“If we
succeed in sweeping them all away, or absorbing them, we shall be at the mercy
of our native army, and they will see it; and accidents may possibly occur to
unite them, or a great portion of them, in some desperate act…the best
provision against it seems to me to be the maintenance of native rulers, whose
confidence and affection can be engaged, and administrations improved under
judicious management” - Major-general Sir William Henry Sleeman to Lord
Dalhousie from Jhansi, 24th September, 1848
Sleeman’s
eerie prediction was to come true less than a decade later when dissatisfaction
exploded into open rebellion. While Governor General Dalhousie’s Doctrine of
Lapse had been used by the company to gobble up states where the king lacked a
biological son, such as Satara in 1848, Jhansi in 1853 and Nagpur in 1854,
“Awadh was an acquisition on a far different scale”, writes William Dalrymple,
“and was practiced on a ‘faithful and unresisting ally’ without even the
nominal justification of the absence of a recognized heir”. The annexation of
Awadh or Oudh happened purely because the King, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, had run
into vast debts with the Company, and seemed unable to, or disinterested in
paying them. With this annexation, centuries of established tradition, when it
came to land, revenue collection, and even governance, was trampled under the
Englishman’s boot. It is no coincidence that the largest number of recruits in
the Bengal Army, which rebelled against its masters in 1857, was from the Awadh
area. The igniting spark for the mutiny was supplied by the infamous Enfield
rifle and its greased cartridges, which Hindu and Muslim sepoys feared
contained the fat of cows and pigs. While in Meerut and Cawnpore (Kanpur), the
massacre of Europeans was near total, Lucknow, the capital of Awadh, presents a
different picture. Here, thanks to the foresight and preparation of Sir Henry
Lawrence, 1700 Europeans were able to hold out for 87 days, against
overwhelming odds. The place where they chose to make their stand was a compound
of roughly 33 acres, containing a number of buildings inhabited by Company
servants, European traders, and their families. Chief among the buildings was
that of the British “Resident”, Chief Commissioner Sir Henry Lawrence, and the
compound thus came to be known as “The Residency”.
The East
India Company had had its eye on the rich province of Awadh for quite a while.
The opportunity for them finally came when the triple alliance of Mir Qasim,
the Nawab of Bengal, Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh, and Shah Alam II, the
Mughal Emperor were routed by the Company’s army, under Hector Munro.
Shuja-ud-Daula was forced to sign the humiliating Treaty of Allahabad, agreeing
to a British “Resident” in his court, who would control all his decisions,
alongside maintaining a British force in his state, and forfeiting his right to
conduct independent foreign affairs. For his Resident, Shuja-ud-Daula built a
residency in Faizabad, which was then the capital city. When his son,
Asaf-ud-Daula moved the capital to Lucknow, the Resident moved with him, and a
new residency was built on high ground to the South of the Gomti river.
Construction of the Residency was begun by Asaf-ud-Daula in 1800. A number of
buildings in the compound were also built by the French Major-general, Claude
Martin, who is remembered for La Martiniere. When the mutiny broke out,
European residents from areas all around Lucknow, who feared for their safety,
flocked to it, and it became home to some 1700 of them, including women and
children. The compound was surrounded by the sepoys, and witnessed heavy
shelling during a siege lasting 87 days. It was finally relieved by General
Henry Havelock, but the relieving force found itself besieged yet again. Field
Marshall Colin Campbell’s second relief of Lucknow was ultimately successful,
and Lucknow passed into British hands.
The
ruins of the Residency remain standing even today, and are a must see for
anyone interested in the mutiny of 1857. Most of the buildings were ravaged by
shelling, but a few remain in good condition, and their ornate stucco walls and
columns, pockmarked by canon and musketry provide a surreal setting. The
Archaelogical Survey of India maintains and operates the Residency today, and
modestly priced tickets grant you entry into the compound.
THE
STRUCTURES WITHIN THE RESIDENCY
THE BAILLIE
GUARD GATE
This is
first structure you encounter as you enter the Residency. The huge arched
gateway has two guardrooms on either side, and its walls bear the marks of
canon and musket balls. Colonel John Baillie was born in Inverness in the
Scottish Highlands on 10 May 1772 and entered the service of the East India
Company in 1790. An accomplished linguist, he taught at Fort William College in
Calcutta until 1807, when he took up the position of Resident in Lucknow, which
he held till 1815. Nawab Saadat Ali Khan II had arranged for a special guard of
honour for Colonel John Baillie and it is from this that the Baillie Guard Gate
(sometimes spelt Bailley) got its name.
THE
TREASURY
As you
enter through the Baillie Guard Gate, the first structure that you find on your
right, is the Treasury. The building was finished in 1851, and contains Rajput
and Awadh style arches. Surprisingly, inspite of the heavy shelling, in some
sections of the building, the beautiful and delicate stucco work has survived.
During the mutiny, a section of the treasury was used for the manufacture of Enfield
rifle cartridges. On the wall of the treasury is a beautiful marble plaque, commemorating
52 men of the 13th Bengal Native Infantry, Garuda Pultun. Contrary
to what many believe, not every native sepoy mutinied. Many remained loyal to
their colonial masters, often at the cost of their lives.
In front
of the treasury building, is a memorial pillar to Robert Hope Moncrieff Aitken.
A lieutenant (later Colonel) in the 13th Bengal Native Infantry,
Aitken was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious
award for gallantry in the face of the enemy for his outstanding service during
the siege of Lucknow. His Victoria Cross, which was awarded to him where many
of his heroic actions took place, may be seen today in the National Army Museum
in Chelsea, England.
BANQUET
HALL
As you
proceed further in, this is the next building in line, on the same side as the
Treasury. The Banquet Hall was probably the most imposing building in the
entire Residency complex. Nawab Saadat Ali Khan II had this “Daawat Khana” built
and furnished. As the name suggests, this was meant as a place to entertain
guests. Expensive chandeliers once adorned it’s high ceilings. Even today, a
fireplace may be seen on the first floor, with a marble-like finish. The floor
however, has long since collapsed, and what you enter will be the basement
level, and hence the fireplace will appear strangely high up on the wall. The
remnants of a shattered fountain may still be seen, with inlaid marble work in
black and white. All around the first floor were wide verandas, and their
columns still remain. The building suffered extensive shelling during the
mutiny, and was in use as a field hospital at the time.
DR.
FAYRER’S HOUSE
Across
the road from the Banquet Hall stands the house of Sir Joseph Fayrer, political
assistant and Residency surgeon. Among his lasting contributions to medicine
were his writings on the treatment of snakebite in India. In 1857, during the
mutiny, his house became both a fortress and a hospital. It was in this house
that Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence, Chief Commissioner of Oudh, died, on the
4th of July, 1857. Lawrence had been injured by a shell exploding in his
bedroom as he was resting, and on the day of his death, Captain Thomas Wilson
notes in his diary, “To the great grief of our garrison, Sir Henry Lawrence
died this morning, about 8’o’clock, from the effects of his wound”. Dr Fayrer’s
house also contained an underground chamber, called Tehkhana, which was used to
shelter the ladies and children from the terrible shelling during the siege.
THE
RESIDENCY MAIN BUILDING
Diagonally
across from Dr. Faryer’s house is the main Residency building. In the lawn to
the South East of the building is a cross, a little over 15 feet high, designed
by C.B. Thornhill as a memorial to Sir Henry Lawrence. Further North is the
memorial pillar to honour the memory of Major-general Sir John Inglis and his
wife Julia. Inglis had taken over command after Lawrence’s fatal injury, and
the plaque says that even though he survived the mutiny, illness he contracted
during the siege ultimately caused his death in Hamburg, Germany, in 1862.
Behind
it lie the shattered remains of the Residency. The original building was
constructed by Nawab Saadat Ali Khan II and consisted of three storeys. The
upper floor contained a billiards room and a library. The ground floor
consisted a large hall, probably used for gatherings and the like, and several
smaller rooms. Entrance was from a portico on the East. The Residency was
constructed on the highest spot in Lucknow, and as such, its watchtower located
on the North, commanded and excellent view of the entire city. From here,
officers on bi-hourly watch kept track of the goings on in the city during the
siege. Later an attempt was made to erect a semaphore, an early system of
communication through flag signals, on top of the tower to permit the force at
the Residency to stay in touch with commanders in Alambagh. Like Dr. Fayrer’s
house, the Residency too contained a “tehkhana” or underground chamber, which
was used to shelter women and children.
Unfortunately,
the Residency was extensively shelled by the sepoys during the mutiny. On the ground
floor, the daughter of Colonel Palmer died after having being hit by a canon
shot. It was here that Sir Henry Lawrence sustained his ultimately fatal wound
while resting.
On the
lawns to the North West of the Residency is yet another memorial pillar. This
plain monument was erected by the men of the 32nd Light Infantry,
better known as 32nd Regiment of Foot or simply the 32nd Foot, in
memory of their comrades who served and died during the siege. The 32nd
foot, later a part of The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, was commanded by
Sir John Inglis.
THE
RESIDENCY MODEL ROOM AND MUSEUM
The
South Western annex of the Residency building, which survived the mutiny
relatively intact, has been converted by the Archaeological Survey of India
into a model room and museum. Displayed here is a most remarkable scale model
of the entire residency complex, lithographs, photographs and many original
articles from the mutiny. There are two levels to the museum, the ground floor,
and the basement. A trip inside is well worth it. Infront of the entrance to
the museum are two of the heavy guns used in the defence of the complex.
BEGUM
KOTHEE
This
building, located South of the main Residency building, was built by Nawab
Asaf-ud-Daula and subsequently sold to Sacville Marcus Taylor, Assistant
Resident, who again sold it to George Prendergast in 1802. Prendergast set up a
European shop here, and later on sold the house and the business to John
Culloden. Culloden’s granddaughter happen to be Malika Mukhdarah Aliya or
Vilayati Begum, the English wife of Nawab Nasir-ud-Din Haider. Nasiruddin
Haider was poisoned and died in 1837. On his death, Mukhdarah Aliya with her
mother and her stepsister, Ashrafunnisa, came to live here. Mukhdarah Aliya and
her mother died and were buried in the compound of the Begum Kothi.
MOSQUE
AND IMAMBARA
The
mosque and Imambara in the Residency are the only two structures that are in
the traditional Awadhi architectural style. They were built by Ashrafunnisa,
stepsister of Nawab Nasir-ud-Din Haider’s European wife, Mukhdarah Aliya. The
mosque is in good shape, and has three domes. Its two minars seem to have some
sort of peculiar pulley like contraption hanging from both sides. The Imambara
is in a ruined state. Both buildings contain some excellent stucco work, much
of which has survived. The mosque is still in use and regular prayers are
conducted there.
ST.
MARY’S CHURCH
In the
North West corner of the Residency once stood St. Mary’s Church. The structure
was built in 1810, and had a gothic design. In the early days of the siege, the
Church was used to store vast amounts of grain. It was repeatedly targeted by
the rebels and all that is left of the Church today are its foundations and
walls up to the height of about two or three feet. Since the Church had become
unsafe for conducting service fairly early on, services used to be conducted in
Dr. Fayrer’s House.
THE RESIDENCY
CEMTERY
Around
the Church grew up the Residency cemetery. A very large number of people died
in the residency every day from shelling, musket fire, mine explosions and
diseases such as cholera, dysentery and heat stroke. Many among the dead were
children. Under the cover of darkness graves were dug and the dead hastily
buried, although the numbers soon became so overwhelming that burials had to be
made near the residential areas. Among the noteworthy graves in the cemetery is
that of Sir Henry Lawrence. His gravestone bears the simple sentence, “Here lies
Henry Lawrence, who tried to do his duty”.
OMMANNEY’S
HOUSE
Judicial
Commissioner Mr. Ommanney was wounded at the Redan battery on the 3rd
of July and subsequently died. He had a wife and two daughters present with him
in the Residency at the time of the siege. His house, West of the Begum Kothee,
survives although it has been almost reduced to it’s foundations. There are a
couple of very curious round structures at the Northern end of the house, and I
wonder what they could have been. A map I found on the internet says one of
them was a well. Could the other have been a bath? Who can tell?
BRIGADE
MESS
A marble
plaque confusingly refers to what should be the Residency’s Brigade Mess as “Inglis’s
Quarters”. That may be because Julia Inglis and her children were staying here,
along with a number of other women and children. The Briagde Mess was a large
and solid two storeyed structure under the command of Colonel Master of 17th
light Cavalry. Many of the officers had their own hunting rifles and were
expert marksmen and kept up a constant withering fire on the enemy through the
length of the siege. This was the era when rifles, muskets and canons often
fired solid balls, which could easily be reused. On September 24th, when
the officers and men went around the Residency collecting shots for reuse, 280
round shot of various calibres was collected from the roof of the brigade mess
alone, which gives us a good idea about how heavy the firing was in this part
of the compound. The building sadly, has been almost reduced to its
foundations, but part of its ornate gate still remains. I walked into a room
that survives at one corner of the structure. Its beautiful domed roof still
bears the scars of fires that burned here more than 150 years ago!
OTHER
STRUCTURES
Near the
Southern end of the compound is the the Martiniere Post. The building derives
its name from the fact that apart from men of the 32nd foot, it was
defended by students and teachers of Lucknow’s La Martiniere school. The
building suffered very heavy damage thanks to a mine sprung by the rebels, but
the foundations still remain. Excavations in the area have shown that a very
advanced sewerage system existed in the Residency, with brick lined sewers with
manholes at regular intervals. Various other structures and ruins are spread
all over the compound, but many of them have been taken over by vegetation. The
Archaeological Survey of India has recently begun work on the compound and is
clearing a lot of it away. In India, where heritage buildings are routinely
bulldozed out of apathy, ignorance, and callousness, I am happy to say that the
Residency in Lucknow is an exception, and from what I saw, I am confident, it
will survive well into the future.
Some
advice for photographers. Carry an ultrawide lens, and be careful what you
shoot. The Residency is a lovers’ nest, and sex starved Indians, who lack
privacy can be found in every corner, making out. Ensure that you don’t disturb
them, and don’t take photos of people without asking them first. The ASI kiosk
near the entrance is an excellent place for picking up their publications, and
they have a handsome edition on the Residency, which is a must read.
- by Deepanjan Ghosh
MORE ON LUCKNOW
Explore more photographs from my Lucknow trip. Check out my Flickr album
- by Deepanjan Ghosh
MORE ON LUCKNOW
Explore more photographs from my Lucknow trip. Check out my Flickr album
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am grateful to my friend, Devankan Chakraborty for being my guide around Lucknow, to Kalpajeet Bhattacharya for his hospitality, and to my father Debashish Ghosh, and sister Deepshikha Ghosh for accompanying me, and providing valuable inputs while shooting the monuments. Check out my father’s flickr page here.
SOURCES
A
Journey through the Kingdom of Oude in 1849-1850 – Major-general Sir W.H.
Sleeman
A
Hand-book for Visitors to Lucknow - Henry George Keene
The
Defence of Lucknow – T.F. Wilson
Monuments
of Lucknow – R.S. Fonia
The Last
Mughal – William Dalrymple
The Residency
– Archaeological Survey of India
1 comment:
Very useful information, nicely composed, good photos etc. We came from Vadodara and your posts are very useful for us to explore this wonderful city. Thank you. Prof. Ashutosh Bedekar, Vadodara
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