Hardoi is a city and

municipal board A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

Hardoi district Hardoi district is a district situated in the center of Uttar Pradesh, India. The district headquarters is in the city of Hardoi. Hardoi is the third largest district of Uttar Pradesh. It falls under Lucknow division in the historical region ...

in the

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

. It is the administrative headquarters of

. It is also known as Prahalad Nagari. Hardoi is about 110 km from the state capital

Lucknow Lucknow () is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the largest city of the List of state and union territory capitals in India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is the administrative headquarters of the epon ...

and about 385 km from

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

. Hardoi is a temple town.

History

The early history of Hardoi is obscure. The name suggests a Bhar, a

Dalit Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for untouchables and outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called Harijans. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold var ...

caste of

pasi Pasi may refer to: * Pasi (caste), a Hindu caste of northern India * Pasi (film), ''Pasi'' (film), a 1979 Tamil film * Pasi (given name) * Pasi (surname), a surname of the Pasi community * Pasi, Papua New Guinea, a settlement near the coast of San ...

origin, but tradition either attributes it to a

Thathera The Thathera (literally meaning 'the beater', also known as Thathrias) is a Hindu and Sikh artisan caste in India, whose traditional occupation is the making of brass and copper utensils. In 2014, the craft of the Thathera community of Jandial ...

ruler named Raja Harnakas or to a religious devotee named Hardeo Babar who supposedly lived here around 1000 CE. In any case, the site was inhabited from an early date; below the old town is an ancient '' khera'' that covers 16 acres. Around 1300, a group of Chamar Gaurs led by Nir Singh are said to have conquered the place from the Thatheras, destroyed their fortress, and re-founded the city. At the turn of the 20th century, Hardoi consisted of two distinct parts: "old" Hardoi, occupying the original site of the village, and "new" Hardoi, which was developed after the establishment of the British civil station in the late 1850s. "New" Hardoi had wide streets, well-shaded by trees, and consisted mostly of the homes of civil officials and members of the local bar, as well as shops. Victoria Hall, built in 1888, contained the municipal and district offices as well as a public library (with books in

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Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

, Hindi,

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, and

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

) and a clock tower. The city also had a courthouse, police station, dispensary, orphanage, several schools, post and telegraph offices, and jail. Hardoi was not at the time a major commercial centre; the main trade involved gathering grain from the rural parts of the district and then exporting it by rail. There was a

grain market The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals such as wheat, barley, maize, rice, and other food grains. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other agri ...

at Railwayganj, by the train station, while the main market was at Hardeoganj, which held bazaars on Sundays and Wednesdays. The Gibsonganj quarter, near Railwayganj, had a colony of carpenters who did "extensive business in plough handles, cart wheels, and other portions of country carts."

Geography

Hardoi is located at . It has an average elevation of . Hardoi is located 110 km from

(capital of

) and 394 from

(capital of India).

Climate

Demographics

As of 2011 Indian Census, Hardoi had a total population of 126,851, of which 66,352 were males and 60,499 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 14,048. Hardoi had an average literary rate of 76%, of which male literacy was 79.5% and female literacy was 72.1%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 12,277 and 4 respectively. Hardoi had 21949 households in 2011.

Tourist attractions

* Sandi Bird Sanctuary, created in 1990, previously, "Dahar Jheel", is an important ecotourism bird

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

Economy

As of 1971, the economy of Hardoi was described as a hybrid between the service, commercial, and industrial sectors. The main items imported were

kerosene Kerosene, or paraffin, is a combustibility, combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in Aviation fuel, aviation as well as households. Its name derives from the Greek (''kērós'') meaning " ...

oil,

cane sugar Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula . For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and refined ...

, and

cloth Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is n ...

. The main items manufactured were

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

groundnut oil Peanut oil, also known as groundnut oil or arachis oil, is a vegetable oil derived from peanuts. The oil usually has a mild or neutral flavor but, if made with roasted peanuts, has a stronger peanut flavor and aroma. It is often used in Americ ...

, and

lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...

. The biggest exports were sugar, groundnut oil, and arhar. Hardoi has officially been incorporated into the State Capital Region of the Uttar Pradesh government in 2024.

History

Geography

Climate

Demographics

Tourist attractions

Economy

Education

References

External links