Re: Wajid Ali Shah - A wise king or king of vice
babul mora naihar chuuto hi jaaye
The rough translation (the song can be a metaphor for a wedding as well as funeral procession)
O father, I depart forcibly from my home
Even when he was exiled to Bengal, he married many a woman there and enjoyed life. But his beloved Lucknow remained a dream till the end.
Re: Wajid Ali Shah - A wise king or king of vice
:k: nice BM, you know much about Wajid Ali Shah. So whats your over all assessment of him? Do you consider him a wise king or king of vice?
Re: Wajid Ali Shah - A wise king or king of vice
"The King has been charged with being guilty of vices and debauchery; but he (Mr. Jones) was told on good authority, that few people were more moral than the King of Oude in that respect."
Mr. Jones' speech in the Court of Proprietors of the
I Respect And Believe These Words Of Mr.Jones :)
** "There never was on the throne, I believe, a man more inoffensive at heart than King Wajid Ali Shah"**
Re: Wajid Ali Shah - A wise king or king of vice
Even I read in Hajira Mastoor's novel 'Aangan' that people remembered the king with reverence until partition. He was very popular amongst masses.
Re: Wajid Ali Shah - A wise king or king of vice
:k: Right
Re: Wajid Ali Shah - A wise king or king of vice
More on history of Awadh (Ayodhiya) / Lucknow (Lachmanpur) and people’s love for Wajid Ali Shah
Earlier known as Lakshmanpur Awadh is claimed to be among the most ancient of Hindu States. According to popular legend Ramchandra (Hindu God) of Ayodhya, the hero of the Ramayana gifted the territory of Lucknow to his devoted brother Lakshaman after he had conquered Lanka (present Shri Lanka) and completed his term of exile in jungle. Therefore people say that original name of Lucknow was Lakshmanpur, popularly known as Lakshmanpur or Lakhanpur. Ayodhya was so large a city that Lakshmanpur was described as its suburb.
Name Awadh is derived from Ayodhya (before Mughal’s effect). Until 16[SUP]th[/SUP] c. AD, its name was Ayodhya and not Awadh. In ancient period, Ayodhya was the capital Kosal Province. The history of Ayodhya however as of nearly all Hindu Kingdoms between 7[SUP]th[/SUP] & 11[SUP]th[/SUP] centuries is a mystery.
Awadh again came into prominence when Muslim rulers started to reign in India. Bakhtiyar Khalji was made governor of this region by Qutbuddin in 12[SUP]th[/SUP] c. AD. Nasiruddin Muhammad Shah was made governor in 1325 AD. Qamruddin Qaran and then Farhat Khan was made governor by Muhammad Tughluq, Who declared himself independent king and made Jaunpur his capital.
Ayodhya was given importance in the reign of Mughals also. Babur himself visited in 1538 AD with his army. **Awadh became a “Subah ” or province of the Mughal Empire after Babur annexed it. Mughal king Akbar divided his Empire into 12 provinces for better administration and controlled by “Sipah Salar”. **Awadh was one of the important provinces. Control over these provinces by the king at Delhi started weakening with the decaying conditions of Mughals by the time of Muhammad Shah until 1722, when Sadat Khan the new governor laid the foundation.
During the 139 years of Awadh reign following rulers ruled:
**Nawab Wazirs of Awadh **
Burhanul-Mulk Nawab Sadat Khan 1132-1151 AH / 1719-1737 AD
Nawab Safdarjung 1151-1166 AH / 1737-1753 AD
Nawab Shuja-ud-daula 1166-1188 AH / 1753-1775 AD
Nawab Asaf-ud-daula 1188-1212 AH / 1775-1797 AD
Nawab Wazir Ali Khan 1212-1212 AH / 1797-1798 AD
Nawab Sadat Ali Khan 1212-1229 AH / 1798-1814 AD
Nawab Ghazi-ud-din Haider 1229-1234 AH / 1814-1819 AD
Birjis Qadra 1273-1274 AH / 1857-1858 AD
**Kings of Awadh **
Ghazi-ud-din Haider 1234-1243 AH / 1819-1827 AD
Nasir-ud-din Haider 1243-1253 AH / 1827-1837 AD
Muhammad Ali Shah 1253-1258 AH / 1837-1842 AD
Amjad Ali Shah 1258-1263 AH / 1842-1847 AD
Wajid Ali Shah 1263-1272 AH / 1847-1856 AD
Wajid Ali Shah came to power on Feb 14, 1847 AD. British Govt. Now started framing different charges of mismanagement, public unrest and inefficient ruler against Wajid Ali Shah. Lord Harding warned him on Nov’ 1847 AD, if there is no improvement in the administration, Company will take over the charge of Awadh in her hand. Col. Sluman was sent as Resident specially for this work. In the words of Samual Lucas “…The character of his report was determined for him. He professed to examine but he was under orders to sentence, he pretended to try, but he was instructed to simply condemn.”:aj: Double game by British
Wajid Ali Shah was beloved and respected by his subjects, for the highest to the lowest, from the Raja to the Raiyat and this the more so as he has ever discharged the duties of his high office with justice tempered by mercy . Music and drama was also encouraged in his reign. King himself has written about 50 books. As a poet his title was “Akhtar Despite several obstacles Awadh progressed in trade, industry, Urdu literature, whose foundation was put by his forefathers 135 years ago.
http://www.indiancoins.8m.com/awadh/AwadhHist.html