Wajid Ali Shah

Awadh was a historical territory in the Indo-Gangetic plains of ancient India. It marks its presence in Indian history with a glorious past filled with chronicles of rulers fighting over the precious territory, but one that ended on a tragic note. Awadh had seen a variety of administrators – from the Delhi Sultanate, the Jaunpur dynasty, the Mughal kingdom, the Nawabs of Awadh, to the British Crown. The last of the Nawabs of Awadh, King Wajid Ali Shah, is a classic case of power getting into the wrong hands. His tale is one of the riches-to-rags, a result of his own tomfoolery, along with the obvious exploitation on part of the British administration.

The only reason they had spared Awadh from annexation was that they needed it to act as a buffer state between the British territories and the leftover Mughal presence in the north. Arguably, the British already had too much control over Awadhi affairs, Wajid Ali Shah was just a puppet ruler.

Wajid Shah couldn’t care less. He was intoxicated with the arts – a true patron of poetry, music and dance, he is often credited for the revival of Kathak in the northern region of India. He contributed greatly to the fields of classical music, Urdu poetry, Kathak dancing and Hindustani theatre.

Some accounts describe him as one swindled by the pleasures of life. Wajid Ali would wear his hair in ringlets, throw magnificent parties and dedicate months to expensive theatrical productions. On the other hand, some accounts portray him as a gentle soul, who never touched wine or missed a prayer.

Either way, Wajid Ali Shah was a misfit for the throne. His second wife, Begum Hazrat Mahal was more politically active about the increasing British interference in India; in fact, she is historically credited for the first revolt for freedom in 1857 in Lucknow, which was the capital of Awadh at the time.

State affairs though, were not Shah's cup of tea. The British administration was appalled at the way he ruled over a territory as strategic as Awadh. On February 7, 1856, the British Crown exiled Wajid Shah because of his chronic inefficiency when it came to matters of the state. Without putting up much of a fight, Wajid Ali Shah spent the rest of his years in Metiabruz (Calcutta).

To be fair, many historians consider Wajid Shah’s image as a debauched ruler to be slightly misrepresentative of his true self. It was merely a British excuse to annex Awadh non-violently, citing lawlessness as a reason for benevolently seizing the territory.

Nevertheless, they paid him a hefty pension which he splurged on unhappy begums and a vast menagerie till his dying breath.