Town Elites: Kakori, Unnao & Kalpi (U.P.), 1000-1978 AD

Dr. Hamid Afaq Qureshi, M.A. (History), M.A. (Pol. Sc.) and Ph.D. (History), was born on 2nd July, 1945. He has published 92 research papers on different aspects of the Indian History, out of which 44 were exclusively on the History of Awadh, in the Proceedings' Volumes of the Indian History Congress, U.P. History Congress, South India HIstory Congress and Indian History and Culture Society, Journal of the Indian History, Bengal Past and Present, The Quarterly Review of Historical Studies, U.P. Historical Review Maarif, Naya Daur, Ajkal, Nai Duniya, Saaz-e-Sarmadi, Qaumi Awaz and Hamari Tauheed. He helped 6 research scholars in completing their Ph.Ds. He was Joint Secretary of U.P History Congress during 1985-1988 and a Member of the Executive Committee of the South Indian History Contress (1988) and U.P. History Congress (1989). He is author of Degeneration of the army of Awadh under Shuja-ud-daulah and Asaf-ud-daulah; The Flickers of an Independent Nawabi: Nawab Wazir Ali Khan of Avadh: and the Mughals, the English and the Rulers of Awadh: A Kaleidoscopic Study.

Professor I.H. Ansari (b 1946) studies History (1964-1968) at the University of Allahabad, from where he later obtained DPhil in 1996 for his work on Deoband School. He joined U.P. Higher Education (Group A) Service in 1972, remained Lecturer from 1972-1974 and Head, Deptt, of History from 1974-1997 in various Govt. Degree and Post-graduate Colleges. He was promoted as Principal in 1997, in which capacity he retired from Govt. Degree College, Talbehat (Lalitpur) in 2006. He has numerous published research papers dealing with different aspects of Indian History & Culture and many PhD researchers are working under his supervision and guidance. On Superannuation, he is engaged in scholarly pursuits of translating and editing rare Persian and Urdu sources and the present work is a mute witness thereof.