THE HISTORY OF AYODHYA
History of Ayodhya The site of Ayodhya was too forested for human habitation till the end of the 6th or the beginning of the 5th century BC. Representing a proto-urban phase, the early inhabitants of Ayodhya, who came from regions to the south and west, were a part of the Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) Culture. Situated on the right bank of the river Ghagra, modern Ayodhya is popularly identified with the Ayodhya of the Ramayana. However, Saketa, mentioned in ancient literary sources including Buddhist writings, and Vishaka, Vinaya or Vinita, mentioned in Jaina texts, can also be identified with Ayodhya. Saketa was a flourishing town in the kingdom of Kosala because of its geographical position. It remained a commercial centre for a period of 300 years, from 485 to 200 BC. Saketa had been visited by the Buddha. Although the rule of Ashoka Maurya over Saketa is not well documented in literary texts, it is certain that as an ardent Buddhist, he would have built stupas and viharas. After 190 BC it was ruled by the Mitra dynasty who developed it into a military stronghold. Chandragupta I of Magadha, realising the strategic importance of Saketa and Prayag in the control of the area up to Kashi, expanded westwards. His successor Samudragupta consolidated the empire, and placed Saketa under the direct rule of Pataliputra. Skandagupta is believed to have shifted his capital from Pataliputra to Saketa. The Guptas laid the foundations for a renewal of brahminical institutions and learning during the 4th century AD, so that when the Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hien visited the city he hardly found anything of Buddhist interest. When another Chinese pilgrim, Hiuen Tsiang, visited the region during the reign of King Harsha of Kanauj (AD 636–640), it had become part of Kanauj and was probably administrated by a feudal vassal. From AD 650, Ayodhya remained in virtual obscurity till Mahmud of Ghazni attacked Kanauj in 1019. Following the withdrawal of the Turks, Ayodhya probably came under Rajput control. In 1198, Muhammad Ghouri attacked Ayodhya. The city remained unsettled until 1228, when Malik Nasirud-din Mahmud, son of the Delhi Sultan, managed to restore peace in the region and used Ayodhya as a base for northward expansion. Subsequently, garrisons were stationed in the town and construction of a fort began after 1279. This period was a prosperous one for Ayodhya and several nobles from Delhi came to settle
in Avadh. Avadh became part of the Sharqi kingdom of Jaunpur towards the end of the 14th century. Recovered by Bahloi Lodi, it was lost to the Mughals led by Babur, until their defeat by Sher Shah and his Afghans. Under Akbar, Ayodhya once again came under Mughal rule. Akbar’s reign saw heightened religious activity in northern India. During the reign of Jahangir and Shahjahan, Ayodhya gained significance as a place sacred to the Hindus. With the death of Aurangazeb, anarchy and civil war prevailed in Avadh. Fierce battles were fought between the Vaishnava Bairagis and Shaivite Sanyasins over possession of religious places in Ayodhya. It was only after 1722, with the appointment of Mir Muhammad Amin as governor, that affairs in Avadh started settling down. In 1731, Mir Muhammad Amin took the title of Nawab Sadat Khan and was appointed as the Subahdar of Avadh. He was succeeded by Safdar Jang who shifted the capital to Faizabad. In 1756 Shuja-ud Daula became the Nawab. In 1775 his son Asaf-ud Daula shifted the capital to Lucknow. On 13 February 1856, Avadh was annexed to the British East India Company. 14 Hum Sab Ayodhya