Birjis Qadr (20 August 1845 – 14 August 1893) was the
Nawab of Awadh
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 ...
from 1857 until 1858.
Following the outbreak of the
War of 1857, Qadr's mother appointed him monarch of the state in 1857 and she became his regent. Although they provided stiff resistance to the British forces, they fled to
Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
in Nepal the following year after the
capture of Lucknow. In Kathmandu, he became a poet and organised ''
mushaira
''Mushaira'' ( ur, , Mušā'ira) is a poetic symposium. It is an event (called '' mehfil'', Mushairi) where poets gather to perform their works. A mushaira is part of the Culture of North India, Pakistan and the Deccan, particularly among the ...
s'' (poetry recitals).
In 1887, he returned to India and moved to
Metiabruz
Garden Reach is a neighbourhood of the city of Kolkata in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the south-western part of Kolkata near the bank of the Hooghly River. , a neighbourhood of
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
. In 1893, he was allegedly murdered by his own relatives.
Early life and enthronement
![Awadh Royal Family](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Awadh_Royal_Family.jpg)
Qadr was born in August 1845 at
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
Oudh State
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 ...
,
to Nawab
Wajid Ali Shah
Mirza Wajid Ali Shah ( ur, ) (30 July 1822 – 1 September 1887) was the eleventh and last King of Awadh, holding the position for 9 years, from 13 February 1847 to 11 February 1856.
Wajid Ali Shah's first wife was Alam Ara who was better k ...
and
Begum Hazrat Mahal
Begum Hazrat Mahal (c. 18207 April 1879), also known as the Begum of Awadh, was the second wife of Nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah, and the regent of Awadh in 1857–1858. She is known for the leading role she had in the rebellion against the ...
.
In 1856, Qadr's father Nawab
Wajid Ali Shah
Mirza Wajid Ali Shah ( ur, ) (30 July 1822 – 1 September 1887) was the eleventh and last King of Awadh, holding the position for 9 years, from 13 February 1847 to 11 February 1856.
Wajid Ali Shah's first wife was Alam Ara who was better k ...
was deposed by the British on the pretext of mis-governance, and was exiled to
Metiabruz
Garden Reach is a neighbourhood of the city of Kolkata in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the south-western part of Kolkata near the bank of the Hooghly River. , a neighbourhood of
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
(present-day Kolkata).
In 1857, the
Sepoy Mutiny
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the for ...
erupted against the
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 ...
, with Begum Hazrat leading the rebels in Awadh. A decisive victory by the rebel forces in the
Battle of Chinhat
The Battle of Chinhat was fought on the morning of 30 June 1857, between British forces and Indian rebels, at Ismailganj, near Chinhat (or Chinhut), Oude (Awad/Oudh). The British were led by The Chief Commissioner of Oude, Sir Henry Lawrence ...
forced the British to take refuge in
The Residency (eventually resulting in the
Siege of Lucknow). On 5 June, eleven-year old Qadr was declared the
Nawab of Awadh
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 ...
by his mother Begum Hazrat under the active persuasion of Jailal Singh, the chief spokesman of the rebel army; his coronation was widely supported by court-nobles.
Historian
Rudrangshu Mukherjee
Rudrangshu Mukherjee is a historian and author of several history books. He was formerly the Opinions Editor for ''The Telegraph'' newspaper, Kolkata and the Chancellor for Ashoka University, where he also serves as Professor of History. He wa ...
notes that though the rebel army allowed Begum Hazrat to rule the state on Qadr's behalf, they had carved out a large degree of autonomy.
Qadr subsequently wrote to Mughal emperor
Bahadur Shah II, asking for confirmation of his regency. This was granted, and he was awarded the title of ''Wazir''.
Rule
In September 1857, a British regiment under
James Outram and
Henry Havelock
Major-General Sir Henry Havelock (5 April 1795 – 24 November 1857) was a British general who is particularly associated with India and his recapture of Cawnpore during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (First War of Independence, Sepoy Mutiny).
...
managed to breach the rebel defenses and enter The Residency. However, they were greatly reduced in strength, provided little relief and remained isolated, barely able to wrest control of some adjoining territory under the stronghold.
Qadr and Begum Hazrat issued routine proclamations that sought to emphasize the range of alleged injustices rendered by the British, from seizure of the commoners' property and forceful imposition of Christianity to the whimsical dethroning of Wajid Ali Shah and random toppling of local independent provinces on dubious grounds.
Mukherjee notes that the rebels were in great spirits and enforced a highly effective blockade of the Residency.
The rebellion drew strong support from the masses and almost all appeals by the British for negotiation or aid were completely ignored.
Overall, despite an effective suppression of the
Sepoy Mutiny
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the for ...
over other parts of India, Lucknow (and Awadh) remained the last major bastion for anti-British forces in India and attracted numerous rebels from other territories, including
Nana Sahib
Nana Saheb Peshwa II (19 May 1824 – 24 September 1859), born as Dhondu Pant, was an Indian Peshwa of the Maratha empire, aristocrat and fighter, who led the rebellion in Kanpur (Cawnpore) during the Great Revolt of 1857. As the adopted s ...
, Holkar, et al.
In November 1857, another British regiment under
Colin Campbell Colin may refer to:
* Colin (given name)
* Colin (surname)
* ''Colin'' (film), a 2008 Cannes film festival zombie movie
* Colin (horse) (1905–1932), thoroughbred racehorse
* Colin (humpback whale), a humpback whale calf abandoned north of Sydney, ...
, assisted by the population of The Residency, breached multiple defenses across the outskirts of Lucknow and defeated the local rebel forces to safely evacuate the besieged.
Thereafter, Campbell chose to withdraw and defend other cities (especially
Alambagh
Alambagh (Hindi: आलमबाग़, ) is a settlement located in Lucknow near Kanpur road in India. It is one of the most important residential and commercial areas of Lucknow and also one of the densely populated areas of the city. Alamba ...
), that were under imminent threat of a rebel attack but without establishing a stronghold over Lucknow.
The rebels continued to congregate in large numbers at Lucknow, which was geographically and strategically advantageous to their future strategies.
At Alambagh, where Outram made his final settlement, he was attacked six times with the rebel strength often exceeding 30,000.
By December, the communication networks and rebellions in other parts of India were completely crushed; the rebel chiefs were isolated from one another and faced a futile war with their defeat imminent.
In the same month, the rebels suffered an internal feud.
Ahmadullah Shah
Ahmadullah Shah (1787 – 5 June 1858) famous as ''Maulavi of Faizabad'', famous freedom fighter and was a leader of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Maulavi Ahmadullah Shah was known as the Lighthouse of Rebellion in Awadh region. British offic ...
, the
Maulvi
Mawlawi ( ar, مولوي; also spelled Maulvi, Molvi, Moulavi and Mawlvi) is an Islamic religious title given to Muslim religious scholars, or ulama, preceding their names, similar to the titles Mawlānā, Mullah, or Sheikh. Mawlawi generally ...
of
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 ...
, challenged Qadr's leadership on the basis of a divine will, thus polarizing the mutineers.
The factions clashed at least once, and their military strategies were often in opposition, affecting battles.
Desertions and defections became increasingly commonplace.
However, internal intelligence reports by British authorities concluded that they could not leverage the tensions to any advantage.
Campbell advanced on Lucknow in late February 1858. By 16 March, after intense street-battles, the British forces had
captured Lucknow in its entirety, forcing the Begum, her supporters and Qadr to leave the city.
Campbell failed to secure the escape routes and the rebel populace drifted across to the countryside, which meant that the fall of Lucknow did not automatically lead to the anticipated submission of Awadh.
Begum Hazrat declined a British offer of mercy and a pension, thus refusing to renounce the rights of her son
and dispersed into the countrysides of
Baundi.
Notably, whilst the fall of Lucknow destroyed the Maulvi faction, Begum Hazrat maintained a semblance of her erstwhile rule from a local fort: receiving collections, hosting parliaments and issuing orders under the name of Qadr.
They sought to mobilise the rebel forces and planned another round of armed struggle against the British authorities.
Proclamations were issued, urging the local caps to rebel against the British institutions in an organised fashion and Qadr promised monetary reimbursement for those injured or killed in battle.
In May 1858, Qadr wrote a letter to
Jung Bahadur Rana
Maharaja Jung Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji, (born Bir Narsingh Kunwar ( ne, वीर नरसिंह कुँवर), 18 June 1817; popularly known as Jung Bahadur Rana (JBR, ne, जङ्गबहादुर राणा)) () belonging to the ...
, the
Prime Minister of Nepal
The Prime Minister of Nepal ( ne, नेपालको प्रधानमन्त्री) is the head of government of Nepal. The Prime Minister is the head of the Council of Ministers of Nepal and the chief adviser to the President of ...
, claiming that the British had corrupted the faiths of the Hindus and Muslims of the state, and urged him to send his troops to Awadh to fight the British. An unsympathetic Rana rejected the accusations and refused to help Qadr, instead asking him to surrender to
Henry Montgomery Lawrence
Brigadier-General Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence KCB (28 June 18064 July 1857) was a British military officer, surveyor, administrator and statesman in British India. He is best known for leading a group of administrators in the Punjab affectiona ...
, the commissioner of Lucknow, and ask for pardon.
Meanwhile, as the most of the local rebels had been defeated and subjected to exemplary punishment by the British, Qadr and Begum Hazrat crossed the
West Rapti River
West Rapti, also known as the Kuwano drains Rapti Zone in Mid-Western Region, Nepal, then Awadh and Purvanchal regions of Uttar Pradesh state, India before joining the Ghaghara—a major left bank tributary of the Ganges known as the Karnal ...
to take refuge in
Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
, Nepal.
Exile in Nepal
![Birjis Qadr in Nepal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Birjis_Qadr_in_Nepal.jpg)
After arriving in
Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
, Qadr again wrote to Rana for asylum and despite his initial hesitance, he and his mother were allowed to stay at the
Barf Bagh, a palace near the
Thapathali Durbar
Thapathali Durbar ( ne, थापाथली दरवार) was a palace complex in Kathmandu, the capital of the Nepal. Thapathali means abode of the Thapas. It was initially built by Nain Singh Thapa of the Thapa dynasty but was later occupi ...
. They came a coterie of helpers and soldiers,
In a simultaneous bargain, about 40,000 rupees worth of jewels were purchased by the Rana, for a mere 15,000 rupees. Historians have since observed that the Rana provided refuge only to those rebels who paid for it, earning precious jewels in the process.
While staying in Kathmandu, Qadr became a ''
shayar'' (poet) and organised ''
mehfil
Mehfil (also spelled ''mahfil'') is a formal venue where indoor recreational activities such as poetry ( mushaira), singing, music, and dance are entertained in parts of the Indian subcontinent. It is part of Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb culture.
His ...
s'' in the city, the earliest of which were recorded in 1864.
He wrote poems at the ''
tarahi mushaira'' (recitals).
Qadr's poems were recorded by Khwaja Naeemuddin Badakashi, a Kashmiri Muslim living in Kathmandu.
Personal life
While in Nepal, he married Mehtab Ara Begum, a granddaughter of
Bahadur Shah Zafar.
They had two sons, Khurshid Qadr and Mehar Qadr, and three daughters.
Return to India and death
In 1893, a few years after the death of his exiled father, Qadr returned to
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
.
He died on 14 August 1893 at Arabagh Palace.
According to his grandson Koukab Qadr, Birjis's wife Mehtab Ara Begum was supposedly the lone eye-witness to a dinner, where Birjis Qadr along with his son and other confidantes were poisoned to death, by his siblings and jealous
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 (high ranking females). Ara Begum, being pregnant, had not attended the dinner.
References
Bibliography
*
Footnotes
External links
National Informatics Centre, Lucknow - Rulers of Awadh
{{DEFAULTSORT:Qadr, Birjis
1845 births
People from Lucknow
History of Uttar Pradesh
Nawabs of Awadh
1893 deaths
Indian Shia Muslims
Revolutionaries of the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian independence activists from Uttar Pradesh
19th-century Indian monarchs
Indian royalty