Jaunpur district

Jaunpur district is an administrative district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It lies in the eastern part of the state and forms part of the Varanasi division. The district takes its name from its headquarters town, Jaunpur, a historic city on the banks of the Gomti River.

Key facts

Geography

The district lies on the alluvial plain of the middle Ganga basin. The Gomti flows through the district and divides the headquarters town into two parts; the Sai and Varuna are among the other streams that drain the area. The terrain is largely flat, fertile and intensively cultivated, typical of the Ganga–Yamuna doab fringe of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Neighbouring districts include Sultanpur, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Pratapgarh and Ambedkar Nagar.

History

The town of Jaunpur was founded in the 14th century during the reign of the Tughlaq ruler Firuz Shah Tughlaq, and is generally said to have been named in memory of his cousin Muhammad bin Tughluq (Jauna Khan). In the late 14th and 15th centuries it became the seat of the independent Sharqi Sultanate, whose rulers were noted patrons of architecture and learning. Monuments from this period, including the Atala Mosque, the Jama Masjid and the Lal Darwaza Mosque, gave rise to a distinctive regional style sometimes called the Sharqi or Jaunpur style.

After the fall of the Sharqis, the area was absorbed into the Lodi and subsequently Mughal domains. Under British rule it formed part of the United Provinces, and on independence became a district of Uttar Pradesh.

Administration

The district is headed by a District Magistrate and is part of the Varanasi administrative division. It is subdivided into several tehsils and development blocks, with Jaunpur city serving as the administrative and commercial centre. The district sends representatives to the Lok Sabha through the Jaunpur and Machhlishahr parliamentary constituencies, and elects multiple members to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

Economy

The economy is predominantly agricultural. Major crops include wheat, paddy, pulses, sugarcane and oilseeds, supported by canal and tube-well irrigation. The district is well known for the cultivation and processing of imarti and other local sweets, and for traditional perfume (itr) making. Remittances from residents working elsewhere in India and in the Gulf region also form an important part of household incomes.

Transport

Jaunpur is connected by national and state highways to Varanasi, Lucknow, Allahabad (Prayagraj), Azamgarh and Ghazipur. The Jaunpur Junction and Jaunpur City stations on the Northern Railway