History

The name of Amroha may derive from its production of mangoes (aam) and fish (rohu). Another possibility is that Raja Amarjoda, of the Bansi dynasty, named the region Amroha in 474 BC. The author of Tarikh-i-Amroha states that Amroha was ruled by Rajputs between 676 and 1141 AD. Mahmud of Ghazni conquered Amroha in 589 AH/1093 AD. Behram Shah (1240–42) appointed Malik Jalaluddin to the position of Hakim of Amroha in 1242. Ghiyasuddin Balban crushed a rebellion in this region, and so ruthless was his repression that the territory of Badaun and Amroha remained quiescent till the reign of Jalaluddin Khalji. Ambar Sultani built a mosque at Amroha. During Alauddin Khalji's reign, Malik Tughluq and Malik marched to confront the Mongols through Amroha. Saiyid Salim was assigned Amroha and Sirsi as an iqta and after his death, the iqta was assigned to his sons. It is also recorded that Khizr Khan was punished by Alauddin Khalji with an enforced stay at Amroha with Hisamuddin. The historical architecture of Amroha begins with the fort wall, remnants of which still stand. The Moradabadi Darwaza, built by Saiyid Abdul Maajid in 1642 AD, is the only extant gate. The wall was constructed during the reign of Shah Jahan, by Siyadat Maab Saiyid Abdul Maajid, who had constructed this fort under the supervision of Kamal Khan Khanazad in 1652 AD. It is fifty feet high with three parallel arches, covered with a roof. Other monuments from this period include mosques, idgahs, khanqash, dargahs, imambaras, diwan khana, madrasas and mandirs. Some of these are of the Delhi Sultanate period, others of the Mughal period.

Demographics

As of the 2001 India census,[2] Amroha's population was 2,64,890. Men constituted 53% of the population and females comprised 47%. Amroha's average literacy rate was 64%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; 79% of the males and 51% of females were literate. 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Economy

Amroha is known for its mangoes; many of the cultivars grow here.[3] Its main industries are pottery making, hand-loom weaving, and sugar milling and secondary ones are carpet manufacturing, wood handicrafts and small-scale production of cotton cloth.