Editing Awadh (section)

{{Short description|Region in Uttar Pradesh}}
{{About|the cultural and historical region in India|the state during the British Raj|Oudh State}}
{{Additional citations|date=May 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name               = Awadh
| settlement_type    = [[Region]]
| image_map          = Awadhi language.png
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
| border      = infobox
| total_width = 300
| image_style =
| perrow      = 1/2/2/1
| caption_align = center
| image1      = Sarayu River night view, Ayodhya 001.jpg
| caption1    = [[Ram ki Paidi]], [[Ayodhya]]
| image2      = Bada Imambara aka Bhool Bhulaiya.jpg
| caption2    = [[Bara Imambara]], [[Lucknow]]
| image3      = Kumbh Mela2001.JPG
| caption3    = Procession of sadhus at the [[Prayag Kumbh Mela]]
| image4      = Kathak Group Performance (3).jpg
| caption4    = [[Kathak]]
| image5      = Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.jpg
| caption5    = [[IIT Kanpur]]
| image6 = Leaving the cold desolation.jpg
| caption6 =  [[Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary]]
}}
| image_flag         = 
| flag_alt           = 
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| nickname           = 
| motto              = 
| mottoeng           = 
| map1_alt           = 
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| coordinates        = {{Wikidatacoord|Q248705|type:event|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type   = Continent
| subdivision_name   = [[Asia]]
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[India]]
| subdivision_type2  = State
| subdivision_name2  = [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| subdivision_type3  = Covering territory
| subdivision_name3  = *[[Lucknow division]] 
*[[Ayodhya division]]
*[[Prayagraj division]]
*[[Kanpur division]]
*[[Mirzapur division]] (partly)
| subdivision_type4  = Languages
| subdivision_name4  = [[Awadhi language|Awadhi]], [[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]]
| blank1_name_sec1   = Largest Cities
| blank1_info_sec1   = {{hlist
| [[Lucknow]]
| [[Prayagraj]]
| [[Ayodhya]]
| [[Kanpur]]
}}
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| government_footnotes = 
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| unit_pref          = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_total_km2     = 68006
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| elevation_m        = 
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 55119236{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}
| population_as_of   = 2011
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = 
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| timezone1          = 
| utc_offset1        = 
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| mapsize            = 300px
| map_caption        = Modern map of the Awadh region
}}
[[File:Lalbagh gate faizabad c.1801.jpg|thumb|250px|Lal Bagh entrance in Faizabad, Municipal Corporation of [[Ayodhya]], as depicted in ''Gate of the Loll-Baug at Fyzabad'' by Thomas and William Daniell, 1801* (BL).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/other/019xzz000004323u00003000.html|title=Gate of the Loll-Baug at Fyzabad|publisher=British Library, Online Gallery|access-date=26 November 2019|archive-date=12 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111212071149/http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/other/019xzz000004323u00003000.html|url-status=live}}</ref>]]
[[Awadh]] ({{IPA|hi|əˈʋədʱ|lang|hi-Awadh.ogg}}), known in [[British Raj]] historical texts as '''Avadh''' or '''Oudh''', is a [[historical region]] in northern [[India]] and southern [[Nepal]], now constituting the North-central portion of [[Uttar Pradesh]]. It is roughly synonymous with the ancient [[Kosala]] [[Region]] of [[Hindu scriptures|Hindu]], [[Buddhist scriptures|Buddhist]], and [[Jain scriptures]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Awadh, historic region, India |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Awadh |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica |date=31 January 2013 |access-date=18 January 2025 |archive-date=20 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120143008/https://www.britannica.com/place/Awadh |url-status=live}}</ref>

It was a province of all the major [[Muslim period in the Indian subcontinent|Islamic dynasties in India]] including the [[Mughal Empire]]. With the decline of late Mughal [[Delhi]], Awadh became a major source of literary, artistic, religious, and architectural patronage in northern India under the rule of its eleven rulers, called [[Nawab of Awadh|Nawab]]s. From 1720 to 1856, the nawabs presided over Awadh, with [[Ayodhya]] and [[Faizabad]] serving as the region's initial capitals.<ref name="Gopal1993">{{cite book |author=Sarvepalli Gopal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=47AARF595dUC&pg=PA39 |title=Anatomy of a Confrontation: Ayodhya and the Rise of Communal Politics in India |date=1993 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-1-85649-050-4 |pages=39– |access-date=29 December 2022 |archive-date=9 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240209112831/https://books.google.com/books?id=47AARF595dUC&pg=PA39#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> Later, the capital was relocated to [[Lucknow]], which is now the capital of [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Awadh |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_com_26360 |access-date=29 December 2022 |website=Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE |doi=10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_com_26360 |archive-date=10 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310055129/https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-3/*-COM_26360 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The British conquered Awadh in 1856, which infuriated Indians and was recognised as a factor causing the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Rebellion (1857-58)]], the biggest Indian uprising against British rule.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Awadh {{!}} historic region, India {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Awadh |access-date=29 December 2022 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=19 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019041608/https://www.britannica.com/place/Awadh |url-status=live }}</ref>