Rawatpara is one of the oldest localities of the historic city of
Agra,
Uttar Pradesh,
India. It is situated very close to Agra Fort and also the river Yamuna.
Etymology
Rawatpara draws its name from the
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
-origin title Rawat which means "the king".
History
Out of gratitude,
Akbar
Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...
's granted the title of Rawat, a
jagir
A jagir ( fa, , translit=Jāgir), also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar (Zamindar) system. It developed during the Islamic rule era of the Indian subcontinent, start ...
and
haveli to a Hindu
Brahmin who had protected Akbar's life until his troops arrived during a hunting trip near Agra when Akbar's son
Salim had revolted and there was risk to Akkbar's life due to skirmishes. The area of Brahmin's jagir came to be known as Rawatpara, the Brahmin was given a title of "Bohare" by his won kinsmen. Brahmin's family continued to serve in the court of subsequent
mughal rulers. However, oppressive
Aurengzeb exerted the policy of
forced conversion of Hindus to Islam. Rawats of Rawatpara instead of converting to Islam escaped to the wilds with whatever they could carry with them and moved towards the
ravines of Chambal. In the process, the kin broke into small groups, many of whom settled down in the areas
Kanpur
Kanpur or Cawnpore ( /kɑːnˈpʊər/ pronunciation (help·info)) is an industrial city in the central-western part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Founded in 1207, Kanpur became one of the most important commercial and military stations o ...
and
Shivpuri. The Haveli of Rawats at Rawatpara was abandoned. Over the years the place has assumed a new identity as a wholesale market for grains, pulses, spices etc.
Kanha Rawat, a
Jat who along with
Gokula raised the revolt against the oppressive rule of Aurangzeb and his policies of forced conversion of Hindus to Isam,
[Vijay Kumar Pal, INVADERS & Hidden Facts]
Rudra Publications
pp55-56. was tortured, buried alive in a pit and killed here at Rawatpara.
Economy
The best place to buy the famous Agra
Petha and
Dal Moth is Rawatpara. Most of the shops there are very old; some have been there since the Mughal period. It is also very close to Johari Bazar and Kinari Bazar, which are the most popular shopping markets for the locals and tourist alike.
See also
*
History of Agra
*
Braj
*
Gokula
*
Kanha Rawat
References
Neighbourhoods in Agra
Retail markets in India
{{Agra-geo-stub