HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Mirza Asaf-ud-Daula (23 September 1748 – 21 September 1797) was the
Nawab wazir of Oudh The Nawab of Awadh or the Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers who governed the state of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in north India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to a dynasty of Persian origin from Nishap ...
ratified by
Shah Alam II Shah Alam II (; 25 June 1728 – 19 November 1806), also known by his birth name Ali Gohar (or Ali Gauhar), was the seventeenth Mughal Emperor and the son of Alamgir II. Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal empire. His powe ...
, from 26 January 1775 to 21 September 1797, and the son of Shuja-ud-Dowlah. His mother and grandmother were the
Begum Begum (also begüm, bagum, begom, begam, baigum or beygum) is a royal and aristocratic title from Central and South Asia. It is the feminine equivalent of the title ''baig'' or '' bey'', which in Turkic languages means "higher official". It us ...
s of
Oudh The Oudh State (, also Kingdom of Awadh, Kingdom of Oudh, or Awadh State) was a princely state in the Awadh region of North India until its annexation by the British in 1856. The name Oudh, now obsolete, was once the anglicized name of ...
.


Reign

Asaf-ud-Daula became nawab at the age of 26, on the death of his father,
Shuja-ud-Daula Shuja-ud-Daula (b. – d. ) was the Subedar and Nawab of Oudh and the Vizier of Delhi from 5 October 1754 to 26 January 1775. Early life Shuja-ud-Daula was the son of the Mughal Grand Vizier Safdarjung chosen by Ahmad Shah Bahadur. Unlik ...
, on 28 January 1775. He assumed the throne with the aid of the
British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
, outmanoeuvring his younger brother Saadat Ali who led a failed mutiny in the army. British Colonel John Parker defeated the mutineers decisively, securing Asaf-ud-Daula's succession. His first chief minister was Mukhtar-ud-Daula who was assassinated in the revolt. The other challenge to Asaf's rule was his mother Umat-ul-Zohra (better known as Bahu Begum), who had amassed considerable control over the treasury and her own ''jagirs'' and private armed forces. She, at one point, sought the Company's direct assistance in the appointment of anti-Asaf ministers. When Shuja-ud-Daula died he left two million
pounds sterling Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £) is the main unit of sterling, and ...
buried in the vaults of the
zenana Zenana ( fa, زنانه, ur, , bn, জেনানা, hi, ज़नाना) literally meaning "of the women" or "pertaining to women", in Persian language contextually refers to the part of a house belonging to a Muslim, Sikh, or Hindu f ...
. The widow and mother of the deceased prince claimed the whole of this treasure under the terms of a will which was never produced. When
Warren Hastings Warren Hastings (6 December 1732 – 22 August 1818) was a British colonial administrator, who served as the first Governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), the head of the Supreme Council of Bengal, and so the first Governor-General ...
pressed the nawab for the payment of debt due to the Company, he obtained from his mother a loan of 26 lakh (2.6 million) rupees, for which he gave her a jagir (land) of four times the value; of subsequently obtained 30 lakh (3 million) more in return for a full acquittal, and the recognition of her jagirs without interference for life by the Company. These jagirs were afterwards confiscated on the ground of the begum's complicity in the rising of
Chait Singh Rafa'at wa Awal-i-Martabat Maharaja Sri Chait Singh Sahib Bahadur (died 29 March 1810), commonly known as Chait Singh, was a ruler of Kingdom of Benares in northern India. Maharaja Balwant Singh's elder son, Rafa'at wa Awal-i-Martabat Raja Sri ...
, which was attested by documentary evidence. Ultimately this removed Umat-ul-Zohra as an obstacle to Asaf's reign. In the aftermath of Saadat's revolt, Asaf sought to restructure the government particularly by appointing nobles favourable to his cause and British officers to his military. Asaf appointed Hasan Riza Khan as his chief minister. Although he had little experience in administration, his assistant Haydar Beg Khan turned out to be a valuable support. Tikayt Ray was appointed finance minister. Asaf was known for his generosity, particularly the offering of food and public employment in times of famine. Notably, the
Bara Imambara Bara Imambara, also known as Asfi Imambara is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India built by Asaf-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh in 1784. ''Bara'' means ''big''. This imambara is the second largest after the Nizamat Imambara. Building composition ...
, a mosque in Lucknow, was constructed during his reign by destitute workers seeking employment. A popular saying of the time of his benevolence: ''jisko na de maulā, usko de Asaf-ud-daulā'' "to whom even God does not give, Asaf-ud-Daula gives." He was painted several times by Johann Zoffany.


Shifting the capital

In 1775 he moved the capital of Awadh from
Faizabad Faizabad (Hindustani pronunciation: ɛːzaːbaːd is a city situated near the southern banks of Saryu river in Ayodhya district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The area of this Faizabad region is administered by Ayodhya Municipal Corpo ...
to
Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
and built various monuments in and around Lucknow, including the
Bara Imambara Bara Imambara, also known as Asfi Imambara is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India built by Asaf-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh in 1784. ''Bara'' means ''big''. This imambara is the second largest after the Nizamat Imambara. Building composition ...
.


Architectural and other contribution

File:Asfi masjid.jpg, Asfi mosque, named after the
Nawab Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب; bn, নবাব/নওয়াব; hi, नवाब; Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ; Persian, Punjabi , Sindhi, Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...
, Asaf-ud-Daula. File:Bara Imambara Lucknow.jpg,
Bara Imambara Bara Imambara, also known as Asfi Imambara is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India built by Asaf-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh in 1784. ''Bara'' means ''big''. This imambara is the second largest after the Nizamat Imambara. Building composition ...
(Asafi Imambara), an
imambara A ḥosayniya or hussainiya (Arabic: حسينية ''husayniyya''), also known as an ashurkhana, imambargah, or imambara, is a congregation hall for Twelver Shia Muslim commemoration ceremonies, especially those associated with the Mourning of ...
, was built by Asaf-ud-Daula, in 1784 at
Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
.
Nawab Asaf-ud-Dowlah is considered the architect general of
Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
. With the ambition to outshine the splendour of Mughal architecture, he built a number of monuments and developed the city of Lucknow into an architectural marvel. Several of the buildings survive today, including the famed Asafi Imambara which attracts tourists even today, and the
Qaisar Bagh Qaisar ( ar, قيصر) is the Arabic version of the name Caesar and it is used as a given name in Arabia. The Roman and later Byzantine emperors were called ''Qaisar-e-Rum'' (Caesar of Rome) by the Arabs and Persians. The Ottoman Sultans also ...
area of downtown
Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
where thousands live in resurrected buildings. The Asafi Imambara is a famed vaulted structure surrounded by beautiful gardens, which the Nawab started as a charitable project to generate employment during the famine of 1784. In that famine even the nobles were reduced to penury. It is said that Nawab Asaf employed over 20,000 people for the project (including commoners and noblemen), which was neither a masjid nor a mausoleum (contrary to the popular contemporary norms of buildings). The Nawab's sensitivity towards preserving the reputation of the upper class is demonstrated in the story of the construction of Imambara. During daytime, common citizens employed on the project would construct the building. On the night of every fourth day, the noble and upper-class people were employed in secret to demolish the structure built, an effort for which they received payment. Thus their dignity was preserved. The Nawab became so famous for his generosity that it is still a well-known saying in Lucknow that "he who does not receive (livelihood) from the Ali-Moula, will receive it from Asaf-ud-Doula" (''Jisko na de Moula, usko de Asaf-ud-Doula'').


Rumi Darwaza (''Turkish Gate'')

The
Rumi Darwaza The Rumi Darwaza (Hindi: रूमी दरवाज़ा, Urdu: , and sometimes known as the Turkish Gate), in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, is an imposing gateway which was built by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daula in 1784. It is an example of Awadh ...
, which stands sixty feet tall, was modeled (1784) after the
Sublime Porte The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte ( ota, باب عالی, Bāb-ı Ālī or ''Babıali'', from ar, باب, bāb, gate and , , ), was a synecdoche for the central government of the Ottoman Empire. History The name ...
(Bab-iHümayun) in
Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...
, is one of the very important examples of the exchange between the two cultures. Image:Roomi_Darwaza_03.JPG, Image:Roomi_Darwaza_04.JPG, Image:Roomi_Darwaza_05.JPG,


Death

He died on 21 September 1797 in Lucknow and is buried at
Bara Imambara Bara Imambara, also known as Asfi Imambara is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India built by Asaf-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh in 1784. ''Bara'' means ''big''. This imambara is the second largest after the Nizamat Imambara. Building composition ...
, Lucknow.


Gallery

File:Bara Imambara Lucknow.jpg,
Bara Imambara Bara Imambara, also known as Asfi Imambara is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India built by Asaf-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh in 1784. ''Bara'' means ''big''. This imambara is the second largest after the Nizamat Imambara. Building composition ...
,
Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
, built by Asaf-ud-Daula File:asif_palace_lucknow.jpg, A view of the Palace of the Asaf-ud-Daula at Lucknow, c.1793 File:asif_muharram_1795_2.jpg, Asaf-ud-Daula, celebrating the Muharram festival at Lucknow, c.1812 File:asif_coin_1a.jpg, A silver ashrafi issued by Asaf-ud-Daula from the Najibabad mint in AH 1211 (1796/7), regnal year 38 File:asif_coin_1b.jpg, A silver ashrafi issued by Asaf-ud-Daula from the Najibabad mint in AH 1211 (1796/7), regnal year 38 File:asif_musicians_1812.jpg, Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula seated on a rug smoking a hookah and listening to a party of male musicians, c.1812 File:asif_cockfight.jpg, Asaf-ud-Daula at a cock-fight with Europeans; this painting most likely depicts the famous cockfight between Asaf al-Daula and Colonel Mordaunt which took place at Lucknow in 1786, c.1830-35


Timeline


See also

*
Bahu Begum ka Maqbara Bahu Begum ka Maqbara is the Tomb of Queen Bride Begum Unmatuzzohra Bano alias Bahu Begum a memorial built for queen of Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula. Its one of the tallest buildings in Faizabad and is a notable example of non-mughal Muslim architectu ...
, the monument to his mother, Bahu Begum (also known as Umat uz-Zohra Begum) *
Safdar Jang Abul Mansur Mirza Muhammad Muqim Ali Khan (c. 1708 – 5 October 1754), better known as Safdar Jang, was a major figure at the Mughal court during the declining years of the Mughal Empire. He became the second Nawab of Awadh when he succeeded ...
, grandfather of Asaf-ud-Daula *
Tomb of Safdar Jang Safdarjung's tomb is a sandstone and marble mausoleum in Delhi, India. It was built in 1754 in the late Mughal Empire style for Nawab Safdarjung. The monument has an ambience of spaciousness and an imposing presence with its domed and arched ...
, his grandfather's memorial *
Claude Martin Major-General Claude Martin (5 January 1735 – 13 September 1800) was a French army officer who served in the French and later British East India companies in colonial India. Martin rose to the rank of major-general in the British East India C ...
, French army officer who later served in India for the British East India company * Mir Taqi Mir, Urdu poet at the Lucknow court of Asaf-ud-Daula *
Antoine Polier Colonel Antoine-Louis Henri de Polier (1741–1795) was a Swiss adventurer, art collector, military engineer and soldier who made his fortune in India in the eighteenth century. He was the father of Count Adolphe de Polier. Life Image:PolierMa ...
, Swiss adventurer and soldier who made his fortune in India, and designed a royal residence at Lucknow


Notes


References


Further reading

*


External links


NIC Website
* Refer to mapsofindia.com Bara Imambar

for details of the Imambara

* ttp://rulers.org/indstat1.html States before 1947 A-J {{DEFAULTSORT:Asaf-Ud-Dowlah Mughal Empire people People from Lucknow Nawabs of Awadh 1748 births 1797 deaths Indian Shia Muslims Indian people of Iranian descent History of Uttar Pradesh History of Lucknow 18th-century Iranian people Deaths from edema Grand viziers of the Mughal Empire