Map - Hardoi district (Hardoi)

Hardoi district is a district situated in the center of Uttar Pradesh, India. The district headquarters is in the city of Hardoi. Hardoi is the third largest district of Uttar Pradesh. It falls under Lucknow division in the history region of Awadh

As of the 2011 census, the total population of Hardoi district is 4,092,845 people, in 730,442 households. It is the 13th-most populous district in Uttar Pradesh.

The present-day Hardoi district was created by the British after their takeover of Awadh in 1856. At the time of Akbar in the 1500s, the area of the modern district was divided between the sarkars of Lucknow and Khairabad. Five mahals were in Lucknow sarkar: Sandila, Mallanwan, Kachhandao, "Garanda" (probably a miscopying of Gundwa), and Bilgram. The Ain-i-Akbari does list a mahal of Hardoi in Lucknow district, but this was referring to the Hardoi in modern Rae Bareli district instead of the one in Hardoi district. As for the sarkar of Khairabad, the mahals of Gopamau, Sara, Bawan, Sandi, Pali, and Barwar-Anjana were either partially or entirely in the territory of modern Hardoi district.

In the following centuries, the administrative setup in the area underwent various changes. The pargana of Balamau was formed out of Sandila around the end of Akbar's reign, and it included an area of 42 villages cleared from the jungle by a Kurmi named Balai. The pargana of Barwan was also established at an early date, being split off from Sandi. Kalyanmal became a separate pargana during the reign of Aurangzeb, when a fort was built there; it had previously been part of Gundwa. Shahabad became a pargana in 1745, almost 70 years after the town itself was established; it was split off from the pargana of Pali. Pachhoha was separated from Pali to become a pargana in about 1840. The pargana of Katiari was formed in the early 1800s by taking some areas belonging to Sandi and some belonging to Pali, and the small pargana of Saromannagar was created in 1803 from parts of Pali and parts of Sara. Mansurnagar was created in 1806 from parts of Sara and Gopamau. Bangar was split off from Bilgram in 1807, when the lowlands (kachh) and uplands (bangar) of Bilgram were separated. Finally, Barwar-Anjana was entirely dismantled in 1703 and replaced with 9 smaller parganas, including Pindwara, Pihani, and Alamnagar.

Under the Nawabs of Awadh, the area of present-day Hardoi district was divided between several different chaklas. Sandila became a chakla in 1821, consisting of the parganas of Sandila, Mallanwan, Kachhandao, and Malihabad (the last of which is now in Lucknow district).

Hardoi district was first formed after the British annexed Awadh in February 1856, and it was originally called Mallanwan district because its headquarters were at Mallanwan. After the 1857 uprising the seat was moved to Hardoi due to its more central location. At that time, Hardoi district consisted of four tehsils: Shahabad, Hardoi, Bilgram, and Sandila. Shahabad tehsil contained eight parganas: Shahabad, Pali, Pachhoha, Saromannagar, Barwan, Mansurnagar, Alamnagar, and Pindarwa-Pihani. Hardoi tehsil contained the parganas of Bangar, Gopamau, Sara, and Bawan. Bilgram tehsil contained the parganas of Bilgram, Mallanwan, Kachhandao, Sandi, and Katiari; and finally, Sandila tehsil comprised the four parganas of Sandila, Gundwa, Kalyanmal, and Balamau. In 1869, Sara pargana was divided into Sara North and Sara South, and Sara North was transferred into Shahabad tehsil, while at the same time Barwan was transferred into Hardoi tehsil.