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After the
conquest of Kannauj by the Afghans at the end of the
twelth century, Awadh submitted to the Sultan of Ghazni
and became a part of the Delhi empire and subsequently a
subah (or province) of the Mughal empire. In 1526,
Lucknow was temporarily occupied by the Mughal prince
Humayun. In 1540, he lost the throne to his Afghan
rival, Sher Shah, who occupied Lucknow where he
established a copper mint.
During the Mughal reign, Lucknow became a major centre
of commerce, which persuaded a French merchant to settle
here. He reaped enough profits to build four splendid
houses in the very first year, but was not given
permission to stay further. His persistence resulted in
the confiscation of his property, which came to be known
as the Firangi Mahal.
¤ The Legendary Tale
History has very little to say about the founders or the
first settlers of Lucknow. According to a popular
legend, Lord Ramchandra of Ayodhya, the hero of the
famous epic Ramayana, gifted the territory of Lucknow to
his devoted brother Lakshman after his victory over the
demon king Ravana. The original name of Lucknow is thus
believed to be Lakshmanpur or Lakhanpur. Yet another
story suggests that this city was a gift to the holy
sages of this region by Lord Yudhishtar’s grandson.
The story of Lucknow, as we know today, begins in 1732
when Saadat Khan, a Persian adventurer, originally from
Khurasan in Persia, was honoured by the Mughal Emperor,
Muhammad Shah, and was made Nizam or governor of the
province of Avadh and later the Nawab. In 1740, the
Nawab was called Wazir, which means Chief Minister –
hence he was given the title Nawab Wazir. In practice
from Saadat Khan onwards, titles have been hereditary,
inheritors of which were responsible for shaping the
history of Lucknow.
¤ Lucknow Flourished Under The
Regime of Asaf-ud-Daulah
Nawab Saadat Khan was succeeded by his nephew and
son-in-law, Safdar Jung in 1814. It was his grandson
Asaf-ud-Daulah, the fourth Nawab, who transferred the
seat of the Awadh government to Lucknow in 1775, to
distance himself from his imperious mother in Faizabad.
Thereon ushered a new era.
In the eight intense decades that followed (i.e.1775
–1856), Lucknow prospered and grew into a sophisticated
and picturesque city with parks, palaces, gardens and
imposing architectural monuments. The Nawab’s patronage
of music and arts attracted poets, artists, and
musicians to Lucknow in large numbers. During these
eventful years, Lucknow became one of the most
celebrated centers of opulence, dance, poetry and
scholarship.
¤ Bara Imambara
Asaf-ud-Daulah was also an inveterate builder of
monuments. Driven with an ambition to discover the glory
of the past and present and surpass them in magnificence
and splendor, the numerous buildings built by
Asaf-ud-Duala, like the Bara Imambara built in 1784, the
testify to his architectural zeal.
This is indeed a monumental feat considering the fact
that it once boasted the largest vaulted hall in the
world, with a 50 feet high roof, spanning an area of 162
feet and a height 53 feet in the absence of a single
beam! After all, as per the Nawab’s directive, his
architecture was to be original in conception with no
influence of any existing structure or design.
The galleries and corridors within the great Imambara
form a complicated and intricate labyrinth (bhool-bhuliya)
through which at times it is difficult to find your way.
Its terrace provides a fine view of the Lucknow city.
During one of his visits to the site, the pleasing aroma
of food being cooked in giant ovens attracted the Nawab.
It is here when he discovered the Dum process of
cooking, wherein the food is cooked slowly in its own
steam, which lends a unique aroma and flavor to the
food. Impressed with the process, he ordered the royal
kitchen to practice the same method of cooking.
¤ Rumi Darwaza or The Turkish
Gate
Towards the west of the Imambara is the Rumi Darwaza or
the Turkish Gate built by Asaf-ud-Duala between the
years 1784 to 1786. The 60 feet high gateway stands as
an equally grand entrance to the great hall. During the
Nawabi era, a huge lantern placed atop the Rumi Darwaza
would light up the pathway, while jets of water gushed
from the numerous fountains created on the rim of the
gateway.
 While
on one hand the Nawabs had achieved a certain degree of
independence from the Moghuls in Delhi, they surrendered
their hold over the years as allies to the British who
were there in the form of the East India Company based
in Calcutta. Asaf-ud-Duala’s son, Wazir Ali took over
the throne after his father’s death in 1798. After four
months of misrule and bad behavior, the British removed
Wajid Ali from the throne in 1798, who had by then
acquired enough powers to manipulate the events of Awadh.
Sadat Ali Khan, Asaf-ud-Daula’s brother, was offered the
throne, who during his 16 years of reign, earned himself
a reputation of being an able administrator and the most
sagacious Nawab that Lucknow had ever known.
¤ British Residency
Unlike his predecessor, Sadat Ali proved to be a great
builder who introduced a large number of architectural
styles. One of his best-known monuments is the
Residency, which was built in 1800 for the British
Resident.
Today it stands desolate as a mute witness to the Mutiny
of 1857 when it was almost completely destroyed. Despite
its numerous scars, this monument retains till today its
original charm that almost recreates the history
associated with it and is a stark reminder of the
numerous sieges during the Mutiny. Among the long list
of grand palaces commissioned by Sadat Ali the Moti
Mahal, Dilkusha Palace, Hayat Baksh, Chattar Manzil,
Khusheed Manzil and Lal Baradari, deserves a visit.
The Nawab Wazirs of Lucknow, dissatisfied with their
present titles, wanted to be called Kings, which at the
time only the Emperors of Delhi were entitled to have.
In 1819, Gazi-ud-Din, son and successor of Sadat Ali was
made the fist king.
Gazi-ud-Din was a generous ruler, a good monarch who
paid due attention to administration and justice. He was
responsible for building and public works of all kinds.
His buildings include the Mubarak Mahal, Shah Manzil and
the Hazari Bagh, in which he introduced to the society
of Lucknow, the sport of animal combats for the first
time.
¤ Shah Najaf Imambara
Gazi-ud-Din’s most outstanding building is the Shah
Najaf Imambara where he is entombed together with his
three wives. The Imambara is a huge masonry structure
with a large dome. The wise Nawab gave the British a
large sum of money for its embellishment and
maintenance. Under the terms of agreement, this
mausoleum is well cared for and is in excellent
condition even today.
¤ Tarunvali Kothi
Ironically, the proclamation of kingship coincided with
a period of almost complete dependence on the British.
The title of King neither improved the administrative
capabilities of the rulers nor their morale. The second
King Nasir-ud-Din Haider, son and successor of
Gazi-ud-Din, was so effeminate that he often spoke and
dressed like a female. His only contribution in the
field of architecture was the construction of Tarunvali
Kothi, an archeological center, which was equipped with
sophisticated instruments and entrusted to the care of a
British astronomer.
¤ Muhammad Ali's Imambara
The British crowned the third king of Awadh, Muhammad
Ali who was the second son of Nawab Wazir Sadat Ali, in
1837 at a ripe old age of 63. Muhammad Ali was just and
popular ruler under whom Lucknow once again regained its
splendor for a brief spell. Interested in building
activities, he built his own Imambara as well as the
Juma Masjid. The Imambara, left incomplete by Muhammad
Ali, was later completed by Begum Mallika Jehan of the
Royal family. Between the Imambara and the gateway is a
large courtyard with a rectangular raised tank spanned
by a bridge.
Within the Imambara is the burial place of the king
while his daughter and son-in-law are buried on one side
of the courtyard. The Imambara is noted for its golden
dome, exquisite chandeliers, huge mirrors, silver mimbar,
colourful interiors and delicate calligraphy on its
arched entrance.
¤ Juma Masjid
The Juma Masjid, with its two minarets and three domes
is yet another delightful place to visit in Lucknow. An
interesting building built by Muhammed Ali Shah is the
Baradari, also known as the Picture Gallery, which
houses the portraits of the erstwhile, Nawabs and Kings
of Awadh.
Here one can admire the marvelous costumes and jewellery
that the nobles a adorned themselves with. A patient of
chronic rheumatism, Muhammad Ali died in 1842 and left
behind a number of incomplete monuments, which would
have honored him as the greatest builders amongst all
Awadh Kings.
The Sat Khanda (or seven slices) was an edifice planned
to resemble the minaret of Babylon with each of its
storeys superimposed on the other -the top of which was
to provide one of the finest views of Lucknow. Not far
from the picture gallery is yet another marvel, the
Clock Tower which is said to be the largest in India.
This was however completed in seven years at the cost of
more than a lakh of rupees- an enormous amount at the
time!
¤ Qaiser Bagh Palace
Muhammed Ali was succeeded by his son, Wajid Ali Shah in
1837 who was also the last of the rulers to ascend the
throne. A poet, singer and a great patron of arts, his
pursuit of personal pleasure left little time for
looking into administrative responsibilities. This led
to the British annexation of Awadh. Wajid Ali Shah’s
single contribution to Lucknow was the Qaiser Bagh
Palace built in 1850, which he wanted to be promoted as
the eighth wonder of the world!
¤ La Martiniere-A Funerary
Monument
The architectural skyline of Lucknow remains incomplete
without the mention of La Martiniere-a funerary
monument. Built at the end of the 18th century, it is
said be the largest in Asia and houses the coffin of its
builder, French Major General Claude Martim. Martim had
come to India as a penniless soldier but gradually his
luck and labor fetched him a fortune big enough to lend
a princely amount of 250,000 pounds to the Nawab
Asaf-ud-Daulah! La Martiniere is today a school of great
repute.
¤ Lucknow’s Cultural History
Remains Unrivaled
In almost all forms of art and entertainment, Lucknow
developed its own variety, be it poetry, music, dance,
story telling, fashion, animal combats and gastronomy.
The Dastarkhans of the Lucknow courts are still
proverbial. In fact the master chefs excelled in their
talents to such a great extent that they are believed to
have received salaries more than that of the Prime
Minister himself!
In this period alone, there were more poets that in any
other part of the country. Subsequently the Mughal
monarchy was battling for its survival and in their
sinking empire, had no time for patronising creative
talent. This led to the influx of several artists to
Lucknow where they received considerable patronage.
Cultural refinement was thus, not just confined to the
courts but thrived even on the streets and by-lanes of
this ancient and historical city. |
