Kaimganj

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Kaimganj| type = city | latd = 27.57 | longd = 79.35
state_name = Uttar Pradesh
district = Farrukhabad
leader_title =
leader_name =
altitude = 147
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 31,127| population_density = 435
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone = 05690
postal_code = 207502
vehicle_code_range = UP-76
sex_ratio = 979
unlocode =
website =
footnotes =

Kaimganj is a city in Farrukhabad district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Kaimganj is connected to all the cites of north India by roads and Railway network. Kaimganj railway station is a major station between Farrukhabad and Kasganj on Rajputana railway link of NER.

Description

Kaimganj is just 10 km from the ancient city of Kampil on the left bank of great river Ganga in Farrukhabad district. Kaimganj was founded by Nawab Mohammad Khan Bangash in 1713 and named after his son Kaim Jang, who was its first administrator of this town. The meaning of the word "Ganj" is market place.

This town is the birth place of Zakir Hussain (Hindi: ज़ाकिर हुसैन, Urdu: زاکِر حسین), was the third President of India from May 13 1967 until his death on 3 May 1969. It is also the birth place of General Rahimuddin Khan, Martial Law Governor of Balochistan for an unprecedented seven years between 1978 and 1984.

Climate

The climate of the district is characterised by a hot dry summer and a pleasant cold season.

Geography

Kaimganj is located at coord|27.57|N|79.35|E| [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/36/Kaimganj.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Kaimganj] ] . It has an average elevation of 144 metres (472 feet).

Demographics

As of 2001 India census [GR|India] , Kaimganj had a population of 31,127. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Kaimganj has an average literacy rate of 64%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 68%, and female literacy is 58%. In Kaimganj, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Economy

The city is well known for its chewing tobacco and sugar mill. The tobacco cultivated in Kaimganj is cured by the sun and contains good amounts of nicotine. The tobacco is crushed into various sizes. A large range of different qualities are available. Tobacco is supplied to all the leading chewing tobacco manufacturers. The total turn over of the city is over three crore per day, which includes internal and external trade.

Besides the tobacco business, the city is also a potato hub and exports potatoes to nearly all of India from Kashmir to Tamil Nadu and Gujarat to Assam.

There is also a Sugar Mill at Kaimganj which crushes a large amount of sugarcane and a famous ICSE school named C.P.Vidya Niketan and numbers of students from other districts come here to study. A good initiative was taken by very famous businessman Mr. C.P. Agrawal for this educational backward town by opening ICSE affliated english medium school. School has tremendous facilities as comparable to any good school in India. Now the School is headed by Mr.Purnasis Rath. He is contributing to the school in different ways. The main problem with the school is to attract good teachers outside the town. Still school has given very bright students who are pursuing their careers in accountancy, engineering and medical facilities. SNM Inter College is the oldest educational institution. Earlier it was called George AV School which was founded by Pandit Pyarelal Chaturvedi. At that time it was up to Class VIII only. It is located near the Railway Station.

In the past two decade, Kaimganj has emerged as a major developed town in the region on infrastructural, economical, educational parts. - Recently there has been a lot of interest amongst young Kaimganjis to pursue their careers in the booming banking industry and other public sectors in the Middle East. This has been made possible by other established Kaimganjis like Mr. Shayak Ali Khan and Mr. Jehanzeb Khan in Dubai. They have helped these younger aspirants in finding gainful employment in reputed companies. Currently there are over 200 Kaimganjis in the UAE.

With this influx of Kaimganjis, it is hoped that a lot more of the younger generation will take a keen interest in expanding their horizons and change for the better.

The biggest village in Kaimganj is manjhana, its population is around 6,000 thousand.

History of the town

This town was the capital cousin of Bahlol, was taken prisoner. The war was terminated by the death of Mahmud and another peace was made on the old terms. Once more, however, a woman was the cause of war. This time it was the chief lady of Bahlol's harem, who was Qutb Khan's sister. She sent a message to the Sultan, bitterly reproaching him with his supineness in allowing her brother to remain a captive, and threatening to kill herself unless he were released. Bahlol at once set out against Muhammad Shah, the successor of Mahmud, who, equally ready to resume hostilities, without loss of time attacked Shamsabad and occupied it. This success alarmed Rai Partab, who hastened to abandon the cause of Bahlol and go over to the victorious party of Muhammad Shah. The latter crossed the Mainpuri district by forced marches until he reached Sarseni near Rapri, where Bahlol was encamped. Some fighting took place between the two armies, but a disastrous night manoeuvre, which resulted in the capture of one of Muhammad Shah's brothers and the headlong flight of another back to Jaunpur, compelled that prince to beat a retreat to Kanauj.

In 1748 Muhammad Shah was succeeded by his son Ahmad Shah, who shortly afterwards was appointed Safdar Jang. The Durrani invasions of Nadir Shah in 1739 and Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1748 had severely shaken the stability of the central government, and given to the provincial governors a dangerous degree of power. One of the most influential of these was Ali Muhammad in Rohilkhand, and the new "wajir", who had already quarrelled with him, looked with apprehension on his growing prestige. With Qaim Khan, the son of Muhammad Khan, he had also a hereditary feud, and he determined to set his two enemies at one another's throats, being certain to be himself the gainer whatever the event. Accordingly on the death od Ali Muhammad in 1749, after an abortive attempt to overthrow his successor by other means, an imperial farman was issued to Qaim Khan conferring on him the mahals of Bareilly and Moradabad wrongfully usurped by Sadullah Khan, the son of Ali Muhammad.

Qaim Khan fell into the trap laid for him and set out to the conquest of his new territories with a large force. At Kadirganj on the Ganges in the Etah district, he was defeated by the Rohillas under Hafiz Rahmat Khan and killed. Safdar Jang at ones attempted to seize Farrukhabad and the other Bangash parganas, but Ahmad Khan, the son of Qaim Khan, collected his adherents and in 1750 defeated the Wajir General Nawab Rae at Khuaganj, and the Wajit soon afterwards near Patiali. Had the ambition and enterprise of Ahmad Khan been equal to his personal courage there is little doubt that he might now have pushed on to Delhi and made himself master of the Emperors person and virtual sovereign. He was, however, far too easy-going in disposition to embark on such a scheme and contented himself with the recovery of his family, former territories and the recognition of his title to them from the Emperor. The administration of the various parganas was given to his brothers and relations, Shikohabad, which included Sakit, Kuraoli and Alikhera, going to Azim Khan, and Bhongaon and Bewar to the Majhle Nawab, Shadi Khan was sent to occupy Kora, but was opposed and defeated by Ali Quli Khan, the deputy in the Allahabad Subah. Ahmad Khans reluctance to move was overcome by the insistence of his counselors and he was persuaded to advance on Allahabad in person. While he was besieging that town the wajir had had time to recover from his defeat and had called in the Marathas to his assistance.

The approach of the united armies towards Farrukhabad obliged Ahmad Khan to raise the siege of Allahabad, and after some discussion he dicided to return to protect his own home. But the discouragement produced by this retreat proved too much for his mercenaries and they melted away until when he reached Fatehgarh he had too small a force to attempt to do more than hold the fort. After a month's siege a Rohilla army under Sadullah Khan and Bahadur Khan came down to his assistance, but was defeated by the Marathas, and Ahmad Khan then fled through Rohilkhand to Kumaon, where he remained till 1752, when a fresh invasion of India by Ahmad Shah Durrani made Safdar Jang and the Marathas anxious for pease. It was agreed that Rohilkhand and Farrukhabad should be evacuated on condition that Ahmad Khan took over the debt of thirty lakhs of rupees due from Safdar Jang to the Marathas as pay for their services, ceding as security for the debt sixteen and a half of the thirty three mahals comprised in his territories. The management of the whole remained in the hands of Ahmad Khan, who paid the surplus revenue, after deducting the cost of management and the pay of the troops, to two Marathas agents stationed at Kanauj and Aliganj. Payments continued to be made till the battle of Panipat in 1761, when the Marathas left Doab.

Contemporary history, Developments and Concerns

Kaimganj process the honour of being ancestral town of Late Mr. Zakir Hussain, Former President of Republic of India. Salman Khurshid UPCC Chief, a prominent figure in national politics is from Kaimganj. Prof.M.U.Rabbani,a renowned Cardiologist and Director of Cardiology in Aligarh Muslim University hails from Kaimganj. Dr. Shah Alam Khan, renowned Professor of Orthopaedics at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi hails from Kaimganj. His references and publications are well cited in current medical literature. In the past two decade, Kaimganj has emerged as a major developed town in the region on infrastructural, economical, educational parts.

The Broad Gauge railway network would soon be operational which would give direct connectivity to most of the cities in Northern and Eastern India. This would boost the trade measures in the town and would be beneficial for the common people of the town.

The major concern in the town today is the ambivalent tobacco industry. No Doubt tobacco industry has contributed a lot in the development of the town - by generating numerous employment opportunities for the poor and rich equally, and thus adding to the prosperity of the town. However, a large increase in the tobacco cultivation and processing in the various godowns located in city's residential premises is adding to the health hazards of the residents. The symptoms of asthma, tuberculosis and other respiratory malfunctions are evident in the people who work in tobacco processing industry and also among the common citizens.

References