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Alternative Titles: al-Ilahābād, Prayag

Allahabad, city, southern Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. It is situated at the confluence of the Ganges (Ganga) and Yamuna (Jumna) rivers, about 65 miles (100 km) west-northwest of Varanasi (Benares).

  • Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
    Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Allahabad stands on the site of ancient Prayag, a holy city that was comparable in fame to Varanasi and Haridwar (Uttarakhand) state. Prayag’s importance in the ancient Buddhist period of Indian history is attested by the inscriptions on a pillar attributed to the 3rd-century-bce Mauryan emperor Ashoka. The pillar—which is believed to have been erected in a nearby locality and moved to Allahabad in Mughal times—still stands inside the gateway to the old Allahabad fort, which is situated strategically at the confluence of the two rivers. The site’s religious importance to Hinduism persists; each year a festival takes place at the rivers’ confluence, and every 12th year a much larger festival, Kumbh Mela, is attended by millions of devotees.

  • Tomb at Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
    Frederick M. Asher

The present city of Allahabad was founded in 1583 by the Mughal emperor Akbar, who named it al-Ilahābād (“City of God”). It became a provincial capital during the Mughal Empire, and from 1599 to 1604 it was the headquarters of the rebellious prince Salim (later the emperor Jahangir). Outside Allahabad fort is the tomb built for Jahangir’s rebellious son, Khusru. With the Mughal decline, Allahabad changed hands many times before being ceded to the British in 1801. The city was the scene of a great massacre of Indians by the British in mid-1857 during the Indian Mutiny (1857–58) against British rule. From 1904 to 1949 the city was the capital of the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh). It was a centre of the Indian independence movement against British rule and was the home of the Nehru family, whose estate, Anand Bhawan, is now a museum.

    Foto Features

Allahabad has long been primarily an administrative and educational centre. It has a modest industrial base and is a marketplace for agricultural products. Tourism has grown in importance in the region, with visitors being drawn to the many historic and religious sites located within and near the city. The administrative and professional sector and a military cantonment (base) are located north of the city proper. Allahabad is a major road and rail hub and is served by a nearby airport. The University of Allahabad (1887) has a number of affiliated colleges, and there is an aviation training centre. The city has several museums. Allahabad has a Government House dating from the British period, Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals, and the Jāmiʿ Masjid, or Great Mosque.

The surrounding area lies entirely on the Indo-Gangtic Plain. Rice, barley, wheat, and gram (chickpeas) are among the region’s chief crops. The ancient sites of Pratisthanpur (Hindu) and Kaushambi (Buddhist) are near the city. Pop. (2001) 975,393; (2011) 1,112,544.

Learn More in these related articles:

Uttar Pradesh, India.
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