Raebareli () is a city in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Raebareli district and a part of Lucknow Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Sai river, southeast of Lucknow. It possesses many architectural features and sites, chief of which is a strong and spacious fort. As of 2011, Raebareli has a population of 191,316 people, in 35,197 households.
History, Etymology and Post Independence
Raebareli is supposedly a city founded by Bhars, and originally called Bharauli or Barauli. The meaning of the prefix "Rae"(pronounced Rai) is not clear — it may refer to the nearby village of Rahi, to the west, or it may alternatively derive from the title "Rai" borne by the Kayasth rulers of the place. The city was conquered by Ibrahim Shah of the Jaunpur Sultanate and then handed over to Sheikhs and Sayyids. The city's fort was built by Ibrahim Shah in 820 AH, most likely using materials from earlier structures. Apart from the gate on the west side, it is mostly in ruins; it consists of an outer layer of brick surrounding an earthwork core. Outside the gate is the shrine of the Muslim saint Makhdum Saiyid Jafri. According to legend, during the fort's original construction, everything built during the day kept collapsing at night; the sultan then summoned the saint from Jaunpur, and then as soon as he walked on the site the construction proceeded without difficulty. Ibrahim Shah also had at least two mosques built in Raebareli. One was the Jama Masjid, which was restored in 1089 AH by Aurangzeb and still stands today. The other no longer exists; in the late 19th century a dispensary was built on the site by Raja Drigjibai Singh of Murarmau. Rae Bareli was also spelled as "Raibareilly" which is actively being used in various places including central government managed websites such as Vahan Citizen Services. https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in/
Since the time of Ibrahim Shah, Raebareli has continuously been an important regional town. His grandson Husain Shah renamed the city Husainabad after himself, but the name change never caught on. Different mahallas were founded by descendants of the original Muslim settlers in the city: Qasbana, Neza Andaz, Saiyid Rajan, Bans Tola, and Pirai Hamid were founded by Muslims; Jaunpuri, Khali Sahat, and Surjipur were founded by Brahmins; Khatrauni Kalan and Khurd by the Khattri treasurers of the Jaunpur sultans, and Shah Tola by the royal purveyor.
Raja Har Parshad "Taluqedar of Naseerabad" a, native of this town, was the Nazim or Commissioner of Khairabad Division during the reign of the ex-king. He joined the mutineers and went up to Nepal with Begum Hazrat Mahal of Oudh dynasty and on 31 December 1858 while returning after ensuring her safety, he was killed in a battle with British army. He has been honoured with the title of "Lastville and the most notorious governor of Oudh". The district of Raebareli was created by the British in 1858, and is named after its headquarters town. Rana Beni Madhav Baksh Singh is well known freedom fighter of this district. Munshiganj retaliation of common people for freedom shows an example for the rest of Oudh.
After the uprising, Raebareli was chosen as the site of the new district headquarters. A cantonment was established to the southwest of the city, but it was only in use for a few years before being abandoned. Raebareli was first constituted as a municipality in 1867, with originally 23 members on the municipal board, later reduced to 16.