The city derives its name from Raja Hardeo,
Bhar chief who built it, but tradition either attributes it to a
Thathera ruler named Raja Harnakas or to a religious devotee named Hardeo Babar who supposedly lived here around 1000 CE. In any case, the site was inhabited from an early date; below the old town is an ancient
khera that covers 16 acres. Around 1300, a group of
Chamar Gaurs led by
Nir Singh are said to have conquered the place from the Thatheras, destroyed their fortress, and re-founded the city. At the turn of the 20th century, Hardoi consisted of two distinct parts: "old" Hardoi, occupying the original site of the village, and "new" Hardoi, which was developed after the establishment of the British civil station in the late 1850s. "New" Hardoi had wide streets, well-shaded by trees, and consisted mostly of the homes of civil officials and members of the local bar, as well as shops. Victoria Hall, built in 1888, contained the municipal and district offices as well as a public library (with books in
English,
Urdu, Hindi,
Persian,
Arabic, and
Sanskrit) and a clock tower. The city also had a courthouse, police station, dispensary, orphanage, several schools, post and telegraph offices, and jail. Hardoi was not at the time a major commercial centre; the main trade involved gathering grain from the rural parts of the district and then exporting it by rail. There was a
grain market at Railwayganj, by the train station, while the main market was at Hardeoganj, which held bazaars on Sundays and Wednesdays. The
Gibsonganj quarter, near
Railwayganj, had a colony of carpenters who did "extensive business in plough handles, cart wheels, and other portions of country carts." ==Geography==