Nawabs of Oudh & Their Secularism (original) (raw)

Akbar the Great and Dara Shikoh of the Mughal dynasty and Zain-ul-Abidin ( the Akbar of Kashmir) are the famous Muslim tolerant rulers to be remembered forever. They were not only tolerant but had all the kind feelings for the people of other religions. Akbar and Dara Shikoh had great interest in other religions and philosophies. The latter had very good knowledge of Sanskrit and had translated many Sanskrit works into Persian and Arabic. Akbar's court was adorned with many noteworthy Hindus i.e., Raja Mansingh, Raja Birbal, Raja Todarmal and Tansen.

It is surprising to note that the Nawabs of Awadh too, followed the footprints of Akbar the Great to get the confidence of the Hindus for the solid foundation of their empire. The founder of the Awadh Royal House, Nawab Saadat Khan had many Hindus in his service who time to time helped him to achieve his goal. Durjan Singh Chaudhary of Kora had long been in the service of Saadat Khan. In 1729 A.D. Raja Gopal Singh of Bhadwariya helped Saadat Khan against Hindu Singh in a battle. Raja Lachmi Narain who was the Wakil of Saadat Khan, was also very friendly with Nawab Safdarjang. Diwan Atma Ram who hailed from Punjab was a great friend of Nawab Saadat Khan. Raja Newal Rai, too, attained considerable prominence during his regime.

As noted above Saadat Khan raised many Hindus and partronised them to high and responsible positions. In fact he trusted Hindus more than Musalmans.

Nawab Safdar Jung, too, adopted the policy of his predecessor. During his reign Raja Newal Rai reached to the apex of his glory. Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah summoned Nawab Safdar Jang to the capital in 1743 A.D. and the Nawab left for Delhi leaving Raja Newal Rai in command of his army and provinces. Later on he was designated as the Deputy Governor of Awadh. This is probably the single example when a Muslim ruler had left his state entirely in the hands of a Hindu official. It is worth mentioning that Raja Newal Rai had founded a town named Newal Ganj. The town was adorned with four majestic gateways and many other imposing buildings. After the sad demise of Nawab Safdar Jang, when Shua-ud-daula became the Nawab, Newal Ganj was destroyed by the Nawab as he was unhappy with Newal Rai. It appears that Newal Rai did not favour him for the succession. But when Asaf-ud-Daula became the Nawab he again rehabilitated Newal Ganj and constructed the gateways and many buildings therein acknowledging the loyal services of Newal Rai. This is for the first time, we find that a Muslim ruler had done so much for his Hindu minister. Jagat Narain, a grand son of Diwan Atma Ram had once saved Nawab Safdar Jang in the battlefield.

All the Diwans of Shuja-ud-Daulah were Hindus, as also most of the high officers as well as clerks in the revenue and finance department. One of his five Naibs was a Brahman and this man remained in office more than any other naib under Shuja-ud-daula. Among less than two dozens of his first rate military officers of various nationalities, six were Hindus none of whom commanded less than a thousand troops, some of them being placed at the head of four to five thousand disciplined horses and fort. Shuja-ud-daula did not impose undue restrictions on the personal freedom of Hindus as well as on the public celebrations of their religious festivals. It is said that many Hindu saints who came to Ayodhya were allowed to settle down and granted plots of land for the erection of temples and Dharmashalas for pilgrims. Five Jain temples constructed by Kesari Singh treasurer of the Nawab, of course, with Shuja-ud-daula's permission, stood "even amongst the very mosques and tombs of the faithful". An order under Nawab Shuja-ud-daula's own signature conferring a plot of land in Ayodhya on a Hindu hermit named Abhai Ram Bairagi for laying out a garden and constructing a Dharmashala for the use of Hindu pilgrims has been preserved.

Nawab Asaf-ud-daula was the most benevolent ruler. He also gave the Hindu grandees the same high position in the administration of the state as they had in his predecessors time. Among the Hindu Diwans of Asaf-ud-daula Maharaja Tikait Rai commanded the highest positions. In some respects his place was equal to that of Raja Newal Rai. Maharaja Tikait Rai founded the towns of Tikait Nagar and Tikait Ganj. Besides temples he also constructed many mosques and bridges all over the state. Many tanks caused to be dug by him can still be seen. Another Diwan, Raja Jhao Lal, too, was very close to the Nawab. He constructed the bridge of Jhao Lal. Asaf-ud-daula was so much attached with Raja Jhao Lal that when the latter was forced to exile from Lucknow by the pressure of the Britishers, people wept on this decision and it is said, it also became the cause of the death of the Nawab. This was the position of the popularity of Raja Jhao Lal. At Saraya Sheikh there is a temple built of Lakhauri bricks and plastered with lime and mortar. This Jagannathji's temple, as it is locally called, was according to local traditions constructed by Nawab Asaf-ud-daula.

Wajid Ali Shah composed numerous songs, which were generally sung on the occasion of various ceremonies connected with births and marriages and the language of those songs is generally a mixture of Awadhi, Raja Bhasha and Khari Boli. He prepared a ballet known as "Rahas" based on the traditional love story of Radha and Lord Krishna. He had spent much money on it. It is said that the Mukut crest of Lord Krishna was prepared at the cost of a lakh of rupees. Inder Sabha a play written by Amanat, a famous Urdu poet was also staged during his reign. This play was based on the story of Indra, the king of Hindu gods and his Apasaras.

Hindus and Muslims used to celebrate each others festivals and there was not restriction on the Hindus. Mrs. Meer Hasan observes that the tazia was an object of respect among the Hindus. Among the Hindus specially the state functionaries and the wealthy bankers, who had a direct dealing with the Nawab and the ministers spent large sums on Muharram observances and illuminations. The king and the Muslim ministers used to participate freely in the Hindu festivals. There were numerous instances recorded in King Muhammad Ali Shah's Diary of the king's orders for setting free a number of prisoners on the auspicious occasion of Divali and himself participating in the Dussehra procession asking the heir-apparent and other members of the royal household to watch it. There is a firman of king Muhammad Ali Shah referring to the order showing his benevolence.

Firman

The firman is in possession of Pandit Ram Ratna Avasthi, resident of Mohalla Birhana, Lucknow. The firman is in Persian and contains 13 lines of writing, in addition to the seal of the Qazi and the tughra respectively on the left and right hand top corners of the deed. It is dated on the 27th of Rajab 1253 A.H., in the first year of the reign of Muhammad Ali Shah, who reigned from 1837to 1842 A.D.

The firman is in fact an order passed by the King on the petition of one Mahant Sukhram Das Bairagi. He had been permitted by an earlier firman, issued in the same month, to raise subscription money evidently some kind of levies, the nature of which is not specified here - to meet the expenses of 'duwazdihi' festival and for feeding the Sadhus attending the same. It was brought to the notice of the King that certain officials were hampering the collection of the subscription money. A strict warning has been issued to them by the present firman.

It is said that Mahant Rama Lal Saran was held in great esteem by the Kings of Awadh, and had started, with the patronage about 1814 A.D., the celebration of the Ramalila festival during the Dussehra at Aishbagh (Lucknow). (The Aishbag Ramalila continues to the present day). A large number of sadhus used to assemble there on the occasion and the Mahant made elaborate arrangements for their stay. According to Pandit Ram Ratna, the concessions granted in the firman were for the feeding of those sadhus and for the celebration of the Ramalila.

The firman is another proof of the tolerant policy of the Nawab Wazirs of Awadh in religious matters.