Avadh is claimed to be
among the most ancient of Hindu states. According to popular legend, Ramchandra
of Ayodhya, the hero of the Ramayana, gifted the territory of Lucknow to his devoted
brother Lakshman after he had conquered Sri Lanka and completed his term of
exile in the jungle. Therefore, people say that the original name of Lucknow
was Lakshmanpur, popularly known as Lakhanpur or Lachmanpur.
The city of Ayodhya
itself, forty miles away from Lakshmanpur, was reported to be full of great
riches: "Its streets, well arranged, were refreshed with ceaseless streams
of water its walls, variously ornamented, resembled the checkered surface of
a chess-board. It was filled with merchants, dramatists, elephants, horses and
chariots. The cloud of fragrant incense darkened the sun at noonday: but the
glowing radiance of the resplendent diamonds and jewels that adorned the
persons of the ladies relieved the gloom." (Ramayana).
However, the city came
into notice only during the 18th Century. To know more about Lucknow history,
read further the information given below.
After 1350 AD the
Lucknow and parts of Awadh region have been under the rule of the Delhi
Sultanate, the Mughal Empire, the Nawabs of Awadh, the East India Company and
the British Raj. Lucknow has been one of the major centers of First War of
Independence, participated actively in India's Independence movement, and after
Independence has emerged as an important city of North India.
Until 1719, subah of
Awadh was a province of the Mughal Empire administered by a Governor appointed
by the Emperor. Saadat Khan also called Burhan-ul-Mulk a Persian adventurer was
appointed the Nazim of Awadh in 1722 and he established his court in Faizabad near Lucknow.
Awadh was known as the
granary of India and was important strategically for the control of the Doab,
the fertile plain between the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers. It was a wealthy
kingdom, able to maintain its independence against threats from the Marathas,
the British and the Afghans. The third Nawab, Shuja-ud-Daula fell out with the
British after aiding Mir Qasim, the fugitive Nawab of Bengal. He was
comprehensively defeated in the Battle of Buxar by the East India Company,
after which he was forced to pay heavy penalties and cede parts of his
territory. The British appointed a resident in 1773, and over time gained
control of more territory and authority in the state. They were disinclined to
capture Awadh outright, because that would bring them face to face with the
Marathas and the remnants of the Mughal Empire.
 |
Nawab
Asaf-Ud-Dowalah |
Lucknow's rise to
growth and fame begins with its elevation as capital of Awadh by Nawab
Asaf-Ud-Dowlah. He was a great philanthropist and gave Lucknow a unique and
enduring legacy. The architectural contributions of these Awadh rulers include
several imposing monuments. Of the monuments standing today, the Bara Imambara,
the Chhota Imambara, and the Roomi Darwaza are notable examples. One of the
more lasting contributions by the Nawabs is the syncretic composite culture
that has come to be known as the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb.
 |
| Nawab Wajid Ali Shah |
In 1798, the fifth
Nawab Wazir Ali Khan alienated both his people and the British, and was forced
to abdicate. The British then helped Saadat Ali Khan to the throne. Saadat Ali
Khan was a puppet king, who in the treaty of 1801 ceded half of Awadh to the
British East India Company and also agreed to disband his troops in favor of a
hugely expensive, British-run army. This treaty effectively made the state of
Awadh a vassal to the British East India Company, though it notionally
continued to be part of the Mughal Empire in name until 1819.
The treaty of 1801
formed an arrangement that was very beneficial to the Company. They were able
to use Awadh's vast treasuries, repeatedly digging into them for loans at
reduced rates. In addition, the revenues from running Awadh's armed forces
brought them useful revenues while it acted as a buffer state. The Nawabs were
ceremonial kings, busy with pomp and show but with little influence over
matters of state. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, the British had grown
impatient with the arrangement and wanted direct control of Awadh.
 |
| Begam Hazrat Mahal |
In 1856 the East India
Company first moved its troops to the border, then annexed the state, which was
placed under a chief commissioner - Sir Henry Lawrence. Wajid Ali Shah, the
then Nawab, was imprisoned, and then exiled by the Company to Calcutta. In the
subsequent Revolt of 1857 his 14-year old son Birjis Qadr son of Begum Hazrat
Mahal was crowned ruler, and Sir Henry Lawrence killed in the hostilities.
Following the rebellion's defeat, Begum Hazrat Mahal and other rebel leaders
obtained asylum in Nepal.
 |
Silver Emblem & Arms of Nawab
Wajid Ali Shah |
Those company troops
who were recruited from the state, along with some of the nobility of the
state, were major players in the events of 1857. The rebels took control of
Awadh, and it took the British 18 months to reconquer the region, months which
included the famous Siege of Lucknow. Oudh was placed back under a chief
commissioner, and was governed as a British province. In 1877 the offices of
lieutenant-governor of the North-Western Provinces and chief commissioner of
Oudh were combined in the same person; and in 1902, when the new name of United
Provinces of Agra and Oudh was introduced, the title of chief commissioner was
dropped, though Oudh still retained some marks of its former independence.
,+circa+1865.+The+gates+were+demolished+around+1870..jpg) |
| The Jal Pari |
The province of Awadh
(anglicized to Oudh) was annexed by the East India Company in 1856 and placed
under the control of a chief commissioner. In the Indian Rebellion of 1857
(also known as the First War of Indian Independence and the Indian Mutiny), the
garrison based at the Residency in Lucknow was besieged by rebel forces. The
famous Siege of Lucknow was relieved first by forces under the command of Sir
Henry Havelock and Sir James Outram, followed by a stronger force under Sir
Colin Campbell. Today, the ruins of the Residency, and the picturesque Shaheed
Smarak offer reminiscences of Lucknow's role in the stirring events of 1857.
The city played an
important role in both the First War of Independence and the modern Indian
freedom struggle. Whether it was the Lucknow Pact of 1916 or the Khilafat
Movement, it brought the citizens on a united platform against the British
rule. In the Khilafat Movement Maulana Abdul Bari of Firangi Mahal, Lucknow
actively participated and cooperated with Mahatama Gandhi and Maulana Mohammad
Ali.
In 1901, after staying
the capital of Oudh, since 1775, Lucknow, with a population of 264,049, was
merged in the newly formed United Provinces of Agra and Oudh.[7] However, it
became the provincial capital in 1920 when the seat of government was moved
from Allahabad. Upon Indian independence in 1947, Lucknow became the capital of
Uttar Pradesh, the erstwhile United Provinces.
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