Shahgarh is a village and community development block headquarters in Gauriganj tehsil of Amethi district, Uttar Pradesh, India. As of 2011, it has a population of 3,201 people, in 525 households. It historically was the seat of a taluqdari estate held by a branch of the Bandhalgoti Rajputs. Today it serves as the seat of a nyaya panchayat which also includes 13 other villages.

History

The original fort of Shahgarh was founded by and named after Sultan Sah, brother of Bikram Sah the ruler of Amethi. His descendants held the Shahgarh taluqdari estate. Originally the estate supposedly consisted of 121 villages, suggesting a regular partition, but this is unlikely since another brother, Lachhmi Narain, received the much smaller Kannu estate. From 1803 to 1810, the Shahgarh estate was leased to Raja Har Chand Singh of Amethi along with the entire pargana of Amethi; it then comprised 40 villages. It had increased to 60 villages by 1846, when it was again leased to Amethi. When Balwant Singh, the taluqdar of Shahgarh, resisted the lease, Raja Madho Singh of Amethi had him imprisoned. The British officer William Henry Sleeman brought the issue before the Nawab of Awadh and in 1855 was able to secure Balwant Singh's release and restoration to his property; Balwant Singh later sided with the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. At the turn of the 20th century, the Shahgarh estate consisted of 20 villages and 1 patti in pargana Amethi. At that time, Shahgarh itself was described as a prosperous village with a market.

The 1951 census recorded Shahgarh as comprising 13 hamlets, with a total population of 1,112 people (549 male and 563 female), in 254 households and 252 physical houses. The area of the village was given as 701 acres. 160 residents were literate, 158 male and 2 female. The village was listed as belonging to the pargana of Amethi and the thana of Gauriganj. The village had a district board-run primary school with 80 students in attendance as of 1 January 1951.

The 1961 census recorded Shahgarh as comprising 13 hamlets, with a total population of 1,239 people (618 male and 621 female), in 279 households and 267 physical houses. The area of the village was given as 701 acres and it had a post office at that point. It was then part of Bhitua CD block.

The 1981 census recorded Shahgarh as having a population of 1,722 people, in 355 households, and having an area of 274.39 hectares. The main staple foods were listed as wheat and rice.

The 1991 census recorded Shahgarh as having a total population of 2,152 people (1,130 male and 1,022 female), in 396 households and 382 physical houses. The area of the village was listed as 276.00 hectares. Members of the 0-6 age group numbered 388, or 18% of the total; this group was 52% male (201) and 48% female (187). Members of scheduled castes numbered 402, or 19% of the village's total population, while no members of scheduled tribes were recorded. The literacy rate of the village was 35% (474 men and 143 women, counting only people age 7 and up). 724 people were classified as main workers (573 men and 151 women), while 0 people were classified as marginal workers; the remaining 1,428 residents were non-workers. The breakdown of main workers by employment category was as follows: 371 cultivators (i.e. people who owned or leased their own land); 245 agricultural labourers (i.e. people who worked someone else's land in return for payment); 1 worker in livestock, forestry, fishing, hunting, plantations, orchards, etc.; 0 in mining and quarrying; 0 household industry workers; 1 worker employed in other manufacturing, processing, service, and repair roles; 0 construction workers; 4 employed in trade and commerce; 1 employed in transport, storage, and communications; and 101 in other services.

The Shahgarh fort today survives and is in fairly good condition maintained by the family of the erstwhile Talukdar's that continues to live in the complex. There is also a lake on the north side, with a small temple on an island abutting the palace complex that was once part of the larger complex but is now abandoned and silted.

Villages Shahgarh CD block has the following 66 villages:

Village name Total land area (hectares) Population (in 2011) Harkarnpur 34.9 255 Bagia Kailash 81.5 523 Govindapur 50.9 3 Jagaipur 66.9 263 Dalipgarh 8 0 Tejgarh 223.5 1,062 Purkhipur 80.2 393 Hardoiya 382 1,883 Pichhaura 166.2 1,007 Kishundaspur 220.2 1,120 Ulra 384.8 1,780 Purehirbal 41 209 Chandauki 254 1,688 Ramshahpur 290.3 1,167 Tarsara 165.2 849 Rajapur Kasrawan 126.6 613 Asura 30.7 562 Nawada Kishun Garh 412.2 2,977 Pachhela 76.9 618 Dakkhin Gaon 366.6 1,425 Kasrawan 402.6 1,977 Sawanka Gaon 62.7 535 Loniyapur 22.5 306 Paniyar 215.2 1,542 Bharatpur 60.8 193 Hariharpur 119.3 1,068 Keshopur 109 379 Karaiya 162 577 Parbhanpur 153.5 399 Soraon 192.3 1,258 Jalama 340.1 2,245 Afuia 418.8 2,550 Pure Ebadulla 141.5 1,013 Khakhardei 52.8 307 Chhariyawan 69.1 408 Sewainhem Garh 426.7 2,378 Chilbili 165.1 1,207 Paharpur 74 373 Juthipur 348.2 1,922 Dandupur 53 769 Bahorikpur 253.4 928 Kitiyawan 346 3,044 Bahorakha 293.9 1,775 Samsheria 193 873 Bhaniyapur 161.9 1,088 Kushbaira 150.2 1,161 Gadiyan 91.5 176 Dewar Dewakali 145.4 530 Rajapur Kauhar 249.6 1,274 Kauhar 542.8 2,859 Juryapur 120.3 1,327 Dulapur Khurd 171.5 1,014 Eksara 183.1 1,135 Birrampur 120.1 881 Paliya 116 1,072 Shahgarh (block headquarters) 387.3 3,102 Kapoorpur 44.2 565 Nabbadih 117.8 515 Purab Gaon 292.3 2,136 Dulapur Kalan 240.5 2,584 Garthauliya 421 2,399 Lohangpur 193.3 1,072 Nohre Pur 312.9 1,718 Lonara 128.4 255 Tandawa 165.1 1,128 Ujjaini 77.5 549 Block total 74,963 12,570.8Village name Total land area (hectares) Population (in 2011)

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