Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh

Jaunpur

Jaunpur is a historic city and the administrative headquarters of Jaunpur district in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Situated on the banks of the river Gomti, it is renowned for its medieval Indo-Islamic architecture, much of it dating from the rule of the Sharqi dynasty in the 14th and 15th centuries, when Jaunpur served as the capital of an independent sultanate.

Geography

Jaunpur lies in the Ganges plain of eastern Uttar Pradesh, with the Gomti, a tributary of the Ganges, flowing through the city. It is connected by road and rail to Varanasi to the south-east, Lucknow to the west, Allahabad (Prayagraj) to the south-west, and Azamgarh to the north. The terrain is flat alluvial plain, and the climate is humid subtropical with a hot summer, monsoon rains, and a cool winter.

History

Foundation

The city was founded in the 14th century during the reign of the Delhi Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq, who is traditionally said to have named it in memory of his cousin Muhammad bin Tughlaq, whose given name was Jauna Khan.

Sharqi Sultanate

Following the weakening of the Delhi Sultanate after Timur's invasion of 1398, Malik Sarwar, a noble appointed governor of Jaunpur, established an independent sultanate. The Sharqi dynasty ruled from Jaunpur from the late 14th century until 1479, when the territory was reabsorbed into the Delhi Sultanate under the Lodi ruler Bahlul Lodi. During this period, Jaunpur emerged as a major centre of learning, music, and architecture, and was sometimes referred to as the "Shiraz of India" (Shiraz-e-Hind) for its scholarly reputation.

Mughal and later periods

Under the Mughals, Jaunpur formed part of the Allahabad Subah and continued to function as a regional administrative and trading centre. After the decline of Mughal power, the city came under the Nawabs of Awadh, and subsequently under the East India Company following the cession of territories in the early 19th century. It was incorporated into the British Indian province of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh.

Architecture and Monuments

Jaunpur preserves a distinctive school of Indo-Islamic architecture associated with the Sharqi sultans, characterised by massive propylon-like façades and the use of arch-and-beam construction.

• Atala Masjid — completed in the early 15th century during the reign of Ibrahim Shah Sharqi; one of the earliest and most influential Sharqi mosques.
• Jama Masjid (Jaunpur) — a large congregational mosque begun under the Sharqis and completed under Husain Shah Sharqi.
• Lal Darwaza Masjid — built in the mid-15th century and known for its red gateway.
• Khalis Mukhlis Masjid and the Jhanjhri Masjid — further examples of Sharqi mosque architecture.
• Shahi Qila — a fort begun in the Tughlaq period and modified under later rulers, overlooking the Gomti.
• Shahi Bridge (Munim Khan's Bridge) — a stone bridge over the Gomti constructed in the late 16th century during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar, attributed to the noble Munim Khan.

Economy

The economy of Jaunpur is largely agrarian, with the surrounding district known for the cultivation of paddy, wheat, pulses, sugarcane, and vegetables. The city has long been associated with the production of imarti and other sweets, as well as perfumery (itr) and traditional handlooms. Small-scale manufacturing, trade in agricultural produce, and services connected to administration and education form the bulk of urban employment.

Administ