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Thursday, September 13, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
V M BADOLA ABOUT 'DARA SHIKOH"
Dreamer-at-large
It was a pleasant surprise learning that Danish Iqbal, a friend of many years, had written a play based on the life of Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Muoghal Emperor Shah Jehan. Personally, I have always been an ardent admirer of Dara, not only for his scholarship and catholicity, but also for the vision he held for India. But, then, that is another story……………
Another heartening news was that M.S.Sathyu, an old friend and a known film director and theatreperson, was going to direct it. And it transpired later that both Sathyu and Danish would want me to be in the play to essay the role of Sufi Abhay Chand, the philosophical mentor of Dara Shikoh! I must confess my first reaction was not very enthusiastic. But, as things turned out, I allowed myself to be persuaded to do it.
Dara Shikoh is an intelligently crafted script and has a strong imprint of Danish Iqbal’s long stint with Radio. To truly translate it into a theatrical attire, it was hard work for the director, but more so for the actors. But it was a truly exciting
experience because all this artistic transformation needed a cerebral exercise, both from the director as well as the director. And that is what makes Danish’s script a truly interesting work. Besides, it has a beautiful diction which, apart from being a delight for the actors to render, makes the times of Shah Jehan’s last years come truly alive to us. Dara Shikoh is a timely work in today’s context when India is passing through the phase of communal distrust. I feel if Dara had been allowed to become the Emperor of India after Shah Jehan, our history would be different today.
The play is now being presented by a different set of actors, partly because some of us have had to bow out due to various reasons and partly because of the sad demise of Mohammed Ayub who succumbed to a terminal ailment earlier this year. Ayub Bhai lent a brilliant sheen to the play with his powerful portrayal of two roles.
Dreamer-at-large
It was a pleasant surprise learning that Danish Iqbal, a friend of many years, had written a play based on the life of Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Muoghal Emperor Shah Jehan. Personally, I have always been an ardent admirer of Dara, not only for his scholarship and catholicity, but also for the vision he held for India. But, then, that is another story……………
Another heartening news was that M.S.Sathyu, an old friend and a known film director and theatreperson, was going to direct it. And it transpired later that both Sathyu and Danish would want me to be in the play to essay the role of Sufi Abhay Chand, the philosophical mentor of Dara Shikoh! I must confess my first reaction was not very enthusiastic. But, as things turned out, I allowed myself to be persuaded to do it.
Dara Shikoh is an intelligently crafted script and has a strong imprint of Danish Iqbal’s long stint with Radio. To truly translate it into a theatrical attire, it was hard work for the director, but more so for the actors. But it was a truly exciting
experience because all this artistic transformation needed a cerebral exercise, both from the director as well as the director. And that is what makes Danish’s script a truly interesting work. Besides, it has a beautiful diction which, apart from being a delight for the actors to render, makes the times of Shah Jehan’s last years come truly alive to us. Dara Shikoh is a timely work in today’s context when India is passing through the phase of communal distrust. I feel if Dara had been allowed to become the Emperor of India after Shah Jehan, our history would be different today.
The play is now being presented by a different set of actors, partly because some of us have had to bow out due to various reasons and partly because of the sad demise of Mohammed Ayub who succumbed to a terminal ailment earlier this year. Ayub Bhai lent a brilliant sheen to the play with his powerful portrayal of two roles.
FEW THINGS ABOUT "WAJID ALI SHAH"
Wajid Ali Shah succeeded to the throne of Awadh when its glory days were already past it. The British had annexed much of the kingdom under the treaty of 1801, and had impoverished Awadh by imposing a hugely expensive, British-run army and repeated demands for loans. The independence of Awadh in name was tolerated by the British only because they still needed a buffer state between their presence in the East and South, and the remnants of the Mughal Empire to the North.
Wajid Ali Shah was most unfortunate to have ascended the throne of Awadh at a time when the British East India Company was determined to grab the coveted throne of prosperous Awadh (Oudh), which was "the garden, granary, and queen-province of India." In different circumstances perhaps, be might have succeeded as a ruler because he had many qualities that make a good administrator. He was generous, kind and compassionate towards his subjects, besides being one of the most magnanimous and passionate patrons of the Fine Arts. When he ascended the throne, he took keen interest in the administration of justice, introduced reforms, and reorganised the military department, but gradually sank into a life of pleasures surrounded by courtesans, singers, dancers, and eunuchs.
Wajid Ali Shah was widely regarded as a debauched and detached ruler, but some of his notoriety seems to have been misplaced. The main case for condemnation comes from the British Resident of Lucknow, General Sleeman who submitted a report highlighting maladministration and lawlessness supposed to be prevailing there. This proved to be the trigger the British were looking for, and formed the official basis for their annexation. Recent studies have, however, suggested that Awadh was neither as bankrupt nor as lawless as the British had claimed. In fact, Awadh was for all practical purposes under British rule well before the annexation, with the Nawab playing little more than a titular role. The army was composed mostly of British officers, while the purse strings were firmly under the control of the East India Company.
In his book "Awadh Under Wajid Ali Shah", Dr. G.D. Bhatnagar gives the following assessment of this ill-starred prince: "Cast by providence for the role of an accomplished dilettante, he found himself a misfit for the high office to which he was elevated by chance. Wajid Ali Shah's character was complex. Though he was a man of pleasure, he was neither an unscrupulous knave nor a brainless libertine. He was a lovable and generous gentleman. He was a voluptuary, still he never touched wine, and though sunk in pleasure, he never missed his five daily prayers. It was the literary and artistic attainments of Wajid Ali Shah which distinguished him from his contemporaries."
This portrait of Wajid Ali Shah was used to justify British annexation of Avadh. If the charges of mismanagement levied against Wajid Ali Shah were true, the British were as much responsible for this as the Nawab. They were more in control of the administration and finances of Avadh since the 1780's than the Nawab. In addition, Avadh had been impoverished by the incessant cash demands of the British on the Nawab. The excuse at last came for the British to invoke that clause of the 1801 Treaty. And the Governor General in 1856, Lord Dalhousie, was just the man to do it. Avadh was annexed, Wajid Ali Shah shipped off to virtual imprisonment in Matiyaburj in Calcutta and, though this was not on the British programme, the stage set for the greatest rebellion to date against their power in India.
"This book is for those readers who want to know the truth about Oudh and the past of Nawabi Lucknow. In the eyes of East India Company, the Nawab Wazirs, Kings and Begums of Lucknow were much maligned persons in the history of Oudh. Or all the persons the last deposed King Wajid Ali Shah was charged with infamy. Not many Indians are aware that interested parties to dethrone him, spread canards judiciously. Few of the younger generation of India care to remember the heroic effort of Begum Hazrat Mahal who led from the front and fought to liberate the country from the British. She refused to accept not once but many times, offers of security and due privileges from the East India Company. She wanted to live with independence, dignity and honor and not on crumbs thrown by a foreign power. She died unsung in Kathmandu, Nepal. Her equally brave son Birjis Qadr spent his precious childhood and youth in fighting against the British and then died under mysterious circumstances when he returned to Calcutta.
The Naishapur dynasty of Oudh founded by Mohammed Ameen Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk, Produced men like Safdar Jung who brought Oudh to the forefront of Hindoostan, Shuja-ud-Daulah and Asaf-ud-Daulah sprinkled rainbow of colors in the skylines of the cities they resided, Saadat Khan brought prosperity, Ghazi-ud-Din Haider and Nasir-ud-Din Haider assimilated western thoughts, Mohammad Ali Shah and Amjad Ali Shah added some cosmetic touch to the city, and Wajid Ii Shah introduced the culture of mass entertainment and a drive for everything Swadeshi. The last King Birjis Qadr and Queen Mother Begum Hazrat Mahal infused the spirit of patriotism and sacrifice of life for the motherland in every living person of Oudh. The ruling dynasty founded by a Persian, continued in Oudh for more than 100 years. Lucknowites still gratefully acknowledge the contributions of these Nawab Wazirs, Kings and Begums who gave them a distinct Oudh culture, which represented the synthesis of two great civilizations of Hindoostan and Persia. This fusion led to what is called Ganga-Jamuna culture. It was rightly named so because it had roots deep down in the sweet smelling soils of Oudh. The last reigning monarch of the dynasty, Wajid Ali Shah was a true representative of Oudh, who was born, brought up in Oudh and identified himself completely as any Oudhi Person. These unique cultural syntheses led to many Muslims as ardent devotees of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna. The British replaced the Naisapur dynasty. It was not by people's choice but by the Old Maixm, might is right.
Some new found facts about Birjis Qadr and his descendants are included. Some special photo features in the book are: Begum Hazrat Mahal's grave in Kathmandu, Nepal, Wajid Ali Shah's grave and Mausoleum in Calcutta, copy of Wajid Ali Shah's own hand written Quraan, Birjis Qadr with his son and attendants after his return from Nepal and a painting of Begum Hazrat Mahal leading the attack in Alambagh engagement against the British." (jacket)
"In a case of grip turning to grab", the British Resident in Lucknow Sir James Outram annexed Awadh in 1856, exiling the last Nawab Wajid Ali Shah on grounds of misrule to Calcutta is the summary noted in 'Colonial Lucknow : Remnants of the Raj', a monograph put out by the United Province Tourism. Some voices of discord were heard. Ann Morrow in 'Maharajas of India' notes "Sir Alfred Lyall talked about 'the scandalous cant with which we tried to whitewash the transaction' in a letter home." Sir William Sleeman warned that "the annexation of Oudh would cost the British more than the value of ten kingdoms and lead to a mutiny of sepoys." And so it did. The Resident now represented The Paramount Power stationed in the state. One Maulana Mohammad Ali paraphrased the old maxim - Divide and Rule - into 'We (British) divide and You (Indians) rule' a process that gave rise to the Princely States in India. Furthermore, "there is a division of labour here. While 'We (Indians) are divided, You (British) rule." In the words of the Simon Report "they are ruled by hereditary Princes and chiefs who are in relations with the British Crown on terms which secure to them large powers of internal sovereignty, while their external relations are the responsibility of the Paramount Power." "The British rule was an effective mixture of bullying, bribery and military prowess" note Charles Allen and Sharada Dwivedi in what is often acknowledged as a classic book on 'Lives of the Indian Princes'. Lord Robert Clive wrote in 1766 to William Pitt the following: "It is scarcely hyperbole to say, tomorrow the whole Mughal Empire will be in our hands." An interesting footnote to the British rule of Lucknow is that more than a century later, an Anglo-Indian train driver from Lucknow had a son, Harry Webb born to him. We know that son by the name of Cliff Richard - the perennially youthful British rock n' roll singer. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah on being appointed Heir Apparent foresaw impending tragedy. "This is the reign of worthless people, Akhtar, close your shop as the bazaar will no longer be open" he once wrote. 'Akhtar' was his nom de plume. Exiled to Calcutta, his residence belonged to the Maharajah of Burdwan in Matia Burj where he spent the remaining thirty-two years of his life. The last Nawab of Awadh also known as the 'Tragic King' died in 1887 and was buried in Calcutta. An artist, poet, patron of arts and culture, he was deeply knowledgeable of drama, dance and music. He wrote 'Radha Kanhaiya Ka Qissa'. He greatly influenced the Lucknow gharana of khattak dance and raised it to great artistic heights whereby it became the official dance of the court. Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797-1869) received gracious patronage from Wajid Ali Shah who granted a pension of Rs. 500 per annum to Ghalib. However, Ghalib could avail of the assistance for only two years since the Nawab himself then went into exile.
Fay Ary's royal Avadh connection brings her to the city of her husband's ancestors. She rekindles memories of what is one of the saddest tales of the Avadh's Nawabi era — journey of Queen Mallika Kishwar also known as Jenab Alliya Begum, mother of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, to England after the annexation of Avadh by the British in 1856. A doomed mission from the start, Queen Jenab's tale of meeting Queen Victoria and her untimely death in Paris forms poignant tale in Avadhi history. In Lucknow recently to learn more about her roots, Her Royal Highness Princess Fay Ary, (also known as Princess Jahanara, who claims a connection to the Royal Family of Avadh as the wife of one of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah's great grandsons) is determined to restore the glory of 'Oudh'. Fay Ary, who boasts of a lineage from Persian royalty, tells LT how she plans to go about it and why. "I met my husband in Switzerland where I was studying and he introduced me to the rich Avadhi culture. I was just 16 and totally enamoured. Two years later we got married and the rest is history. He always spoke of India and people of Lucknow and told me about Avadhi food, culture and the charming etiquette of people. All my life I wanted to come and see this city and meet the people but for some reason could not. After my husband's death, my son Alexander Ali would ask me about his Indian heritage and that's when I decided to come to Lucknow with him," says Fay Ary who makes it a point to be seen a in sari at public functions. The princess plans to write an autobiography of her life spent with the Avadhi prince, the great grandson of Queen Ronakara, second wife of Wajid Ali Shah (whose name she refuses to divulge for the fear of being drawn into a family feud). She also plans to draw world attention to Lucknow so that international organisations can get involved in charitable works here as well. "Jaipur has attained that status. As soon as India is mentioned abroad, Jaipur's name crops up. I want Lucknow to attain the same status and work for this has already begun. By reviving the glory of our lost heritage, parts of which are scattered all over the world, Avadhi prestige can be restored," she says. And her work begins with the renovation of Queen Jenab Alliya Begum's grave in Paris. "I learnt about the grave on my visit to the city last year while browsing at a bookstore in Hazratganj. As I live in Paris, I decided to locate the grave and found it at a place called Pere Lachaise. It was in ruins. Its marble canopy had also been removed. Efforts are on to install a new canopy which will be made in India. Once the grave is renovated, tourists from India and abroad can visit it and get to know more about the royal family of Avadh," she avers. Also on the anvil is the setting up a foundation in the name of Avadh's royal family. "It will be a proactive forum where people who can make a difference will be taken on. As children are my focus area, I am keen to start a scholarship for deserving underprivileged kids as well." So far so good, but ask her about people who doubt her genuineness and she says, "I am not here to advertise myself or my lineage but to do something for a city that I have a heartfelt connection with. I left Persia when I was 9 years old but even now I look up to Queen Farah, the wife of the Shah of Iran, who is a perfect example of a modern royalty who believes in being among the masses to make a difference." anjali.singh@timesgroup.com
There is a particularly arresting moment in Shatranj Ke Khilari when General Outram (Richard Attenborough) is quizzing a local Captain (Weston, played by Tom Alter) about the habits of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Lucknow. The question he poses is tough, but fair: Is he any good as a poet, or do they just say he's good, because he's the Nawab?
Weston states his opinion that the Nawab is indeed a gifted poet, and, upon Outram's prodding, recites a few lines to indulge the General, who likes 'the sound of Hindustani.'
After Weston finishes the exquisitely-worded couplet, Outram asks him what it means, and Alter replies:
'Wound not my bleeding body, Throw flowers gently on my grave.Though mingled with the earth, I rose up to the skies. People mistook my rising dust for the heavens.'
Outram is clearly unimpressed, but Weston, insisting on the poem's quality, says, 'It doesn't translate very well, sir.'
Wajid Ali Shah in the dock
WAS Nawab Wajid Ali Shah a libertine who devoted himself wholly to sensual pleasure and whose profligacy and incompetence led to the loss of his kingdom, causing a great deal of collateral damage to the Muslim nobility of Oudh? Or was he more sinned against than sinning?This used to be one of the major historical controversies that raged in the last few decades preceding the dawn of freedom. The issue apparently remained unsettled then. Lately one has heard less and less of the late Nawab. Most people now would not bother to spend time finding the right answer.A book on Wajid Ali Shah was recently launched at the Arts Council. Dr Manzer Husain Kazmi, the author, evidently thought it necessary to re-open the case of the last ruler of Oudh.One of the speakers seemed to agree with the historians, mostly Englishmen, who called the Nawab ‘a rangila badshah’. According to the speaker, he proved a decrepit ruler who easily succumbed to the conspiracy of the East India Company and who accepted humiliation and disgrace as a prisoner of the Company Bahadur instead of offering armed resistance and accepting martyrdom. He was thus one of those responsible for the loss of the subcontinent’s independence.Defending the Nawab several other speakers said they believed he was the victim of character assassination whom the Company’s pen- pushers deliberately painted in a bad light. Oudh would have been annexed, even if its ruler had been a paragon of virtue and an excellent administrator.The Nawab, they asserted, was by all means a competent ruler, and Oudh in his time was a very well-managed state whose people enjoyed peace, prosperity and cultural refinement. Wajid Ali Shah himself was a learned person and a creative poet, who introduced opera in Urdu. He was a connoisseur of theatre and music and was also a choreographer.Author of around one hundred books, a couple of collections of poetry in Arabic and a few in Persian, he had composed a ‘masnavi’ titled ‘Huzn-i-Akhtar’ (the lamentation of Akhtar) written during his detention at Fort William. The ill-fated Nawab argued his case as given in the following couplets.Huay qaid is tarha ham begunahAseer-o-nameen, naam hai baadshahHuay mujh say kub tark soam-o-salaatMein her saal deta hoon khums-o-zakaatTu hai alamulghaib ay KibryaNaheen mujh pe wajib namazen qaza(I have been clapped in prison even though I am guiltless. A king only in name. I am in fact a poor prisoner. I have never failed to offer namaaz and observe fasting. I have been paying ‘khums’ and ‘zakat’ regularly every year. God, almighty and all- knowing, knows that I have never been in arrears so far as prayers go.)But one wonders if this can prove him to be a capable ruler as well.Dr Farman Fatehpuri speaking in defence of the deposed Nawab contented that it was the usual practice for the imperialists to malign the native rulers before getting them out of the way. Look at the way George Bush conducted a vicious propaganda campaign against Saddam Hussein before attacking Iraq, he said. But at least the charge-sheet against Saddam, who was hated as a tyrant, was not altogether wrong. Wajid Ali Shah’s case was different. He sure had his own foibles and failings. But it is no easy task to sift facts from fiction concerning the life and time of a man like Wajid Ali Shah.Leaving this point aside, one fact was obvious: the Nawab or any other native ruler in those times could hardly withstand the onslaught of the English Company’s better equipped and highly disciplined army. Between the Company and the Nawab, the fight was between two systems, one a rising economic and political order and the other a declining one.Abdul Haleem Sharar had some hazy memories of Lucknow when he narrated the luxurious, carefree lifestyle of the Lucknavis of those days:“The art of wrestling enjoyed wide popularity in the Lucknow of that time, but this was about a mere display of tactical moves and there was no real contest involving the use of physical strength. A fight between birds was all the rage. The spectators used to be so deeply engrossed that being present at the show seemed to them to be a most important undertaking.”Even earlier, the famed traveller Yusuf Hussain Kambalposh, who had written Ajaebat-i-Farang after visiting London, wrote the following when he came to Lucknow in 1836:“Lots of care-free people used to assemble at the chowk amid an air of festivity and scenes of frantic buying and selling. The prostitutes who were made up to near perfection sat near open windows, exhibiting their attractions for the benefit of the passers-by.
Fashionable and well-attired young men used to visit the place riding horses. They exchanged glances and made signs to the women who responded keenly. Seeing these young men, I could not but recall the tremendous difference between them and boys their age in London. The latter always appeared dedicated to their vocational concerns whereas these boys wasted all their time in profitless pursuits.”Another chronicler, Durga Parshad, in his book ‘Bostan-i- Oudh’ had written that the Nawab, when suffering from poor mental health, was advised by the court physicians not to tax his frail nerves too much.There are always two sides to a coin. Wajid Ali Shah was a man of learning and a connoisseur of art, music and literature. But he was an incompetent ruler.
Wajid 'Ali Shah was exiled to Calcutta with most of his family, granted a generous pension from the Oudh revenues. He also received a large and scenic plot of land at Garden Reach, on which he built several mansions, palaces and a vast cemetery. There he spent his days indulging his artistic tastes and collecting wives and women on an amazing scale. When the Indian Mutiny broke out in 1857, he at once declared himself for the government and against the mutineers. Nevertheless, he was taken into custody and placed under open confinement at Fort William.Meanwhile, at Lucknow, the mutineers found support from one of Wajid 'Ali's former wives, Hazrat Mahal, whom he had divorced six years before his deposition. She remained behind with her son, Prince Birjis Qadr, when the rest of the family left for Calcutta. They proclaimed the young prince as King and appealed for recognition to the King of Delhi. Although replying with the utmost felicity, even calling him 'son', the crafty old Bahadur Shah carefully addressed him as 'Mirza'. Thus ignoring the regnal styles and titles by which he had been proclaimed, avoiding the title of Nawab, even ignoring the title of Shahzada, merely addressing him with the title of a junior prince. The reason for this caution was not hard to see. A rival court had been established by a Muslim cleric, who proclaimed himself as ruler of Oudh under the title of Sahib Shah.Although giving some battle to the British forces, the approach of the army induced Birjis Qadr and Hazrat Mahal to flee, first to Bundi and then to Nepal. They narrowly avoided capture, mainly because of actions between the forces of Sahib Shah and the British. Mother and son received sanctuary by the Prime Minister of Nepal, in exchange for parting with a number of valuable jewels and heirlooms. Ironically, the same Prime Minister who had provided large numbers of troops to defeat the mutineers in Oudh.Wajid 'Ali Shah was released after the Mutiny and returned to his amusements at Garden Reach. There he produced an enormous family, and died in 1887. His children and descendants continued to enjoy pensions and titles, courtesy of the British until Indian independence in 1947, but which have dwindled substantially or disappeared altogether since then.Prince Birjis Qadr made his way to Calcutta with a family in tow, after the death of his father. He had returned to claim a share of the generous pensions allotted to his brothers and to claim his father's properties. He died at Calcutta in 1893.The British authorities recognized Prince Qamar Qadr, Birjis Qadr's brother, as representative of the Oudh family in 1888. He survived another thirty years and died in 1919. Several other brothers played prominent roles in Calcutta society, amongst them Prince Afshar ul-Mulk, sometime Member of the Imperial Legislative Council and Member of the Executive Council of Bengal.
The consolidation of British rule after the initial military victories fell to Warren Hastings, who did much to dispense with the fiction that the Mughal Emperor was still the sovereign to whom the Company was responsible. Hastings also set about to make the British more acquainted with Indian history, culture, and social customs; but upon his return to England, he would be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors. His numerous successors, though fired by the ambition to expand British territories in India, were also faced with the task of governance. British rule was justified, in part, by the claims that the Indians required to be civilized, and that British rule would introduce in place of Oriental despotism and anarchy a reliable system of justice, the rule of law, and the notion of 'fair play'. Certain Indian social or religious practices that the British found to be abhorrent were outlawed, such as sati in 1829, and an ethic of 'improvement' was said to dictate British social policies. In the 1840s and 1850s, under the governal-generalship of Dalhousie and then Canning, more territories were absorbed into British India, either on the grounds that the native rulers were corrupt, inept, and notoriously indifferent about the welfare of their subjects, or that since the native ruler had failed to produce a biological male heir to the throne, the territory was bound to "lapse" into British India upon the death of the ruler. Such was the fate of Sambalpur (1849), Baghat (1850), Jhansi (1853), Nagpur (1854), and -- most tragically -- Awadh (1856). The Nawab of Awadh [also spelled as Oudh], Wajid Ali Shah, was especially reviled by the British as the worst specimen of the Oriental Despot, more interested in nautch girls, frivolous amusements -- kite-flying, cock-fighting, and the like -- and sheer indolence than in the difficult task of governance. The British annexation of Awadh, and the character of the Nawab, were made the subjects of an extraordinary film by Satyajit Ray, entitled The Chess Players ("Shatranj ke Khilari").
Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (1822-1887) belonged to the princely kingdom of Awadh (Oudh) in Uttar Pradesh, India, succeeding his father Nawab Amjad Ali Shah, to become the province's tenth and last nawab. Muhammad Wajid Ali Shah Bahadur was born on 13th February, 1847 in Lucknow, India. He began his illustrious reign as ruler of Awadh after ascending the throne in 1847, which he went on to rule for nine years. After his kingdom was annexed by the British in 1856, the Nawab was exiled to Calcutta where he spent the rest of his life off handsome allowances. However, his immense contribution to the field of Fine Arts is what makes him renowned today. The robust Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was regarded as being a kind, generous and compassionate ruler, as well as a good administrator, who took keen interest in the affairs of the state. However, his image was tarnished by the British as being a debauched and detached ruler, contrary to the fact that Awadh as a prosperous and wealthy state under his rule. Besides introducing reforms and looking into the administration of justice and military affairs, Wajid Ali Shah was also a poet, playwright, composer and dancer himself, under whose lavish patronage the fine arts flourished. Pursuing his passion for the arts, Wajid Shah built the specatcular Kaisarbagh Baradari palace complex which came alive with music, dance-dramas, Rahas, Jogiya Jashan and Kathak performances, making Lucknow an attractive cultural centre, as made famous by the earlier Nawab rulers of the state. It was during his era that several reputed musicians, poets, composers, and dancers enhanced their repertoire, along with the enriching the light classical form of thumri, the grand revival of the Kathak dance form, and the rise in popularity of Hindustani Theatre. After his deposition to Calcutta, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah longed to keep the pomp and splendor of his beloved Lucknow alive. In his exile in Matiaburj, on the banks of the River Hooghly, Wajid Ali Shah once again used his wealth to relive his former glamorous lifestyle. The adorned walls of the Darbar Hall of Matiyaburj bear witness to the numerous musical assemblies held there, being visited by music-lovers, including great personalities from Calcutta's music circuit such as Aghorenath Chakravarty, Sajjad Mohammad, Dhirendranath Bose, Shyamlal Goswami and Rai Chand Boral. Wajid Ali Shah's self works included numerous poems, prose, ragas, playwrights and ghazals under his pen name of 'Qaisar'. While his compositions include his famous Bhairavi thumri named 'Babul mora Chhooto jaay' sung by many singers, his ragas (titled Jogi, Juhi, Shah-Pasand etc.), dramatised poems (such as Darya-i-Tashsq, Afsane-i-Isbaq, and Bhahar-i-Ulfat) and ghazals (in the 'Diwani-Akhtar', 'Husn-i-Akhtar'), his great works have inspired many artistes and playwrights alike. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah's personal front was also as ambitious as his passion for the arts, as he took advantage of the Shia Law of Muta to marry an astonishing 359 times. Besides the Nawab's immense contributions to India, one of his wives, Begum Hazrat Mahal was known to be a great Indian freedom-fighter who played a major role during India's First War of Independence (1857-58) against the British. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah passed away on 1st September, 1887 at Kolkata, India, while his mausoleum lies at the Imambara Sibtenabad, in Matiyaburj. Great historians such as Dr. G.D. Bhatnagar and Ranbir Singh's elaborate works and autobiographies, provide us with perspective insight into the Nawab's life.
Wajid Ali Shah succeeded to the throne of Awadh when its glory days were already past it. The British had annexed much of the kingdom under the treaty of 1801, and had impoverished Awadh by imposing a hugely expensive, British-run army and repeated demands for loans. The independence of Awadh in name was tolerated by the British only because they still needed a buffer state between their presence in the East and South, and the remnants of the Mughal Empire to the North.
Wajid Ali Shah was most unfortunate to have ascended the throne of Awadh at a time when the British East India Company was determined to grab the coveted throne of prosperous Awadh (Oudh), which was "the garden, granary, and queen-province of India." In different circumstances perhaps, be might have succeeded as a ruler because he had many qualities that make a good administrator. He was generous, kind and compassionate towards his subjects, besides being one of the most magnanimous and passionate patrons of the Fine Arts. When he ascended the throne, he took keen interest in the administration of justice, introduced reforms, and reorganised the military department, but gradually sank into a life of pleasures surrounded by courtesans, singers, dancers, and eunuchs.
Wajid Ali Shah was widely regarded as a debauched and detached ruler, but some of his notoriety seems to have been misplaced. The main case for condemnation comes from the British Resident of Lucknow, General Sleeman who submitted a report highlighting maladministration and lawlessness supposed to be prevailing there. This proved to be the trigger the British were looking for, and formed the official basis for their annexation. Recent studies have, however, suggested that Awadh was neither as bankrupt nor as lawless as the British had claimed. In fact, Awadh was for all practical purposes under British rule well before the annexation, with the Nawab playing little more than a titular role. The army was composed mostly of British officers, while the purse strings were firmly under the control of the East India Company.
In his book "Awadh Under Wajid Ali Shah", Dr. G.D. Bhatnagar gives the following assessment of this ill-starred prince: "Cast by providence for the role of an accomplished dilettante, he found himself a misfit for the high office to which he was elevated by chance. Wajid Ali Shah's character was complex. Though he was a man of pleasure, he was neither an unscrupulous knave nor a brainless libertine. He was a lovable and generous gentleman. He was a voluptuary, still he never touched wine, and though sunk in pleasure, he never missed his five daily prayers. It was the literary and artistic attainments of Wajid Ali Shah which distinguished him from his contemporaries."
This portrait of Wajid Ali Shah was used to justify British annexation of Avadh. If the charges of mismanagement levied against Wajid Ali Shah were true, the British were as much responsible for this as the Nawab. They were more in control of the administration and finances of Avadh since the 1780's than the Nawab. In addition, Avadh had been impoverished by the incessant cash demands of the British on the Nawab. The excuse at last came for the British to invoke that clause of the 1801 Treaty. And the Governor General in 1856, Lord Dalhousie, was just the man to do it. Avadh was annexed, Wajid Ali Shah shipped off to virtual imprisonment in Matiyaburj in Calcutta and, though this was not on the British programme, the stage set for the greatest rebellion to date against their power in India.
"This book is for those readers who want to know the truth about Oudh and the past of Nawabi Lucknow. In the eyes of East India Company, the Nawab Wazirs, Kings and Begums of Lucknow were much maligned persons in the history of Oudh. Or all the persons the last deposed King Wajid Ali Shah was charged with infamy. Not many Indians are aware that interested parties to dethrone him, spread canards judiciously. Few of the younger generation of India care to remember the heroic effort of Begum Hazrat Mahal who led from the front and fought to liberate the country from the British. She refused to accept not once but many times, offers of security and due privileges from the East India Company. She wanted to live with independence, dignity and honor and not on crumbs thrown by a foreign power. She died unsung in Kathmandu, Nepal. Her equally brave son Birjis Qadr spent his precious childhood and youth in fighting against the British and then died under mysterious circumstances when he returned to Calcutta.
The Naishapur dynasty of Oudh founded by Mohammed Ameen Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk, Produced men like Safdar Jung who brought Oudh to the forefront of Hindoostan, Shuja-ud-Daulah and Asaf-ud-Daulah sprinkled rainbow of colors in the skylines of the cities they resided, Saadat Khan brought prosperity, Ghazi-ud-Din Haider and Nasir-ud-Din Haider assimilated western thoughts, Mohammad Ali Shah and Amjad Ali Shah added some cosmetic touch to the city, and Wajid Ii Shah introduced the culture of mass entertainment and a drive for everything Swadeshi. The last King Birjis Qadr and Queen Mother Begum Hazrat Mahal infused the spirit of patriotism and sacrifice of life for the motherland in every living person of Oudh. The ruling dynasty founded by a Persian, continued in Oudh for more than 100 years. Lucknowites still gratefully acknowledge the contributions of these Nawab Wazirs, Kings and Begums who gave them a distinct Oudh culture, which represented the synthesis of two great civilizations of Hindoostan and Persia. This fusion led to what is called Ganga-Jamuna culture. It was rightly named so because it had roots deep down in the sweet smelling soils of Oudh. The last reigning monarch of the dynasty, Wajid Ali Shah was a true representative of Oudh, who was born, brought up in Oudh and identified himself completely as any Oudhi Person. These unique cultural syntheses led to many Muslims as ardent devotees of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna. The British replaced the Naisapur dynasty. It was not by people's choice but by the Old Maixm, might is right.
Some new found facts about Birjis Qadr and his descendants are included. Some special photo features in the book are: Begum Hazrat Mahal's grave in Kathmandu, Nepal, Wajid Ali Shah's grave and Mausoleum in Calcutta, copy of Wajid Ali Shah's own hand written Quraan, Birjis Qadr with his son and attendants after his return from Nepal and a painting of Begum Hazrat Mahal leading the attack in Alambagh engagement against the British." (jacket)
"In a case of grip turning to grab", the British Resident in Lucknow Sir James Outram annexed Awadh in 1856, exiling the last Nawab Wajid Ali Shah on grounds of misrule to Calcutta is the summary noted in 'Colonial Lucknow : Remnants of the Raj', a monograph put out by the United Province Tourism. Some voices of discord were heard. Ann Morrow in 'Maharajas of India' notes "Sir Alfred Lyall talked about 'the scandalous cant with which we tried to whitewash the transaction' in a letter home." Sir William Sleeman warned that "the annexation of Oudh would cost the British more than the value of ten kingdoms and lead to a mutiny of sepoys." And so it did. The Resident now represented The Paramount Power stationed in the state. One Maulana Mohammad Ali paraphrased the old maxim - Divide and Rule - into 'We (British) divide and You (Indians) rule' a process that gave rise to the Princely States in India. Furthermore, "there is a division of labour here. While 'We (Indians) are divided, You (British) rule." In the words of the Simon Report "they are ruled by hereditary Princes and chiefs who are in relations with the British Crown on terms which secure to them large powers of internal sovereignty, while their external relations are the responsibility of the Paramount Power." "The British rule was an effective mixture of bullying, bribery and military prowess" note Charles Allen and Sharada Dwivedi in what is often acknowledged as a classic book on 'Lives of the Indian Princes'. Lord Robert Clive wrote in 1766 to William Pitt the following: "It is scarcely hyperbole to say, tomorrow the whole Mughal Empire will be in our hands." An interesting footnote to the British rule of Lucknow is that more than a century later, an Anglo-Indian train driver from Lucknow had a son, Harry Webb born to him. We know that son by the name of Cliff Richard - the perennially youthful British rock n' roll singer. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah on being appointed Heir Apparent foresaw impending tragedy. "This is the reign of worthless people, Akhtar, close your shop as the bazaar will no longer be open" he once wrote. 'Akhtar' was his nom de plume. Exiled to Calcutta, his residence belonged to the Maharajah of Burdwan in Matia Burj where he spent the remaining thirty-two years of his life. The last Nawab of Awadh also known as the 'Tragic King' died in 1887 and was buried in Calcutta. An artist, poet, patron of arts and culture, he was deeply knowledgeable of drama, dance and music. He wrote 'Radha Kanhaiya Ka Qissa'. He greatly influenced the Lucknow gharana of khattak dance and raised it to great artistic heights whereby it became the official dance of the court. Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797-1869) received gracious patronage from Wajid Ali Shah who granted a pension of Rs. 500 per annum to Ghalib. However, Ghalib could avail of the assistance for only two years since the Nawab himself then went into exile.
Fay Ary's royal Avadh connection brings her to the city of her husband's ancestors. She rekindles memories of what is one of the saddest tales of the Avadh's Nawabi era — journey of Queen Mallika Kishwar also known as Jenab Alliya Begum, mother of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, to England after the annexation of Avadh by the British in 1856. A doomed mission from the start, Queen Jenab's tale of meeting Queen Victoria and her untimely death in Paris forms poignant tale in Avadhi history. In Lucknow recently to learn more about her roots, Her Royal Highness Princess Fay Ary, (also known as Princess Jahanara, who claims a connection to the Royal Family of Avadh as the wife of one of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah's great grandsons) is determined to restore the glory of 'Oudh'. Fay Ary, who boasts of a lineage from Persian royalty, tells LT how she plans to go about it and why. "I met my husband in Switzerland where I was studying and he introduced me to the rich Avadhi culture. I was just 16 and totally enamoured. Two years later we got married and the rest is history. He always spoke of India and people of Lucknow and told me about Avadhi food, culture and the charming etiquette of people. All my life I wanted to come and see this city and meet the people but for some reason could not. After my husband's death, my son Alexander Ali would ask me about his Indian heritage and that's when I decided to come to Lucknow with him," says Fay Ary who makes it a point to be seen a in sari at public functions. The princess plans to write an autobiography of her life spent with the Avadhi prince, the great grandson of Queen Ronakara, second wife of Wajid Ali Shah (whose name she refuses to divulge for the fear of being drawn into a family feud). She also plans to draw world attention to Lucknow so that international organisations can get involved in charitable works here as well. "Jaipur has attained that status. As soon as India is mentioned abroad, Jaipur's name crops up. I want Lucknow to attain the same status and work for this has already begun. By reviving the glory of our lost heritage, parts of which are scattered all over the world, Avadhi prestige can be restored," she says. And her work begins with the renovation of Queen Jenab Alliya Begum's grave in Paris. "I learnt about the grave on my visit to the city last year while browsing at a bookstore in Hazratganj. As I live in Paris, I decided to locate the grave and found it at a place called Pere Lachaise. It was in ruins. Its marble canopy had also been removed. Efforts are on to install a new canopy which will be made in India. Once the grave is renovated, tourists from India and abroad can visit it and get to know more about the royal family of Avadh," she avers. Also on the anvil is the setting up a foundation in the name of Avadh's royal family. "It will be a proactive forum where people who can make a difference will be taken on. As children are my focus area, I am keen to start a scholarship for deserving underprivileged kids as well." So far so good, but ask her about people who doubt her genuineness and she says, "I am not here to advertise myself or my lineage but to do something for a city that I have a heartfelt connection with. I left Persia when I was 9 years old but even now I look up to Queen Farah, the wife of the Shah of Iran, who is a perfect example of a modern royalty who believes in being among the masses to make a difference." anjali.singh@timesgroup.com
There is a particularly arresting moment in Shatranj Ke Khilari when General Outram (Richard Attenborough) is quizzing a local Captain (Weston, played by Tom Alter) about the habits of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Lucknow. The question he poses is tough, but fair: Is he any good as a poet, or do they just say he's good, because he's the Nawab?
Weston states his opinion that the Nawab is indeed a gifted poet, and, upon Outram's prodding, recites a few lines to indulge the General, who likes 'the sound of Hindustani.'
After Weston finishes the exquisitely-worded couplet, Outram asks him what it means, and Alter replies:
'Wound not my bleeding body, Throw flowers gently on my grave.Though mingled with the earth, I rose up to the skies. People mistook my rising dust for the heavens.'
Outram is clearly unimpressed, but Weston, insisting on the poem's quality, says, 'It doesn't translate very well, sir.'
Wajid Ali Shah in the dock
WAS Nawab Wajid Ali Shah a libertine who devoted himself wholly to sensual pleasure and whose profligacy and incompetence led to the loss of his kingdom, causing a great deal of collateral damage to the Muslim nobility of Oudh? Or was he more sinned against than sinning?This used to be one of the major historical controversies that raged in the last few decades preceding the dawn of freedom. The issue apparently remained unsettled then. Lately one has heard less and less of the late Nawab. Most people now would not bother to spend time finding the right answer.A book on Wajid Ali Shah was recently launched at the Arts Council. Dr Manzer Husain Kazmi, the author, evidently thought it necessary to re-open the case of the last ruler of Oudh.One of the speakers seemed to agree with the historians, mostly Englishmen, who called the Nawab ‘a rangila badshah’. According to the speaker, he proved a decrepit ruler who easily succumbed to the conspiracy of the East India Company and who accepted humiliation and disgrace as a prisoner of the Company Bahadur instead of offering armed resistance and accepting martyrdom. He was thus one of those responsible for the loss of the subcontinent’s independence.Defending the Nawab several other speakers said they believed he was the victim of character assassination whom the Company’s pen- pushers deliberately painted in a bad light. Oudh would have been annexed, even if its ruler had been a paragon of virtue and an excellent administrator.The Nawab, they asserted, was by all means a competent ruler, and Oudh in his time was a very well-managed state whose people enjoyed peace, prosperity and cultural refinement. Wajid Ali Shah himself was a learned person and a creative poet, who introduced opera in Urdu. He was a connoisseur of theatre and music and was also a choreographer.Author of around one hundred books, a couple of collections of poetry in Arabic and a few in Persian, he had composed a ‘masnavi’ titled ‘Huzn-i-Akhtar’ (the lamentation of Akhtar) written during his detention at Fort William. The ill-fated Nawab argued his case as given in the following couplets.Huay qaid is tarha ham begunahAseer-o-nameen, naam hai baadshahHuay mujh say kub tark soam-o-salaatMein her saal deta hoon khums-o-zakaatTu hai alamulghaib ay KibryaNaheen mujh pe wajib namazen qaza(I have been clapped in prison even though I am guiltless. A king only in name. I am in fact a poor prisoner. I have never failed to offer namaaz and observe fasting. I have been paying ‘khums’ and ‘zakat’ regularly every year. God, almighty and all- knowing, knows that I have never been in arrears so far as prayers go.)But one wonders if this can prove him to be a capable ruler as well.Dr Farman Fatehpuri speaking in defence of the deposed Nawab contented that it was the usual practice for the imperialists to malign the native rulers before getting them out of the way. Look at the way George Bush conducted a vicious propaganda campaign against Saddam Hussein before attacking Iraq, he said. But at least the charge-sheet against Saddam, who was hated as a tyrant, was not altogether wrong. Wajid Ali Shah’s case was different. He sure had his own foibles and failings. But it is no easy task to sift facts from fiction concerning the life and time of a man like Wajid Ali Shah.Leaving this point aside, one fact was obvious: the Nawab or any other native ruler in those times could hardly withstand the onslaught of the English Company’s better equipped and highly disciplined army. Between the Company and the Nawab, the fight was between two systems, one a rising economic and political order and the other a declining one.Abdul Haleem Sharar had some hazy memories of Lucknow when he narrated the luxurious, carefree lifestyle of the Lucknavis of those days:“The art of wrestling enjoyed wide popularity in the Lucknow of that time, but this was about a mere display of tactical moves and there was no real contest involving the use of physical strength. A fight between birds was all the rage. The spectators used to be so deeply engrossed that being present at the show seemed to them to be a most important undertaking.”Even earlier, the famed traveller Yusuf Hussain Kambalposh, who had written Ajaebat-i-Farang after visiting London, wrote the following when he came to Lucknow in 1836:“Lots of care-free people used to assemble at the chowk amid an air of festivity and scenes of frantic buying and selling. The prostitutes who were made up to near perfection sat near open windows, exhibiting their attractions for the benefit of the passers-by.
Fashionable and well-attired young men used to visit the place riding horses. They exchanged glances and made signs to the women who responded keenly. Seeing these young men, I could not but recall the tremendous difference between them and boys their age in London. The latter always appeared dedicated to their vocational concerns whereas these boys wasted all their time in profitless pursuits.”Another chronicler, Durga Parshad, in his book ‘Bostan-i- Oudh’ had written that the Nawab, when suffering from poor mental health, was advised by the court physicians not to tax his frail nerves too much.There are always two sides to a coin. Wajid Ali Shah was a man of learning and a connoisseur of art, music and literature. But he was an incompetent ruler.
Wajid 'Ali Shah was exiled to Calcutta with most of his family, granted a generous pension from the Oudh revenues. He also received a large and scenic plot of land at Garden Reach, on which he built several mansions, palaces and a vast cemetery. There he spent his days indulging his artistic tastes and collecting wives and women on an amazing scale. When the Indian Mutiny broke out in 1857, he at once declared himself for the government and against the mutineers. Nevertheless, he was taken into custody and placed under open confinement at Fort William.Meanwhile, at Lucknow, the mutineers found support from one of Wajid 'Ali's former wives, Hazrat Mahal, whom he had divorced six years before his deposition. She remained behind with her son, Prince Birjis Qadr, when the rest of the family left for Calcutta. They proclaimed the young prince as King and appealed for recognition to the King of Delhi. Although replying with the utmost felicity, even calling him 'son', the crafty old Bahadur Shah carefully addressed him as 'Mirza'. Thus ignoring the regnal styles and titles by which he had been proclaimed, avoiding the title of Nawab, even ignoring the title of Shahzada, merely addressing him with the title of a junior prince. The reason for this caution was not hard to see. A rival court had been established by a Muslim cleric, who proclaimed himself as ruler of Oudh under the title of Sahib Shah.Although giving some battle to the British forces, the approach of the army induced Birjis Qadr and Hazrat Mahal to flee, first to Bundi and then to Nepal. They narrowly avoided capture, mainly because of actions between the forces of Sahib Shah and the British. Mother and son received sanctuary by the Prime Minister of Nepal, in exchange for parting with a number of valuable jewels and heirlooms. Ironically, the same Prime Minister who had provided large numbers of troops to defeat the mutineers in Oudh.Wajid 'Ali Shah was released after the Mutiny and returned to his amusements at Garden Reach. There he produced an enormous family, and died in 1887. His children and descendants continued to enjoy pensions and titles, courtesy of the British until Indian independence in 1947, but which have dwindled substantially or disappeared altogether since then.Prince Birjis Qadr made his way to Calcutta with a family in tow, after the death of his father. He had returned to claim a share of the generous pensions allotted to his brothers and to claim his father's properties. He died at Calcutta in 1893.The British authorities recognized Prince Qamar Qadr, Birjis Qadr's brother, as representative of the Oudh family in 1888. He survived another thirty years and died in 1919. Several other brothers played prominent roles in Calcutta society, amongst them Prince Afshar ul-Mulk, sometime Member of the Imperial Legislative Council and Member of the Executive Council of Bengal.
The consolidation of British rule after the initial military victories fell to Warren Hastings, who did much to dispense with the fiction that the Mughal Emperor was still the sovereign to whom the Company was responsible. Hastings also set about to make the British more acquainted with Indian history, culture, and social customs; but upon his return to England, he would be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors. His numerous successors, though fired by the ambition to expand British territories in India, were also faced with the task of governance. British rule was justified, in part, by the claims that the Indians required to be civilized, and that British rule would introduce in place of Oriental despotism and anarchy a reliable system of justice, the rule of law, and the notion of 'fair play'. Certain Indian social or religious practices that the British found to be abhorrent were outlawed, such as sati in 1829, and an ethic of 'improvement' was said to dictate British social policies. In the 1840s and 1850s, under the governal-generalship of Dalhousie and then Canning, more territories were absorbed into British India, either on the grounds that the native rulers were corrupt, inept, and notoriously indifferent about the welfare of their subjects, or that since the native ruler had failed to produce a biological male heir to the throne, the territory was bound to "lapse" into British India upon the death of the ruler. Such was the fate of Sambalpur (1849), Baghat (1850), Jhansi (1853), Nagpur (1854), and -- most tragically -- Awadh (1856). The Nawab of Awadh [also spelled as Oudh], Wajid Ali Shah, was especially reviled by the British as the worst specimen of the Oriental Despot, more interested in nautch girls, frivolous amusements -- kite-flying, cock-fighting, and the like -- and sheer indolence than in the difficult task of governance. The British annexation of Awadh, and the character of the Nawab, were made the subjects of an extraordinary film by Satyajit Ray, entitled The Chess Players ("Shatranj ke Khilari").
Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (1822-1887) belonged to the princely kingdom of Awadh (Oudh) in Uttar Pradesh, India, succeeding his father Nawab Amjad Ali Shah, to become the province's tenth and last nawab. Muhammad Wajid Ali Shah Bahadur was born on 13th February, 1847 in Lucknow, India. He began his illustrious reign as ruler of Awadh after ascending the throne in 1847, which he went on to rule for nine years. After his kingdom was annexed by the British in 1856, the Nawab was exiled to Calcutta where he spent the rest of his life off handsome allowances. However, his immense contribution to the field of Fine Arts is what makes him renowned today. The robust Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was regarded as being a kind, generous and compassionate ruler, as well as a good administrator, who took keen interest in the affairs of the state. However, his image was tarnished by the British as being a debauched and detached ruler, contrary to the fact that Awadh as a prosperous and wealthy state under his rule. Besides introducing reforms and looking into the administration of justice and military affairs, Wajid Ali Shah was also a poet, playwright, composer and dancer himself, under whose lavish patronage the fine arts flourished. Pursuing his passion for the arts, Wajid Shah built the specatcular Kaisarbagh Baradari palace complex which came alive with music, dance-dramas, Rahas, Jogiya Jashan and Kathak performances, making Lucknow an attractive cultural centre, as made famous by the earlier Nawab rulers of the state. It was during his era that several reputed musicians, poets, composers, and dancers enhanced their repertoire, along with the enriching the light classical form of thumri, the grand revival of the Kathak dance form, and the rise in popularity of Hindustani Theatre. After his deposition to Calcutta, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah longed to keep the pomp and splendor of his beloved Lucknow alive. In his exile in Matiaburj, on the banks of the River Hooghly, Wajid Ali Shah once again used his wealth to relive his former glamorous lifestyle. The adorned walls of the Darbar Hall of Matiyaburj bear witness to the numerous musical assemblies held there, being visited by music-lovers, including great personalities from Calcutta's music circuit such as Aghorenath Chakravarty, Sajjad Mohammad, Dhirendranath Bose, Shyamlal Goswami and Rai Chand Boral. Wajid Ali Shah's self works included numerous poems, prose, ragas, playwrights and ghazals under his pen name of 'Qaisar'. While his compositions include his famous Bhairavi thumri named 'Babul mora Chhooto jaay' sung by many singers, his ragas (titled Jogi, Juhi, Shah-Pasand etc.), dramatised poems (such as Darya-i-Tashsq, Afsane-i-Isbaq, and Bhahar-i-Ulfat) and ghazals (in the 'Diwani-Akhtar', 'Husn-i-Akhtar'), his great works have inspired many artistes and playwrights alike. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah's personal front was also as ambitious as his passion for the arts, as he took advantage of the Shia Law of Muta to marry an astonishing 359 times. Besides the Nawab's immense contributions to India, one of his wives, Begum Hazrat Mahal was known to be a great Indian freedom-fighter who played a major role during India's First War of Independence (1857-58) against the British. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah passed away on 1st September, 1887 at Kolkata, India, while his mausoleum lies at the Imambara Sibtenabad, in Matiyaburj. Great historians such as Dr. G.D. Bhatnagar and Ranbir Singh's elaborate works and autobiographies, provide us with perspective insight into the Nawab's life.
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