History of Lucknow

History of Lucknow starts around 1350 AD, when this place was known as Awadh. Lucknow presently is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh and one of the heritage cities in India. Historically, located in Awadh region, Lucknow has always been a multicultural city. Courtly manners, attractive gardens, poetry, music, and fine cuisine patronized by the Persian-loving Shia Nawabs of the city are popular amongst Indians and admirers of South Asian culture and history. Lucknow is popularly known as the City of Nawabs. It is also known as the Golden City of the East, Shiraz-i-Hind and The Constantinople of India.

The ancient history of Lucknow mentions that 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 was one of the major centers of First War of Independence and participated actively in India`s Independence movement, and after Independence has emerged as a prime city of North India. Until 1719, subah of Awadh was a province of the Mughal Empire that was administered by a Governor selected by the Emperor. Saadat Khan also called Burhan-ul-Mulk a Persian adventurer was chosen as the Nazim of Awadh in 1722 and he established his court in Faizabad near Lucknow.

The region of Awadh was known as the granary of India and was important advantageously for the control of the Doab, the rich plain between the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers. It was an affluent kingdom, able to maintain its independence against pressure from the Marathas, the British and the Afghans. The third Nawab, Shuja-ud-Daula fell out with the British after associating with Mir Qasim, the deserter Nawab of Bengal. He was finally defeated in the Battle of Buxar by the East India Company, after which he was forced to pay heavy penalties and surrender certain parts of his territory. The British selected a resident in 1773, and over the span of time gained control of more territory and authority in the state. They were reluctant to capture Awadh completely, because that would bring them in direct conflict with the Marathas and the remnants of the Mughal Empire.

History of Lucknow states the rise to growth and fame of the city with its elevation as capital of Awadh by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Dowlah. He was a great philanthropist and gave Lucknow a exceptional and enduring heritage. The architectural contributions of these Awadh rulers include several impressive monuments. Of the monuments standing today, the Bara Imambara, the Chhota Imambara, and the Roomi Darwaza are distinguished examples. One of the long-lasting contributions by the Nawabs is the composite culture that has come to be known as the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb.

The medieval history of Lucknow, in 1798, the fifth Nawab Wazir Ali Khan estranged both his people and the British, and was forced to hand over. The British then helped Saadat Ali Khan to achieve the throne. Saadat Ali Khan in the treaty of 1801 ceded half of Awadh to the British East India Company and also agreed to disperse his troops in favor of a hugely expensive, British-run army. This treaty successfully made the state of Awadh a vassal to the British East India Company, though it theoretically continued to be a vital part of the Mughal Empire in name until 1819.

The treaty of 1801 was important in the history of Lucknow and formed an arrangement that was very beneficial to the Company. They were able to use Awadh`s vast treasuries, constantly digging into them for loans at reduced rates. The Nawabs were ceremonial kings, busy with lavish lifestyle but with little influence over matters of state. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, the British had grown intolerant with the arrangement and wanted direct control of Awadh. 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.

The province of Awadh was annexed by the East India Company in 1856 and placed under the control of a chief commissioner. In the Indian Rebellion of 1857, rebel forces besieged the garrison based at the Residency in Lucknow. The famous Siege of Lucknow was relieved first by forces after the decree 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 exciting events of 1857.

The history of Lucknow has special mentioning 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 Indian citizens on a united platform against the British rule. The history of Lucknow also includes the Khilafat Movement Maulana Abdul Bari of Firangi Mahal, where Lucknow actively participated and cooperated with Mahatama Gandhi and Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar, Freedom fighter and one of the greatest parliamentarians, Firoj Gandhi was also related to this city.

The modern history of Lucknow started in 1901, when 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. However, Lucknow became the provincial capital in 1920 when the seat of government shifted from Allahabad. Upon Indian independence in 1947, Lucknow became the capital of Uttar Pradesh, the previous United Provinces.

The archaeological excavations at the Hulaskhere mound, located on the banks of the Karela Lake in Mohanlalganj tahsil, near Lucknow, link the city to pre and proto-historic times. The six-metre-high massive mound covers an area of 80 acres and dates from prehistoric times to the Sunga-Kushan era, and from the imperial Guptas (first century B.C. to A.D.400) to the Delhi Sultanate. The finds include a hoard of silver coins belonging to the period of Vinayak Pal Deva of Kannauj (tenth century AD), which were unearthed by the priest of the Kalleshwari Devi temple, situated near the excavation site. The excavations are believed to have yielded the remains of a civilization which dates back to 1000 B.C. according to Dr. Rakesh Kumar Tiwari, Director of the State Department of Archaeology, Lucknow. The remains belong to a prosperous agricultural community which had well-structured buildings and a developed civic system. The ancient remains include terracotta gamesmen and figurines, beads, shell beads and ivory bangles. The remains indicate an active socio-cultural milieu during the pre-Buddhist period, i.e. before the fifth century BC. The archaeological remains also testify to the domestication of animals as part of the economic infrastructure. Meat appeared to be a staple food as is evident from bones found in the excavation. The remains of buildings indicate the use of concrete structures, belonging to the beginning of A.D.400. The brick walls of the houses, which comprised of two to three rooms with sloping roofs, were exposed. Lanes and by-lanes between two housing complexes formed part of the town plan. A 20-metre-long road across the lake has also been encountered which seemed to connect two settlements on either side of the lake.

The Kushana levels (c. 100 BC to A.D.100), which yielded punch-marked silver coins and copper and gold-coated glass beads, reflect the prosperity of the inhabitants. The terracotta human figurines sporting beards and moustaches may be compared with the Kushana stone sculptures unearthed and stored in the Mathura Museum. Another interesting find includes a stamped gold commemorative inscription bearing the image of a popular deity Kartikeya, wearing a head-dress with three jewels, and holding a spear. The figurine bears testimony to the contact of the Hulaskhera Township, with places outside. The historic phase (A.D.40-900) provides evidence of large rooms being converted into smaller units. Even the teracotta figurines indicate a marked decline in the plastic arts. But the evidence of a brick fort is notable for the remains of large housing complex, which may have been a community centre or a nobleman`s residence.

During the early historic period, Lucknow and its neighborhood formed part of the once-celebrated Kosala Mahajanapada. In the accounts of the Brahmanas and the Jataka, Kosala existed as a territory in the time of King Janaka of Mithila.

This region was later included in the Mauryan and Kushana Empire. Kushana antiquities including sculptures, large-sized bricks, teracotta and a coin were recovered from the neighborhood of Lucknow. There are no direct references to Lucknow in historical narratives, nor any archaeological finds which may help in reconstructing the ancient past.

The most striking incident in the post-Pratihara period was the invasion of Saiyid Salar Masud Ghazi, the nephew of Mahmud of Ghazni. He is reported to have tried to reduce the territory of Awadh to submission between A.D. 1031 and 1033 and died in action at Bahraich where he is buried. In the fourteenth century, Lucknow came under the rule of the Sultans of Delhi, and thus began a new phase of its history as a part of the Delhi Sultanate.

Mughal rule in Lucknow was established after Babur vanquished Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526 and became the Mughal emperor of Northern India. His son Humayun occupied Lucknow and Ayodhya the same year. Lucknow was lost to the Afghans for a short while, when Humayun went to fight the army of Maharana Sangram Singh (Rana Sanga), the illustrious Rajput chief. Babur reoccupied Lucknow in March 1528 and visited the town on 21 March 1529. This fact indicates the political and strategic importance of the region.

Lucknow continued to enjoy its affluence under the Mughals as is evident in a tradition maintained by the Shaikhs of the town. After his defeat at the hands of Sher Shah at the Battle of Chausa in 1539, Humayun visited Lucknow for a few hours, and the Shaikhs presented him ten thousand rupees and fifty horses. After his historic victory, Sher Shah appointed Isa Khan with a force of five thousand horsemen to restore peace and order in the territories lying between Delhi and Lucknow. He also assigned Lucknow to a nobleman, Qadir Shah, who later became very powerful. Sher Shah raised the status of the city by establishing silver and copper mints at Lucknow for the first time. After Humayun`s re-occupation of Delhi in 1556, Lucknow became a permanent part of the Mughal Empire in spite of frequent risings, for a decade or so, by the unruly Afghan chiefs in the area.

Emperor Akbar consolidated the Mughal Empire and introduced several administrative and fiscal reforms of far-reaching consequences. Lucknow rose to eminence because the Emperor had a great liking for the place. It became the headquarters of a Sarkar of the Suba of Awadh. The copper mint was maintained and Akbar is said to have built several Mohallas to the south of the Chowk. Shahganj is still the most populous locality of Lucknow where the ruins of the historic gateway popularly known as Akbari Darwaza, may be seen.

During the peaceful reign of Akbar, Brahmins still formed one of the principal sections of the population and the emperor was so well disposed towards them that he favoured them with a lakh of rupees. Since then, the Bajpai Brahmins of Lucknow have been both famous and influential, though the Mohalla to which they gave their name was demolished by the British. Lucknow attained great importance during the reign of Emperor Akbar. The district of Lucknow formed part of the Sarkar of that name in the Suba of Awadh. The names and areas of the Mahals of the Lucknow Sarkar correspond closely with the Parganas of the present day.

The development of Lucknow continued unhampered during the time of Emperor Jahangir. It was then famous for the manufacture of bows. Jahangir had visited Lucknow during the reign of his father and is believed to have founded Mirza Mandi, part of which lay to the west of the site of Machhi Bhavan.

The European traveller De-Laet testifies to the fact that Lucknow was a thriving centre of trade, a Magnum Emporium in the reign of Jahangir. It lay en route from Agra to Jaunpur.

Lucknow continued to thrive under the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan. The old copper mint continued to function during the reign of Shah Jahan.

Emperor Aurangzeb is reported to have visited Lucknow on his return from Ayodhya, and ordered the construction of the impressive mosque on Lakshaman Tila. Shaikh Pir Muhammad, a contemporary scholar and saint, who had migrated from Jaunpur, also lies buried in a square tomb to the north-east of the mosque. His learning and piety attracted large numbers of students and scholars from different parts of the country and his manuscripts are preserved in the Rampur Raza library. The school founded by him remained an important centre of learning for about a century after his death.

Until 1719, subah of Awadh was a province of the Mughal Empire that was administered by a Governor selected by the Emperor.

Mughal Governors of Lucknow
The earliest known Mughal governor of Lucknow, appointed during the reign of Akbar, was Husain Khan Tukriya. He was transferred from there in 1568, and was succeeded by Mahdi Qasim Khan, a Mansabdar of four thousand, to whom Akbar gave Lucknow. But shortly afterwards in 1572, Lucknow was bestowed on Sikandar Khan, a retired governor of Awadh, who died in the following year. It was then given to Khwaja Amiruddin Mahmud Khwaja Jahan, who was Wazir-i-Mustaqil (permanent minister) of Hindustan. He passed away in Lucknow in 1574. During the closing year of Akbar`s reign Jawahar Khan was Subedar of Awadh. His Naib (deputy), Qasim Mahmud of Bilgram, founded Mahmud Nagar and Shahganj and built the Akbari Darwaza.

Emperor Shah Jahan is reported to have appointed Sultan Ali Shah Quli Khan as governor of Awadh. Quli Khan`s sons, Mirza Fazil and Mansur, founded Fazil Nagar and Mansur Nagar to the south-west of the Akbari Darwaza. Later, Muhammad Ashraf, the brother of Mutamad Khan Muhammad Sharif, who apparently succeeded Sultan Ali Shah Quli Khan, built magnificent buildings and laid the foundation of the Sarai and the locality of Ashrafabad, which lies further south of Shahganj and is thickly populated by distinguished Kayasths, Brahmins and other families. He also laid out a garden, which was a public resort. According to the chronogram inscribed on the gate, the garden was named Bustan-i-Dustan, or the garden of friends. Muhammad Ashraf`s brother is said to have founded Musharaffabad or Naubasta, a southward continuation of Ashrafabad.

Among the governors of Lucknow during Aurangzeb`s reign was Jamal Khan, who replaced Irij Khan. During the reign of Muhammad Shah, Girdhar Nagar, son of Daya Bahadur, was the Subedar of Awadh. He was the nephew of Chhabila Ram Nagar, the Governor of Allahabad. After his uncle`s death Girdhar Nagar revolted and attempted to hold Allahabad for himself. He was unsuccessful and quickly submitted to his overlord who appointed him governor of Awadh.

Shaikh Abdur Rahim, one of the noble Shaikzadas of Lucknow, appears to have received a substantial Jagir during the reign of Akbar, and rose to the high rank of seven hundred horsemen. The emperor had a great liking for him. According to the Ain-i-Akbari and the Maassirul-Umara, an 18th-century biographical study of Mughal noblemen, he had a Brahmin wife named Kishna. After the death of her husband she laid out a garden, built houses, a sarai and a tank to honour the memory of her late husband. She also acquired villages for cultivation and horticulture, and maintained the garden in which the Shaikh was laid to rest. Shaikh Abdur Rahim and his family members are buried in the Nadan Mahal tombs at Lucknow.

Lucknow continued to remain in possession of his descendants, who enjoyed high offices under the Mughal emperors until the appointment of Saadat Khan, also called Burhan-ul-Mulk, a Persian adventurer who was chosen as the Nazim of Awadh in 1722. He established his court in Faizabad near Lucknow. In the treaty of 1801, Saadat Ali Khan ceded half of Awadh to the British East India Company and also agreed to disperse his troops in favor of a hugely expensive, British-run army. This treaty successfully made the state of Awadh a vassal to the British East India Company, though it theoretically continued to be an important part of the Mughal Empire in name until 1819. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, the British had grown intolerant with the arrangement and wanted direct control of Awadh. In 1856 the East India Company first moved its troops to the border, and then annexed the state, and Awadh, along with Lucknow, came under direct British rule.