Budaun is the 118th largest Hindi speaking city of India with a total population of 1,59,285. Highest employment in Budaun is in the sectors of agriculture, readymade garments, chemicals, wood-based furniture, Engineering etc. 75% of the workforce is employed in the Agricultural Sector, 21% in the Industrial Sector and the remaining 4% are Household workers. Badaun district falls under the Agro-climatic region of midwestern plains and is primarily an agrarian economy. Irrigation facilities are well developed. Wheat and paddy are major crops of the district. Other crops grown in the district are sugarcane, pulses, potato, mentha and vegetables. Major exportable item is the Mentha Essential Oil. Budaun is located near the Ganges river in the center of Western Uttar Pradesh. It was the capital of Delhi Sultanate for four years from 1210 CE to 1214 CE during Sultan Iltutmish rule. According to tradition, Budaun was founded about 905 AD, and an inscription, probably of the 12th century, gives a list of twelve Rathor kings reigning at Budaun then called Vodamayuta. Kanauj was conquered after AD 1085 by Mahmud, the son of the Ghaznavid Sultan, driving out the Rashtrakuta chief. The Rashtrakuta chief then moved their capital to Vodamayuta, where they ruled until conquered by Qutb-ud-din Aibak. The first authentic historical event connected with it, however, was its capture by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1196, after which it became a very important post on the northern frontier of the Delhi empire. In 1911, Budaun was a town and district of British India, in the Rohilkhand division of the United Provinces.
