It is believed that the entire region around Basti was once part of Kosala, which was one of the countries of the Vedic Aryans. Kosala was ruled by Lord Rama, who was succeeded by His elder son Kush. His son Luv was crowned as the ruler of the northern part of the kingdom, with its capital at Shravasti.
By the 6th century, the Gupta Dynasty declined and Basti came under the rule of the Maukharis, with the capital at Kannauj. In the beginning of the 9th century, Nagabhata II replaced the ruler of Kannauj and made Basti as his state capital. This empire prospered during the reign of Mihira Bhoja I (836 - 885 AD).
Jaychandra (1170 - 1194 AD), who was the last important king of Basti, was killed in the Battle of Chandawar which was fought with Muhammad of Ghor. Thereafter, the region was occupied by the Turks and subsequently, Basti came under the control of the Jaunpur Sultanate till 1479. This district played a key role during the Indian struggle of 1857. By 1865, it became a tehsil headquarter of a newly established district in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
On the eve of Indian independence, people from neighbouring towns and districts assembled in Basti for hoisting the national flag at various government, semi-government and private buildings. At present, Basti District is situated between the newly formed district of Sant Kabir Nagar on the east and the Gonda District on the west. Nearby the district lies Faizabad, with the River Ghaghara separating the two places, and Ambedkar Nagar District on the south.
This region covers a massive area of around 7,309 sq. km and is the seventh largest district in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Although Basti experiences pleasant weather throughout the year, the best time to visit Basti is between October and March, which is ideal for sightseeing and indulging in numerous activities
