Awadh,is a fertile region in the middle-Ganga valley, around Ayodhya, west of Varanasi. It was earlier known as Lakshmanpur Awadh is believed to be one of the most ancient of Hindu states. Awadh can be described as a princely state of India. The name of Awadh is derived from Ayodhya before the effect of Mughal rule. Till the period of 16th century A.D. the place retained its old name, Ayodhya. The place regained its prominence in the reign of the Mughals. The first Mughal monarch Babur, himself visited in 1538 A.D. with his army. After Babur annexed the territory of Awadh it became a `Subah` or province of the Mughal monarchy. In the recent times the region of Awadh geographically includes the districts of Bahraich, Ambedkar Nagar, Faizabad, Hardoi, Lucknow, Rai Bareilly, Unnao, Barabanki, Gonda, Lakhimpur Kheri, Pratapgarh and Sultanpur. The dialect prevalent in this region is Awadh.

The political unity of Awadh can be traced back to the time when it was the ancient Hindu kingdom of Kosala with its capital as Ayodhya. The modern Awadh finds its mention only in the sixteenth century at the time of Akbar`s reign. The region of Awadh was also known as the granary of India. It was considered to be strategically important for the control of the gangetic plain. In the year 1765 treaty was signed between Awadh and the British East India Company and it is from this time that the princely state effectively became dependent on the company. In the following Awadh ceded major parts of its territory to the company. It is from the kingdom of Awadh that the British company recruited many of its troops and also maintained a resident there. In the year 1819 the kingdom of Awadh declared complete independence from the Mughal monarchy and was considered one among the few princely states to do so. In the year 1856, the British East India Company initially moved its troops to the border and then annexed the state which was then under the control of a chief commissioner. The Nawab of that time Wajid Ali Shah was put behind the bars and then exiled by the British Company. In the following year of 1857 during the Revolt of 1857 his son who was aged 14 years was crowned the ruler and following the defeat of the rebel he and the other leaders obtained asylum in Nepal. The troops that were recruited from the kingdom of Awadh played an important role in the events of 1857. It took the British a span of a year and half to reconquer the region after the rebels took control of Awadh. In the year 1902 with the introduction of the new name of United Province of Agra and Oudh, the title of chief commissioner was cast off and Oudh still retained some characteristics of its independence.

The cuisine of the Awadh region is famous all over the globe as it has its own distinct Nawabi style and flavor. The sumptuous cuisines of this place include `biriyanis` and `kebabs`. The royalty of Awadh was also famous for indulging in extravagant pastimes like elephant and rooster fight. Even the game of kite flying which is considered to evoke passionate involvement among the flyers was a main feature of this region. The magnificent skyline of the city of Awadh is living examples of the architectural ingenuity of the nawabs. Reaching the region of Awadh is not an issue to be worried about anymore. The nearest airport to Awadh is the Lucknow airport. This city is also well connected with all the major destinations of the Indian subcontinent.