Faizabad is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which forms a municipal corporation with Ayodhya. It is the headquarters of Faizabad district and Faizabad division. On 6 November 2018, the Uttar Pradesh cabinetheaded by chief minister Yogi Adityanath approved the renaming of Faizabad district as Ayodhya.] Faizabad is situated on the banks of river Ghaghra (locally known as Saryu) about 130 km east of state capital Lucknow. It was the first capital of the Nawabs of Awadh and has monuments built by the Nawabs, like the Tomb of Bahu Begum, Gulab Bari. The earliest reference made to Ayodhya is said to be in the Ramayana, in which the city is referred to as Saket, the mythical private estate of King Dashrath father of Lord Ram but the other sources indicate that Saket, which means Heaven in Sanskrit, is the ancient name of holy city of Ayodhya not Faizabad. However, more accurately, the reference is found in Medieval and Modern history, when Nawab Saadat Ali Khan, Burhan-ul-Mulk was given the charge of the Subah of Awadh around 1722 by the Mughal Court. Nawab Sa'adat Khan made the first settlements along the banks of Ghaghra with a cantonment consisting of a fortress and mud barracks. Due to these temporary dwellings, Faizabad was first known as 'Bangla' (implied meaning- hutment). Establishment of Princely state of Avadh. Avadh, a princely state of India, was established around 1722 AD with Faizabad as its capital and Saadat Ali Khan I as its first Nawab and progenitor of Nawabs of Awadh. He laid the foundation for his own palace at Saket on the outskirt of ancient city of Ayodhya, and renamed that city to Faizabad, which became the capital of the new government. Due to his management policy state's income rose from Rs.7 to 20 million.[3] Faizabad further developed as a township during the reign of Safdar Jang, the second nawab of Avadh (1739–54), who made it his military headquarters while his successor Shuja-ud-daula made it full-fledged capital city. It was developed by Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula who was the third Nawab of Awadh into a full-fledged capital city, with gardens, palaces, markets, roads and other infrastructure. He settled at Faizabad after 1764 and built a fort known as Chhota Calcutta, now in ruins. He built it on the banks of Saryu after he lost the battle of Buxar in 1764. In 1765 he built the Chowk and Tirpaulia and subsequently laid out the Anguribagh and Motibagh to the south of it, Asafbagh and Bulandbagh to the west of the city. Under Shuja-ud-Daula's reign Faizabad achieved its culmination as an important centre of trade and commerce in northern India and attracted travellers, writers, merchants, artists and courtesans from all over Europe and Asia. During the reign of Shuja-Ud-Daula, Faizabad attained such a prosperity which it never saw again. The Nawabs graced Faizabad with several significant buildings, notable among them being the Gulab Bari, Moti Mahal and the tomb of Bahu Begum.Gulab Bari stands in a garden surrounded by a wall, approachable through two large gateways. These buildings are particularly interesting for their assimilative architectural styles. Shuja-ud-daula's wife was the well known Bahu Begum, who married the Nawab in 1743 and continued to reside in Faizabad, her residence being the Moti-Mahal. Close by at Jawaharbagh lies her Maqbara, where she was buried after her death in 1816. It is considered to be one of the finest buildings of its kind in Avadh, which was built at the cost of three lakh rupees by her chief advisor Darab Ali Khan. A fine view of the city is obtainable from top of the begum's tomb. Bahu Begum was a woman of great distinction and rank, bearing dignity. Most of the Muslim buildings of Faizabad are attributed to her. From the date of Bahu Begum's death in 1815 until the annexation of Avadh, the city of Faizabad gradually fell into decay. The glory of Faizabad finally eclipsed with the shifting of capital from Faizabad to Lucknow by Nawab Asaf-ud-daula.[4] Faizabad was also a centre of one of many battles of the Mutiny of 1857. A detailed history of Faizabad can be read in 'Tareekh-e-Farahbaksh', written by Munshi Mohd. Faiz Baksh, (after whom Faizabad is named) a courtier in the Shuja-ud-Daula's court. This book has been translated into English by Hamid Afaq Qureshi as 'Memoirs of Faizabad'. Faizabad also finds a prominent and detailed mention in 'Guzishta Lakhnau' written by Maulvi Abdul Halim 'Sharar'. The fourth nawab of Awadh, Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula, shifted the Capital of Avadh to Lucknow in 1775 after his terms with his mother became sour.