Karhal

History

Karhal was historically a tappa (subdivision) of the Mughal-era pargana of Haveli Etawah; by the turn of the 20th century, it was itself the seat of both a pargana and a tehsil. At that time, Karhal was described as having a busy trade in ghee and cotton, with market days twice per week. Glass and saltpetre were manufactured here. The town had a Sanskrit school run by Jains, two other schools, a dispensary, a police station, and a sarai (inn) which had a whole gated enclosure with a mosque and a well. Behind the bazar were the prominent merchants' houses, primarily belonging to members of Saraogi subgroup of the Banias, and the spired temples in this areas were described as being visible from a long way off.