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This article is about the municipality in Uttar Pradesh, India. For its namesake district, see Kannauj district.
Nickname(s): Perfume Capital of India; Grasse of the East
Kannauj is located in Uttar Pradesh
Country India
State Uttar Pradesh
District Kannauj
 • Total 85,000 km2 (33,000 sq mi)
Elevation 139 m (456 ft)
Population (2001)
 • Total 84,862
 • Density 1.00/km2 (2.6/sq mi)
 • Official Hindi
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Website www.kannauj.nic.in

Kannauj (Hindi: कन्नौज, Urdu: قنوج, formerly known in English as Cannodge), also spelt Kanauj, is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is traditionally derived from the term Kanyakubja[1] (The city of the hunchbacked maidens). Kannauj is an ancient city, in earlier times the capital of Emperor Harshavardhan. It is said that Kanyakubja Brahmin's are originally from Kannauj. Kannauj is known for the distilling of scents and is a market center for tobacco, perfume, and rose water. It has given its name to a distinct dialect of the Hindi language known as Kanauji, which has two different codes or registers.

The Kannauj Triangle[edit]

Kannuaj remained a focal point for the three powerful dynasties, namely the Gurjara Pratiharas, Palas and Rashtrakutas, between the 8th and 10th centuries. The conflict between the three dynasties has been referred to as the Tripartite struggle by many historians.[2][3]


There were initial struggles but ultimately the Gurjar Pratihars succeeded in retaining the city.[2] The Gurjar Pratihars ruled Malwa, which was bounded to the South by the Rashtrakuta Empire, and the Pala dynasty to the East. The Tripartite Struggle began with the defeat of Indrayudh at the hands of Gurjar Pratihar ruler Vatsaraja.[2] The Pala ruler Dharampala was also keen to establish his authority at Kannauj, giving rise to a struggle between Vatsaraja and Dharampala. Dharampala was however defeated.[4] Taking advantage of the chaos, the Rastrakuta ruler Dhruva surged northwards, defeated Vatsaraja, and took Kannauj for himself, completing the furthest northern expansion by a South Indian ruler.[3][5]

When the Rashtrakuta ruler advanced back to south, Dharampala was left in control of Kannauj for some time. The struggle between the two northern dynasties continued: the Pala Chakrayudh was defeated by the Pratihara Nagabhata II, and Kannauj was again occupied by the Gurjar Pratihars. Dharampala tried to take control of Kannauj but was defeated badly at Moongher by the Gurjar Pratihars.[2] However, Nagabhata II was in turn soon defeated by the Rashtrakuta Govinda III, who had initiated a second northern surge. An inscription states that Chakrayudh and Dharampala invited Govinda III to war against the Gurjar Pratihars, but Dharampala and Chakrayudh both submitted to the Govinda III, in order to win his sympathy. After this defeat Pratihara power degenarated for some time. After the death of Dharampala, Nagabhata II regained hold over Kannuaj and made it the capital of the Gurjara Pratihara Empire. During this period the Rashtrakutas were facing some internal conflicts, and so they, as well as the Palas, did not contest this.[2] Thus Gurjar Pratihars became the greatest power in Northern India after occupying Kannauj.[2]


Kannauj is located at 27°04′N 79°55′E﻿ / ﻿27.07°N 79.92°E﻿ / 27.07; 79.92.[6] It has an average elevation of 139 metres (456 feet).



Sister Cities[edit]

  • [Tiwva Ganj

See also[edit]


  1. ^ Rama Shankar Tripathi (1989). History of Kanauj: To the Moslem Conquest. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 2. ISBN 978-81-208-0404-3, ISBN 978-81-208-0404-3. 
  3. ^ a b R.C. Majumdar (1994). Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. pp. 282–285. ISBN 978-81-208-0436-4, ISBN 978-81-208-0436-4. 
  4. ^ Kumar Sundram (2007). Compendium General Knowledge. Upkar Prakashan. p. 195. ISBN 978-81-7482-181-2, ISBN 978-81-7482-181-2. 
  5. ^ Pratiyogita Darpan. Upkar Prakashan. 
  6. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Kannauj


External links[edit]