| Sauj | |
| Settlement Type: | Village |
| Pushpin Map: | India Uttar Pradesh |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Coordinates: | 27.0231°N 79.144°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | India |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Uttar Pradesh |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Mainpuri |
| Subdivision Type3: | Tehsil |
| Subdivision Name3: | Karhal |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 19.916 |
| Population Total: | 7957 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | IST |
| Utc Offset1: | +5:30 |
| Postal Code Type: | PIN |
Sauj is a village in Karhal block of Mainpuri district, Uttar Pradesh. An old village going back at least as far as the late 1500s, Sauj was historically the seat of a pargana until 1840. It occupies a very large area and consists of many distinct hamlets besides the main site. As of 2011, Sauj has a population of 7,957, in 1,318 households.
There is a large jhil close to the village.
As of 2011, Sauj covers an area of 1,991.6 hectares, of which 1,033.6 were currently farmland. 310.8 hectares were classified as cultivable wasteland, and another 3 were used as orchards; 0 hectares were used as pastures. 448 hectares were under non-agricultural use, and 14.7 were covered by forest.
Sauj is an old village built atop a khera (archaeological mound) with remains of an old fortress. It is mentioned in the Ain-i Akbari (1595) as a mahal under sarkar Kannauj.[1] It was listed with an assessed revenue of 1,200,000 dams and was expected to supply 3,000 infantry and 200 cavalry to the Mughal army.[2]
Sauj remained the seat of a pargana until 1840, when it was broken up. Its 42 villages were reassigned to other parganas: 25 went to Mainpuri and 17, including Sauj itself, went to Karhal. At the turn of the 20th century, Sauj was described as a large and very dispersed village consisting of 26 different hamlets. It had a halqabandi school, and the old fort's ruins were still visible. The village's population as of 1901 was 2,797.[1]
As of 2011, Sauj had a population of 7,957, in 1,318 households. This population was 53.2% male (4,230) and 46.8% female (3,727). The 0-6 age group numbered 1,223 (657 male and 566 female), or 15.4% of the total population. 1,749 residents were members of Scheduled Castes, or 22.0% of the total.[3]
The 1961 census recorded Sauj as comprising 20 hamlets, with a total population of 3,053 people (1,525 male and 1,528 female), in 652 households and 497 physical houses. The area of the village was given as 5,030 acres and it had a post office at that point.[4]
As of 2011, Sauj had 2 primary schools; it did not have any kind of healthcare facility. Drinking water was provided by hand pump and tube well; there were no public toilets. The village had a post office but no public library; there was at least some access to electricity for all purposes. Streets were made of both kachcha and pakka materials.[5]
See main article: puri district.