146-534: Phaphamau is a satellite locality/township of the city of Prayagraj , Uttar Pradesh , India , located on either side of Prayagraj- Lucknow highway. It lies on the banks of the Ganga River.Phaphamu was ruled by Bhil king During the 1857 uprising , a temple in Phaphamau was used for anti-British activities. It was later destroyed by British, and the temple leader was hanged. The old Temple of Lord Shankar ji, which
292-513: A campaign at the frontier of the Nanda empire, gradually conquering various territories on their way to the Nanda capital. He then refined his strategy by establishing garrisons in the conquered territories, and finally besieged the Nanda capital Pataliputra. There Dhana Nanda accepted defeat. The conquest was fictionalised in Mudrarakshasa play, it contains narratives not found in other versions of
438-622: A city called Moriya-nagara ("Peacock-city"), which was so called, because it was built with the "bricks coloured like peacocks' necks". The dynasty's connection to the peacocks, as mentioned in the Buddhist and Jain traditions, seems to be corroborated by archaeological evidence. For example, peacock figures are found on the Ashoka pillar at Nandangarh and several sculptures on the Great Stupa of Sanchi . Based on this evidence, modern scholars theorize that
584-515: 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
730-679: 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
876-455: 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
1022-578: A feature of Indian society that continues to influence the Indian politics till today. Historians theorise that the organisation of the Empire was in line with the extensive bureaucracy described by Chanakya in the Arthashastra : a sophisticated civil service governed everything from municipal hygiene to international trade. The expansion and defense of the empire was made possible by what appears to have been one of
1168-427: 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,
1314-415: A fortification there and securing it as a possession. Although Ashoka's army succeeded in overwhelming Kalinga forces of royal soldiers and citizen militias, an estimated 100,000 soldiers and civilians were killed in the furious warfare, including over 10,000 of Imperial Mauryan soldiers. Hundreds of thousands of people were adversely affected by the destruction and fallout of war. When he personally witnessed
1460-463: 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
1606-503: 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
SECTION 10
#17328701601461752-461: 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
1898-504: A large and powerful army, to keep the peace and maintain authority, Ashoka expanded friendly relations with states across Asia and Europe, and he sponsored Buddhist missions. He undertook a massive public works building campaign across the country. Over 40 years of peace, harmony and prosperity made Ashoka one of the most successful and famous monarchs in Indian history. He remains an idealized figure of inspiration in modern India. The Edicts of Ashoka , set in stone, are found throughout
2044-457: A large empire that consisted of what is now, Northern, Central and Eastern parts of India along with parts of Afghanistan and Baluchistan . Bindusara extended this empire to the southern part of India, as far as what is now known as Karnataka . He brought sixteen states under the Mauryan Empire and thus conquered almost all of the Indian peninsula (he is said to have conquered the 'land between
2190-674: 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 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
2336-544: A later stage converted to Jainism ), Bindusara believed in the Ajivika religion. Bindusara's guru Pingalavatsa (Janasana) was a Brahmin of the Ajivika religion. Bindusara's wife, Empress Subhadrangi was a Brahmin also of the Ajivika religion from Champa (present Bhagalpur district ). Bindusara is credited with giving several grants to Brahmin monasteries ( Brahmana-bhatto ). Historical evidence suggests that Bindusara died in
2482-473: A model that also applies to the Maurya Empire. Kulke and Rothermunf agree with her approach, noting that Ashoka's inscriptions reveal a regional pattern, demarcating the five parts of the empire, whereas the major rock edicts have only been found in the frontier provinces, but are absent in the centre. Inscriptions and rock edicts are entirely absent in large parts of the territories supposedly under control of
2628-404: 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
2774-553: 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
2920-454: 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
3066-543: A salient role in Buddhism becoming a world religion, and himself a figure of world history. As Ashoka's edicts forbade both the killing of wild animals and the destruction of forests, he is seen by some modern environmental historians as an early embodiment of that ethos. Archaeologically, the period of Mauryan rule in South Asia falls into the era of Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW). The Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath
SECTION 20
#17328701601463212-480: 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
3358-460: A young prince, Ashoka ( r. 272–232 BCE) was a brilliant commander who crushed revolts in Ujjain and Taxila. As emperor he was ambitious and aggressive, re-asserting the Empire's superiority in southern and western India. But it was his conquest of Kalinga (262–261 BCE) which proved to be the pivotal event of his life. Ashoka used Kalinga to project power over a large region by building
3504-501: 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
3650-433: 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
3796-509: 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,
3942-508: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Prayagraj Prayagraj ( / ˈ p r eɪ ə ˌ ɡ r ɑː dʒ , ˈ p r aɪ ə -/ ; ISO : Prayāgarāja ), formerly Allahabad 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
4088-453: 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
4234-889: Is also situated here in Sector E shantipuram. There is also a homeopathic medical college situated in Shantipuram colony of Phaphamau. The town has an old airport which was operated by Royal Indian Airforce during the 2nd world war. This airport is located in Padilla. The airstrip is now abandoned. There is also Phaphamau railway station which comes in the Northern Zone. Phaphamau is well connected by road and railway. 1. Devprayag School & College http://devprayagsc.org/ 2. Devprayag Institute of Technical & Management studies http://devprayag.ac.in This Prayagraj district location article
4380-409: 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
4526-524: Is disputed: other scholars—such as epigraphist D. C. Sircar —read the phrase as mukhiya-kala ("the principal art"). According to the Buddhist tradition, the ancestors of the Maurya kings had settled in a region where peacocks ( mora in Pali ) were abundant. Therefore, they came to be known as "Moriyas", literally meaning, "belonging to the place of peacocks". According to another Buddhist account, these ancestors built
Phaphamau - Misplaced Pages Continue
4672-448: 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
4818-539: Is known about another son, Jalauka . The empire lost many territories under Dasharatha, which were later reconquered by Samprati , Kunala's son. Post Samprati, the Mauryas slowly lost many territories. In 180 BCE, Brihadratha Maurya , was killed by his general , Pushyamitra Shunga in a military parade without any heir. Hence, the great Maurya Empire finally ended, giving rise to the Shunga Empire . Reasons advanced for
4964-587: Is located in village Pandila , which is also called Pandeshwer Nath Dham . This temple is 5 km from Phaphamau. Devprayag day boarding school Nursery to XII std, Devprayag Institute of Technical Studies (Engineering college), Devprayag Institute of Management (MBA college), Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Government Degree College (SPMGDC), Ganga Gurukulam School, School Of wisdom, Shiv Ganga Vidya Mandir , and "Hartmann Ganj" Christian school are all located in Gaddopur, Phaphamau. Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tondon Open University
5110-535: 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:
5256-467: 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
5402-503: Is said to have lived as an ascetic at Shravanabelagola for several years before fasting to death, as per the Jain practice of sallekhana . Bindusara was born to Chandragupta , the founder of the Mauryan Empire. This is attested by several sources, including the various Puranas and the Mahāvaṃsa . He is attested by the Buddhist texts such as Dīpavaṃsa and Mahāvaṃsa ("Bindusaro");
5548-487: Is said to have met the Nanda king, angered him, and made a narrow escape. Historically reliable details of Chandragupta's campaign against Nanda Empire are unavailable and legends written centuries later are inconsistent. Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu texts claim Magadha was ruled by the Nanda dynasty , which, with Chanakya 's counsel, Chandragupta conquered Nanda Empire. The army of Chandragupta and Chanakya first conquered
5694-636: Is the State Emblem of the Republic of India , and the 24-pointed Buddhist Wheel of Dharma on the capital's drum-shaped abacus , is the central feature of India's national flag. The name "Maurya" does not occur in Ashoka's inscriptions , or the contemporary Greek accounts such as Megasthenes 's Indica , but it is attested by the following sources: According to some scholars, Kharavela's Hathigumpha inscription (2nd-1st century BC) mentions era of Maurya Empire as Muriya Kala (Mauryan era), but this reading
5840-465: 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
5986-422: 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
Phaphamau - Misplaced Pages Continue
6132-565: Is today Patna ) was located in Magadha; the other core regions were Taxila in the northwest; Ujjain in the Malwa Plateau ; Kalinga on the Bay of Bengal coast; and the precious metal -rich lower Deccan plateau " Outside the core regions, the empire's geographical extent was dependent on the loyalty of military commanders who controlled the armed cities scattered within it. The Mauryan economy
6278-573: 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
6424-845: 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
6570-464: 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
6716-745: 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
6862-511: 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,
7008-525: The Greco-Bactrian Kingdom . Some historians, such as Hem Chandra Raychaudhuri , have argued that Ashoka's pacifism undermined the "military backbone" of the Maurya empire. Others, such as Romila Thapar , have suggested that the extent and impact of his pacifism have been "grossly exaggerated". Buddhist records such as the Ashokavadana write that the assassination of Brihadratha and the rise of
7154-508: The Gupta Empire . Since then, the city has been a political, cultural and administrative centre of the Doab region. Akbarnama mentions that 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
7300-472: The Hindu Kush and as far south as the northern Deccan ; however, beyond the core Magadha area, the prevailing levels of technology and infrastructure limited how deeply his rule could penetrate society. During the rule of Chandragupta's grandson, Ashoka (ca. 268–232 BCE), the empire briefly controlled the major urban hubs and arteries of the subcontinent excepting the deep south. The Mauryan capital (what
7446-702: 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
SECTION 50
#17328701601467592-554: 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 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,
7738-601: 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
7884-463: The Viceroy of Avantirastra during his father's reign, which highlights the importance of the province. Bindusara's life has not been documented as well as that of his father Chandragupta or of his son Ashoka. Chanakya continued to serve as prime minister during his reign. According to the medieval Tibetan scholar Taranatha who visited India, Chanakya helped Bindusara "to destroy the nobles and kings of
8030-514: The Yaudheyas that had resisted Alexander's Empire. Ancient Greek historians Nearchus , Onesictrius , and Aristobolus have provided a valuable source of information about Chandragupta and the Mauryan empire. Chandragupta Maurya's ancestry is shrouded in mystery and controversy. On one hand, a number of ancient Indian accounts, such as the drama Mudrarakshasa ( Signet ring of Rakshasa – Rakshasa
8176-415: 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
8322-460: 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 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
8468-461: 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
8614-558: The 270s BCE. According to Upinder Singh, Bindusara died around 273 BCE. Alain Daniélou believes that he died around 274 BCE. Sailendra Nath Sen believes that he died around 273–272 BCE, and that his death was followed by a four-year struggle of succession, after which his son Ashoka became the emperor in 269–268 BCE. According to the Mahāvaṃsa , Bindusara reigned for 28 years. The Vayu Purana , which names Chandragupta's successor as "Bhadrasara", states that he ruled for 25 years. As
8760-526: The Bharatas, becomes spotless and reaches heaven." In Anushasana parva , after 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
8906-587: The Buddha states that bathing in Payaga (Skt: Prayaga) cannot wash away cruel and evil deeds, rather 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
SECTION 60
#17328701601469052-517: The Chanakya-Chandragupta legend. Because of this difference, Thomas Trautmann suggests that most of it is fictional or legendary, without any historical basis. Radha Kumud Mukherjee similarly considers Mudrakshasa play without historical basis. These legends state that the Nanda emperor was defeated, deposed and exiled by some accounts, while Buddhist accounts claim he was killed. With the defeat of Dhana Nanda, Chandragupta Maurya founded
9198-664: The Empire and instil stability and peace across West and South Asia. .Even though large parts were under the control of Mauryan empire the spread of information and imperial messages was limited since many parts were inaccessible and were situated far away from capital of empire. For the first time in South Asia , political unity and military security allowed for a common economic system and enhanced trade and commerce, with increased agricultural productivity. The previous situation involving hundreds of kingdoms, many small armies, powerful regional chieftains, and internecine warfare, gave way to
9344-549: 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
9490-619: The Great was leading his Indian campaigns and ventured into Punjab. His army mutinied at the Beas River and refused to advance farther eastward when confronted by another army. Alexander returned to Babylon and re-deployed most of his troops west of the Indus River . Soon after Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BCE, his empire fragmented into independent kingdoms ruled by his generals. "India, after
9636-465: The Greek rulers in the West as far as the Mediterranean. The edicts precisely name each of the rulers of the Hellenistic world at the time such as Amtiyoko ( Antiochus II Theos ), Tulamaya ( Ptolemy II ), Amtikini ( Antigonos II ), Maka ( Magas ) and Alikasudaro ( Alexander II of Epirus ) as recipients of Ashoka's proselytism. The Edicts also accurately locate their territory "600 yojanas away" (1 yojana being about 7 miles), corresponding to
9782-504: The Hellenic world. Deimachus was the ambassador of Seleucid king Antiochus I at Bindusara's court. Diodorus states that the king of Palibothra ( Pataliputra , the Mauryan capital) welcomed a Greek author, Iambulus . This king is usually identified as Bindusara. Pliny states that the Ptolemaic king Philadelphus sent an envoy named Dionysius to India. According to Sailendra Nath Sen, this appears to have happened during Bindusara's reign. Unlike his father Chandragupta (who at
9928-399: 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
10074-416: 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
10220-468: The Jain texts such as Parishishta-Parvan ; as well as the Hindu texts such as Vishnu Purana ("Vindusara"). According to the 12th century Jain writer Hemachandra 's Parishishta-Parvan , the name of Bindusara's mother was Durdhara . Some Greek sources also mention him by the name "Amitrochates" or its variations. Historian Upinder Singh estimates that Bindusara ascended the throne around 297 BCE. Bindusara, just 22 years old, inherited
10366-433: 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
10512-462: The Maurya Empire. After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, Chandragupta led a series of campaigns to take satrapies in the Indus Valley and northwest India. When Alexander's remaining forces were routed, returning westwards, Seleucus I Nicator fought to defend these territories. Not many details of the campaigns are known from ancient sources. Seleucus was defeated and retreated into
10658-476: The Nanda Empire. He had to flee in order to save his life and went to Taxila , a notable center of learning, to work as a teacher. On one of his travels, Chanakya witnessed some young men playing a rural game practicing a pitched battle. One of the boys was none other than Chandragupta. Chanakya was impressed by the young Chandragupta and saw imperial qualities in him as someone fit to rule. Meanwhile, Alexander
10804-549: The Nanda outer territories, and finally besieged the Nanda capital Pataliputra . In contrast to the easy victory in Buddhist sources, the Hindu and Jain texts state that the campaign was bitterly fought because the Nanda dynasty had a powerful and well-trained army. The Buddhist Mahavamsa Tika and Jain Parishishtaparvan records Chandragupta's army unsuccessfully attacking the Nanda capital. Chandragupta and Chanakya then began
10950-570: 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
11096-464: The Shunga empire led to a wave of religious persecution for Buddhists , and a resurgence of Hinduism . According to Sir John Marshall , Pushyamitra may have been the main author of the persecutions, although later Shunga kings seem to have been more supportive of Buddhism. Other historians, such as Etienne Lamotte and Romila Thapar , among others, have argued that archaeological evidence in favour of
11242-648: The Subcontinent. Ranging from as far west as Afghanistan and as far south as Andhra ( Nellore District ), Ashoka's edicts state his policies and accomplishments. Although predominantly written in Prakrit, two of them were written in Greek , and one in both Greek and Aramaic . Ashoka's edicts refer to the Greeks, Kambojas , and Gandharas as peoples forming a frontier region of his empire. They also attest to Ashoka's having sent envoys to
11388-599: 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
11534-579: The allegations of persecution of Buddhists are lacking, and that the extent and magnitude of the atrocities have been exaggerated. The fall of the Mauryas left the Khyber Pass unguarded, and a wave of foreign invasion followed. The Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius capitalized on the breakup, and he conquered southern Afghanistan and parts of northwestern India around 180 BCE, forming the Indo-Greek Kingdom . The Indo-Greeks would maintain holdings on
11680-497: 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
11826-451: 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
11972-484: 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
12118-506: 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
12264-561: 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
12410-692: The city seems to have had many similarities with Persian cities of the period. Chandragupta's son Bindusara extended the rule of the Mauryan empire towards southern India. The famous Tamil poet Mamulanar of the Sangam literature described how areas south of the Deccan Plateau which comprised Tamilakam was invaded by the Mauryan Army using troops from Karnataka. Mamulanar states that Vadugar (people who resided in Andhra-Karnataka regions immediately to
12556-472: 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 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
12702-533: The confluence of the rivers ( sangam ). Prayaga 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
12848-589: The consolidation of caste in the Gangetic plain , and the declining rights of women in the mainstream Indo-Aryan speaking regions of India. After the Kalinga War in which Ashoka's troops visited much violence on the region, he embraced Buddhism and promoted its tenets in edicts scattered around South Asia, most commonly in clusters along the well-traveled road networks. He sponsored Buddhist missionaries to Sri Lanka , northwest India, and Central Asia, which played
12994-534: The death of Alexander, had shaken off the yoke of servitude from its neck and put his governors to death. The author of this liberation was Sandrocottus." Justin The Maurya Empire was established in the Magadha region under the leadership of Chandragupta Maurya and his mentor Chanakya. Chandragupta was taken to Taxila by Chanakya and was tutored about statecraft and governing. Requiring an army Chandragupta recruited and annexed local military republics such as
13140-401: The decline include the succession of weak emperors after Ashoka Maurya, the partition of the empire into two, the growing independence of some areas within the empire, such as that ruled by Sophagasenus , a top-heavy administration where authority was entirely in the hands of a few persons, an absence of any national consciousness, the pure scale of the empire making it unwieldy, and invasion by
13286-441: The devastation, Ashoka began feeling remorse. Although the annexation of Kalinga was completed, Ashoka embraced the teachings of Buddhism, and renounced war and violence. He sent out missionaries to travel around Asia and spread Buddhism to other countries. He also propagated his own dhamma . Ashoka implemented principles of ahimsa by banning hunting and violent sports activity and abolishing slave trade . While he maintained
13432-474: The distance between the center of India and Greece (roughly 4,000 miles). Ashoka was followed for 50 years by a succession of weaker emperors. He was succeeded by Dasharatha Maurya , who was Ashoka's grandson. None of Ashoka's sons could ascend to the throne after him. Mahinda , his firstborn, became a Buddhist monk. Kunala Maurya was blinded and hence couldn't ascend to the throne; and Tivala , son of Karuvaki , died even earlier than Ashoka. Little
13578-448: 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
13724-494: The eastern parts of Gedrosia , and possibly also Arachosia and Aria as far as Herat." Seleucus I received the 500 war elephants that were to have a decisive role in his victory against western Hellenistic kings at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BCE. Diplomatic relations were established and several Greeks, such as the historian Megasthenes , Deimachus and Dionysius resided at the Mauryan court. Megasthenes in particular
13870-846: 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
14016-443: The emperor to whom tribute was paid by the laboring class. In return the emperor supplied the laborers with agricultural products, animals, seeds, tools, public infrastructure, and stored food in reserve for times of crisis. The economy of the empire has also been described as "a socialized monarchy", "a sort of state socialism", and the world's first welfare state . Arthashastra and Megasthenes accounts of Pataliputra describe
14162-409: The empire, which means that "large parts of present Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh as well as Kerala and Tamil Nadu were not actually included in the Maurya empire." Controlling the main trade routes was essential for the empire, as they were threatened by undefeated tribes inhabiting large parts of the interior. Under the Mauryan system there was no private ownership of land as all land was owned by
14308-528: 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
14454-459: The fertile eastern Gangetic plain, these factors helped maritime and river-borne trade, which were essential for acquiring goods for consumption as well as metals of high economic value. To promote movement and trade, the Maurya dynasty built roads, most prominently a chiefly winter-time road—the Uttarapath—;which connected eastern Afghanistan to their capital Patliputra during
14600-572: The first centuries of the common era ; partial records of the lost history of Megasthenes in Roman texts of several centuries later; and the Edicts of Ashoka , which were first read in the modern era by James Prinsep after he had deciphered the Brahmi and Kharoshthi scripts in 1838. Through military conquests and diplomatic treaties, Chandragupta extended his suzerainty as far westward as Afghanistan below
14746-471: The first centuries of the common era ; partial records of the lost history of Megasthenes in Roman texts of several centuries later; and the Edicts of Ashoka , which were first read in the modern era by James Prinsep after he had deciphered the Brahmi and Kharoshthi scripts in 1838. Prior to the Maurya Empire, the Nanda Empire ruled the Ganges basin and some adjacent territories. The Nanda Empire
14892-409: 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 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,
15038-451: 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
15184-407: 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
15330-420: 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
15476-654: The government of Rajnath Singh which remained unfulfilled. The rename finally succeeded in October 2018 when 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
15622-478: 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)
15768-421: The imperial capital at Pataliputra , and several former mahajanapadas next to it formed the center, which was directly ruled by the emperor's administration. The other territories were divided into four provinces, ruled by princes who served as governors. From Ashokan edicts, the names of the four provincial capitals are Tosali (in the east), Ujjain (in the west), Suvarnagiri (in the south), and Taxila (in
15914-806: The intricate municipal system formed by Maurya empire to govern its cities. A city counsel made up of thirty commissioners was divided into six committees or boards which governed the city. The first board fixed wages and looked after provided goods, second board made arrangement for foreign dignitaries, tourists and businessmen, third board made records and registrations, fourth looked after manufactured goods and sale of commodities, fifth board regulated trade, issued licenses and checked weights and measurements, sixth board collected sales taxes. Some cities such as Taxila had autonomy to issue their own coins. The city counsel had officers who looked after public welfare such as maintenance of roads, public buildings, markets, hospitals, educational institutions etc. The official head of
16060-494: The largest armies in the world during the Iron Age . According to Megasthenes, the empire wielded a military of 600,000 infantry, 30,000 cavalry, 8,000 chariots and 9,000 war elephants besides followers and attendants. A vast espionage system collected intelligence for both internal and external security purposes. Having renounced offensive warfare and expansionism, Ashoka nevertheless continued to maintain this large army, to protect
16206-464: The mountainous region of Afghanistan. The two rulers concluded a peace treaty in 303 BCE, including a marital alliance. According to Grant, under its terms, Seleucus Nicator ceded the Hindu Kush, Punjab and parts of Afghanistan to Chandragupta Maurya. According to Kosmin, "Seleucus transferred to Chandragupta's kingdom the easternmost satrapies of his empire, certainly Gandhara , Parapamisadae , and
16352-506: The name was deliberately given by Akbar to be construed as both Hindu ("ilaha") and Muslim ("Allah"). Over 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
16498-642: The north of Tamil Nadu) formed the vanguard of the Mauryan Army. He also had a Greek ambassador at his court, named Deimachus . According to Plutarch , Chandragupta Maurya subdued all of India, and Justin also observed that Chandragupta Maurya was "in possession of India". These accounts are corroborated by Tamil Sangam literature which mentions about Mauryan invasion with their south Indian allies and defeat of their rivals at Podiyil hill in Tirunelveli district in present-day Tamil Nadu . Chandragupta renounced his throne and followed Jain teacher Bhadrabahu . He
16644-544: 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
16790-830: The northwest). The head of the provincial administration was the Kumar (prince), who governed the provinces as emperor's representative. The kumara was assisted by mahamatyas (great ministers) and council of ministers. This organizational structure was reflected at the imperial level with the Emperor and his Mantriparishad (Council of Ministers). . The Mauryans established a well developed coin minting system. Coins were mostly made of silver and copper. Certain gold coins were in circulation as well. The coins were widely used for trade and commerce Monica Smith notes that historiography has tended to view ancient states as vast territories, whereas they are better understood as networks of centers of power,
16936-603: The peacock may have been the dynasty's emblem. Some later authors, such as Dhundhi-raja (an 18th-century commentator on the Mudrarakshasa and an annotator of the Vishnu Purana ), state that the word "Maurya" is derived from Mura and the mother of the first Maurya emperor. However, the Puranas themselves make no mention of Mura and do not talk of any relation between the Nanda and the Maurya dynasties. Dhundiraja's derivation of
17082-541: The places where Brahma attended a yajna (homa), and the confluence of river Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati site as 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
17228-497: 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
17374-410: 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 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
17520-454: 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
17666-520: 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
17812-466: The sixteen kingdoms and thus to become absolute master of the territory between the eastern and western oceans". During his rule, the citizens of Taxila revolted twice. The reason for the first revolt was the maladministration of Susima , his eldest son. The reason for the second revolt is unknown, but Bindusara could not suppress it in his lifetime. It was crushed by Ashoka after Bindusara's death. Bindusara maintained friendly diplomatic relations with
17958-768: The subcontinent right up to the birth of Christ. Although the extent of their successes against indigenous powers such as the Shungas , Satavahanas , and Kalinga are unclear, what is clear is that Scythian tribes, named Indo-Scythians , brought about the demise of the Indo-Greeks from around 70 BCE and retained lands in the trans-Indus, the region of Mathura , and Gujarat. Megasthenes mentions military command consisting of six boards of five members each, (i) Navy (ii) Military transport (iii) Infantry (iv) Cavalry and Catapults (v) Chariot divisions and (vi) Elephants . Ashoka's empire consisted of five parts. Magadha, with
18104-439: 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
18250-540: The table below. Maurya Empire The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia based in Magadha . Founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary sources for the written records of the Mauryan times are the Arthashastra , a work first discovered in the early 20th century, and previously attributed to Kautilya , but now thought to be composed by multiple authors in
18396-524: 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
18542-477: The time of year when the water levels in the intersecting rivers were low and they could be easily forded . Other roads connected the Ganges basin to Arabian Sea coast in the west, and precious metal -rich mines in the south. The population of South Asia during the Mauryan period has been estimated to be between 15 and 30 million. The empire's period of dominion was marked by exceptional creativity in art, architecture, inscriptions and produced texts, but also by
18688-416: The trans-Indus region, and make forays into central India, for about a century. Under them, Buddhism flourished, and one of their kings, Menander , became a famous figure of Buddhism; he was to establish a new capital of Sagala, the modern city of Sialkot . However, the extent of their domains and the lengths of their rule are subject to much debate. Numismatic evidence indicates that they retained holdings in
18834-566: The two seas' – the peninsular region between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea ). Bindusara did not conquer the friendly Tamil kingdoms of the Cholas , ruled by King Ilamcetcenni , the Pandyas , and Cheras . Apart from these southern states, Kalinga (modern Odisha) was the only kingdom in India that did not form part of Bindusara's empire. It was later conquered by his son Ashoka , who served as
18980-601: 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 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
19126-477: The village was Gramika and in towns and cities was Nagarika . The city counsel also had some magisterial powers. The taking of census was regular process in the Mauryan administration. The village heads ( Gramika ) and mayors ( Nagarika ) were responsible enumerating different classes of people in the Mauryan empire such as traders, agriculturists, smiths, potters, carpenters etc. and also cattle, mostly for taxation purposes. These vocations consolidated as castes,
19272-532: 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
19418-403: The word seems to be his own invention: according to the Sanskrit rules, the derivative of the feminine name Mura ( IAST : Murā) would be "Maureya"; the term "Maurya" can only be derived from the masculine "Mura". The primary sources for the written records of the Mauryan times are the Arthashastra , a work previously attributed to Kautilya , but now thought to be composed by multiple authors in
19564-515: 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 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
19710-518: Was a large, militaristic, and economically powerful empire due to conquering the mahajanapadas . According to several legends, Chanakya travelled to Pataliputra , Magadha , the capital of the Nanda Empire where Chanakya worked for the Nandas as a minister . However, Chanakya was insulted by the King Dhana Nanda when he informed them of Alexander's invasion. Chanakya swore revenge and vowed to destroy
19856-489: Was a notable Greek ambassador in the court of Chandragupta Maurya. His book Indika is a major literary source for information about the Mauryan Empire. According to Arrian , ambassador Megasthenes (c. 350 – c. 290 BCE) lived in Arachosia and travelled to Pataliputra . Megasthenes' description of Mauryan society as freedom-loving gave Seleucus a means to avoid invasion, however, underlying Seleucus' decision
20002-504: 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 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
20148-468: 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
20294-464: 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 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
20440-408: 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
20586-402: Was helped by the earlier rise of Buddhism and Jainism —creeds that promoted nonviolence, proscribed ostentation, or superfluous sacrifices and rituals, and reduced the costs of economic transactions; by coinage that increased economic accommodation in the region; and by the use of writing, which might have boosted more intricate business dealings. Despite profitable settled agriculture in
20732-516: 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
20878-630: 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
21024-556: Was the improbability of success. In later years, Seleucus' successors maintained diplomatic relations with the Empire based on similar accounts from returning travellers. Chandragupta established a strong centralised state with an administration at Pataliputra, which, according to Megasthenes, was "surrounded by a wooden wall pierced by 64 gates and 570 towers". Aelian , although not expressly quoting Megasthenes nor mentioning Pataliputra, described Indian palaces as superior in splendor to Persia 's Susa or Ecbatana . The architecture of
21170-526: 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
21316-486: Was the prime minister of Magadha) by Vishakhadatta , describe his royal ancestry and even link him with the Nanda family. A kshatriya clan known as the Mauryas are referred to in the earliest Buddhist texts , Mahāparinibbāna Sutta . However, any conclusions are hard to make without further historical evidence. Chandragupta first emerges in Greek accounts as "Sandrokottos". As a young man he is said to have met Alexander. Chanakya
#145854