Kannauj, town, central Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. Kannauj is situated near the Ganges (Ganga) River, about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Kanpur, with which it has road and rail connections.
Its name probably has more popular spellings than any other place-name in India. Kannauj has existed since ancient times and contains numerous ruins and artifacts. It was important during the Gupta empire, and in the early 7th century it became the capital of Harsha’s empire, which included much of northern India. The town entered a period of great splendour during the 9th and 10th centuries, at which time a large number of Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries were built. In 1018, however, it was razed by Maḥmūd of Ghazna. It was plundered again in 1194, by which time it was almost totally destroyed. Since then, Kannauj has been of minor importance, though it is renowned for perfumes and tobacco. Pop. (2001) 71,727; (2011) 84,862.