaven. According to Ariel Glucklich – a scholar of Hinduism and Anthropology of Religion, the Xuanzang memoir mentions both the superstitious devotional suicide and narrates a story of how a Brahmin of a more ancient era tried to put an end to this practice. Alexander Cunningham believed the tree described by Xuanzang was the Akshayavat tree. It still existed at
6867-401: The charge and, being himself learned in the Vinaya , argued his case and pleaded that the charge be dismissed. The rules were complicated; on the one hand, the monk had broken a rule and was treated as an offender, but on the other, he should not have been so treated if he could not see that he had done wrong. The monk was eventually excommunicated, and this brought about a great dissension. When
6976-506: The city are doves , peacocks , junglefowl , black partridge , house sparrows , songbirds , blue jays , parakeets , quails , bulbuls , and comb ducks . Large numbers of Deer are found in the Trans Yamuna area of Prayagraj. India's first conservation reserve for blackbuck is being created in Prayagraj's Meja Forest Division. Other animals in the state include reptiles such as lizards , cobras , kraits , and gharials . During winter, large numbers of Siberian birds are reported in
7085-400: The city. Prayagraj lies close to Triveni Sangam , the "three-river confluence" of the Ganges , Yamuna , and the mythical Sarasvati . It plays a central role in Hindu scriptures . The city finds its earliest reference as one of the world's oldest known cities in Hindu texts and has been venerated as the holy city of Prayāga in the ancient Vedas . Prayagraj was also known as Kosambi in
7194-400: The confluence. Prayagraj ( Sanskrit : Prayāgarāja ), meaning "the king among the five prayāgas ", is used as a term of respect to indicate that this confluence is the most splendid one of the five sacred confluencies in India. The Mughal emperor Akbar visited the region in 1575 and was so impressed by the strategic location of the site that he ordered a fort be constructed. The fort
7303-448: The district. The DM is assisted by a chief development officer; five additional district magistrates for finance/revenue, city, rural administration, land acquisition and civil supply; one chief revenue officer; one city magistrate; and three additional city magistrates. The district has eight tehsils viz. Sadar, Soraon, Phulpur, Handia, Karchhana, Bara, Meja and Kuraon, each headed by a sub-divisional magistrate . City comes under
7412-695: The emperor after the treaty was signed in 1765. Shah Alam spent six years in the Allahabad fort and after the takeover of Delhi by the Marathas, left for his capital in 1771 under their protection. He was escorted by Mahadaji Shinde and left Allahabad in May 1771 and in January 1772 reached Delhi. Upon realising the Maratha intent of territorial encroachment, however, Shah Alam ordered his general Najaf Khan to drive them out. Tukoji Rao Holkar and Visaji Krushna Biniwale in return attacked Delhi and defeated his forces in 1772. The Marathas were granted an imperial sanad for Kora and Allahabad. They turned their attention to Oudh to gain these two territories. Shuja
7521-479: The extinction of bird species, including large birds such as eagles . The Allahabad Museum , one of four national museums in India, is documenting the flora and fauna of the Ganges and the Yamuna. To protect the rich aquatic biodiversity of river Ganges from escalating anthropogenic pressures, development of a Turtle sanctuary in Prayagraj along with a River Biodiversity Park at Sangam have been approved under Namami Gange programme. The most common birds found in
7630-404: The fort to the British in 1798. Lord Wellesley after threatening to annex the entire Awadh, concluded a treaty with Saadat on abolishing the independent Awadhi army, imposing a larger subsidiary force and annexing Rohilkhand , Gorakhpur and the Doab in 1801. Acquired in 1801, Allahabad, aside from its importance as a pilgrimage centre, was a stepping stone to the agrarian track upcountry and
7739-407: The foundation of the city at a place of the confluence of Ganges and Jumna which was a very sacred site of Hindus, then gives 1574 and 1584 as the year of its founding, and that it was named "Ilahabas". The next generation of Mughal rulers started calling it Illahabad, and finally, the British started calling it "Allahabad" for ease of pronunciation. Akbar was impressed by its strategic location for
7848-420: The freezing point. The daily average maximum temperature is about 22 °C (72 °F) and the minimum about 9 °C (48 °F). Prayagraj never receives snow, but, experiences dense winter fog due to numerous wood fires, coal fires, and open burning of rubbish—resulting in substantial traffic and travel delays. Its highest recorded temperature is 48.9 °C (120.0 °F) on 9 June 2019, and its lowest
7957-478: The highest levels of air pollution worldwide, with the 2016 update of the World Health Organization 's Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database finding Prayagraj to have the third highest mean concentration of "PM2.5" (<2.5 μm diameter) particulate matter in the ambient air among all the 2972 cities tested (after Zabol and Gwalior ). The Triveni Sangam (place where three rivers meet)
8066-465: The king of pilgrimage sites ( Tirtha Raj ). Other early accounts of the significance of Prayag to Hinduism is found in the various versions of the Prayaga Mahatmya , dated to the late 1st-millennium CE. These Purana-genre Sanskrit texts describe Prayag as a place "bustling with pilgrims, priests, vendors, beggars, guides" and local citizens busy along the confluence of the rivers ( sangam ). Prayaga
8175-546: The late Vedic period , named by the Kuru rulers of Hastinapur , who developed it as their capital. Kosambi was one of the greatest cities in India from the late Vedic period until the end of the Maurya Empire , with occupation continuing until the Gupta Empire . Since then, the city has been a political, cultural and administrative centre of the Doab region. Akbarnama mentions that
8284-425: The matter was reported to the Buddha, he admonished the partisans of both sides and urged them to give up their differences, but they paid no heed, and even blows were exchanged. The people of Kosambī, becoming angry at the monks' behaviour, the quarrel grew apace. The Buddha once more counselled concord, relating to the monks the story of King Dīghiti of Kosala, but his efforts at reconciliation were of no avail, one of
8393-593: The monks actually asking him to leave them to settle their differences without his interference. In disgust, the Buddha left Kosambī and, journeying through Bālakalonakāragāma and the Pācīnavamsadaya, retired alone to keep retreat in the Pārileyyaka forest. In the meantime the monks of both parties repented, partly owing to the pressure exerted by their lay followers in Kosambī, and, coming to the Buddha at Sāvatthi, they asked his pardon and settled their dispute. Bakkula
8502-674: The nerve centre of Allahabad University until 1922, academically, socially, politically and on the games field, its 'Muir hostel', added in 1911, contributing to an espirit de corps that was to prove long-lasting." In 1922 Allahabad University merged with Muir Central College and English became the standard medium. The Calcutta University Calendar, 1888,1889,1890 Atul Krishna Ghosh Medalist 1887 MA English Muir Central College, CU Atul Krishna Ghosh, Muir Alumni, Principal Maharajah Mohindra College Patiala 1888-1907 Prayagraj Prayagraj ( / ˈ p r eɪ ə ˌ ɡ r ɑː dʒ , ˈ p r aɪ ə -/ ; ISO : Prayāgarāja ), formerly Allahabad
8611-544: The north of the Railway Station, the new city consists of neighbourhoods like Lukergunj , Civil Lines , Georgetown , Tagoretown , Allahpur , Ashok Nagar , Mumfordgunj , Bharadwaj Puram and others which are relatively new and were built during the British rule . Civil Lines is the central business district of the city and is famous for its urban setting, gridiron plan roads and high rise buildings. Built in 1857, it
8720-555: The period. More than three thousand stone sculptures have been recovered from Kausambi and its neighbouring ancient sites –7 Mainhai, Bhita, Mankunwar, and Deoria. These are currently housed in the Prof. G.R. Sharma Memorial Museum of the Department of Ancient History, University of Allahabad , Allahabad Museum and State Museum in Lucknow . The excavations of the archaeological site of Kosambi
8829-497: The presence of human settlements near the sangam since c. 800 BCE. Along with Ashoka's Brahmi script inscription from the 3rd century BCE, the pillar has a Samudragupta inscription, as well as a Magha Mela inscription of Birbal of Akbar's era. It states, In the Samvat year 1632, Saka 1493, in Magha, the 5th of the waning moon, on Monday, Gangadas's son Maharaja Birbal made
8938-634: The river, was Udayana/Udena's park, the Udakavana , where Ananda and Pindola Bharadvaja preached to the women of Udena's palace on two occasions. The Buddha is mentioned as having once stayed in the Simsapāvana in Kosambī. Mahā Kaccāna lived in a woodland near Kosambī after the holding of the First Buddhist Council . Already in the Buddha's time there were four establishments of the Order in Kosambī –
9047-503: The rivers. The historian Dr. D. B. Dubey states that it appears that between this period, the sandy plain was washed away by the Ganges, to an extent that the temple and tree seen by the Chinese traveller too was washed away, with the river later changing its course to the east and the confluence shifting to the place where Akbar laid the foundations of his fort. Henry Miers Elliot believed that
9156-421: The sage Kusumba (v.l. Kusumbha). Another explanation is that large and stately neem trees or Kosammarukkhā grew in great numbers in and around the city. In the time of the Buddha, its king was Parantapa, and after him reigned his son Udena (Pali. Sanskrit: Udayana). Kosambī was evidently a city of great importance at the time of the Buddha for we find Ananda mentioning it as one of the places suitable for
9265-520: The siege of Allahabad. The siege was however, lifted after Parviz and Mahabat Khan came to assist the garrison. During the Mughal war of succession, the commandant of the fort who had joined Shah Shuja made an agreement with Aurangzeb 's officers and surrendered it to Khan Dauran on 12 January 1659. The fort was coveted by the East India Company for the same reasons Akbar built it. British troops were first stationed at Allahabad fort in 1765 as part of
9374-566: The state after Varanasi . Located in southern Uttar Pradesh, the city covers 365 km (141 sq mi). Although the city and its surrounding area are governed by several municipalities, a large portion of Prayagraj district is governed by the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation. The city is home to colleges, research institutions and many central and state government offices, including High court of Uttar Pradesh. Prayagraj has hosted cultural and sporting events, including
9483-458: The state, thirteenth in Northern India and thirty-sixth in India, with an estimated population of 1.53 million in the city. In 2011, it was ranked the world's 40th fastest-growing city. The city, in 2016, was also ranked the third most liveable urban agglomeration in the state (after Noida and Lucknow ) and sixteenth in the country. Hindi is the most widely spoken language in
9592-439: The suffix "–bas" was deemed to "savouring too much of Hinduism" and therefore the name was changed to Ilahabad by Shah Jahan . This evolved into the two variant colonial-era spellings of Ilahabad (Hindi: इलाहाबाद) and Allahabad. According to Maclean, these variant spellings have a political basis, as "Ilaha–" means "the gods" for Hindus, while Allah is the term for God to Muslims. After Prince Salim 's coup against Akbar and
9701-605: The table below. Kosambi Kosambi ( Pali ) or Kaushambi ( Sanskrit ) was an ancient city in India, characterized by its importance as a trading center along the Ganges Plain and its status as the capital of the Vatsa Kingdom, one of the sixteen mahajanapadas . It was located on the Yamuna River about 56 kilometres (35 mi) southwest of its confluence with the Ganges at Prayaga (modern Prayagraj ), which made it
9810-524: The time of Al-Biruni who calls it as "Prayaga", located at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna. The historic literature of Hinduism and Buddhism before the Mughal emperor Akbar use the term Prayag, and never use the term Allahabad or its variants. Its history before the Mughal Emperor Akbar is unclear. In contrast to the account of Xuanzang, the Muslim historians place the tree at the confluence of
9919-401: The vernaculars, the 'oriental' classics and English." There was Maulawi Zaka Allah, Professor of Vernacular Science and Literature, who taught Arabic, Persian, Urdu and mathematics. One of the students' favorites was Aditya Ram Bhattacharya, professor of Sanskrit. Arthur Reid was professor of law from 1883 to 1895, and Homersham Cox came to teach mathematics in 1891. "For its first 15 years
10028-416: The very first sacrifice ( yāga, yajna ) in this place. The word prayāga has been traditionally used to mean "a confluence of rivers". For Allahabad, it denoted the physical meeting point of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna in the city. An ancient tradition has it that a third river, invisible Sarasvati, also meets there with the two. Today, Triveni Sangam (or simply Sangam) is a more frequently used name for
10137-519: The virtuous one should be pure in heart and fair in action. The Mahabharata ( c. 400 BCE –300 CE) mentions a bathing pilgrimage at Prayag as a means of prāyaścitta (atonement, penance) for past mistakes and guilt. In Tirthayatra Parva , before the great war, the epic states "the one who observes firm [ethical] vows, having bathed at Prayaga during Magha, O best of the Bharatas, becomes spotless and reaches heaven." In Anushasana parva , after
10246-520: The war, the epic elaborates this bathing pilgrimage as "geographical tirtha" that must be combined with manasa-tirtha (tirtha of the heart) whereby one lives by values such as truth, charity, self-control, patience and others. Prayāga is mentioned in the Agni Purana and other Puranas with various legends, including being one of the places where Brahma attended a yajna (homa), and the confluence of river Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati site as
10355-532: The wished spot and laid the foundations of the city and planned four forts." Abul Fazal adds, "Ilahabad anciently called Prayag was distinguished by His Imperial Majesty [Akbar] by the former name". The role of Akbar in founding the Ilahabad – later called Allahabad – fort and city is mentioned by ʽAbd al-Qadir Badayuni as well. Nizamuddin Ahmad gives two different dates for Allahabad's foundation, in different sections of Tabaqat-i-Akbari . He states that Akbar laid
10464-508: The years, a number of attempts were made by the BJP -led governments of Uttar Pradesh to rename Allahabad to Prayagraj. In 1992, the planned rename was shelved when the chief minister, Kalyan Singh , was forced to resign following the Babri Masjid demolition . 2001 saw another attempt led by the government of Rajnath Singh which remained unfulfilled. The rename finally succeeded in October 2018 when
10573-434: Was a fortified town with an irregular oblong plan. Excavations of the ruins revealed the existence of gates on three sides-east, west and north. The location of the southern gate can not be precisely determined due to water erosion. Besides the bastions, gates and sub-gates, the city was encircled on three sides by a moat, which, though filled up at places, it still discernible on the northern side. At some points, however, there
10682-468: Was also an important site in 7th-century India of a Buddhist festival. She states that Xuanzang festivities at Prayag featured a Buddha statue and involved alms giving, consistent with Buddhist practices. According to Li Rongxi – a scholar credited with a recent and complete translation of a critical version of the Dà Táng Xīyù Jì , Xuanzang mentions that the site of the alms-giving is a deva temple, and
10791-408: Was always at the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna. According to Irwin, an analysis of the minor inscriptions and ancient scribblings on the pillar first observed by Cunningham, also noted by Krishnaswamy and Ghosh, reveals that these included years and months, and the latter "always turns out to be Magha, which also gives it name to the Magh Mela ", the Prayaga bathing pilgrimage festival of
10900-453: Was constructed by 1584 and called Ilahabas or "Abode of Allah", later changed to Allahabad under Shah Jahan . Speculations regarding its name, however, exist. Because of the surrounding people calling it Alhabas , has led to some people holding the view that it was named after Alha from Alha's story . James Forbes ' account of the early 1800s claims that it was renamed Allahabad or "Abode of God" by Jahangir after he failed to destroy
11009-409: Was constructed using bricks and stones and two layers of lime were plastered on it. The palace had a vast network of underground chambers and the superstructure and the galleries were made on the principle of true arch . The four-centered pointed arch was used to span narrow passageways and segmental arch for wider areas. The superstructure of central and eastern block was examined to have formed part of
11118-580: Was destroyed by floods, and the Kuru King transferred his entire capital with the subjects to a new capital that he built near the Ganga-Jamuna confluence, which was 56 km away from the southernmost part of the Kuru Kingdom, and is now known as Prayagraj , previously called Allahabad . During the period prior the Maurya Empire , Kosambi was the capital of the independent kingdom of Vatsa , one of
11227-455: Was done by G. R. Sharma of Allahabad University in 1949 and again in 1951–1956 after it was authorized by Sir Mortimer Wheeler in March 1948. Excavations have suggested that the site may have been occupied as early as the 12th century BCE. Its strategic geographical location helped it emerge as an important trading center. According to James Heitzman, a large rampart of piled mud was constructed in
11336-567: Was however, unwilling to give them up and made appeals to the English and the Marathas did not fare well at the Battle of Ramghat. In August and September 1773, Warren Hastings met Shuja and concluded a treaty, under which Kora and Allahabad were ceded to the Nawab for a payment of 50 lakh rupees. Saadat Ali Khan II , after being made the Nawab by John Shore , entered into a treaty with the company and gave
11445-630: Was known in antiquity first as the Kuru, then as the Vats country. To the southwest is Bundelkhand , to the east and southeast is Baghelkhand , to the north and northeast is Awadh and to the west is the lower doab (of which Prayagraj is part). The city is divided by a railway line running east–west. South of the railway is the Old Chowk area, and the British-built Civil Lines is north of it. Prayagraj
11554-439: Was moved to Agra in 1835. Allahabad became the capital of the North-Western Provinces in 1858 and was the capital of India for a day. The city was the capital of the United Provinces from 1902 to 1920 and remained at the forefront of national importance during the struggle for Indian independence . Prayagraj is one of the international tourism destinations, securing the second position in terms of tourist arrivals in
11663-526: Was the largest town-planning project carried out in India before the establishment of New Delhi . Prayagraj has many buildings featuring Indo-Islamic and Indo-Saracenic architecture . Although several buildings from the colonial period have been declared "heritage structures", others are deteriorating. Famous landmarks of the city are Allahabad Museum , New Yamuna Bridge , Allahabad University , Triveni Sangam, All Saints Cathedral , Anand Bhavan , Chandrashekhar Azad Park etc. The city experiences one of
11772-616: Was the route taken by Ananda when he went with five hundred others to inflict the higher punishment on Channa, Vin.ii.290), though there seems to have been a land route passing through Anupiya and Kosambī to Rājagaha ). In the Sutta Nipāta (vv.1010-13) the whole route is given from Mahissati to Rājagaha, passing through Kosambī, the halting-places mentioned being: Ujjeni , Gonaddha , Vedisa , Vanasavhya , Kosambī, Sāketa , Sravasthi/ Sāvatthi , Setavyā, Kapilavasthu / Kapilavatthu , Kusinārā , Pāvā , Bhoganagara and Vesāli . Near Kosambī, by
11881-454: Was the son of a banker in Kosambī. In the Buddha's time there lived near the ferry at Kosambī a powerful Nāga -king, the reincarnation of a former ship's captain. The Nāga was converted by Sāgata, who thereby won great fame. Rujā was born in a banker's family in Kosambī. Citta-pandita was also born there. A king, by name Kosambaka, once ruled there. During the time of the Vajjian heresy, when
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