Pawayan (Earstwhile Zamindari) is a town area in the current state of Uttar Pradesh in India, 27 km from Shahjehanpur. It is located in the fertile agricultural belt of Northern India and is 300 km from Delhi and 200 km from Lucknow. It was established in the 18th century.
Pawayan has a population of about 130,000 in 537 villages across an area of 291 km2.
Present ruler and head of house is Raja Surendra Singhji, 10th Raja Saheb of Pawayan since 1989. born 1928, educated at Colvin Taluqdars' College, and at Lucknow University (LL.B.); M.L.A. (Uttar Pradesh) 1957/1962.
Founded around 1705 by Raja Udai Singh, who was the son of Bhupat Singh, a leader of the ancient Gaur clan of Rajputs settled at Chandra and Katesar in Sitapur, U.P. He established Pawayan, the largest Rajput state in the erstwhile Rohilkhand Area and the present District Shahjahanpur in U.P. Gaur Rajputs originated from Gaur Desh (country), in West Bengal. The Gaur Rajputs had dispersed to various parts of Northern and Central India after the onslaught of the Persian raider, Bhaktiar Khilji, around 1205.