Birjis Qadr

2021-08-14T12:30:16Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Birjis Qadr
| image = Birjis Qadr.jpg
| caption =
| succession = [[Nawab of Awadh]] {{refn|group=note|Limited recognition}}
| reign = 5 July 1857 – 3 March 1858
| coronation =
|predecessor = [[Wajid Ali Shah]]
| regent = [[Begum Hazrat Mahal]]
|successor = ''Monarchy abolished''
| spouse = Mehtab Ara Begum
| dynasty =
| father = [[Wajid Ali Shah]]
| mother = [[Begum Hazrat Mahal]]
| issue = 5
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1845|8|20}}
| birth_place = [[Qaisar Bagh]], [[Lucknow]], [[Oudh State|Oudh]] (present-day [[Uttar Pradesh]], India)
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1893|8|14|1845|8|20}}
| death_place = Arabagh Palace,
[[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]] (present-day [[West Bengal]], India)
| date of burial =
| place of burial = Sibtainabad Imambara, Kolkata
| religion = [[ Islam]]
}}
'''Birjis Qadr''' (20 August 1845 – 14 August 1893) was the [[Nawab of Awadh]] from 1857 until 1858.

Following the outbreak of the [[Sepoy Mutiny]], 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]] in Nepal the following year after the [[capture of Lucknow]]. In Kathmandu, he became a poet and organised ''[[mushaira]]s'' (poetry recitals).

In 1887, he returned to India and moved to [[Metiabruz]], a neighbourhood of [[Kolkata]]. In 1893, he was allegedly murdered by his own relatives.

==Early life and enthronement==
[[File:Awadh Royal Family.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph showing Qadr with is father Wajid Ali Shah and his mother Begum Hazrat Mahal| From left to right: Qadr's father [[Wajid Ali Shah]], Qadr, Qadr's mother [[Begum Hazrat Mahal]]]]
Qadr was born in August 1845 at [[Qaisar Bagh]], [[Lucknow]], [[Oudh State]],<ref name="TFT">{{cite web|url=https://www.thefridaytimes.com/the-begums-war/amp/|title=The Begum's War|last1=Mahmood|first1=Parvez|work=[[The Friday Times]]|access-date=13 April 2019}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> to Nawab [[Wajid Ali Shah]] and [[Begum Hazrat Mahal]].<ref name="TOI">{{cite web |title=As children, we wanted revenge on the British |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/As-children-we-wanted-revenge-on-the-British/articleshow/52496113.cms |work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=13 April 2019 |date=30 September 2016}}</ref> In 1856, Qadr's father Nawab [[Wajid Ali Shah]] was deposed by the British on the pretext of mis-governance, and was exiled to [[Garden Reach|Metiabruz]], a neighbourhood of [[Calcutta]] (present-day Kolkata).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ghosh |first1=Deepanjan |title=Forgotten history: How the last Nawab of Oudh built a mini Lucknow in Calcutta |url=https://scroll.in/magazine/869214/the-series-of-events-that-began-with-a-king-falling-sick-and-ended-with-a-mini-lucknow-in-calcutta |publisher=[[Scroll.in]] |access-date=13 April 2019 |date=26 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413171426/https://scroll.in/magazine/869214/the-series-of-events-that-began-with-a-king-falling-sick-and-ended-with-a-mini-lucknow-in-calcutta |archive-date=13 April 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1857, the [[Sepoy Mutiny]] erupted against the [[East India Company]], with Begum Hazrat leading the rebels in Awadh. A decisive victory by the rebel forces in the [[Battle of Chinhat]] forced the British to take refuge in [[The Residency, Lucknow|The Residency]] (eventually resulting in the [[Siege of Lucknow]]). On 5 June, eleven-year old Qadr was declared the [[Nawab of Awadh]] 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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TiWNAvhoLkkC|title=Awadh in Revolt, 1857–1858: A Study of Popular Resistance|last=Mukherjee|first=Rudrangshu|date=2002|publisher=[[Orient Blackswan]]|isbn=9788178240275|language=en}}</ref> Historian [[Rudrangshu Mukherjee]] 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.<ref name="Wire">{{cite web|url=https://thewire.in/history/the-forgotten-women-of-1857|title=The Forgotten Women of 1857|last1=Safvi|first1=Rana|date=19 November 2018|publisher=[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413171426/https://thewire.in/history/the-forgotten-women-of-1857|archive-date=13 April 2019|url-status=live|access-date=13 April 2019}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> 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''.<ref name=":0" />

==Rule==
In September 1857, a British regiment under [[Sir James Outram, 1st Baronet|James Outram]] and [[Henry Havelock]] 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.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref name=":0" /> Mukherjee notes that the rebels were in great spirits and enforced a highly effective blockade of the Residency.<ref name=":0" /> The rebellion drew strong support from the masses and almost all appeals by the British for negotiation or aid were completely ignored.<ref name=":0" /> Overall, despite an effective suppression of the [[Sepoy Mutiny]] 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]], Holkar, et al.<ref name=":0" />

In November 1857, another British regiment under [[Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde|Colin Campbell]], 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.<ref name=":0" /> Thereafter, Campbell chose to withdraw and defend other cities (especially [[Alambagh]]), that were under imminent threat of a rebel attack but without establishing a stronghold over Lucknow.<ref name=":0" /> The rebels continued to congregate in large numbers at Lucknow, which was geographically and strategically advantageous to their future strategies.<ref name=":0" /> At Alambagh, where Outram made his final settlement, he was attacked six times with the rebel strength often exceeding 30,000.<ref name=":0" />

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.<ref name=":0" /> In the same month, the rebels suffered an internal feud. [[Ahmadullah Shah]], the [[Mawlawi (Islamic title)|Maulvi]] of [[Faizabad]], challenged Qadr's leadership on the basis of a divine will, thus polarizing the mutineers.<ref name=":0" /> The factions clashed at least once, and their military strategies were often in opposition, affecting battles.<ref name=":0" /> Desertions and defections became increasingly commonplace.<ref name=":0" /> However, internal intelligence reports by British authorities concluded that they could not leverage the tensions to any advantage.<ref name=":0" />

Campbell advanced on Lucknow in late February 1858. By 16 March, after intense street-battles, the British forces had [[capture of Lucknow|captured Lucknow]] in its entirety, forcing the Begum, her supporters and Qadr to leave the city.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref name=":0" />

Begum Hazrat declined a British offer of mercy and a pension, thus refusing to renounce the rights of her son<ref name="TFT" /> and dispersed into the countrysides of [[Baundi]].<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref name=":0" /> They sought to mobilise the rebel forces and planned another round of armed struggle against the British authorities.<ref name=":0" /> Proclamations were issued, urging the local caps{{clarify|date=June 2019}} to rebel against the British institutions in an organised fashion and Qadr promised monetary reimbursement for those injured or killed in battle.<ref name=":0" />

In May 1858, Qadr wrote a letter to [[Jung Bahadur Rana]], the [[Prime Minister of Nepal]], 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.{{sfn|Jafri2009|p=101}} An unsympathetic Rana rejected the accusations and refused to help Qadr, instead asking him to surrender to [[Henry Montgomery Lawrence]], the commissioner of Lucknow, and ask for pardon.{{sfn|Jafri2009|p=102}}

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]] to take refuge in [[Kathmandu]], Nepal.<ref name="TFT" /><ref name="Nepal" />

===Exile in Nepal===
[[File:Birjis Qadr in Nepal.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of Qadr in Calcutta in 1893| Birjis Qadr (left) with son Khurshid Qadr (right) and three bodyguards in Calcutta around 1893 in this rare photograph. ]]
After arriving in [[Kathmandu]], 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]].{{sfn|Jafri2009|p=103}} They came a coterie of helpers and soldiers,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Forgotten in Kathmandu|url=https://kathmandupost.com/art-culture/2019/09/24/awadh-s-begum-and-her-nawab-son-forgotten-in-kathmandu|access-date=2021-06-13|website=kathmandupost.com|language=English}}</ref>

In a simultaneous bargain, about 40,000 rupees worth of jewels were purchased by the Rana, for a mere 15,000 rupees.{{sfn|Jafri2009|p=105}} Historians have since observed that the Rana provided refuge only to those rebels who paid for it, earning precious jewels in the process.{{sfn|Jafri2009|p=105}}

While staying in Kathmandu, Qadr became a ''[[shayar (poet)|shayar]]'' (poet) and organised ''[[mehfil]]s'' in the city, the earliest of which were recorded in 1864.<ref name="Nepal" /> He wrote poems at the ''[[Mushaira#Tarahi Mushaira|tarahi mushaira]]'' (recitals).<ref name="Nepal">{{cite web |last1=Gautam |first1=Prawash |title=Birjis Qadr's Kathmandu Mehfil |url=http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2018-06-09/birjis-qadrs-kathmandu-mehfil.html |work=Kathmandu Post|access-date=14 April 2019 |date=9 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413180529/http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2018-06-09/birjis-qadrs-kathmandu-mehfil.html |archive-date=13 April 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Qadr's poems were recorded by Khwaja Naeemuddin Badakashi, a Kashmiri Muslim living in Kathmandu.<ref name="Nepal"/>

==Personal life==
While in Nepal, he married Mehtab Ara Begum, a granddaughter of [[Bahadur Shah Zafar]].<ref name="RG">{{cite book|title=A Tale of Two Revolts|author1=Rajmohan Gandhi|date=2009|publisher=[[Penguin Group|Penguin]]|isbn=9788184758252|page=194|authorlink1=Rajmohan Gandhi}}</ref> They had two sons, Khurshid Qadr and Mehar Qadr, and three daughters.<ref name="RG"/><ref name="TOI"/>

==Return to India and death==
In 1893, a few years after the death of his exiled father, Qadr returned to [[Kolkata]].<ref name="Nepal" />

He died on 14 August 1893 at Arabagh Palace.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Abdus Subhan |title=Pastmasters |publisher=[[The Asian Age]] |date=21 August 1995 |page=13}}</ref> 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]]s (high ranking females). Ara Begum, being pregnant, had not attended the dinner.<ref name="TOI"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*{{citation|title = The Great Uprising of 1857 | first = Sayyid Zahir Hussain | last =Jafri | year = 2009 | publisher = Anamika Publishers | isbn = 9788179752777}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090915185442/http://lucknow.nic.in/Wazir.htm National Informatics Centre, Lucknow - Rulers of Awadh]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Qadr, Birjis}}
[[Category:1845 births]]
[[Category:People from Lucknow]]
[[Category:History of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Nawabs of Awadh]]
[[Category:1893 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian Shia Muslims]]
[[Category:Revolutionaries of the Indian Rebellion of 1857]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:Indian royalty]]

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Birjis Qadr