Safipur is a town and nagar panchayat in Unnao district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Located 27 km northwest of the city of Unnao, Safipur serves as a tehsil headquarters and is well-connected by roads to nearby towns. Founded in the 1300s and originally called Saipur, the town's present name of Safipur is in honour of the 16th-century Muslim saint Makhdum Shah Safi, whose dargah is located here.
Important commodities manufactured in Safipur today include steel boxes and almirahs, furniture, and incense sticks. As of 2011, Safipur's population is 25,688, in 4,288 households.
History Safipur was originally founded in the 1300s by a Brahmin named Sai Sukul, who was a subject of the Raja of Ugu. The town was formerly called Saipur in Sai Sukul's honour; the name Saipur was still the more common name in general use as late as the early 1900s. Sai Sukul supposedly died in battle in 1389 when Ibrahim Sharqi of the Jaunpur Sultanate conquered the town. Ibrahim then put his own lieutenants in charge of Saipur: Maulvi Akram, the ancestor of Makhdum Shah Safi; the paymaster Rao Mahesh Rao, whose descendants held the office of qanungo; the risaldar Sayyid Mir, whose descendants were zamindars; and Sayyid Hasan Reza, whose descendants were taluqdars and zamindars.
Maulvi Akram's great-grandson, Makhdum Shah Safi, was a religious mendicant who lived at Saipur during the 1500s. When he died, he was buried here, and the town's name was changed to Safipur in his honour. The mausoleum of Makhdum Shah Safi, as well as the surrounding dargah complex, was built by a follower of his named Chaudhri Khaslat Husain, who was the taluqdar of Sandila. A large mosque was added to the complex in the early 1900s by Chaudhri Muhammad Azim, who was also taluqdar of Sandila. Makhdum Shah Safi's dargah is the most important in Safipur, although there are several others, including those of Makhdoom Syed Baqa-Ullah shah (Founder of Silsila Baqaiyah) Ifhamullah Shah, Qudratullah Shah, Hafizullah Shah, and Abdullah Shah .
Safipur was mentioned as the capital of a pargana in the Ain-i-Akbari; it maintained this status into the 20th century.
Two high-ranking officials under the Nawabs of Awadh, Diwan Umed Rai and Maulvi Fazl Azim, were natives of Safipur. They both had various buildings constructed in the town: Diwan Umed Rai built a bazaar and a sarai, and Maulvi Fazl Azim built many wells, mosques, and an imambara.
At the turn of the 20th century, Safipur was described as "a flourishing, well-built town" with a daily standing market and bazaars held twice weekly in four muhallas. It contained the tehsil headquarters, a police station, a munsif's court, a dispensary, and a middle school attended by 146 students. Now the Safvi family is considered one of the last remaining descendants of the great maulvi and are very prominent in the area with Safvi Family Mujeeb safvi,Waris Safvi, Adil Safvi, Fazilat safvi, from mohalla Jami sarai/Baya Taalaab serving as the patriarch of the family and the custodian of the mausoleum.
Demographics
According to the Indian census of 2001, Safipur had a population of 22,378. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. In Safipur, 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.
According to the 2011 census, Safipur has a population of 25,688 people, in 4,288 households. The town's sex ratio is 932 females to every 1000 males; 13,299 of Safipur's residents are male and 12,389 are female. Among the 0-6 age group, the sex ratio is 940, which is higher than the district urban average. Members of Scheduled Castes make up 13.77% of the town's population, while no members of scheduled tribes were recorded. The town's literacy rate was 60.9% (counting only people age 7 and up); literacy was higher among men and boys (66.8%) than among women and girls (54.5%).
In terms of employment, 21.8% of Safipur residents were classified as main workers (i.e. people employed for at least 6 months per year) in 2011. Marginal workers (i.e. people employed for less than 6 months per year) made up 10.8%, and the remaining 67.4% were non-workers. Employment status varied heavily according to gender, with 51.2% of men being either main or marginal workers, compared to only 12.6% of women.
Villages Safipur CD block has the following 116 villages:
Village name Total land area (hectares) Population (in 2011) Palhe Pur 172.1 1,061 Khusru Pur 112.5 1,892 Rania Mao 209.2 993 Mahapara Pur 219.8 1,195 Murha 108.6 536 Chhuhi 293.1 1,668 Ray Pur 162.3 1,188 Jamuniha Kachchh 432.2 2,137 Katri Aorangabad Istmurari 790 0 Katri Aorangabad Gair Istmurari 69.2 0 Rooppur Chandela Gair Ahatmali 387.9 1,267 Rooppur Chandela Ahatmali 151.9 438 Ram Pur 256 543 Daolatyar Pur 203.7 985 Katia Mao 295.4 697 Atwar Pur 157.6 501 Khairi Chandela 122.2 740 Dadlaha 840 3,608 Katri Alli Pur 359.6 276 Devria 99.7 599 Ram Pur Newada 247.3 810 Jujhar Pur 292.1 692 Papeer 71.3 504 Kisan Pur Tandawa 66.9 312 Andheliya 72 445 Sahapur 347.3 1,042 Devra Mao 110.4 590 Mao Mansur Pur 374.2 2,885 Kakraora 119.2 1,189 Safia Pur 79.3 914 Mahamud Pur 114 1,479 Gole Mao 197.7 204 Roshan Nagar 72.3 465 Safi Pur Rural 1,545.8 5,741 Munda 399.2 2,308 Tikara 94.5 108 Dayal Garhi 71.2 287 Gurdhari 288.1 1,238 Dakoli 155.1 638 Daroli 388.5 4,407 Pikhi 341.4 4,389 Atwa Mohal Osia 208.8 1,216 Osia 530.8 4,624 Habeeb Nagar 195.5 92 Raheema Bad 270.2 1,914 Raiya Mao 173.6 1,276 Mawae Lal 230.6 1,238 Birjpapl Pur 224.9 1,127 Lachhiman Ganj 31.1 376 Meer Nagar 112.1 680 Bhaishara 113.7 659 Nihal Pur 113.2 659 Mawe Man 264.8 1,818 Khijrabad 19.2 0 Dugaora 68.5 508 Abdulla Pur 78.1 702 Saleed 159.2 1,351 Gaori 120.2 1,021 Darab Nagar 78.8 1,032 Dev Gaon 706 4,386 Jahangeerabad 36.5 0 Khargaora 523.7 2,736 Lahber Pur 523.7 1,584 Najir Pur 104.1 317 Naobat Pur 113.3 1,532 Chakrasool Pur 14.8 0 Babhana 361.8 1,856 Makhdoom Nagar 158.6 1,449 Gopal Pur 108.1 751 Salhenagar Karaondi 240.4 2,668 Fateh Pur 105.2 1,077 Jat Purwa 202.8 1,869 Sahadat Nagar 119.9 816 Fajil Pur 103.9 1,472 Kusela 325.4 1,817 Sherpur Khurd 95.7 1,022 Loniahar 42.1 0 Sakhan Musalmanan 65.1 1,539 Sakhan Rajputan 744.4 2,889 Nibee Garha 106.4 257 Hamjapur 148.6 302 Gaholi 83.3 735 Sarai Sakhan 291.2 2,025 Devgan Mao 167 1,114 Mirja Pur 277.7 2,168 Niyamat Pur 40.7 973 Murad Pur 145.9 1,229 Ibraheema Bad 255.6 1,358 Khanpur 40.8 484 Jamalnagar Ahatmali 242.7 1,438 Jamalnagar Gair Ahatmali 756.8 4,425 Bahauddeen Pur 117.7 1,185 Narhar Pur 122.9 868 Bellawan 108.6 764 Aojhar Pur 97.2 515 Rukana Pur 59.8 471 Khokha Pur 75.6 764 Atha 281.2 2,671 Mustfa Bad 186.7 2,174 Salepur Khaeel Nagar 144.5 1,002 Hasana Pur 60 900 Pawa 413.8 2,447 Ray Pur 154.6 910 Jagdeesh Pur 120 457 Ambahara 74.3 458 Juned Pur 63.9 337 Ram Pur 82.5 398 Methi Tikur 799.8 6,848 Umer 171.9 1,147 Jamaluddeen Pur 167.4 1,786 Unwan 552.9 6,530 Atwa 202.1 1,804 Chakal Wanshi 72.3 0 Barbhaola 227.8 606 Firoj Pur Kala 379.7 2,147 Bhadni 185.6 895
See also Salindh
References