History of Prayagraj

Prayagraj is not limited to the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati, but it has also been an important center of spirituality, literature and national movement.

The Kumbh Mela, which is held every twelfth year, is not only important religiously and spiritually, but it also reminds us of historical churning. The sermons given by saints and scholars during this great festival are also a form of deep contemplation and churning for human welfare.

History also shows that when there was a need to give the form of a mass movement to India's freedom struggle, Prayagraj also became the center of this brainstorming. Mahatma Gandhi and other nationalist leaders sat in Swaraj Bhavan and Anand Bhavan located here and made strategies to reach the national movement to the masses. This city gave birth to many important decisions of the freedom struggle and paved the way for India's independence.

It is described in the Puranas that Yayati set out from Prayag and conquered the Sapta Sindhu region. His five sons – Yadu, Druhyu, Puru, Anu and Turvasu – established themselves as the leading tribes of the Rigveda.

When the Aryans first started settling in the land they called Aryavarta or Madhyadesa, Prayag or Kaushambi was an important part of their territory. The Vatsa (who were a branch of the early Indo-Aryans) were the rulers of Hastinapur (which was located near present-day Delhi) and founded the town of Kaushambi near present-day Prayag. When Hastinapur was destroyed in a flood, they moved their capital to Kaushambi.

In Ramayana times, Prayag was a cluster of huts of a few sages, where the holy rivers met, and most of the Vatsa region was covered with dense forests. Lord Rama, the main character of Ramayana, spent some time here, when he stayed at the hermitage of sage Bharadwaja, and then proceeded to nearby Chitrakoot.

In the ages to come, the Doab region, which included Prayag, came under the rule of several empires and dynasties. It first became part of the Maurya and Gupta empires, then came under the Kushan Empire of the west, and later became part of the local Kannauj kingdom, which became extremely powerful.

Objects found during excavations at Prayag prove that the city was part of the Kushan Empire in the 1st century AD. The Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang, who visited India during the reign of Harshavardhana (607-647 AD), writes in his memoirs that he visited Prayag in 643 AD.

After the advent of Muslim rule, the city was annexed to the Delhi Sultanate by Muhammad Ghori in 1193 AD. Subsequently, the Mughals took over from the slave dynasty of Delhi and Prayag began to gain importance again.

Given the strategic position of Prayag, which was located in the Doab or "Hindustan" region and at the confluence of major rivers, offering great navigational possibilities, Akbar built a magnificent fort here in 1575 AD and renamed the city "Allahabad". This fort of Akbar was one of his largest forts. It houses the Ashoka pillar and some temples, but it was primarily a military cantonment. At the south-western edge of Prayagraj lies Khusro Bagh, which houses three tombs, including the tomb of Shah Begum, the first wife of Jahangir.

It was from here that the Mughal prince Salim (later Emperor Jahangir) rebelled against his father, the Mughal emperor Akbar. In 1602 AD, Salim set up a parallel court in Akbar's fort and defied the emperor's order to move to Agra. However, before his death in 1605 AD, Akbar declared Salim as his successor.

Before the British rule came into force, Prayagraj was affected by Maratha invasions, but the Marathas also built some beautiful temples here in the 18th century, which are famous for their intricate architecture.

In 1765 AD, the combined forces of the Nawab of Awadh and the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II were defeated by the British in the Battle of Buxar. Although the British did not annex these states, they set up their cantonment in the Prayag Fort, as they understood its strategic location well. Later, Governor General Warren Hastings took Prayagrajfrom Shah Alam and handed it over to Awadh, alleging that the emperor had come under the influence of the Marathas.

After the advent of Muslim rule, the city was annexed to the Delhi Sultanate by Muhammad Ghori in 1193 AD. Subsequently, the Mughals took over from the slave dynasty of Delhi and Prayag began to gain importance again.

During the 1857 revolt, the number of British forces in Prayagraj was extremely low. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the revolutionaries took over the city. It was during this time that Maulvi Liaquat Ali raised the flag of rebellion and joined the pioneers of the 1857 revolution.

After the revolt, the British rule turned Prayagraj into an administrative centre. The High Court, Police Headquarters and Public Service Commission were established here, making the city more important administratively.

Prayagraj and the freedom struggle

In 1888, Prayagraj hosted the fourth session of the Indian National Congress, making it a hub of political activities. In the early 20th century, Prayagraj became a stronghold of revolutionaries. Sundarlal's Karmayogi office (located in Chowk) instilled patriotic spirit in many youths. During this time, Nityananda Chatterjee created history by throwing the first bomb at the British Club

In 1931, the great revolutionary Chandrashekhar Azad sacrificed his life when he was surrounded by the British police in Alfred Park (now Chandrashekhar Azad Park), but did not fall into the hands of the British.

The beginning of the idea of Pakistan

On 29 December 1930, Allama Muhammad Iqbal first presented the idea of a separate Muslim nation (Pakistan) at the convention of the All India Muslim League. This historic moment took place on the land of Prayagraj.

From the flames of revolution to political leadership, Prayagraj has played an important role in shaping the history of India. The city not only witnessed the freedom struggle, but even today maintains its strong identity in Indian politics and culture.

Historical sites like Swaraj Bhavan and Anand Bhavan, where leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru formulated strategies for the national movement, highlight the political and historical importance of this city. Apart from this, the literary and educational contribution of Prayagraj is also very important, from where many prominent litterateurs and thinkers gave a new direction to Indian literature and culture

The Nehru family and political activities

Prayagraj was the main centre of activities of the Indian National Congress during the freedom struggle. Many important political meetings were held in Anand Bhawan and Swaraj Bhawan. Leaders like Purushottam Das Tandon, Bishambar Nath Pandey and Narayan Dutt Tiwari led Satyagraha movements and went to jail along with thousands of freedom fighters.

After independence, Prayagraj gave birth to many prominent national leaders, including:

• Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru – the first Prime Minister of India

• Lal Bahadur Shastri – the leader who coined the slogan "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan"

• K.N. Katju, Muzaffar Hasan and Mangala Prasad – Union Ministers of independent India

Birthplace of Prime Ministers

Prayagraj has the special distinction of being the birthplace and karmabhoomi of many Prime Ministers:

• Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (born here, Anand Bhavan now a museum

• Indira Gandhi (born in Prayagraj)

• Lal Bahadur Shastri (deep connection with the city)

• Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Chandrashekhar, who have played an important role in the politics of independent India.

The historical contribution of Prayagraj leaves a deep impact in various fields of Indian society. The city is not only important from the religious and cultural point of view, but it has also made significant contributions to the freedom struggle, education, literature and politics. From the religious importance of Triveni Sangam to the fact that many important decisions of the freedom struggle took place on this land, Prayagraj makes it a center of Indian history.

Thus, Prayagraj has historical importance not only as a place but it has also emerged as a centre of change and inspiration in every aspect of Indian society. This city will always play an important role in the development of Indian history, culture and society.