Fatehpur · History

=== Ancient === Grand Trunk Road passes through the district; it is one of Asia's major trading routes which back at least 2500 years. Fatehpur was mentioned in the Puranic literature. Bhitaura, the site of the sage Bhrigu, was historically an important source of learning. In the ancient times the area was part of Madhyadesha, and was part of the Vatsa Mahajanapada with their capital at Kaushambi, which was monarchical. Their origin is debated, the epics and the Harivamsha record them being descended from a king of Kashi, while the Matsya Purana says that when the Ganga washed away Hastinapur, Nichakshu, 5th in descent from Parikshit, went to live in Kaushambi. During the time of the Buddha the Vatsas were ruled by a king named Udayana. Although there were many kings before him, they were not well-known and there only appear to have been four kings after him. Kshemaka, the last, seems to have seen his kingdom be absorbed into the Nanda Empire in the middle of the fourth century BCE. Afterwards it fell under Maurya rule until the death of Ashoka, when it came under Shunga dynasty rule until 78 BCE. However Shunga rule was never strong, particularly after an invasion by Indo Greeks under Demetrius. The Shungas were replaced by the Kanvas, but their control over the region lasted only a few decades until 30 BCE. After the Kanva period, little is known about the region's history until