Editing Awadh (section)

=== Ancient ===
{{Main|Kosala}}
Awadh's political unity can be traced back to the ancient [[Hindu]] kingdom of [[Kosala]], with [[Ayodhya]] as its early capital in traditional history, though in Buddhist times (6th–5th century <small>BCE</small>) [[Shravasti]] became the kingdom's capital city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ayodhya {{!}} History & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Ayodhya |access-date=29 December 2022 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=29 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229094816/https://www.britannica.com/place/Ayodhya |url-status=live }}</ref>

Modern Awadh finds historical mention only in the Mughal time of [[Akbar]], in the late 16th century.

In prehistoric times, Awadh, reputedly the kingdom of Bikukshi, contained five main divisions :<ref name="Irwin 106">{{cite book | last = Irwin | first = Henry Crossly | title = The Garden of India. Or, Chapters on Oudh History and Affairs | url = https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.63152 | year = 1880 | publisher = W. H. Allen| location = London | page = 106}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>
# [[Uttara Kosala]] or the trans-[[Ghaghra]] districts, now known as [[Bahraich]], [[Gonda District|Gonda]], [[Basti district|Basti]] and [[Gorakhpur district|Gorakhpur]].
# [[Silliana]], consisting of lower range of hills to the north of Uttara Kosala, now belonging to [[Nepal]], with the [[Tarai]] at its base.
# [[Pachhimrath]], which may be roughly described as the country between Ghaghra and [[Gomti]] west to the line from [[Ayodhya]] to [[Sultanpur district|Sultanpur]]. This division included about third of present district of Ayodhya (including [[Ambedkar Nagar district]] district), a small portion of the north of [[Sultanpur district|Sultanpur]], greater part of [[Barabanki district|Barabanki]], and sections of the Lucknow and [[Sitapur]] districts.
# [[Purabrath]], which may be roughly described as the country between Ghaghra and Gomti east to the line from Ayodhya to Sultanpur. This division included about two-thirds of present district of Ayodhya (including Ambedkar Nagar district), the north-eastern corner of Sultanpur, and parts of [[Mirzapur district]], [[Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh|Pratapgarh district]] and [[Jaunpur district|Jaunpur]].
# [[Arbar]], extended southwards from Gomti to the [[Sai River (Uttar Pradesh)|Sai river]].