Lucknow: Buildings, Begums And The British (2nd Revised Edition)

Book Code: 1111008615547

PC Sarkar

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lucknow: Buildings, Begums and The British is not about history; rather it is a book on heritage - defined as the legacy of physical artefacts and intangible attributes inherited from past generations. As a city, Lucknow has witnessed many upheavals during the last three centuries; from being the seat of Nawabi pomp and show to the imperiousness of Colonial rule. From being described as the "Constantinople of the East" to being decimated, demolished and “fairly improved off the face of this earth.”

Instead of focussing on the well-known monuments of Lucknow, few errant rulers and the 1857 Siege, the author has focussed on lesser-known aspects of the city, embellishing the text with interesting trivia and tit-bits of information, accompanied by rare vintage images – in an attempt to present a holistic picture of the city's turbulent past. 

Front Jacket Illustration: Nasir-ud-Din Haider, second King of Awadh  with British Resident Col. John Low and Asst. Resident, Capt. James Paton, after a lost oil painting, possibly by Alexandre Benoit Jean Dufay de Casanova (1770–1844). The Chattar Manzil palace in the backdrop was the official residence of the Begums of Awadh, Orientations Magazine, Hong Kong. 

Rear Jacket Illustration:  Ghazi-ud-Din Haider, first King of Awadh at a banquet with British Resident Mordaunt Ricketts (green jacket) and his wife Charlotte, with other court officials; gouache and gold on paper, unidentified artist, circa 1840.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PC Sarkar, former Principal Scientist, ICAR, Govt. of India, holds a Ph.D in organic chemistry. He is an alumnus of St Francis’ College, Lucknow, Lucknow Christian College and University of Lucknow.

In addition to a specialized book on chemistry and about a hundred research publications in national and international journals pertaining to his scientific profession, Dr Sarkar has to his credit, a series of articles on Lucknow, which appeared in the Heritage Page of the Lucknow Tribune during 2013-14. He is active in several fora related to the conservation of tangible / intangible heritage, particularly related to Lucknow. An avid traveler, he has criss-crossed India and also visited several countries across the world, in a bid to fulfill his passion. This was his first book on the lost and forgotten heritage of Lucknow.

CONTENTS

List of Illustrations ................................................................................................................... 9
Foreword ... .......................................................................................................................... 15
Preface ................................................................................................................................. 17
Introduction……................................................................................................................... 19
The Second Edition ............................................................................................................... 23

The Buildings ...................................................................................................................... 27

1. Martin’s Villa / The Farhat Baksh ................................................................................ 29
2. Dilkusha / Heart’s Delight ........................................................................................... 37
3. Musa Bagh / Barowen ................................................................................................ 43
4. Darshan Bilas / Delightful Aspect ................................................................................. 51
5. Roshan-ud-Daula Kothi / Kaiser Pasand ...... .............................................................. 57
6. Sher Darwaza / Neil’s Gate .................... ................................................................... 61
7. Begum Kothi (Hazratganj) ................. ........................................................................ 67
8. Taaron Wali Kothi / The House of Stars .. .................................................................. 73
9. Lal Baradari / Qasr-Us-Sultan ................... ................................................................ 77
10. Kadam Rasul ........................................... ................................................................. 83
11. Khurshid Manzil / House of the Sun ..... ...................................................................... 89
12. Begum Kothi (Residency) .................... ...................................................................... 93
13. Hussainabad Clock Tower ......................................................................................... 97

The Begums ...................................................................................................................... 101

1. Sadr-i-Jahan (Nawab Begum) ........... ...................................................................... 103
2. Amat ul-Zohra (Bahu Begum) ............. ..................................................................... 107
3. Mariam ul-Asmat Bilqis us-Sitawat (Badshah Begum)................................................ 113
4. Malika-i-Afaq Nawab Mariam Banu (Qudsia Begum)................................................ 117
5. Taj Ara Begum (Malika-i-Kishwar) ....... .................................................................. 123
6. Malika Muqqadara-i-Azma (Alam Ara Begum)......................................................... 127
7. Iftikhar un-Nisa Sahiba (Begum Hazrat Mahal) ......................................................... 133

The British........................................................................................................................ 139

1. British Residents of Lucknow – I .................. ........................................................... 141
2. British Residents of Lucknow – II ....... .................................................................... 145
3. British Residents of Lucknow – III ....... ................................................................... 149
4. British Residents of Lucknow – IV ..... ..................................................................... 153
5. British Residents of Lucknow – V ........... ................................................................ 157
6. British Residents of Lucknow – VI .............. ............................................................ 161
7. British Residents of Lucknow – VII .......... .............................................................. 165
8. British Residents of Lucknow – VIII ........................................................................ 169
9. British Residents of Lucknow – IX .............. ........................................................... 175
10. Story of a Celebrated Painting: Col. Mordaunt’s Cock Match................................... 181
11. A Ballad of Lucknow: Jessie’s Dream ..................................................................... 187
12. A Tale of Two Sisters: Emily and Fanny .................................................................. 193
13. Infamously Famous: Major Stephen Raikes Hodson ................................................ 197
14. The Patriot and The Traitor: A Story of Two Ks ...................................................... 203
15. Baillie’s Guard and the Mysore Connection ............................................................. 207
16. Religious Piety and Evangelical Zeal ........................................................................ 213

Lucknow, My Lucknow ................................................................................................. 223

1. The Mughals in Lucknow .................. .................................................................... 225
2. Nawab Wazir Ali: Odd Man Out ............................................................................ 231
3. Forgotten Martyr: Maulvi Ahmadulla ‘Danka’ Shah ................................................ 237
4. Madiaon Cantonment: Lost in History .... ................................................................ 241
5. A Bridge Too Far: Heritage Bridges of Lucknow .................................................... 245
6. An American Dream ................................. ............................................................ 253
7. A Haunt of Spirits ................................. ................................................................ 259
8. Hazratganj – A Continuing Journey .... ................................................................... 275

Select Bibliography ....................................................................................................... 285
Annexures ...............................................…………...................................................... 293
Index ............................................................................................................................. 299