Bandish of a Lucknow Nawab

Bandish of a Lucknow Nawab

By Ambarish Singh Roy

Posted On Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 08:32:16 PM
Times of India - Kolkata Mirror

Md Hazrat Khalid, Abul Mansur Nasir ud-din, Padshah-i-'Adil, Kaiser-i-Zaman, Arangha Sultan-i-'Alam, Muhammad Wajid 'Ali Shah Bahadur (1822-1887) was the tenth and last Nawab of the princely kingdom of Awadh (Oudh) in present day Uttar Pradesh in India. He ascended the throne of Awadh in 1847 and ruled for nine years. His kingdom, long protected by the British under treaty, was eventually annexed on Feb 7, 1856, days before the ninth anniversary of his coronation. "The condition of Oude soon attracted his (Dalhousie's) attention, not because the Government was bad and its people were wretched, but because that the country might either be a bulwark of safety to our own dominions, or a sea of danger which might overflow and destroy us". -Sir John Kaye: History of the Indian Mutiny, volume one (London 1888) The Nawab was exiled to Garden Reach in Metiabruz. Even in his exile in Metiabruz, he survived for many long years, all the while trying to keep the sweet memories of his Lucknow-era alive by recreating the musical ambience of his Kaisarbagh Baradari. The banished king had been given a number of fine houses with vast grounds stretching along the banks of the River Hooghly, three or four miles south of Calcutta. Because of an Earthen Dome (raised platform), people called it "Matiya Burj". The king spent lavishly out of his income of twelve lakhs of rupees per annum and soon a “Second Lucknow” arose in this area. There was the same bustle and activity, same language, art, poetry, style of conversation - the same pomp and splendour, the same opulent style of living. Troupes of artistes congregated in his court, the best singers were enlisted into his service and there was a larger concourse of musicians in Metiabruz than could be found anywhere else in India. He learnt Hindustani vocal with Basit Khan, Pyar Khan and Jaffar Khan and underwent Kathak training under Thakur Prasadji and Bindadin Maharaj. Although his pen name was Qaisar, be used the pseudonym Akhtarpiya for his numerous compositions. Under this pen- name, he wrote over 40 works, poems, prose and Thumris. Diwani-Akhtar and Husn-i-Akhtar contain his Ghazals. There were great musical assemblies in the Darbar Hall of Matiyaburj where the great musicians and music-lovers of Calcutta gathered to hear Wajid Ali Shah sing his favourite Lucknow-Thumris, and to marvel at his dance-performances. The Durbar Hall was lavishly and opulently decorated just as the Lucknow Baradari used to be. Among the invitees used to be great personalities from Calcutta's music world such as Jadu-Bhatta (Dhrupad), Aghorenath Chakravarty (Dhrupad), Sajjad Mohammad (Sitar), Dhirendranath Bose (Sarod), Shyamlal Goswami (Esraj), Rai Chand Boral, and several others. In the words of Dr D C Bhattacharya, a reputed art historian, "Rich and flexible voices filled the air. Thumri had the pride of place, particularly Wajid Ali Shah's own compositions that once held Lucknow in thrill Jab chchor chali Lucknow nagari; Neer bharan kaise jaun. The songs rose to great heights of expressiveness and created a spell". When it ceased, Wajid Ali Shah sat in mute silence for a long while, and then expressed his feelings: "All this time I was in a dreamland as though transported by unknown hands to my Kaisarbagh Baradari. Ah, what I have left behind! Now, only the sweet memories linger." The loyal citizens as well as their beloved ruler hoped for a long time that the latter would regain the throne of Awadh and "return to bestow a fresh spirit to the lifeless people"; but their dreams were never fulfilled. Wajid Ali Shah died on Sep 1, 1887 and was buried in Imambara Sibtenabad, in Metiabruz. Wajid Ali Shah's most popular Thumri really turned out to be one of the saddest and sweetest of parting songs. Such are the poignant associations of this ever-popular Lucknow Thumri composed by Akhtarpiya- Babul mora naihar chuuto hi jaaye.