Budaun

Arts and Historical Turning Points in Budaun

Budaun is a medieval city and the headquarters of the Budaun district situated in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The municipality is positioned approximately one mile east of the Sot river and twenty-seven kilometers north of the Ganges within the Rohilkhand region, holding a current projected population of 161,555.

The settlement reached a major historical turning point when it served as the capital of the Delhi Sultanate for four years from 1210 CE to 1214 CE during the reign of Sultan Iltutmish. Prior to this imperial prominence, the urban center functioned as a secure post on the northern frontier after its capture by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1196. Architectural and artistic heritage expanded significantly during the thirteenth century, notably highlighted by the construction of an imposing mosque crowned with a dome in 1223 by Shams-ud-din Iltutmish, who later attained the imperial throne alongside his son Rukn ud din Firuz.

Archaeological recovery continues to shed light on the ancient layers of the municipal territory, including recent findings in Kheda Jalalpur village where fragments of Hindu temple idols and ancient bricks dating to the post-Gupta period of the seventh and eighth centuries were retrieved. Ancient stone scripts housed in the Lucknow Museum reference the locality under the historical designation of Bedamooth, while local traditions attribute the founding of the city in 905 A.D. to a prince named Budh.

Budaun is a medieval city and the administrative headquarters of the Budaun district located within the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Situated about a mile east of the Sot river and 27 kilometers north of the Ganges in the Rohilkhand region, the municipality lies approximately 230 kilometers south-east of New Delhi and 245 kilometers north-west of Lucknow, with road travel to either city taking about six hours.

According to the 2011 census, Budaun recorded a population of 159,221 residents, which is projected at present to be 161,555. The city spans an area of 81 square kilometers, while the broader Budaun Metro Area encompasses roughly 417,000 inhabitants across 103 square kilometers, incorporating localities such as Shekhupur, Bahedi, Islamganj, Chandanpur, Salarpur, Salarpur Industrial Estate, Shekhupur Firing Range, Padauna, and Khera Buzurg. The local time zone is Asia/Kolkata, and the currency utilized is the Indian Rupee (INR).

A critical historical turning point for the settlement occurred when Budaun rose to prominence as the capital of the Delhi Sultanate for four years, reigning from 1210 CE to 1214 CE under Sultan Iltutmish. Earlier, the area was connected to a Rashtrakuta chief who shifted his capital to Vodamāyuta—the former name of Budaun—after Mahmud, the son of the Ghaznavid Sultan, conquered Kanauj after 1085. Following its capture by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1196, the location served as a vital northern frontier post for the Delhi empire, and later functioned as a crucial outpost of the Northern Frontier during the Mughal reign. In 1223, an imposing domed mosque was constructed by Shams-ud-din Iltutmish, who governed the territory before attaining the imperial throne alongside his son, Rukn ud din Firuz.

Etymological and archaeological accounts trace the settlement's origins through various traditions. Professor Goti John noted that an ancient inscription at the Lucknow Museum referred to the city as Bedamooth, while the Muslim historian Roz Khan Lodhi recorded that Ashoka the Great built a Buddh Vihar and fort named BuddhMau. George Smith suggested the designation derived from Prince Budh, reflecting local traditions that place its founding in 905 A.D. by Prince Budh Ahir of an Ahir dynasty. Recent archaeological findings by the ASI in Kheda Jalalpur village have uncovered fragments of Hindu temple idols and ancient bricks from a mound, identified as dating to the post-Gupta period of the 7th and 8th centuries.