Ghazi-Ud-Din Haider
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This article was written in 1939 and has been extracted from
HISTORIC LUCKNOW
By SIDNEY HAY
ILLUSTRATED BY
ENVER AHMED
With an Introduction by
THE RIGHT HON. LORD HAILEY,
G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E.
Sometime Governor of the United Provinces
Asian Educational Services, 1939.
Ghazi-Ud-Din Haider
1814—1827
Although Nawab Sa’adat Ali Khan himself had been “westernised” and understood English, he took no interest in the education of his sons, who grew up ill-equipped to take their place as leaders of society. Indeed, his second son, Ghazi-ud-Din Haider, who succeeded him upon the throne, spoke no English and was entirely unversed in court usage. He was, however, fond of study, and in oriental philology and philosophy he was reckoned learned. He had a strong taste for mechanics and chemistry and employed an Englishman named Thomas Denham as chief mechanic and Mr. Tucket as architect and engineer.
His court became remarkable both for splendour and for agreeable and polished manners. He showed a lively interest in literature and the arts and did much to encourage and support those around him who showed talent. He appointed Mr. Robert Home, a well-known English artist, to be his historical and court painter. The artist stayed at Lucknow for many years, ultimately dying in Cawnpore.
For some months after Ghazi-ud-Din’s accession, Hakim Mehdi, Sa’adat Ali Khan’s trusted minister, remained in office. But by dint of continuous intrigue, an unscrupulous but able man named Agha Mir supplanted him and gained complete political mastery over the Nawab. He “took from the country the annual sum of twenty-three million rupees by his own admission, and three million three hundred thousand agreeably to the accounts in the office. The property and jewels of the state which he plundered are out of the question,” and all this in addition to his monthly salary of Rs. 25,000.
He refused to carry out any reforms suggested by the British, with the result that abuses of authority again crept in, and the country gradually sank back into the poverty from which his predecessor had so laboriously raised it. So complete was his mastery over the Nawab that he prevailed upon him to imprison for a time Nasir-ud-Din Haider, the heir presumptive, on a trumpery charge.
Ghazi-ud-Din Haider was not an inspired builder like his father, but he constructed the Chutter Munzil Palaces, the Mubarak and Shah Munzils, the Qadam Rasul, die Walaiti Bagh, and was responsible for the now extinct irrigation canal system, besides the Shah Najaf, his own tomb. During his reign he lived in the Farhat Bakhsh, which was built by General Claud Martin at the end of the previous century. There he died.
His chief wife, Badshah Begum, was possessed of a violent temper. After his death she became a well-known character who in stilled submission into all and sundry by virtue of her rough and ready tongue—no mean achievement for a woman in those days of purdah. Early in 1818 Lord Hastings, the Governor-General, visited Lucknow for the second time. He records that he treated the Nawab-Wazir with the respect accorded to a reigning sovereign of high rank. Ghazi-ud-Din Haider gave a state banquet in honour of the Governor-General, followed by a durbar.
The Nawab desired to present to the Governor-General a crore of rupees for the use of the Government, but this the latter would not allow, and would only take it on loan upon a small rate of interest. Not long afterwards Ghazi-ud-Din again produced money to meet the expenses of the war with Nepal. In 1819 the Marquess of Hastings once more visited Lucknow and conferred upon the Nawab the title of King.
A portrait of Ghazi-ud-Din hung at one time in the Dilkusha palace. A portrait now hanging in the Taluqdars’ Hall depicts him dressed in his robes of state, resting upon a sword, and surrounded by his courtiers, as a fine-looking man with well marked features and elegant, artistic hands. Upon his head is a large jewelled crown. About his neck is clasped a wide collar studded with priceless jewels. Over his rich robe of brocade he wears a flowing velvet court cloak lined with ermine, with an ermine collar clasped about his throat by a jewelled fastening. Over this again hangs a wonderful chain similar to a modern mayoral chain, but far more magnificent and costly.
Bishop Heber described him in 1824 as being tall, his body long in proportion to his legs, and with distinct evidence of having been extremely good-looking. He had aged earlier than most men of his years and his greying hair sat strangely above an unusually dark skin. He was spruce and well turned out and liked to see his courtiers likewise. His tastes had been well directed in his youth and he had collected in his palaces many beautiful things, both oriental and European. He was wont to treat European ladies, to their chagrin, exactly as he would his own women—as being of no account whatever. He soon saw through the endless variety of importunate adventurers of every class, colour and creed who found their way to his court in the hope of obtaining employment. In spite of this he had many Europeans and half-castes in his employ.
Bishop Heber was once invited to breakfast with the King. Writing to his wife, he described in detail his excursion into the royal presence. The Bishop, in company with the British Resident, arrived at the palace in a palanquin. There they were deposited at the foot of an unimposing staircase built in stone. At the head of this stood the King, waiting to receive his guests, which he did by kissing them resoundingly.
He conducted them into a picture gallery equipped with fine crystal chandeliers and furnished in European style. In the centre of the room a large oblong dining-table was set with Western china, at which the party seated themselves in strict order of precedence. There they sat until the King set the proceedings in motion by grabbing two large hot rolls which he presented, one to the Bishop and one to the Resident. This was the signal for the servants to hand coffee, tea, butter, eggs and fish to the guests, all of whom, including the Muhammadans, ate in European fashion, and of European fare, except the royal host himself who consumed some special dish of his own served in a bowl of exquisite French design.
The King died in 1827 at his Lucknow palace, leaving his treasury well lined with a reserve of four crores of rupees. He lies buried in the Shah Najaf where may still be seen a number of interesting relics of his reign.
