Awadh

This article is about the cultural and historical region in India. For the state during the British Raj, see Oudh State.

Awadh
Region
Ram ki Paidi, Ayodhya Bara Imambara, Lucknow Procession of sadhus at the Prayag Kumbh Mela Kathak IIT Kanpur Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
Modern map of the Awadh region
Coordinates: 26°54′N 80°54′E
Continent	Asia
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
Covering territory	Lucknow division Ayodhya division Prayagraj division Kanpur division (partly) Mirzapur division (partly)
Languages	Awadhi, Hindi and Urdu
Area
• Total	68,006 km2 (26,257 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	55,119,236
• Density	810.51/km2 (2,099.2/sq mi)
Largest Cities	Lucknow Prayagraj Ayodhya Kanpur Mirzapur

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Lal Bagh entrance in Faizabad, Municipal Corporation of Ayodhya, as depicted in Gate of the Loll-Baug at Fyzabad by Thomas and William Daniell, 1801* (BL).

Awadh (Hindi: [əˈʋədʱ] ^ⓘ), known in British Raj historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a historical region in northern India, now constituting the central portion of Uttar Pradesh. It is roughly synonymous with the ancient Kosala region of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain scriptures.

It was a province of all the major Islamic dynasties in India including the Mughal Empire. With the decline of late Mughal Delhi, Awadh became a major source of literary, artistic, religious, and architectural patronage in northern India under the rule of its eleven rulers, called Nawabs. From 1720 to 1856, the nawabs presided over Awadh, with Ayodhya and Faizabad serving as the region's initial capitals. Later, the capital was relocated to Lucknow, which is now the capital of Uttar Pradesh.

The British conquered Awadh in 1856, which infuriated Indians and was recognised as a factor causing the Indian Rebellion (1857–58), the biggest Indian uprising against British rule.