Allahabad Division, 19th century

The way today's Indian states are divided and grouped is different from how it was during the days of British colonial rule, known as the Raj. The groupings were much larger, districts covered larger areas, and while some names remain the same, the divisions have changed considerably. This post will discuss one such division that has significantly shrunk over time, which is the Prayagraj or Allahabad Division of Uttar Pradesh. It was once spread from the borders of Bundelkhand to Varanasi but is now limited to just four districts: Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj. Let's delve into the 19th century when the political divisions were slightly different.

Before the formation of the United Provinces, which today includes Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the region was divided into two provinces: the North West Provinces and Oudh. The former covered the region from Uttarakhand to Purvanchal, while Oudh encompassed the central region and was grouped into four main divisions:

1. Lucknow - Lucknow, Bara Banki, Unao (Unnao)
2. Sitapur - Sitapur, Hardoi, Kheri
3. Faizabad - Bahraich, Gonda, Faizabad

The Allahabad Division was interesting as it covered the districts of Cawnpur (or Cawnpore, Kanpur), Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur, Allahabad and Jaunpur. The Hamirpur district consisted of island Princely States of the following: 

1. Baoni or Kadaura (in Hamirpur district)
2. Sarila (in Hamirpur district)
3. Charkhari (in Mahoba district)
4. Jigni (in Hamirpur district)
5. Samthar (in Mahoba district)
6. Beri (in Hamirpur district)
7. Kohamyan (in Mahoba district)
8. Naigawan Ribai or Naigaon Rebai (in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh)

During the Mughal era, the Allahabad Subah stretched from Bundelkhand to Banaras, bordered by the Betwa River in the west and the Karamansa River (or Caramanassa) to the east. According to various historical maps, such as one from 1652 marked as Halabass and another from 1690 as Elabas, the place was referred to by these names. These variations in spelling persisted in maps throughout the 1700s, with the name Allahabad or Alehabad only appearing in the late 1700s. However, it is widely known that the Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Akbar bestowed the name 'Allahabad' or 'Illahabad' upon the city in the 17th century. So, why do earlier maps show the name as Halabass or Heliabas until the late 1700s?

The name 'Heliabas' is a corrupted form of saying 'Illavas,' which was the name of the fort established in 1583 by Akbar while the city was still known as Prayag. The name 'Illavas' is derived from the Hindu deity Ila, who was known for changing genders and is mentioned in the Mahabharata. Thus, it is possible that the Islamization of the city's name occurred much later than the era of Akbar, and the name 'Allahabad' could be a mispronunciation of 'Illabas.' Even the Hindi name of the city has always been 'Illahabad,' which is closer to 'Illabas.' So, did the name change from a medieval Hindu derivation to an ancient Hindu name? Or is this another instance of historical and cartographic inaccuracies that obscure the fascinating origins of geographical names?

As time passed in the Allahabad Division, the districts underwent rearrangements. By the 20th century, the division also included the undivided Jhansi district (comprising Jhansi and Lalitpur), while Partabgarh (or Pratapgarh) was transferred to the Fyzabad (Faizabad) division. After independence, Jhansi was once again removed from the division, leaving it with Allahabad, Etawah, Farrukhabad, Fatehpur, and Kanpur districts. The divisions underwent further changes in 2000, with only Allahabad, Fatehpur, and the newer districts of Kaushambi being added to it, while Kanpur, Farrukhabad, and Etawah were transferred to the Kanpur division.