Amethi

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Amethi | type = city | latd = 26.15 | longd = 81.82
locator_position = right | state_name = Uttar Pradesh
district = Sultanpur
leader_title =
leader_name =
altitude = 100
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 12,808| population_density =
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone = +915368
postal_code =
vehicle_code_range =
sex_ratio =
unlocode =
website =
footnotes =

Amethi is a town and a nagar panchayat in Sultanpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India.

Amethi lies in latitude 26 degree 9 minute north and longitude 81 degree 49 minute east on Raebareli-Amethi-Sultanpur road about 40 km south-west of Sultanpur. Also called as Raipur-Amethi of which Raipur belonged to the Raja of Amethi who lived at Ram Nagar. His ancestors used to reside in Raipur-Phulwari where the old fort is still found. Here is also a temple called Hanumangarhi and a mosque both built about hundred years ago. About three kilometres north of Ram Nagar there is a tomb of famous poet , Saint Malik Muhammad Jayasi where he died, and the fort was built by Bachghoti Rajas.

It is known as the seat of power of the Indian Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty. Former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, his grandsons Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi (the sons of Indira Gandhi), as well as Rajiv's widow Sonia Gandhi have all represented this constituency. In 2004, a fifth member of the family, Sonia and Rajiv's son Rahul Gandhi, was easily elected to the seat in the 2004 general elections. As an educational hub of the area it has got Indian Institute of Information Technology and Rajarshi Rananjay Post Graduate College. Amethi also boasts of the Avionics Division of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the organisation responsible for manufacture of Aircraft for Indian Airforce. Amethi has also a unit of Indo Gulf Fertilisers

In Lucknow on October 7, 2003, the State Cabinet revoked the earlier notification regarding renaming of Amethi as Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj Nagar. Now the Amethi will be known as its previous name, told Chief Secretary Mr. Akhand Pratap Singh in a media.

History

Manohar Singh, who had six sons, was the only son of the first of Bandhalgotis. The six sons of Manohar Singh divided the estate between them. Raj Singh, the youngest of the six brothers succeeded in adding to his share those of his brothers, Ram Singh and Kunwar Singh who died childless. The fourth descendant Ramraj Singh, Shriram Dev had two brothers Shyam Lal and Dharamir who owned Barna Tikar estate on the extreme west and the Tikri estate on the extreme east. Ram Sahay, the grandson of Shriram Dev was given as his share of the estate Kasranwa on the northern boundary of Amethi, while his great grandson Sultanshah obtained Shahgarh intermediate between Kasranwa and the older estates. Thus, the hold of Bandhalgotis seems to have separated the entire Amethi pargana.

The next of Bandhalgotis, whom anything is heard about was Gurdatt Singh, who in 1743 defied the local authorities and ultimately fleed to the neighbouring jungle of Ramnagar. His fort of Raipur was destroyed in the siege of 18 days and his state was taken over. Drigpal Singh, the son of Gurdatt Singh, recovered the estate and from his time, the present taluqa of Amethi, the property used to be called Udaiwan. Gurdatt Singh was sometimes styled Raja and sometimes Babu. The title of raja was hereditary but it is not known how long it been adopted by the head of the family. Gurdatt Singh had two sons, Harchand Singh, who obtained the bulk of his father's possessions, and Jaichand Singh who become a separate proprietor of the Kannu Kasranwa. Harchand Singh owned the whole of Amethi pargana, except Raghipur. In 1810 he was defeated by Saadat Ali Khan and the Raja was left with only 48 villages. However, Dalpat Shah, his son in whose favour he abdicated recovered in 1813 all his father's original estates. Dalpat Shah died in 1815 and was succeeded by his son, Bisheshar Singh, who died childless in 1842. He was succeeded by Madho Singh, nephew of Dalpat Shah. Madho Singh tried to expand his estate and had to face hostilities from the nazim of Sultanpur, Maharaja Man Singh in 1845. Negotiations followed and Madho singh was given the lease of the whole pargana with the exception of a few villages. Madho Singh died in August 1891, shortly after the death of his only son, was succeeded by an adopted heir, Raja Bhagwan Baksh Singh, son of Babu Sheodarshan singh, a relative of the late Raja. The estate consisted of 314 village and four pattis, all in Amethi pargana.

The house of Shahgarh was founded by Sultan Shah, the brother of Bikram Shah of Amethi. It derived its name from a fort he built and called after himself. The estate consisted of 121 villages. From 1803 to 1810 Shahgarh was with the rest of the pargana, leased to Harchand Singh, but was taken away in the later year. It then comprised 40 villages but had increased to 60 in 1846 when it was again given to Amethi.

All the Kanhapurias of Sultanpur are descendants of Rahas, the second son of Kanh, the founder of the Clan. Seventh in descent from Rahas came Prashad Singh who had three sons. Fourth descendants of Janga Singh were Udebhan of Tiloi and Gulal Shah of Shahmau. The Raja Tiloi in the beginning of the twentieth century was the descendant of Udebhan. His property in the district consisted of Suratgarh and Naudand in pargana Gaura Jamo.

The other Sultanpur Kanhapurias are the descendants of Indrajit Singh, great grandson of Janga Singh. Balbhaddar Singh, son of Indrajit Singh had four sons. Pratap Bahadur Singh, Raja of Katari who owned 13 villages in pargana Gaura Jamo was the grandson of Balbhaddar Singh. Raj Sah who founded the house of Jamo was the second son of Balbhaddar. Mahabir Bakhsha Singh of Jamo owned 17 villages of that pargana was a descendant of Raj Sah in the tenth generation. Babu Raghuraj Singh of Baraulia who owned 13 villages in Gaura Jamo was another descendant. The taluqdar of Bhawanshahpur, Babu Debi Bakhsha Singh, who owned 12 villages and the patti in the north of pargana Amethi was the son of Tribhubhan Sah, the third son of Balbhaddar. The whole of Kanhpuria possessions were included in the old pargana of Jais, but was broken up into four parganas of Jais, Mohanganj, Sumrauta, and Gaura Jamo by 1775

Geography

Amethi is located at coord|26.15|N|81.82|E| [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/36/Amethi.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Amethi] ] . It has an average elevation of 100 metres (328 feet).

Demographics

As of 2001 India census [GR|India] , Amethi had a population of 12,808. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Amethi has an average literacy rate of 59%, lower than the national average of 59.5%; with 59% of the males and 41% of females literate. 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Getting there

Amethi is well connected to all major cities in Uttar Pradesh and North-Eastern India via Indian Railways and roads. It has many direct trains connecting with major cities like Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Dehradun, Haridwar, Allahabad, Varanasi, Kolkata, Puri and many more.A number of UPSRTC busses ply from Amethi, providing seemless local and national connectivity.(Uttar Pradesh State Regional Transport Corporation Phone : [phone])

References