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Pihani
Pihani is a town and nagar palika parishad (municipal board) in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh, India.[3] Historically, the city was a centre of sword production, leading to at least one British writer calling it "the Damascus of Oudh".[4] Today, important industries in Pihani include jaggery and woven carpets.[3] As of 2011, the town's population is 36,014, in 5,626 households.[3] Pihani also serves as the headquarters of a community development block in Shahabad tehsil.[3] GeographyPihani is located at 27°38′N 80°12′E / 27.63°N 80.2°E.[5] It has an average elevation of 141 metres (462 feet). Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census,[6] Pihani had a population of 27,535. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Pihani has an average literacy rate of 46%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 53%, and female literacy is 38%. In Pihani, 19% of the population is under 6 years of age. TransportPihani is well connected with Hardoi City . Government and private buses are available for Hardoi, Lucknow, Kanpur and Delhi. HistoryThere are two different accounts of the founding of Pihani.[4] The first, traditionally told by Hindu locals, holds that Pihani was originally settled by Dube Brahmins from Kannauj.[4] They had supposedly been invited by Raja Lakhan Sen, a Gaur king who had conquered the fort of Simaurgarh (near Mansurnagar) from the Thatheras.[4] The Muslim account, on the other hand, says that Pihani was founded by Sayyid Abdul Ghafur, who served as qazi of Kannauj under the Mughal emperor Humayun.[4] In 1540, after Humayun's defeat by Sher Shah Suri, Abdul Ghafur refused to acknowledge Sher Shah's rule and left Kannauj to take shelter in the jungle where Pihani now stands.[4] The name "Pihani" is thus said to derive from the word pinhani, meaning "concealment".[4] One of the main historical monuments in Pihani is the ornate tomb of Nawab Sadr Jahan, who served as a minister under Akbar.[4] It consists of a double dome supported by red sandstone pillars, while the surrounding area is shaded by large tamarind trees.[4] An inscription in Persian says that the tomb's construction began in 1071 AH and finished 10 years later.[4] Sadr Jahan's son, Badr-i-Alam, is also buried here.[4] Another monument is the ruined fort of Nizam Murtaza Khan (Badr-i-Alam's son); its western gate is still extant, as are the high walls built of kankar blocks.[4] Under the Nawabs of Awadh, Pihani was renowned for the quality of its sword blades.[4] It also produced woven turbans (aka dastars), but both of these industries had declined by the turn of the 20th century.[4] At the turn of the 20th century, Pihani was described as having two distinct quarters named Bari Pihani and Chhoti Pihani.[4] Bari Pihani was older and more run-down at the time, while Chhoti Pihani, or Nizampur, had been founded by Nizam Murtaza Khan and was more prosperous, with many trees providing shade.[4] Pihani remained a minor commercial centre, with a police station, post office, cattle pound, and several schools: one middle school, a lower primary school for boys, and two lower primary schools for girls.[4] EconomyAs of 1971, the economy of Pihani was described as dominated by primary activities.[7] The main items imported were cloth, groceries, and kerosene oil.[7] The main items manufactured were handloom, shoes, and agricultural implements.[7] The biggest exports were cane sugar, paddy, and wheat.[7] VillagesPihani CD block has the following 123 villages:[3]
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