Oudh State
Oudh Awadh | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1572–1858 | |||||||||||||
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |||||||||||||
 The Kingdom of Oudh in 1856 (red) | |||||||||||||
| Status |
| ||||||||||||
| Capital | |||||||||||||
| Common languages | UrduandPersian(official),Awadhi(regional),Hindi,English | ||||||||||||
| Religion | Shia Islam(official),Hinduism(majority),Sunni Islam,Jainism,Buddhism,Sikhism,Christianity | ||||||||||||
| Government |
| ||||||||||||
| Nawab | |||||||||||||
• 1722–1739 | Saadat Ali Khan I(first) | ||||||||||||
• 1847-1856 | Wajid Ali Shah(last) | ||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||
• Independence fromMughal Empire | 1722 | ||||||||||||
• Annexation of Oudh | 1856 | ||||||||||||
| 5 – 25 June 1857 | |||||||||||||
| 3 March 1858 | |||||||||||||
• Merger of Oudh toNorth-Western Provinces | 1859 | ||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
| 62,072 km2(23,966 sq mi) | |||||||||||||
| Currency | Rupee | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
TheOudh State(/ˈaʊd/,[1]alsoKingdom of Awadh,Kingdom of Oudh,Awadh Subah,Oudh SubahorAwadh State) was aMughalsubah,then an independent kingdom, and lastly aprincely statein theAwadhregion ofNorth Indiauntil its annexation by the British in 1856. The name Oudh, now obsolete, was once the anglicized name of the state, also written historically asOudhe.
As theMughal Empiredeclined and decentralized, local governors in Oudh began asserting greater autonomy, and eventually Oudh matured into an independent polity governing the fertile lands of the Central and LowerDoab.With theBritish East India Companyentering Bengal and decisively defeating Oudh at theBattle of Buxarin 1764, Oudh fell into the British orbit.
The capital of Oudh was inFaizabad,but the Company's Political Agents, officially known as "Residents", had their seat inLucknow.At par existed a Maratha embassy, in the Oudh court, led by theVakilof thePeshwa,until theSecond Anglo-Maratha War.The Nawab of Oudh, one of the richest princes, paid for and erected aResidency in Lucknowas a part of a wider programme of civic improvements.[2]
Oudh joined other Indian states in an upheaval against British rule in 1858 during one of the last series of actions in theIndian rebellion of 1857.In the course of this uprising, detachments of theBombay Armyof the East India Company overcame the disunited collection of Indian states in a single rapid campaign. Determined rebels continued to wage sporadic guerrilla clashes until the spring of 1859. This rebellion is also historically known as theOudh campaign.[3]
After the Britishannexationof Oudh by theDoctrine of Lapse,theNorth Western Provincesbecame theNorth Western Provinces and Oudh.[4]
History[edit]
Oudh Subahwas one of the initial 12 subahs (later expanded to 15subahsby the end of Akbar's reign) established byAkbarduring his administrative reforms of 1572–1580.Subahwas divided intoSarkars,or districts.Sarkarswere further divided intoParganasorMahals.As theMughal empirebegan to dissolve in the early 18th century, Oudh, like manysubahsbecame effectively independent.[5]
Establishment[edit]
Saadat Ali Khan Iwas appointedNawab of Oudhon 9 September 1722, succeedingGirdhar Bahadur.He immediately subdued the autonomous Shaikhzadas ofLucknowand Raja Mohan Singh ofTiloi,consolidating Oudh as a state. In 1728, Oudh further acquiredVaranasi,Jaunpurand surrounding lands from the Mughal noble Rustam Ali Khan and established stable revenue collection in that province after quelling the chief ofAzamgarh,Mahabat Khan.[6]: 44 In 1739 Saadat Khan mobilized Oudh to defend againstNader Shah'sinvasion of India,ultimately being captured in theBattle of Karnal.He attempted to cooperate with Nader Shah but died in Delhi.
In 1740, his successorSafdar Jangmoved the capital of the state fromAyodhyatoFaizabad.[7]Safdar Jang gained recognition from Persia after paying tribute. He continued Saadat Khan's expansionist policy, promising military protection to Bengal in exchange for the forts atRohtasgarhandChunar,and anne xing portions ofFarrukhabadwith Mughal military aid which was ruled byMuhammad Khan Bangash.
As regional officials asserted their autonomy inBengaland theDeccanas well as with the rise of theMaratha Empire,the rulers of Oudh gradually affirmed their own sovereignty.Safdar Jangwent as far as to control the ruler of Delhi, puttingAhmad Shah Bahaduron the Mughal throne with the cooperation of other Mughal nobility. In 1748 he gained thesubahofAllahabadwith Ahmad Shah's official support. This was arguably the zenith of Oudh's territorial span.[8]: 132 [9]: 193
The next nawab,Shuja-ud-Daula,extended Oudh's control of the Mughal emperor. He was appointedvazirtoShah Alam IIin 1762 and offered him asylum after his failed campaigns against the British in theBengal War.[9]
British contact and control[edit]
Since Oudh was located in a prosperous region, theBritish East India Companysoon took notice of the affluence in which the Nawabs of Oudh lived. Primarily, the British sought to protect the frontiers of Bengal and their lucrative trade there; only later did direct expansion occur.
Shuja-ud-Daula[edit]
British dominance was established at theBattle of Buxarof 1764, when the East India Company defeated the alliance between the nawab of OudhShuja-ud-Daulaand the deposed nawab of BengalMir Kasim.[10]: 25 The battle was a turning point for the once rising star of Oudh. The immediate effect was the British occupation of the fort atChunarand the cession of the provinces of Kora andAllahabadto Mughal rulerShah Alam IIunder the Treaty of Benares (1765). Shaja-ud-Daula further had to pay 5 million rupees as an indemnity, which was paid off in one year.[11]: 158 [9]: 252 The long-term result would be direct British interference in the internal state matters of Oudh, useful as a buffer state against theMarathas.The treaty also granted British traders special privileges and exemptions from many customs duties, which led to tensions as British monopolies were established.
Shuja-ud-Daula bought the Mughal provinces of Kora and Allahabad in the Treaty of Benares (1773) with the British (who heldde factocontrol over the area) for 50 lakh rupees, increased the cost of Company mercenaries, and military aid in theFirst Rohilla Warto expand Oudh as a buffer state against Maratha interests.[10]: 65 [11]: 75 Done byWarren Hastings,this move was unpopular among the rest of Company leadership, but Hastings continued a harsh policy on Oudh, justifying the military aid as a bid to strengthen Oudh's status as a buffer state against the Marathas. To shape the policy of Oudh and direct its internal affairs Hastings appointed the residentNathaniel Middletonin Lucknow that year as well. At the conclusion of the First Rohilla War in 1774, Oudh gained the entirety ofRohilkhandand the MiddleDoabregion, only leaving the independentRampur Stateas a Rohilla enclave.
Asaf-ud-Daula[edit]
Asaf-ud-Daula acceded to the nawabship of Oudh with British aid in exchange for the Treaty of Benares (1775) which further increased the cost of mercenaries and ceded thesarkarsofBenares,Ghazipur,Chunar,andJaunpur.From this time onwards, Oudh consistently complied with the Company's demands, which continued to demand more land and economic control over the state.[12]
The Treaty of Chunar (1781) sought to reduce the number of British troops in Oudh's service to cut costs, but failed in this measure due to the instability of Asaf-ud-Daula's rule and thus his reliance on British aid essentially as a puppet regime.[13]
Later rulers[edit]
Saadat Ali Khan IIacceded to the throne of Oudh in 1798, owing his seat to British intervention including Governor-General of BengalSir John Shore's personal proclamation in Lucknow of his rule. A treaty signed on 21 February 1798 increased the subsidy paid to the British to 70 lakh rupees per year.[12]
In light of theNapoleonic Warsand British demands for greater revenue from the Company, in 1801,Saadat Ali Khan IIceded the entireRohilkhandandLower Doabas well as thesarkarofGorakhpurunder the pressure ofLord Wellesleyto the British in lieu of the annual tribute.[14]The cession halved the size of the polity, reducing it to the original Mughalsubahof Awadh (excepting Gorakhpur which was ceded) and surrounded it by directly-administered British territory, rendering it useless as a buffer. The treaty also mandated a government to be put in place that primarily served the citizens of Oudh. It was on the basis of the failure to meet this demand that the British later justified the annexation of Oudh.
FarrukhabadandRampurwas not annexed by the British yet; instead, they served as separate princely states for the moment.[12]
The kingdom became a Britishprotectoratein May 1816. Three years later, in 1819, theGhazi-ud-Din Haidar Shahtook the title ofBadshah(king), signaling formal independence from the Mughal Empire under the advice of theMarquis of Hastings.
Throughout the early 1800s until annexation, several areas were gradually ceded to the British.
British annexation[edit]
On 7 February 1856, by order ofGovernor-GeneralLord Dalhousie,theNawab of Oudh,Wajid Ali Shah,was deposed, and Oudh State was annexed to the territories of theBritish East India Companyunder the terms of theDoctrine of lapseon the grounds of alleged internal misrule.[15]
Indian Rebellion of 1857[edit]
Between 5 July 1857 and 3 March 1858, during theIndian Rebellion of 1857,Begum Hazrat Mahal,the wife of Wajid Ali Shah proclaimed their sonBirjis QadrtheWaliof Awadh and ruled as regent. At the time of the rebellion, the British lost control of the territory; they reestablished their rule over the next eighteen months, during which time there were massacres such as those that had occurred in the course of theSiege of Cawnpore.[16][17]
After the rebellion, Oudh's territory was merged with theNorth Western Provinces,forming the larger province ofNorth-Western Provinces and Oudh.In 1902, the latter was renamed theUnited Provinces of Agra and Oudh.In 1921, it became theUnited Provinces of British India.In 1937, it became theUnited Provincesand continued as a province in independentIndiauntil finally becoming the state ofUttar Pradeshin 1950.[15]
Government[edit]
Feudatory states[edit]
The following were feudatory estates —taluqdaris[18]orparganas— of Oudh:
- Balrampur Estate[19]
- Benares Stateuntil 1740[20]
- Bhadri Estate[21]
- Itaunja Estate[22]
- Kohra Estate[23]
- Nanpara Taluqdari[24]
- Pratapgarh Estate[25]
- Tulsipur State
Rulers[edit]
The first ruler of Oudh State belonged to theShiaMuslim Sayyid Family and descended ofMusa al-Kadhimoriginated fromNishapur.But the dynasty also belonged from the paternal line to theKara KoyunluthroughQara Yusuf.They were renowned for theirsecularismand broad outlook.[26]
All rulers used the title of 'Nawab'.[27]
| Title | Reign Start | Reign End | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subadar Nawab | 1722 | 19 Mar 1739 | Borhan al-Molk Mir Mohammad Amin Musawi Saʾadat ʾAli Khan I |
| 19 Mar 1739 | 28 Apr 1748 | Abu'l Mansur Mohammad Moqim Khan | |
| Nawab Wazir al-Mamalik | 28 Apr 1748 | 13 May 1753 | |
| Subadar Nawab | 5 Nov 1753 | 5 Oct 1754 | |
| 5 Oct 1754 | 15 Feb 1762 | Jalal ad-Din Shojaʾ ad-DowlaHaydar | |
| Nawab Wazir al-Mamalik | 15 Feb 1762 | 26 Jan 1775 | |
| 26 Jan 1775 | 21 Sep 1797 | Asaf ad-Dowla Amani | |
| 21 Sep 1797 | 21 Jan 1798 | Mirza Wazir ʾAli Khan | |
| 21 Jan 1798 | 11 Jul 1814 | Yamin ad-Dowla Nazem al-MolkSaʾadat ʾAli Khan II Bahadur | |
| 11 Jul 1814 | 19 Oct 1818 | Ghazi ad-Din Rafaʾat ad-DowlaAbul-Mozaffar Haydar Khan | |
| King (Padshah-e Awadh, Shah-e Zaman) | 19 Oct 1818 | 19 Oct 1827 | |
| 19 Oct 1827 | 7 Jul 1837 | Naser ad-Din Haydar SolaymanJah Shah | |
| 7 Jul 1837 | 17 May 1842 | Moʾin ad-Din Abu'l-Fath MohammadʾAli Shah | |
| 17 May 1842 | 13 Feb 1847 | Naser ad-Dowla Amjad ʾAli ThorayyaJah Shah | |
| 13 Feb 1847 | 7 Feb 1856 | Naser ad-Din ʾAbd al-MansurMohammad Wajed ʾAli Shah | |
| 5 Jul 1857 | 3 Mar 1858 | Berjis Qadr(in rebellion) |
Residents[edit]
| Name | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Nathaniel Middleton | 1773 | 1774 |
| John Bristow | 1774 | 1776 |
| Nathaniel Middleton | 1776 | 1779 (second time) |
| C. Purling | 1779 | 1780 |
| John Bristow | 1780 | 1781 (second time) |
| Nathaniel Middleton | 1781 | 1782 (third time) |
| John Bristow | 1782 | 1783 (third time) |
| William Palmer | 1783 | 1784 |
| Gabriel Harper | 1784 | 1785 |
| Edward Otto Ives | 1785 | 1794 |
| George Frederick Cherry | 1794 | 1796 |
| James Lumsden | 1796 | 1799 |
| William Scott | 1799 | 1804 |
| John Ulrich Collins | 1804 | 1807 |
| John Baillie | 1807 | 1815 |
| Richard Charles Strachey | 1815 | 1817 |
| John.R. Monckton | 1818 | 1820 |
| Felix Vincent Raper | 1820 | 1823 |
| Mordaunt Ricketts | 1823 | 1827 |
| Thomas Herbert Maddock | 1829 | 1831 |
| John Low | 1831 | 1842 |
| James Caulfield (interí) | 1839 | 1841 |
| William Nott | 1841 | 1843 |
| George Pollock | 1843 | 1844 |
| J. D. Shakespear | 1844 | 1845 |
| T. Reid Davidson | 1845 | 1847 |
| Archibald Richmond | 1847 | 1849 |
| SirWilliam Henry Sleeman | 1849 | 1854 |
| Sir James Outram | 1854 | 1856 |
Demographics[edit]
In the early eighteenth century, the population of Oudh was estimated to be 3 million. Oudh underwent a demographic shift in whichLucknowandVaranasiexpanded to become metropolises of over 200,000 people over the course of the 18th century at the expense ofAgraandDelhi.During this period the land on the banks of theYamunasuffered frequent dry spells, while theBaiswaradid not.[28]: 38
Although it was ruled by Muslims, a majority, roughly four fifths, of Oudh's population wereHindus.[8]: 155 [29]
Culture[edit]
The Nawabs of Oudh were descended from aSayyidline fromNishapurin Persia. They wereShia Muslims,and promoted Shia as the state religion.[13]Ghazi-ud-Din Haidar Shahinstituted theOudh Bequest,a system of fixed payments by the British paid to the Shia holy cities ofNajafandKarbala.These payments, along with lifelong stipends to the wives and mother of Ghazi-ud-Din served as interest on theThird Oudh Loantaken in 1825.[30]
The cities ofAllahabad,Varanasi,andAyodhyawere important pilgrimage sites for followers ofHinduismand other Dharmicreligions.The town ofBahraichwas also revered by someMuslims.[31]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"Oudh – definition of Oudh in English from the Oxford dictionary".Archived fromthe originalon 9 September 2015.Retrieved1 September2015.
- ^Davies, Philip,Splendours of the Raj: British Architecture in India, 1660–1947.New York: Penguin Books, 1987
- ^Michael Edwardes,Battles of the Indian Mutiny,Pan, 1963,ISBN0-330-02524-4
- ^Ashutosh Joshi (1 January 2008).Town Planning Regeneration of Cities.New India Publishing. p. 237.ISBN978-8189422820.Archivedfrom the original on 3 March 2018.Retrieved13 February2016.
- ^Whitworth, George Clifford (1885)."Subah".An Anglo-Indian Dictionary: A Glossary of Indian Terms Used in English, and of Such English Or Other Non-Indian Terms as Have Obtained Special Meanings in India.K. Paul, Trench. pp. 301–.Archivedfrom the original on 9 February 2024.Retrieved13 July2020.
- ^Srivastava, Ashirbadi Lal (1933).The First Two Nawabs Of Oudh (a Critical Study Based On Original Sources).Lucknow: The Upper India Publishing House, Ltd.
- ^Sarvepalli Gopal (15 October 1993).Anatomy of a Confrontation: Ayodhya and the Rise of Communal Politics in India.Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 39–.ISBN978-1-85649-050-4.Archivedfrom the original on 9 February 2024.Retrieved9 November2019.
- ^abJaswant Lal, Mehta (2005).Advanced Study in the History of Modern India: 1707-1813.Sterling Publishers.ISBN9781932705546.
- ^abcMarkovits, Claude, ed. (2005).A History of Modern India 1480–1950 (Anthem South Asian Studies).Anthem Press.ISBN1-84331-152-6.
- ^abRamusack, Barbara N. (2004).The Indian Princes and their States.Cambridge University Press.
- ^abGrover, B.L.; Mehta, Alka (2018).A New Look at Modern Indian History (From 1707 to the Modern Times)(32 ed.). S. Chand Publishing.ISBN9789352534340.
- ^abcHabib, Irfan; Habib, Faiz (2014). "Mapping the Dismemberment of Awadh 1775-1801".Proceedings of the Indian History Congress.75(455–460).
- ^abDavies, C. Collin (1960–2005)."Awadh".The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition(12 vols.).Leiden: E. J. Brill.
- ^Treaty with the Nawab of Oudh for the cession of Territory in commutation of Subsidy, concluded by Henry Wellesley and Lieut.-Col. William Scott 10th Nov. 1801
- ^abImperial Gazetteer of India vol. V 1908,p. 72
- ^Ben Cahoon."Princely States of India – Oudh".Worldstatesmen.org.Archivedfrom the original on 13 January 2013.Retrieved8 August2014.
- ^William Barton,The princes of India.Delhi 1983
- ^The Feudatory and zemindari India, Volume 17, Issue 2.1937.Archivedfrom the original on 9 February 2024.Retrieved4 August2014.
- ^"Balrampur (Taluqdari)".Archivedfrom the original on 4 March 2016.Retrieved4 October2015.
- ^Bayly, C. A. (19 May 1988).Rulers, Townsmen and Bazaars: North Indian Society in the Age of British Expansion, 1770-1870.CUP Archive.ISBN978-0-521-31054-3.
- ^"Bhadri (Taluq)".Archived fromthe originalon 29 November 2013.Retrieved4 October2015.
- ^"Itaunja – Raipur Ekdaria (Taluq)".Archived fromthe originalon 10 July 2015.Retrieved4 October2015.
- ^Rathore, Abhinay."Kohra (Taluk)".Rajput Provinces of India.Archivedfrom the original on 20 March 2023.Retrieved14 March2023.
- ^The Indian Year Book, Volume 29.Bennett, Coleman & Company. 1942. p. 1286.Archivedfrom the original on 9 February 2024.Retrieved6 August2014.
- ^"Pratapgarh (Taluq)".Archived fromthe originalon 31 October 2014.Retrieved20 June2024.
- ^B. S. Saxena (1974)."Repertoire On Wajid Ali Shah & Monuments of Avadh – Nawabs of Oudh & their Secularism".Avadh Cultural Club (Lucknow).Archivedfrom the original on 27 August 2018.Retrieved2 July2014.
- ^Ben Cahoon."List of rulers of Oudh".Worldstatesmen.org.Archivedfrom the original on 13 January 2013.Retrieved8 August2014.
- ^Cole, J. R. I. (1989).Roots of North Indian Shīʾism in Iran and Iraq: Religion and State in Awadh, 1722-1859.Comparative Studies on Muslim Societies. University of California Press.ISBN9780520056411.
- ^Defence Journal, Volume 5, Issues 2-4.p. 88.
On the contrary the annexation of Oudh in 1856 was viewed by the Muslim elite and the Hindu majority population of Oudh
- ^Litvak, Meir (February 2001). "Money, religion, and politics: The Oudh Bequest in Najaf and Karbala, 1850-1903".International Journal of Middle East Studies.33(1): 1–21.doi:10.1017/S0020743801001015.S2CID155865344.
- ^Surya Narain Singh (2003).The Kingdom of Awadh.Mittal Publications.
External links[edit]
Media related toOudh Stateat Wikimedia Commons- Heraldry of Oudh State
