Question

What was the geographical and economic importance of Awadh?

Answer 1

Hint: Awadh is located in the northeast portion of Uttar Pradesh. It is located in the Indo-Gangetic plain. Before the independence of India, it was called the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. After Mughal power declined in Awadh, the powers went into the hands of feudatories with Sadat Khan becoming the first nawab of Awadh.

Complete answer:
Awadh is the region which is located in present-day Uttar Pradesh. Awadh was regarded as an independent kingdom that was ruled by nawabs before 1857. The nawabs ruled from Lucknow which was regarded as the capital city. Due to its economic and political value, it was annexed by the British. The location of Awadh throws light upon its economic value since it is located in the fertile Doab plain, which is between Ganga and Yamuna river. Therefore, this area is regarded as prosperous from the agricultural point of view. It yielded good revenue for the British. This area also consists of forests and grounds for grazing in the foothills of the Himalayas. It was also the main trade route between North India and Bengal.
From a political point of view, this region is regarded as very important. It is located at the center of North India, due to which the British could easily have dominance over the area of North India from the region of Calcutta to Delhi.

Note: Awadh had geographical and economic importance since it is located in the alluvial plain or Ganga which yielded good amounts of revenue to the British. Due to its strategic location, this region was considered important as it was a trading route and since it is located in the center of North India, administration activities for the British in northern India were easy.