
Map of Jalaun
'Jalaun' is a city and a
municipal board in
Jalaun district in the
Indian
state of
Uttar Pradesh.
The town was formerly the residence of a
Maratha governor, but never the headquarters of the district, which are at
Orai.
History
In early times Jalaun seems to have been the home of two
Rajput clans, the
Chandelas in the east and the
Kachwahas in the west. The town of
Kalpi on the
Yamuna was conquered by the armies of
Muhammad of Ghor in
1196. Early in the 14th century the Bundelas occupied the greater part of Jalaun, and even succeeded in holding the fortified post of Kalpi. That important possession was soon recovered by the
Delhi Sultanate, and passed under the way of the
Mughal Empire.
Akbar's governors at Kalpi maintained a nominal authority over the surrounding district, and the
Bundela chiefs were in a state of chronic revolt, which culminated in the war of independence under
Maharaja Chhatrasal. On the outbreak of his rebellion in
1671 he occupied a large province to the south of the Yamuna. Setting out from this base, and assisted by the
Marathas, he conquered the whole of Bundelkhand. On his death in
1732 he bequeathed one-third of his dominions to his Maratha allies, who before long succeeded in annexing the whole of Bundelkhand. Under Maratha rule the country was a prey to constant anarchy and strife. To this period must be traced the origin of the poverty and desolation which are still conspicuous throughout the district. In 1806 Kalpi was made over to the British, and in 1840, on the death of Nana Gobind Ras, his possessions lapsed to them also. Various interchanges of territory took place, and in 1856 the boundaries of the British district were substantially settled, with an area of 1477 square miles.
Jalaun was the scene of much violence during the
Revolt of 1857. When the news of the rising at
Kanpur reached Kalpi, the men of the 53rd Native Infantry deserted their officers, and in June the
Jhansi rebels reached the district, and began their murder of Europeans. It was not until September 1858 that the rebels were finally defeated. In the later 19th century, the district suffered much from the
invasive kans grass ''(
Saccharum spontaneum)'', owing to the spread of which many villages were abandoned and their land thrown out of cultivation. The population of the district was 399,726 in
1901, and the two largest towns are Kunch and Kalpi (pop. 10,139 in 1901). The district was traversed by the line of the Indian Midland railway from Jhansi to Kanpur. A small part of it is watered by the
Betwa Canal. Grain, oil-seeds,
cotton and
ghee were exported.
Geography
Jalaun is located at
[1]. It has an average elevation of 144
metres (472
feet).
Demographics
As of 2001 India
census[2], Jalaun had a population of 50,033. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Jalaun has an average literacy rate of 64%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 72%, and female literacy is 55%. In Jalaun, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.
References
1. Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Jalaun
2.
External links
★
Jalaun Government Website
References
★