Asiwan & Unnao - Page 5

Asiwan ( Unnao )

Before we go ahead, let’s have a look Asiwan and the district of Unnao at present.
Asiwan lies to the north east of city Unnao. It is a picturesque spot with a high sandy land with Sai river to the north of the town. It is situated 16 miles north west of Mohan and 20 miles north of Unnao. Safipur, another famous town, lies 8 miles to the south west.The Imperial Gazetteer of India Vol VI gives the following account about Asiwan:-

Asiwan. — Town in the Mohan tahsil of Unao District, United
Provinces, situated in 26 48' N. and 8o° 28' E., on the bank of a fine
lake 20 miles north of Unao town. Population (1901), 6,153. It is
said to have been founded in the eleventh century by a dhobi or washer-
man, named Asun, but has no history. Asiwan contains a number of
mosques and temples, and a fine masonry sarai built early in the
nineteenth century. There is a small manufacture of coarse cotton
cloth, and a market is held twice a week. A school has about 98 pupils.

As on today (in 2010) Unnao District has been divided into 5 Tehsils Unnao, Hasanganj, Safipur, Purwa & Bighapur and 16 development Blocks namely - Ganj Moradabad, Bangarmau, Fatehpur Chaurasi, Safipur, Miyanganj, Auras, Hasanganj, Nawabganj, Purwa, Asoha, Hilauli, Bighapur, Sumerpur,Bichia, Sikandarpur Sirausi, Sikandarpur Karan.

In the days of Akbar, the area covered by the district was included in sirkar Lucknow of the Suba (province) of Avadh, During the days of nawabs of Avadh, the eastern portion of the district formed the chakla of Purwa. The portion of the district lying to the north of this chakla was included in the chaklas of Rasulabad and Safipur which also included the mahal of Mohan.

After the annexation of Awadh by the British in February 1856, the district, then called district Purwa came into existence and the head-quarter was shifted from Purwa to Unnao. The district then contained 13 parganas namely Bangarmau, Fatehpur Chaurasi, Safipur, Pariar, Sikandarpur, Unnao, Harha, Asiwan-Rasulabad, Jhalotar-Ajgain,Gorinda Parsandan, Purwa, Asoha and Mauranwan.

In 1869, parganas Panhan Patan, Bihar, Bhagwantnagar, Magaryar, Ghatampur and Daundia khera were transferred from district Rae Bareli to tehsil Purwa of this district, and pargana Auras-Mohan was transferred from district Lucknow to the old tehsil Nawabganj of this district. When the tehsil headquarters were removed first to Mohan and, again in 1891, to Hasanganj.

Maulvi Habib-ur-Rahman was the chakladar of the above mentioned Zila Purwa (Dist Purwa) that covered the purwa, safipur, Mohan, Rasulabad,Fatehpur Chaurasi and Asiwan parganas etc.