View source for Awadh

{{Short description|Region in Uttar Pradesh}}
{{About|the cultural and historical region in India|the state during the British Raj|Oudh State}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| name               = Awadh
| settlement_type    = [[Region]]
| image_map          = Awadhi language.png
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
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| image1      = Sarayu River night view, Ayodhya 001.jpg
| caption1    = [[Ram ki Paidi]], [[Ayodhya]]
| image2      = Bada Imambara aka Bhool Bhulaiya.jpg
| caption2    = [[Bara Imambara]], [[Lucknow]]
| image3      = Kumbh Mela2001.JPG
| caption3    = Procession of sadhus at the [[Prayag Kumbh Mela]]
| image4      = Kathak Group Performance (3).jpg
| caption4    = [[Kathak]]
| image5      = Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.jpg
| caption5    = [[IIT Kanpur]]
| image6 = Leaving the cold desolation.jpg
| caption6 =  [[Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary]]
}}
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| subdivision_name2  = [[Uttar Pradesh]]
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| subdivision_name3  = *[[Lucknow division]] 
*[[Ayodhya division]]
*[[Prayagraj division]]
*[[Kanpur division]] (partly)
*[[Mirzapur division]] (partly)
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| subdivision_name4  = [[Awadhi language|Awadhi]], [[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]]
| blank1_name_sec1   = Largest Cities
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| [[Lucknow]]
| [[Prayagraj]]
| [[Ayodhya]]
| [[Kanpur]]
| [[Mirzapur]]
}}
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| population_total   = 55119236{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}
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| map_caption        = Modern map of the Awadh region
}}
[[File:Lalbagh gate faizabad c.1801.jpg|thumb|250px|Lal Bagh entrance in Faizabad, Municipal Corporation of [[Ayodhya]], as depicted in ''Gate of the Loll-Baug at Fyzabad'' by Thomas and William Daniell, 1801* (BL).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/other/019xzz000004323u00003000.html|title=Gate of the Loll-Baug at Fyzabad|publisher=British Library, Online Gallery|access-date=26 November 2019|archive-date=12 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111212071149/http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/other/019xzz000004323u00003000.html|url-status=live}}</ref>]]
'''Awadh''' ({{IPA|hi|əˈʋədʱ|lang|hi-Awadh.ogg}}), known in [[British Raj]] historical texts as '''Avadh''' or '''Oudh''', is a [[historical region]] in [[northern India]], now constituting the central portion of [[Uttar Pradesh]]. It is roughly synonymous with the ancient [[Kosala]] region of [[Hindu scriptures|Hindu]], [[Buddhist scriptures|Buddhist]], and [[Jain scriptures]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Awadh, historic region, India |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Awadh |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica |date=31 January 2013 |access-date=18 January 2025 |archive-date=20 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120143008/https://www.britannica.com/place/Awadh |url-status=live}}</ref>

It was a province of all the major [[Muslim period in the Indian subcontinent|Islamic dynasties in India]] including the [[Mughal Empire]]. With the decline of late Mughal [[Delhi]], Awadh became a major source of literary, artistic, religious, and architectural patronage in northern India under the rule of its eleven rulers, called [[Nawab of Awadh|Nawab]]s. From 1720 to 1856, the nawabs presided over Awadh, with [[Ayodhya]] and [[Faizabad]] serving as the region's initial capitals.<ref name="Gopal1993">{{cite book |author=Sarvepalli Gopal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=47AARF595dUC&pg=PA39 |title=Anatomy of a Confrontation: Ayodhya and the Rise of Communal Politics in India |date=1993 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-1-85649-050-4 |pages=39– |access-date=29 December 2022 |archive-date=9 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240209112831/https://books.google.com/books?id=47AARF595dUC&pg=PA39#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> Later, the capital was relocated to [[Lucknow]], which is now the capital of [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Awadh |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_com_26360 |access-date=29 December 2022 |website=Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE |doi=10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_com_26360 |archive-date=10 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310055129/https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-3/*-COM_26360 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The [[British Empire|British]] conquered Awadh in 1856, which infuriated Indians and was recognised as a factor causing the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Rebellion (1857-58)]], the biggest Indian uprising against British rule.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Awadh {{!}} historic region, India {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Awadh |access-date=29 December 2022 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=19 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019041608/https://www.britannica.com/place/Awadh |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Etymology ==
The word ''Awadh'' is inherited from the [[Sanskrit]] word [[Ayodhya]] meaning "not to be warred against, irresistible".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mohamed nasr |url=http://archive.org/details/SubahOfAwadhUnderTheMughals15821724 |title=Subah Of Awadh Under The Mughals 1582 1724 |pages=1 |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 24, page 132 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V24_138.gif |access-date=20 June 2022 |website=dsal.uchicago.edu |archive-date=29 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629061359/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V24_138.gif |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sanskrit Dictionary |url=https://www.sanskritdictionary.com/?q=ayodhya |access-date=29 December 2022 |archive-date=29 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229224756/https://www.sanskritdictionary.com/?q=ayodhya |url-status=live }}</ref>

== History ==
Awadh, known as the granary of India, was important strategically for the control of the [[Doab]], a fertile plain between the [[Ganges]] and the [[Yamuna]] rivers. It was a wealthy kingdom, able to maintain its independence against threats from the [[Maratha]]s, the [[British people|British]] and the [[Afghanistan|Afghans]].

=== Ancient ===
{{Main|Kosala}}
Awadh's political unity can be traced back to the ancient [[Hindu]] kingdom of [[Kosala]], with [[Ayodhya]] as its early capital in traditional history, though in Buddhist times (6th–5th century <small>BCE</small>) [[Shravasti]] became the kingdom's capital city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ayodhya {{!}} History & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Ayodhya |access-date=29 December 2022 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=29 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229094816/https://www.britannica.com/place/Ayodhya |url-status=live }}</ref>

Modern Awadh finds historical mention only in the Mughal time of [[Akbar]], in the late 16th century.

In prehistoric times, Awadh, reputedly the kingdom of Bikukshi, contained five main divisions :<ref name="Irwin 106">{{cite book | last = Irwin | first = Henry Crossly | title = The Garden of India. Or, Chapters on Oudh History and Affairs | url = https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.63152 | year = 1880 | publisher = W. H. Allen| location = London | page = 106}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>
# [[Uttara Kosala]] or the trans-[[Ghaghra]] districts, now known as [[Bahraich]], [[Gonda District|Gonda]], [[Basti district|Basti]] and [[Gorakhpur district|Gorakhpur]].
# [[Silliana]], consisting of lower range of hills to the north of Uttara Kosala, now belonging to [[Nepal]], with the [[Tarai]] at its base.
# [[Pachhimrath]], which may be roughly described as the country between Ghaghra and [[Gomti]] west to the line from [[Ayodhya]] to [[Sultanpur district|Sultanpur]]. This division included about third of present district of Ayodhya (including [[Ambedkar Nagar district]]), a small portion of the north of [[Sultanpur district|Sultanpur]], greater part of [[Barabanki district|Barabanki]], and sections of the Lucknow and [[Sitapur]] districts.
# [[Purabrath]], which may be roughly described as the country between Ghaghra and Gomti east to the line from Ayodhya to Sultanpur. This division included about two-thirds of present district of Ayodhya (including Ambedkar Nagar district), the north-eastern corner of Sultanpur, and parts of [[Mirzapur district]], [[Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh|Pratapgarh district]] and [[Jaunpur district|Jaunpur]].
# [[Arbar]], extended southwards from Gomti to the [[Sai River (Uttar Pradesh)|Sai river]].

=== Before independence ===
Since AD 1350 different parts of the Awadh region were ruled by the [[Delhi Sultanate]], [[Jaunpur Sultanate|Sharqi Sultanate]], [[Mughal Empire]], [[Nawabs of Awadh]], [[Honourable East India Company|East India Company]] and the [[British Raj]]. [[Kanpur]] was one of the major centres of [[Indian rebellion of 1857]], participated actively in [[Indian independence movement|India's Independence movement]], and emerged as an important city of [[North India]].

For about eighty-four years (from 1394 to 1478), Awadh was part of the [[Jaunpur Sultanate|Sharqi Sultanate]] of [[Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh|Jaunpur]]; emperor [[Humayun]] made it a part of the Mughal Empire around 1555. Emperor [[Jehangir]] granted an estate in Awadh to a nobleman, Sheik Abdul Rahim, who had won his favour. Sheik Abdul Rahim later built Machchi Bhawan in this estate; this later became the seat of power from where his descendants, the Sheikhzades, controlled the region. Until 1719, the [[Subah (province)|Subah]] of Awadh (bordering (Old) Delhi, Agra, Illahabad and Bihar) was a province of the [[Mughal Empire]], administered by a Nazim or Subah Nawab (governor) appointed by the Emperor. Nawab –the plural of the [[Arabic]] word '[[Naib]]', meaning 'assistant'– was the term given to ''subahdars'' (provincial governors) appointed by the Mughal emperor all over India to assist him in managing the empire. In the absence of expeditious transport and communication facilities, they were practically independent rulers of their territory and wielded the power of life and death over their subjects. Persian adventurer [[Saadat Ali Khan I|Saadat Khan]], also called Burhan-ul-Mulk, was appointed the Nazim of Awadh in 1722 and he established his court in [[Faizabad]]<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/65/fa/FaizabdInd.html "Faizabad, town, India"]. ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 6th Edition. 2001–07 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050907162402/http://www.bartleby.com/65/fa/FaizabdInd.html |date=7 September 2005 }}</ref> near [[Lucknow]]. The [[Nawabs of Lucknow]] were in fact the Nawabs of Awadh, but were so referred to because after the reign of the third Nawab, Lucknow became the capital of their realm, where the British station [[Resident (title)|Residents]] ('diplomatic' colonial Agents) from 1773. The city was "North India's cultural capital"; its nawabs, best remembered for their refined and extravagant lifestyles, were patrons of the arts. Under them music and dance flourished, and many monuments were erected.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.laxys.com/lucknow.html |title=Lucknow City |publisher=Laxys.com |access-date=29 April 2012 |archive-date=26 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226035738/http://www.laxys.com/lucknow.html%20 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Of the monuments standing today, the [[Bara Imambara]], the [[Chhota Imambara]] and the [[Rumi Darwaza]] are notable examples. One of the more lasting contributions by the Nawabs is the [[syncretic]] composite culture that has come to be known as the [[Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb]].

=== Awadh under the Mughals ===
From the pre-historic period to the time of [[Akbar]], the limits of the [[subah]] (imperial top-level province) and its internal divisions seem to have been constantly changing, and the name of Oudh, or Awadh, seems to have been applicable to only one of the ancient divisions or ''[[Sarkar (administrative division)|Sarkar]]s'', nearly corresponding to old [[Pachhimrath]]. The title of Subehdar (governor) of Awadh is mentioned as early as 1280 AD, but it can only have denoted the governor of the tract of the country above defined. The Awadh of Mughal Badshah (emperor) [[Akbar]] was one of the twelve (or fifteen) ''subahs'' into which he divided the Mughal Empire as it stood in 1590. As constituted at the end of the sixteenth century, the ''Subah'' contained five ''sarkars'', viz. Awadh, Lucknow, [[Bahraich]], [[Khairabad, Sitapur|Khairabad]] and [[Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh|Gorakhpur]], which in turn were divided in numerous ''[[Pargana|mahals]]'' and ''{{transliteration|hi|[[dastur]]s}}'' (districts).

[[Khan Zaman Khan Ali Asghar]] son of [[Qazi Ghulam Mustafa]] was appointed as [[Subahdar]] of Awadh during the reign of [[Farrukhsiyar]]. This appointment was made in place of 'Aziz Khan Chughtai'.<ref>Tazkirat us-Salatin Chaghta – A Mughal Chronicle of Post Aurangzeb Period (1707–1724) by Muhammad Hadi Kamwar Khan; edited Persian text and with an Introduction by Muzaffar Alam (1980), Centre of Advanced Study Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (U.P.) -202001, India(page 234)</ref> Later on, Mahabat Khan was appointed as [[Subahdar]] of Awadh in place of Khan Zaman Khan Ali Asghar, who was all over again transferred to [[Azimabad]] (Patna) as [[Subahdar]] in place of 'Sar Buland Khan'.<ref>Tazkirat us-Salatin Chaghta – A Mughal Chronicle of Post Aurangzeb Period (1707–1724) by Muhammad Hadi Kamwar Khan; edited Persian text and with an Introduction by Muzaffar Alam (1980), Centre of Advanced Study Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (U.P.) -202001, India(page 236)</ref>

[[Image:Mahi Maraatib fish emblazoned over the gateway to Safdarjung's tomb.jpg|thumb|Mahi Maraatib fish emblazoned over the gateway to Safdarjung's tomb]]
It seems to have been of nearly the same extent as the ''Province of Oudh'' at the time of annexation to [[British India]] in 1858, and to have differed only in including Gorakhpur, [[Basti, Uttar Pradesh|Basti]], and [[Azamgarh]], and in excluding Tanda, Aldemau, [[Rajesultanpur]] and Manikpur, or the territory to the east and South of Faizabad, [[Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh|Sultanpur]] and [[Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh|Pratapgarh]].<ref name="IHC 107">{{cite book | last = Irwin | first = Henry Crossly | title = The Garden of India. Or, Chapters on Oudh History and Affairs | url = https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.63152 | year = 1880 | publisher = W. H. Allen| location = London | page = 107}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>

=== Under the hereditary Nawabs of Awadh ===
{{See also|Nawabs of Awadh|History of Faizabad}}

[[File:Saadat Ali Khan I.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[Saadat Ali Khan II|Saadat Ali Khan]], the first Nawab of Awadh, who laid the foundation of Faizabad.]]
[[File:Safdarjung, second Nawab of Awadh, Mughal dynasty. India. early 18th century.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Safdarjung]], the second [[Nawab]] of Awadh, who made Faizabad a military headquarters.]]
[[File:Nawab shuja ud daulah.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[Shuja-ud-Daula]], the third [[Nawab]] in Faizabad, pictured with Four Sons, General Barker and other Military Officers.]]
[[Image:GulabBari.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Gulab Bari]] in Faizabad is the tomb of [[Shuja-ud-Daula]], The third Nawab of Awadh.]]
[[Image:Adnanwiki.badaimambada1.JPG|thumb|right|150px|[[Bara Imambara]] in Lucknow is the tomb of [[Asaf-ud-Daula]], the fourth Nawab of Awadh.]]

As the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] power declined and the emperors lost their paramountcy and they became first the puppets and then the prisoners of their feudatories, so Awadh grew stronger and more independent. Its capital city was Faizabad. [[Saadat Ali Khan I|Saadat Khan]], the first [[Nawab]] of Awadh, laid the foundation of Faizabad at the outskirt of ancient city of [[Ayodhya]]. Faizabad developed as a township during the reign of Safdar Jang, the second nawab of Avadh (1739–54), who made it his military headquarters while his successor [[Shuja-ud-daula]] made it a full-fledged capital city.

Shuja-ud-Daula, the third Nawab of Awadh, built a fort known as "Chhota Calcutta", now in ruins. In 1765 he built the Chowk and Tir-paulia and subsequently laid out the Angoori Bagh and Motibagh to the south of it, Asafbagh and Bulandbagh to the west of the city. During the reign of Shuja-Ud-Daula, Faizabad attained such a prosperity which it never saw again. The Nawabs graced Faizabad with several notable buildings, including the [[Gulab Bari]], Moti Mahal and the [[Bahu Begum ka Maqbara|tomb of Bahu Begum]]. [[Gulab Bari]] stands in a garden surrounded by a wall, approachable through two large gateways. These buildings are particularly interesting{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} for their assimilative architectural styles.

Shuja-ud-Daula's wife was the well known Bahu Begum, who married the Nawab in 1743 and continued to reside in Faizabad, her residence being the Moti-Mahal. Close by at Jawaharbagh lies her Maqbara, where she was buried after her death in 1816. It is considered to be one of the finest buildings of its kind in Awadh, which was built at the cost of three lakh rupees by her chief advisor Darab Ali Khan. A fine view of the city is obtainable from top of the begum's tomb. Bahu Begum was a woman of great distinction and rank, bearing dignity. Most of the Muslim buildings of Faizabad are attributed to her. From the date of Bahu Begum's death in 1815 till the annexation of Avadh, the city of Faizabad gradually fell into decay. The glory of Faizabad finally eclipsed with the shifting of capital from Faizabad to Lucknow by Nawab [[Asaf-ud-daula|Asaf-ud-Daula]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://faizabad.nic.in/history.htm|title=Welcome to Faizabad History|publisher=official website of Faizabad district|access-date=23 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228201603/http://faizabad.nic.in/history.htm|archive-date=28 December 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Nawabs of Awadh were a [[Persian people|Persian]] [[Shia]] Muslim dynasty from [[Nishapur]],<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ntarP5hrza0C&pg=PA8 Sacred space and holy war: the politics, culture and history of Shi'ite Islam] By Juan Ricardo Cole</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=7BaVwfpWZgUC&pg=RA2-PA17 Art and culture: endeavours in interpretation] By Ahsan Jan Qaisar, Som Prakash Verma, Mohammad Habib</ref> who not only encouraged the existing Persian-language belle-lettrist activity to shift from Delhi, but also invited, and received, a steady stream of scholars, poets, jurists, architects, and painters from [[Iran]].<ref name="Avadh"/> Thus Persian was used in government, in academic instruction, in high culture, and in court.<ref name="Avadh">''Encyclopædia Iranica'' [http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/avadh-english-also-audh-or-oudh-an-ancient-cultural-and-administrative-region-lying-between-the-himalayas-and-the-ganges-i "Avadh"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517012521/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/avadh-english-also-audh-or-oudh-an-ancient-cultural-and-administrative-region-lying-between-the-himalayas-and-the-ganges-i |date=17 May 2017 }}, E. Yarshater</ref>

[[Saadat Ali Khan I|Saadat Khan]] Burhanul Mulk was appointed Nawab in 1722 and established his court in [[Faizabad]]<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/65/fa/FaizabdInd.html "Faizabad, town, India"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050907162402/http://www.bartleby.com/65/fa/FaizabdInd.html |date=7 September 2005 }}. ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 6th Edition. 2001–07</ref> near Lucknow. He took advantage of a weakening [[Mughal Empire]] in [[Delhi]] to lay the foundation of the Awadh dynasty. His successor was [[Safdarjung]] the very influential noble at the Mughal court in Delhi. Until 1819, Awadh was a province of the Mughal Empire administered by a [[Nawab]].

Awadh was known as the granary of India and was important strategically for the control of the [[Doab]], the fertile plain between the [[Ganges]] and the [[Yamuna]] rivers. It was a wealthy kingdom, able to maintain its independence against encroachment by the [[Maratha]]s, the British and the Afghans.

The third Nawab, [[Shuja-ud-Daula]], fell out with the British [[East India Company]] (EIC) after aiding [[Mir Qasim]] the fugitive [[Nawab of Bengal]]. He was comprehensively defeated in the [[Battle of Buxar]] by a British army, after which he was forced to pay heavy penalties and cede parts of his territory. The British appointed a resident at Lucknow in 1773, and over time gained control of more territory and authority in the state. They were disinclined to capture Awadh outright, because that would bring them face to face with the Marathas and the remnants of the Mughal Empire.

[[File:Asifportrait2 - Asuf ud Daula.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[Asaf-Ud-Dowlah]], The fourth [[Nawab of Awadh]], who shifted the capital of Awadh from Faizabad to Lucknow.]]
[[File:Portrait of Hyder Beg Khan, the Minister to the Nawab of A Wadh, Asaf-Au-Daula crop.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Hyder Beg Khan, minister to Nawab of Awadh, [[Asaf-ud-Daula]]]]
[[Asaf-ud-Daula]], the fourth Nawab and son of Shuja-ud-Daula, moved the capital from Faizabad to Lucknow in 1775 and laid the foundation of a great city. His rule saw the building of the [[Asafi Imambara]] and [[Rumi Darwaza]], built by [[Raja Tikait Rai]] Nawab Wazir (Diwan) of Awadh, which till date are the biggest architectural marvels in the city. Asaf-ud-Daula made Lucknow one of the most prosperous and glittering cities in all India. It is said, he moved because he wanted to get away from the control of a dominant mother. On such a thread did the fate of the city of [[Lucknow]] depend.

In 1798, the fifth Nawab [[Wazir Ali Khan]] alienated both his people and the British, and was forced to abdicate. The EIC then helped [[Saadat Ali Khan II|Saadat Ali Khan]] to the throne. Saadat Ali Khan was a puppet king, who in the treaty of 1801 ceded half of Awadh to the East India Company and also agreed to disband his army in favour of a more expensive one run by British officers. This treaty effectively made part of the state of Awadh a vassal to the EIC, though they continued to be part of the Mughal Empire in name till 1819.

[[File:Silver rupee of Awadh.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Silver rupee of Awadh, struck in the name of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] emperor [[Shah Alam II]] at Lucknow in AH 1229 (=1814–15 CE). The coin features a stylised fish on the reverse, the dynastic symbol of the Nawabs of Awadh, seen also on the [[Nawab of Awadh|Awadh flag]]. At this time, the fiction that Awadh was subject to the Mughal emperor was maintained.]]

[[File:Rupee of Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Silver rupee of [[Wajid Ali Shah]], struck at Lucknow in AH 1267 (1850–51 CE) and showing the Awadh coat of arms. Starting in 1819, coins no longer mentioned the Mughal emperor, but were struck in the nawab's own name.]]

Coins were struck under the nawab's control for the first time in 1737, at a new mint opened in [[Varanasi|Banaras]], although the coins named the Mughal emperor, not the Nawab.<ref>P.L. Gupta: ''Coins'', 4th ed., New Delhi: National Book Trust, p. 178.</ref> After the Battle of Buxar, Baranas fell under British rule, and so the mint was moved in 1776 to Lucknow. From there, coins in the name of the Mughal emperor continued to be struck, and they continued to name Muhammadabad Banaras as the mint. It was only in 1819 that [[Ghazi-ud-Din Haider|Nawab Ghaziuddin Haidar]] finally started to strike coins in his own name. Soon thereafter, Awadhi coins started to feature the kingdom's European style coat of arms.

The wars and transactions in which Shuja-ud-Daula was engaged, both with and against the British, led to the addition of [[Kara-Manikpur|Karra]], [[Allahabad]], [[Fatehgarh]], [[Kanpur]], [[Etawah]], [[Mainpuri]], [[Farrukhabad]] and [[Rohilkhand]], to the Oudh dimensions, and thus they remained until the treaty of 1801 with Saadat Ali Khan, by which province was reduced considerably as half of Oudh was ceded to the EIC. Khairigarh, Kanchanpur, and what is now the Nepal Terai, were ceded in 1816, in liquidation of [[Ghazi ud din Haider]]'s loan of a million sterling towards the expense of [[Nepal War]]; and at the same time pargana of [[Nawabganj, Gonda|Nawabganj]] was added to [[Gonda district]] in exchange for Handia, or Kawai, which was transferred from [[Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh|Pratapgarh]] to Allahabad.<ref name="IHC 107"/>

=== British rule ===
{{See also|Oudh State}}
[[File:Gates of Palace at Lucknow William Daniell 1801.jpg|thumb|left|Gates of the Palace at Lucknow by [[William Daniell|W. Daniell]], 1801]]
The treaty of 1801 formed an arrangement that was very beneficial to the company. They were able to use Awadh's vast treasuries, repeatedly digging into them for loans at reduced rates. In addition, the revenues from running Awadh's armed forces brought them useful revenues while it acted as a [[buffer state]]. The Nawabs were ceremonial kings, limited to pomp and show but with little influence over matters of state. By the mid-19th century, however, the British had grown impatient with the arrangement and wanted direct control. They started looking about for an excuse, which the powerless Nawabs had to provide. On 1 May 1816, a British [[protectorate]] was signed.

[[Image:United Provinces 1903.gif|250px|thumb|[[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh]], 1903]]
In 1856 the East India Company invaded and annexed the state under the [[Doctrine of Lapse]], which was placed under a [[List of Chief Commissioners of Oudh|Chief Commissioner]]. [[Wajid Ali Shah]], the then Nawab, was imprisoned, and then exiled by the company to [[Calcutta]] (Bengal). In the subsequent [[Revolt of 1857]], his 14-year-old son [[Birjis Qadra]] son of [[Begum Hazrat Mahal]] was crowned ruler, and Sir [[Henry Montgomery Lawrence|Henry Lawrence]] killed in the hostilities.

In the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]] (also known as the [[First War of Indian Independence]] and the [[Indian Mutiny]]), the rebels took control of Awadh, and it took the British 18 months to reconquer the region, months which included the famous [[Siege of Lucknow]].

The ''Tarai'' to the north of [[Bahraich]] including large quantity of valuable forest and grazing ground, was made over to the [[Nepal]] ''Darbar'' in 1860, in recognition of their services during the [[Revolt of 1857]], and in 1874 some further cessions, on a much smaller scale, but without any apparent reason, were made in favour of the same Government.<ref name="IHC 107"/>
[[File:Mussulman woman of rank.jpg|thumb|Muslim woman of rank at ease]]
In 1877 the offices of lieutenant-governor of the [[North-Western Provinces]] and chief commissioner of Oudh were combined in the same person; and in 1902, when the new name of [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh]] was introduced, the title of chief commissioner was dropped, though Oudh still retained some marks of its former independence.
[[File:India1760 1905.jpg|thumb|The fully-fledged state of Awadh]]

== Rulers ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2021}}
* Subadar Nawabs
** 1732 – 19 March 1739 Borhan al-Molk Mir Mohammad Amin Musawi Sa`adat `Ali Khan I (b. c. 1680 – d. 1739)
** 19 March 1739 – 28 April 1748 Abu´l Mansur Mohammad Moqim Khan (1st time) (b. c. 1708 – d. 1754)
* Nawab Wazir al-Mamalik
** 28 April 1748 – 13 May 1753 Abu´l Mansur Mohammad Moqim Khan (s.a.) (acting to 29 June 1748)
* Subadar Nawabs
** 5 November 1753 – 5 October 1754 Abu´l Mansur Mohammad Moqim Khan (s.a.) (2nd time)
** 5 October 1754 – 15 February 1762 Jalal ad-Din Shoja` ad-Dowla Haydar (b. 1732 – d. 1775)
* Nawab Wazir al-Mamalik
** 15 February 1762 – 26 January 1775 Jalal ad-Din Shoja` ad-Dowla Haydar (s.a.)
** 26 January 1775 – 21 September 1797 Asaf ad-Dowla Amani (b. 1748 – d. 1797)
** 21 September 1797 – 21 January 1798 Mirza Wazir `Ali Khan (b. 1780 – d. 1817)
** 21 January 1798 – 11 July 1814 Yamin ad-Dowla Nazem al-Molk Sa`adat `Ali Khan II Bahadur (b. bf. 1752 – d. 1814)
** 11 July 1814 – 19 October 1818 Ghazi ad-Din Rafa`at ad-Dowla Abu´l-Mozaffar Haydar Khan (b. 1769 – d. 1827)
* Kings (title Padshah-e Awadh, Shah-e Zaman)
** 19 October 1818 – 19 October 1827 Ghazi ad-Din Mo`izz ad-Din Abu´l-Mozaffar Haydar Shah (s.a.)
** 19 October 1827 – 7 July 1837 Naser ad-Din Haydar Solayman Jah Shah (b. 1803 – d. 1837)
** 7 July 1837 – 17 May 1842 Mo`in ad-Din Abu´l-Fath Mohammad `Ali Shah (b. 1777 – d. 1842)
** 17 May 1842 – 13 February 1847 Naser ad-Dowla Amjad `Ali Thorayya Jah Shah (b. 1801 – d. 1847)
** 13 February 1847 – 7 February 1856 Naser ad-Din `Abd al-Mansur Mohammad Wajed `Ali Shah (b. 1822 – d. 1887)
** 5 July 1857 – 3 March 1858 ''Berjis Qadr, son of the above (in rebellion)'' (b. c. 1845 – d. 1893)

==Demographics==
===Religion===
[[File:Awadhi regions of Uttar Pradesh.jpg|thumb|Awadhi speaking districts]]
A vast majority of the population practices [[Hinduism]]. It is also home to the [[Ram Janmabhoomi]], an important pilgrimage site in Hinduism that marks where the deity [[Rama]] was born.  The [[Muslim]] community has a strong presence in the urban areas of Awadh, such as [[Prayagraj]] and the capital city of [[Lucknow]], which has a large [[Shia]] Muslim population. Other than that they are mostly concentrated in the [[Devipatan division]]. 

== Culture ==

The region of Awadh is considered to be the center of [[Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb|Ganga-Jamuni culture]]<ref name="ref44qicar">{{Citation | title=The foundations of the composite culture in India | author=Malika Mohammada | publisher=Aakar Books, 2007 | isbn=978-81-89833-18-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dwzbYvQszf4C | quote=...&nbsp;developed in Awadh as a genre of composite creativity. ... of multiple Indian cultural traditions and provided glimpses of the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb of north India with Lucknow as its centre ... | year=2007 | access-date=1 October 2016 | archive-date=10 March 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310054947/https://books.google.com/books?id=dwzbYvQszf4C | url-status=live }}</ref> and is the home of  for [[Awadhi music]] and Folkarts.

=== Sham-e-Awadh ===
Sham-e-Awadh is a popularised term referring to the "glorious evenings" in the Awadh capitals of Faizabad and later (and even today and to a greater extent) Lucknow.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}

Awadh was established in 1722. with Faizabad as its capital. [[Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula]]'s son [[Nawab]] [[Asaf-ud-Daula]], the fourth [[Nawab of Awadh]], shifted the capital from Faizabad to Lucknow; this led to the decline of Faizabad and rise of Lucknow.

Just as Banares ([[Varanasi]]) is known for its mornings, so Lucknow is for its evenings.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} Many of its well-known buildings were erected on the banks of the [[Gomti River]] in the time of Nawabs. The Nawabs used to take in a view of the river Gomti and its architecture in the evening hours, giving rise to Sham-e-Awadh's romantic reputation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lucknow.me/Shaam-e-Awadh.html|title=Lucnow revisited again|publisher=lucknowrevisited.blogspot.com Monday, 26 February 2007|access-date=11 January 2012|archive-date=11 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611165244/http://lucknow.me/Shaam-e-Awadh.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

There is a saying:'Subah-e-Benares', 'Sham-e-Awadh', 'Shab-e-Malwa'  meaning mornings of the Benares, evenings of the Awadh and nights of Malwa.

=== Awadhi cuisine ===
{{main|Awadhi cuisine}}
[[File:Galawati Kebabs.JPG|thumb|left|Kebabs are an important part of Awadhi cuisine]]
'''Awadhi Cuisine''' is primarily from the city of Lucknow and its environs. The cooking patterns of the city are similar to those of Central Asia, the Middle East, and [[Northern India]] as well. The cuisine consists of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Awadh has been greatly influenced by [[Mughlai cuisine|Mughal cooking techniques]], and the cuisine of Lucknow bears similarities to those of [[Kashmir]], [[Punjab region|Punjab]] and [[Hyderabad, Sindh|Hyderabad]]; and the city is famous for its [[Nawab]]i foods.

The ''{{transliteration|hi|[[Chef|bawarchi]]s}}'' and ''{{transliteration|hi|rakabdars}}'' of Awadh gave birth to the [[Dum Pukht|dum style of cooking]] or the art of cooking over a slow fire, which has become synonymous with Lucknow today.<ref>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030713/spectrum/main2.htm The Sunday Tribune – Spectrum – Lead Article] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614192620/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030713/spectrum/main2.htm |date=14 June 2013 }}. Tribuneindia.com (13 July 2003). Retrieved on 18 July 2013.</ref> Their spread would consist of elaborate dishes like [[kebabs]], [[korma]]s, [[biryani]], kaliya, [[Kulcha|nahari-kulchas]], zarda, sheermal, Taftan, {{transliteration|hi|[[Roti|roomali rotis]]}} and {{transliteration|hi|[[Paratha|warqi parathas]]}}. The richness of Awadh cuisine lies not only in the variety of cuisine but also in the ingredients used like [[mutton]], [[paneer]], and rich spices including [[cardamom]] and [[saffron]].

===In popular culture===
The events surrounding the 1856 overthrow of Wajid Ali Shah and the annexation of Awadh by the British are depicted in the 1977 film ''[[Shatranj Ke Khilari|The Chess Players]]'' by the acclaimed Indian director [[Satyajit Ray]]. This film is based on famous [[Urdu]] story [[Shatranj Ke Khilari]] by the great Hindi-Urdu novelist writer [[Munshi Premchand]].

The 1961 film ''[[Gunga Jumna]]'' is portrayed in Awadh and was noted for its use of the [[Awadhi language|Awadhi]] dialect in [[Bollywood|mainstream Hindi cinema]].

The novel ''[[Umrao Jaan Ada]]'' as well as the subsequent [[Umrao Jaan (disambiguation)|films]] are based on two cultural cities of Awadh, [[Lucknow]] and [[Faizabad]].

The region has been in the center of various period films of Bollywood and modern films like ''[[Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh]]'' and ''[[Paa (film)|Paa]]'' to name a few. It has also been shot in various songs of [[Bollywood]].

== See also ==
* [[Nawab of Awadh]]
* [[List of chief commissioners of Oudh]]
* [[House of Tulsipur]]
* [[Pasi (caste)|Pasi]]
* [[Baruwar (Rajput clan)]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
*{{Cite web|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V19_283.gif |title=Oudh |work=[[The Imperial Gazetteer of India]] |date=1909 |volume=19 |page=277}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_princes_A-J.html WorldStatesmen – India – Princely States A-J]

{{Wikivoyage}}
{{Proposed states and territories of India}}
{{Historical regions of North India}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Awadh| ]]
[[Category:History of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Regions of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Proposed states and union territories of India]]