Farrukhnagar
Encyclopedia
Farrukhnagar is a town and municipality in Gurgaon district
in Haryana
state, India
. It is one of the nine administrative blocks of Gurgaon district situated 21 km from Gurgaon
and shares its border with Jhajjar district
. Established in 1732 by Faujdar Khan, the first Nawab
of Farrukhnagar and a governor of Mughal Emperor (r. ca 1711-1716) Farrukhsiyar
in 1732, Farrukhnagar flourished due to its salt trade till the late 19th century, and later it was abandoned in early 20th century, during the British Raj
. Today, Mughal era monuments like Sheesh Mahal, and Jama Masjid built Faujdar Khan are popular visitors attractions. The town is connected to Garhi Harsaru, south of Gurgaon, by railway line. The Sultanpur National Park
is situated in Farrukhnagar block on Pataudi
Road.
, Farrukhnagar had a population of 9,520, a substantial increase from 6,136 in 1901 a century ago. Males were 53% and females were 47% of the population in 2001. Male literacy was 73% and female literacy was 55% and the average literacy was 64%, slightly more than the national average, 59.5%. Children below six years were 14% of the population.
in 1732, Farrukhnagar flourished due to its salt trade for many years. Sultanpur, now known for Sultanpur National Park
, was the centre of salt production for use in Delhi and the United Provinces
till the late 19th century exporting annually 680,000 maunds or 18,350 tons (1 maund = 37 kg approx.) over the Rajputana-Malwa Railway
. Salt was produced by extracting brine from about 40 wells using bullocks and drying in open plots. Since salt was one of the major sources of government's revenue, the office of the Salt Superintendent at Sultanpur supervised the levy of Rs.2 per maund (about 37 kg). With the levy of the heavy salt tax and acquisition of the Sambhar salt works
in Rajputana
(present Rajasthan) by the government, the Sultanpur salt became uneconomical and by 1903-04 the salt industry was struggling for survival with salt export having fallen to 65,000 maunds or 1,750 tons leading to severe setback to the economy of Sultanpur area. Finally in 1923 the British shut down the office of the salt superintendent at Sultanpur, had all the mounds of salt thrown back into the wells and shut down the salt industry leading to considerable economic misery to the people.
Faujdar Khan's descendant, Nawab Ahmed Ali Khan, took part in the India's First War of Independence
in 1857 along with the rulers of neighbouring principalities, like Rewari
, Ballabhgarh
and Jhajjar
, all of whom were later tried and executed and their estate confiscated by the British Raj
. Today Ahmed Ali is still remembered for his sacrifice and recognized a state hero.
It was ruled by Baloch
rulers, Faujdar Khan, later Dalel Khan, before being taken over the Mughal
s, who made Faujdar Khan, a governor by Mughal Emperor, Farrukhsiyar
(r. ca 1711-1716); Later rechristened in 1732, when Faujdar christened himself the Nawab of Farrukhnagar and named the town after the Mughal emperor. He also built the Farrukhnagar Fort surrounding the octagonal town, with five gated entrances, his palace known as Sheesh Mahal, a notable structure in Mughal architecture
around 1711 A.D, also the Jama Masjid and Dilli Darwaza (Delhi Gate). The successive Nawabs ruled over a large tract of land in the area, for the coming seventy odd year, till they were overthrown by Jat ruler of Bharatpur
.
Subsequently, in 1737, they took over Hissar
from Nawab Shah Dad Khan of Kasur
, who had been ruling since the death of Aurangzeb
in 1707, as nazim
of the sarkar
of Hissar. Mughal Emperor Alamgir II
, (The Sultan of Delhi 1754-1759) gave a nearby jagir
to Bahadur Khan and Taj Mohammed Khan, Baloch
rulers of Farrukhanagar in 1754, who changed its name from Sharafabad to Bahadurgarh
. Rohtak
region which had come into the hands of minister Rukn ud-din in 1718 due to decay of the Mughal Empire, transferred his territories to Faujdar Khan in 1732, who in time it passed on to his son Nawab Kamgar Khan. Out of this Hissar was perpetually being fought by Sikh forces though he managed to retain much of Rohtak and Gurgaon until his death around 1760 Nawab of Farrukh Nagar captured Hisar from Rao Gujar mal, Ahir ruler of Rewari
.Rao Gujar mal sent a message to the Nawab to vacate Hisar and other adjoining areas which was granted to him.When the Nawab refused to comply it the Rao defeated him in a battle at Hansi and imprisoned him.
Meanwhile later Farrukhnagar was captured by Suraj Mal of Bharatpur, a Jat state in around 1757, defeating Musa Khan son of Kamgar, though after Suraj Mal's death in 1763, the jagir was later restored back to Musa Khan ca 1771, though he could never capture Rohtak again. Upon annexation by the British Raj
, the principality remained with Nawabs, but after Nawab Ahmed Ali Khan of Farrukhnagar, took part in the Indian Rebellion of 1857
, along with the Nawabs of Jhajjar
, Rao Tula Ram
of Rewari
and Raja Nahar Singh
of Bahadurgarh
, Bhatti chieftains of Hissar and Sirsa, and the Meo
tribesmen, their jagir was confiscated in 1858 and made part of the Empire. During the rebellion their combined forces took over Rohtak
completely from British forces for a while, and attacked and plundered the civil station, burning all official records. After the Rebellion failed, forces of Punjab levies moved in and Nawab Abdur Rehman Khan of Jhajjar and Raja Nahar Singh of Bahadurgarh were captured and tried, while the former was executed in Delhi, the latter escaped with a sentence of exile to Lahore . A memorial was recently raised to commemorate the martyrs of the rebellion in the city.
The town was once an important trading center for salt extracted from nearby saline wells. This salt was called Sultanpur
Salt after Sultanpur
, the most important salt-works of the region. Due to high taxation and concomitant lower cost of Sambhar salt the sale in 1903-1904 was only 65,736 maund
s, down from 680,000 maunds before 1878. Its production was prohibited by the British in 1923 when the office of Salt Superintendent was closed.
Farrukhnagar became a municipality in 1967.
, Jhajjar
, Pataudi
and other towns by road. Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway (KMP Expressway), whose construction may be completed by 2012, lies close to the town and will make access to the town easier.
A branch line was laid in 1901 to Garhi Harsaru station on Rajputana
-Malwa Railway (Delhi-Ajmer
railway), 12 km away., The metre gauge railway line was used to transport salt by steam engines. It was closed in 1994 for gauge conversion. The converted broad gauge track became operational in 2011. There has been a demand to extend the track to Jhajjar where it will join Rewari
-Jhajjar-Rohtak
railway line.
, as a result small section large landowners amassed great wealth in short period, which also encouraged public splurging. In 2007, the town made news in the global media, when a local Yadav
farmer hired a private helicopter to ferry his son to his wedding, barely 20 km away. In the recent years, heritage structures in the town have attracted interest from various organisations including ASI and INTACH, which is proposing a "heritage walk" around town, and also plans to develop it as a heritage village.
monuments situated in the town both build by the first Nawab, Faujdar Khan are important visitors attractions.
Gurgaon District
Gurgaon district is one of the 21 districts of Haryana state in northern India. Gurgaon city is the administrative headquarters of the district. The population is 1,660,289 . .It is the southern-most district of Haryana...
in Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
state, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is one of the nine administrative blocks of Gurgaon district situated 21 km from Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
and shares its border with Jhajjar district
Jhajjar District
Jhajjar district is one of the 21 districts of Haryana state in northern India.Jhajjar district was carved out of Rohtak district on July 15, 1997. The district headquarters is situated in Jhajjar. Other towns in the district are Bahadurgarh and Beri. Bahadurgarh was founded by Rathi Jats and...
. Established in 1732 by Faujdar Khan, the first Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
of Farrukhnagar and a governor of Mughal Emperor (r. ca 1711-1716) Farrukhsiyar
Farrukhsiyar
Abu'l Muzaffar Muin ud-din Muhammad Shah Farrukh-siyar Alim Akbar Sani Wala Shan Padshah-i-bahr-u-bar [Shahid-i-Mazlum] was the Mughal emperor between 1713 and 1719. Noted as a handsome but weak ruler, easily swayed by his advisers, Farukhsiyar lacked the ability and character to rule independently...
in 1732, Farrukhnagar flourished due to its salt trade till the late 19th century, and later it was abandoned in early 20th century, during the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. Today, Mughal era monuments like Sheesh Mahal, and Jama Masjid built Faujdar Khan are popular visitors attractions. The town is connected to Garhi Harsaru, south of Gurgaon, by railway line. The Sultanpur National Park
Sultanpur National Park
Sultanpur National Park is located at Sultanpur, Haryana in Gurgaon District, Haryana, India, located 15 km from Gurgaon, Haryana.-History:...
is situated in Farrukhnagar block on Pataudi
Pataudi
Pataudi is a town in Gurgaon district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located from Gurgaon, at the foot hills of the Aravali hills.Pataudi was the seat of Pataudi State which was ruled by the Nawabs of Pataudi. The 8th Nawab, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, played cricket for both England and...
Road.
Geography
Farrukhnagar is located at 28.45°N 76.82°E. It has an average elevation of 223 metres (731 feet).Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Farrukhnagar had a population of 9,520, a substantial increase from 6,136 in 1901 a century ago. Males were 53% and females were 47% of the population in 2001. Male literacy was 73% and female literacy was 55% and the average literacy was 64%, slightly more than the national average, 59.5%. Children below six years were 14% of the population.
History
Founded by Faujdar Khan, the first Nawab of Farrukhnagar and a governor of Mughal Emperor (r. ca 1711-1716) FarrukhsiyarFarrukhsiyar
Abu'l Muzaffar Muin ud-din Muhammad Shah Farrukh-siyar Alim Akbar Sani Wala Shan Padshah-i-bahr-u-bar [Shahid-i-Mazlum] was the Mughal emperor between 1713 and 1719. Noted as a handsome but weak ruler, easily swayed by his advisers, Farukhsiyar lacked the ability and character to rule independently...
in 1732, Farrukhnagar flourished due to its salt trade for many years. Sultanpur, now known for Sultanpur National Park
Sultanpur National Park
Sultanpur National Park is located at Sultanpur, Haryana in Gurgaon District, Haryana, India, located 15 km from Gurgaon, Haryana.-History:...
, was the centre of salt production for use in Delhi and the United Provinces
United Provinces
United Provinces may refer to:* United Provinces, another name for the Dutch Republic , now The Netherlands* United Provinces of Agra and Oudh , a former province of British India; now Uttar Pradesh...
till the late 19th century exporting annually 680,000 maunds or 18,350 tons (1 maund = 37 kg approx.) over the Rajputana-Malwa Railway
Rajputana-Malwa Railway
The Rajputana-Malwa Railway was a railway line which ran from Delhi to Indore and to Ahmedabad....
. Salt was produced by extracting brine from about 40 wells using bullocks and drying in open plots. Since salt was one of the major sources of government's revenue, the office of the Salt Superintendent at Sultanpur supervised the levy of Rs.2 per maund (about 37 kg). With the levy of the heavy salt tax and acquisition of the Sambhar salt works
Sambhar, Rajasthan
Sambhar is a city and a municipality in Jaipur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan.-Geography:Its importance is primarily because of it is situated along the Sambhar Lake, the largest saline lake in India....
in Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
(present Rajasthan) by the government, the Sultanpur salt became uneconomical and by 1903-04 the salt industry was struggling for survival with salt export having fallen to 65,000 maunds or 1,750 tons leading to severe setback to the economy of Sultanpur area. Finally in 1923 the British shut down the office of the salt superintendent at Sultanpur, had all the mounds of salt thrown back into the wells and shut down the salt industry leading to considerable economic misery to the people.
Faujdar Khan's descendant, Nawab Ahmed Ali Khan, took part in the India's First War of Independence
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
in 1857 along with the rulers of neighbouring principalities, like Rewari
Rewari
Rewari is a city and a municipal council in Rewari district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located in south-west Haryana around from Delhi and from Gurgaon.- Etymology :...
, Ballabhgarh
Ballabhgarh
Ballabhgarh is a town and a tehsil in Faridabad District of Haryana, India, and is part of the National Capital Region...
and Jhajjar
Jhajjar
Jhajjar is a town in Jhajjar district in the Indian state of Haryana.-Geography:Jhajjar is located at . It has an average elevation of 220 metres .-Demographics:...
, all of whom were later tried and executed and their estate confiscated by the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. Today Ahmed Ali is still remembered for his sacrifice and recognized a state hero.
It was ruled by Baloch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
rulers, Faujdar Khan, later Dalel Khan, before being taken over the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
s, who made Faujdar Khan, a governor by Mughal Emperor, Farrukhsiyar
Farrukhsiyar
Abu'l Muzaffar Muin ud-din Muhammad Shah Farrukh-siyar Alim Akbar Sani Wala Shan Padshah-i-bahr-u-bar [Shahid-i-Mazlum] was the Mughal emperor between 1713 and 1719. Noted as a handsome but weak ruler, easily swayed by his advisers, Farukhsiyar lacked the ability and character to rule independently...
(r. ca 1711-1716); Later rechristened in 1732, when Faujdar christened himself the Nawab of Farrukhnagar and named the town after the Mughal emperor. He also built the Farrukhnagar Fort surrounding the octagonal town, with five gated entrances, his palace known as Sheesh Mahal, a notable structure in Mughal architecture
Mughal architecture
Mughal architecture, an amalgam of Islamic, Persian, Turkish and Indian architecture, is the distinctive style developed by the Mughals in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries in what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It is symmetrical and decorative in style.The Mughal dynasty was...
around 1711 A.D, also the Jama Masjid and Dilli Darwaza (Delhi Gate). The successive Nawabs ruled over a large tract of land in the area, for the coming seventy odd year, till they were overthrown by Jat ruler of Bharatpur
Bharatpur, India
Bharatpur is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733. Located in the Brij region, Bharatpur was once an impregnable, well-planned and well-fortified city, and the capital of Jat kingdom ruled by Sinsinwar Maharajas.The trio of Bharatpur, Deeg and...
.
Subsequently, in 1737, they took over Hissar
Hisar, India
Hisar city, previously spelled Hissar, is the administrative headquarters of Hisar district, in the state of Haryana, in northwestern India. Hisar was founded in 1354 CE, as Hissar-e-Firoza by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, who reigned over the Sultanate of Delhi from 1351 to 1388. on the demolished ruins...
from Nawab Shah Dad Khan of Kasur
Kasur
Kasur , the capital of Kasur District in Pakistan. Kasur is located adjacent to the border of Ganda Singh Wala between Pakistan and India, and is a tourist attraction because of the daily occurring Flags lowering ceremony...
, who had been ruling since the death of Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
in 1707, as nazim
Nazim
A nazim is the coordinator of cities and towns in Pakistan. Nazim is the title in Urdu of the chief elected official of a local government in Pakistan, such as a district, tehsil, union council, or village council....
of the sarkar
Sarkar (country subdivision)
Sarkar is an historic administrative unit, used mostly in the Muslim states of the South Asia. It was a territorial division of a Suba or province. A Sarkar was further divided into territorial divisions for the administrative purpose which were called Mahallas or Parganas. The Mahallas or...
of Hissar. Mughal Emperor Alamgir II
Alamgir II
Aziz-ud-din Alamgir II was the Mughal Emperor of India from 3 June 1754 to 29 November 1759. He was the son of Jahandar Shah....
, (The Sultan of Delhi 1754-1759) gave a nearby jagir
Jagir
In historic India, a jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of three years but not extending beyond his lifetime, in recognition of his military service...
to Bahadur Khan and Taj Mohammed Khan, Baloch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
rulers of Farrukhanagar in 1754, who changed its name from Sharafabad to Bahadurgarh
Bahadurgarh
Bahadurgarh is a city and a municipal council with 31 wards in Jhajjar district in the state of Haryana, India. It is called "Gateway of Haryana" and famous for its delicious Pakoras.It is home to many upcoming industries...
. Rohtak
Rohtak
Rohtak City is a Municipal Corporation in Rohtak district that styles itself as the "Heart of Haryana". It is located 70 km Northwest of New Delhi and 210 km South of the state capital Chandigarh at the NH 10...
region which had come into the hands of minister Rukn ud-din in 1718 due to decay of the Mughal Empire, transferred his territories to Faujdar Khan in 1732, who in time it passed on to his son Nawab Kamgar Khan. Out of this Hissar was perpetually being fought by Sikh forces though he managed to retain much of Rohtak and Gurgaon until his death around 1760 Nawab of Farrukh Nagar captured Hisar from Rao Gujar mal, Ahir ruler of Rewari
Rewari
Rewari is a city and a municipal council in Rewari district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located in south-west Haryana around from Delhi and from Gurgaon.- Etymology :...
.Rao Gujar mal sent a message to the Nawab to vacate Hisar and other adjoining areas which was granted to him.When the Nawab refused to comply it the Rao defeated him in a battle at Hansi and imprisoned him.
Meanwhile later Farrukhnagar was captured by Suraj Mal of Bharatpur, a Jat state in around 1757, defeating Musa Khan son of Kamgar, though after Suraj Mal's death in 1763, the jagir was later restored back to Musa Khan ca 1771, though he could never capture Rohtak again. Upon annexation by the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, the principality remained with Nawabs, but after Nawab Ahmed Ali Khan of Farrukhnagar, took part in the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
, along with the Nawabs of Jhajjar
Jhajjar
Jhajjar is a town in Jhajjar district in the Indian state of Haryana.-Geography:Jhajjar is located at . It has an average elevation of 220 metres .-Demographics:...
, Rao Tula Ram
Rao Tula Ram
Rao Tula Ram was one of the key leaders of the Indian rebellion of 1857, in Haryana, where he is considered a state hero....
of Rewari
Rewari
Rewari is a city and a municipal council in Rewari district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located in south-west Haryana around from Delhi and from Gurgaon.- Etymology :...
and Raja Nahar Singh
Raja Nahar Singh
Raja Nahar Singh was a King of the princely state of Ballabhgarh in Faridabad District of Haryana, India. His forefathers were Jats who had built a fort in Faridabad around 1739...
of Bahadurgarh
Bahadurgarh
Bahadurgarh is a city and a municipal council with 31 wards in Jhajjar district in the state of Haryana, India. It is called "Gateway of Haryana" and famous for its delicious Pakoras.It is home to many upcoming industries...
, Bhatti chieftains of Hissar and Sirsa, and the Meo
Meo
Mayo or Meo or Mewati is a prominent Muslim Rajput tribe from North-Western India. A considerable number of Meos migrated to Pakistan after independence in 1947 and now they are estimated to be over 12 million. In Pakistan, Meos have lost their distinct group identity and cultural traditions and...
tribesmen, their jagir was confiscated in 1858 and made part of the Empire. During the rebellion their combined forces took over Rohtak
Rohtak
Rohtak City is a Municipal Corporation in Rohtak district that styles itself as the "Heart of Haryana". It is located 70 km Northwest of New Delhi and 210 km South of the state capital Chandigarh at the NH 10...
completely from British forces for a while, and attacked and plundered the civil station, burning all official records. After the Rebellion failed, forces of Punjab levies moved in and Nawab Abdur Rehman Khan of Jhajjar and Raja Nahar Singh of Bahadurgarh were captured and tried, while the former was executed in Delhi, the latter escaped with a sentence of exile to Lahore . A memorial was recently raised to commemorate the martyrs of the rebellion in the city.
The town was once an important trading center for salt extracted from nearby saline wells. This salt was called Sultanpur
Sultanpur
Sultanpur is a city and a municipal board in Sultanpur district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located in the geographic center of and is the administrative headquarters of Sultanpur District. It is an ancient town situated on the right bank of Gomati River, to the south east of...
Salt after Sultanpur
Sultanpur
Sultanpur is a city and a municipal board in Sultanpur district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located in the geographic center of and is the administrative headquarters of Sultanpur District. It is an ancient town situated on the right bank of Gomati River, to the south east of...
, the most important salt-works of the region. Due to high taxation and concomitant lower cost of Sambhar salt the sale in 1903-1904 was only 65,736 maund
Maund
The maund is the anglicized name for a traditional unit of mass used in British India, and also in Afghanistan, Persia and Arabia: the same unit in the Moghul Empire was sometimes written as mun in English, while the equivalent unit in the Ottoman Empire and Central Asia was called the batman...
s, down from 680,000 maunds before 1878. Its production was prohibited by the British in 1923 when the office of Salt Superintendent was closed.
Farrukhnagar became a municipality in 1967.
Transport
Farrukhnagar is connected to GurgaonGurgaon
Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
, Jhajjar
Jhajjar
Jhajjar is a town in Jhajjar district in the Indian state of Haryana.-Geography:Jhajjar is located at . It has an average elevation of 220 metres .-Demographics:...
, Pataudi
Pataudi
Pataudi is a town in Gurgaon district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located from Gurgaon, at the foot hills of the Aravali hills.Pataudi was the seat of Pataudi State which was ruled by the Nawabs of Pataudi. The 8th Nawab, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, played cricket for both England and...
and other towns by road. Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway (KMP Expressway), whose construction may be completed by 2012, lies close to the town and will make access to the town easier.
A branch line was laid in 1901 to Garhi Harsaru station on Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
-Malwa Railway (Delhi-Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
railway), 12 km away., The metre gauge railway line was used to transport salt by steam engines. It was closed in 1994 for gauge conversion. The converted broad gauge track became operational in 2011. There has been a demand to extend the track to Jhajjar where it will join Rewari
Rewari
Rewari is a city and a municipal council in Rewari district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located in south-west Haryana around from Delhi and from Gurgaon.- Etymology :...
-Jhajjar-Rohtak
Rohtak
Rohtak City is a Municipal Corporation in Rohtak district that styles itself as the "Heart of Haryana". It is located 70 km Northwest of New Delhi and 210 km South of the state capital Chandigarh at the NH 10...
railway line.
Post independence
The area saw steep rises in land prices starting 1990s, due to rapid urbanisation and industrialisation in the Gurgaon districtGurgaon District
Gurgaon district is one of the 21 districts of Haryana state in northern India. Gurgaon city is the administrative headquarters of the district. The population is 1,660,289 . .It is the southern-most district of Haryana...
, as a result small section large landowners amassed great wealth in short period, which also encouraged public splurging. In 2007, the town made news in the global media, when a local Yadav
Yadav
Yādav refers to an umbrella group of traditionally non-elite pastoral communities, or castes, in India and Nepal which since the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has claimed descent from the mythological King Yadu as a part of a movement of social and political resurgence.The term 'Yadav' now...
farmer hired a private helicopter to ferry his son to his wedding, barely 20 km away. In the recent years, heritage structures in the town have attracted interest from various organisations including ASI and INTACH, which is proposing a "heritage walk" around town, and also plans to develop it as a heritage village.
Visitors' attractions
The town plan was designed octagonal in shape and still remains so, and today, Sheesh Mahal, and Jama Masjid are noted Mughal eraMughal era
The Mughal era is a historic period of the Mughal Empire in South Asia . It ran from the early 15th century to a point in the early 18th century when the Mughal Emperors' power had dwindled...
monuments situated in the town both build by the first Nawab, Faujdar Khan are important visitors attractions.
- Sheesh Mahal: The palace of the Nawab of Farrukhnagar aligns the main bazaar of the town as do many other heritage structures in the town. Built by Faujdar Khan in 1711 CE, it is a double-storey structure in red sandstone, Mughal bricks and JhajjarJhajjarJhajjar is a town in Jhajjar district in the Indian state of Haryana.-Geography:Jhajjar is located at . It has an average elevation of 220 metres .-Demographics:...
stone, used commonly in the buildings of the period in the district. It has decorative interiors of elaborate mirror inlay work, hence its name, Sheesh Mahal (Glass Palace). Its baradari , literally a pavilion with 12 doorways, now houses Municipal committee office, once housed a school . The palace opens on to a large courtyard with water channel in the centre, it was fed by a nearby baoli or stepwell, it is also believed that in olden days, the queen used to visit the baoli for taking bath from Sheesh Mahal through a tunnel, which has since been closed. The palace is being restored by the archaeological department and its premises also has a memorial dedicated to the martyrs of Indian Rebellion of 1857Indian Rebellion of 1857The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
from the town.
- Farrukhnagar Fort: Dilli Darwaza (Delhi Gate), with its impressive bastionBastionA bastion, or a bulwark, is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall , facilitating active defence against assaulting troops...
, is an important feature of the fort, it is one of three surviving entrances to the town, out of earlier five gated entrances which have slowly been built into by the growing town. The Dilli Darwaza was restored in 2009 by INTACH, along with the Patli Darwaza (after nearby PatliPatliPatli is a moderate sized village situated 7 km from Talwandi Bhai in Ferozepur district of Punjab, India.The population of the village consists mainly of people of the Jat clan with Sran and Dhaliwal gotra of jats. The village is situated along The Ferozepur–Chandigarh Highway...
) and the Jhajjari Darwaza, (after nearby JhajjarJhajjarJhajjar is a town in Jhajjar district in the Indian state of Haryana.-Geography:Jhajjar is located at . It has an average elevation of 220 metres .-Demographics:...
town).. The rest of the fort though now mostly in ruins once housed over 4,000 people.
- Jama Masjid: This Friday MosqueFriday MosqueFriday Mosque is the English translation of the Arabic term masjid al-jumʿa or Jama Masjid . This term is applied as a proper name to many mosques worldwide...
was also built by Faujdar Khan, in red sandstone. Two slabs of red sandstone on the southern wall bear Arabic inscriptions dating to the period of Sultan of Delhi, Ghiyas ud din BalbanGhiyas ud din BalbanGhiyasuddin Balban was ninth sultan of the Mamluk dynasty who ruled from 1266 to 1287.-Biography:He was son of a Central Asian Turkic noble of the Ilbari tribe, but as a child he was captured by Mongols and sold as a slave at Ghazni...
(1200–1287).
- Baoli Ghaus Ali Shah: A large octagonal Baoli stepwell, also known as Ali Gosh Khan Baoli, with stone staircases is considered a monument of importance.
- Sethani Ki Chhatri: An elaborate memorial cenotaph in the shape of a two-storeyed chhatriChhatriChhatris are elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indian architecture. Chhatris are commonly used to depict the elements of of pride and honor in the Rajput architecture of Rajasthan. They are widely used, in palaces, in forts, or to demarcate funerary sites...
, which is a pillar pavilion is situated on the JhajjarJhajjarJhajjar is a town in Jhajjar district in the Indian state of Haryana.-Geography:Jhajjar is located at . It has an average elevation of 220 metres .-Demographics:...
road at the entrance to the town. It has eight arched openings on each floor and floral decorative motifs are used profusely. Chhatri though typical to Rajasthani architectureRajasthani architectureMāru-Gurjara Architecture originated somewhere in sixth century in and around areas of Rajasthan.-Etymology:The name Maru Gurjara has its genesis in the fact that during ancient times, Rajasthan and Gujarat had similarities in ethnic, cultural and political aspects of the society...
, it was later adapted into Mughal architectureMughal architectureMughal architecture, an amalgam of Islamic, Persian, Turkish and Indian architecture, is the distinctive style developed by the Mughals in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries in what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It is symmetrical and decorative in style.The Mughal dynasty was...
. The name suggests that it belonged to a merchants wife, and is decorated with inscriptions and frescoes from Haroti region in Rajasthan.
- Sita-Ram Mandir: The temple is dedicated to Hindu Gods, RamaRamaRama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
-SitaSITASITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
, and also serves the purpose of GurdwaraGurdwaraA Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
, though the structure with its three domes, resembles a mosque.
- Havelis: A set of old haveliHaveliHaveli is the term used for a private mansion in India and Pakistan. The word haveli is derived from the Persian word hawli, meaning "an enclosed place"...
s in the main town are in good condition, and boast of frescoes, and post-Mughal architectural features.
- Shrine of Budho Mata: The nearby village Mubarakpur 5 km from Farrukhnagar, is famous for this shrine, where a fair is held every Wednesday.
- Farrukhnagar Railway Station: Built during the British RajBritish RajBritish Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
it was opened when the first meter gauge railway track in India, was opened between Delhi to RewariRewariRewari is a city and a municipal council in Rewari district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located in south-west Haryana around from Delhi and from Gurgaon.- Etymology :...
(84 km) on 14 February 1873, along with a branch line from Garhi Harsaru to Farukhnagar (12 km) specifically for the salt trading.
- Sultanpur National Park: The Sultanpur National ParkSultanpur National ParkSultanpur National Park is located at Sultanpur, Haryana in Gurgaon District, Haryana, India, located 15 km from Gurgaon, Haryana.-History:...
is also situated close by on the road to GurgaonGurgaonGurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
, and is a haunt for many migratory birds during the winter months.
See also
- SainiSainiSaini is a Rajput descent caste of India. Sainis, also known as Shoorsaini in Puranic literature, are now found by their original name only in Punjab and in the neighboring states of Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh...
- Sardar Bahadur Tafazzul Hussain KhanSardar Bahadur Tafazzul Hussain KhanTafazzul Hussain Khan was a key army personnel during the 1857 revolt. He was Risaldar of a mounted troop during 1857 Indian revolt and was entitled, 'Captain' and ‘Sardar Bahadur’ by British India....
- Mohammad Sirajuddin Haider KhanMohammad Sirajuddin Haider KhanMohammad Sirajuddin Haider Khan was Magistrate II with Diwani to hear legal cases of value rupees 500 during the times of British India. He was awarded Victoria Cross for his services and contributions.-Biography:He was chieftain of a family...