BUDAUN  , a

town and district of British India, in the Rohilkhand division of the United Provinces . The town is near the left bank of the river Sot . Pop . Not) 39,031 . There are ruins of an immense fort and a very handsome mosque of imposing size, crowned with a dome, and built in 1223 in great part from the materials of an ancient Hindu temple . The American Methodist mission maintains several girls' schools, and there is a high school for boys . According to tradition Budaun was founded about A.D . 905, and an inscription, probably of the 12th century, gives a list of twelve Rathor kings reigning at Budaun (called Vodamayuta) . The first authentic historical event connected with it, however, is its capture by Kutb-ud-din in 1196, after which it became a very important post on the northern frontier of the Delhi empire . In the 13th century two of its governors, Shamsud-din Altamsh, the builder of the great mosque referred to above, and his son Rukn-ud-din Firoz, attained the imperial throne . In 1571 the town was burnt, and about a hundred years later, under Shah Jahan, the seat of the governorship was transferred to Bareilly; after which the importance of Budaun declined . It ultimately came into the power of the Rohillas, and in 1838 was made the headquarters of a British district .

In 1857 the

people of Budaun sided with the mutineers, and a native government was set up, which lasted until General Penny's victory at Kakrala (April 1858) led to the restoration of British authority . The DISTRICT OF BUDAUN has an area of 1987 sq. m . Pop . (1901) 1,025,753 . The country is low, level, and is generally fertile, and watered by the Ganges, the Ramganga, the Sot or Yarwafadar, and the Mahawa . Budaun district was ceded to the British government in 18o1 by the nawab of Oudh . There are several indigo factories . The district is crossed by two lines of the Oudh & Rohilkhand railway, and by a narrow-gauge line from Bareilly . The chief centre of trade is Bilsi .