How did the Pardhanshi Rajmata reach the British doorstep to return the power of Awadh?

On July 4, 1857, Queen Victoria and Janabe Alia met at Buckingham Palace.

This scene would hardly have been a matter of curiosity among people in any part of India in the middle of the 19th century, but for London it was a wonder. Station Master Watkins had refused to allow the passengers to vacate the platform for the fallen Queen. Then the tall attendants created a corridor by stretching sheets on both sides and behind it, the Rajmata entered the first class compartment of her reserved train. However, in the meantime, two English youths had tried unsuccessfully to see the Queen by climbing on the roof of the horse carriage parked nearby. It was so discussed in London that the artist of The Illustrated London News newspaper tried to bring it alive for the readers by drawing a picture of the occasion along with the story. The queen mother was Queen Kishwar Bahadur Fakr-uz-Zamaani of Awadh, Nawab Taj Ara Begum, who was called by the respectful address Janabe Alia.

Janabe Alia was leading the hundred-member group that had reached London demanding the return of the throne to her son Wajid Ali Shah, who had been ousted from the kingdom of Awadh. Janabe Aaliya’s mission failed. But his visit was discussed a lot. Read some interesting stories related to the same.

One mother hopes for justice from another mother!

In the second week of June 1856, Janabe Aliya, her son Sikandar Hashmat, grandson Prince Hamid Ali and a group of about a hundred members of the family including some women, advisors and servants boarded a reserved steamer on the Hooghly River in Calcutta. To further reach London, he did M.S. Bengal Water Ship caught. Wajid Ali Shah also had to accompany him to plead his case. Then why they retreated could not be known further.

Dear Alia, she had great expectations from British Queen Victoria. On some occasions, Alia had told the British officers that Queen Victoria is also a mother after all and one mother will not tolerate injustice to another mother. Unfortunately, Janabe Alia did not know that Queen Victoria did not have the right to return her Awadh kingdom. Janabe Alia and the son and grandson accompanying her were unaware not only of the English language but also of the government system there. He was dependent on the British agents and lawyers whom he had appointed to represent him.

Crowd in London for the royal party

Dear Alia, she wanted to get the address and respect of the Queen in Britain. Upon disembarking from the plane in Southampton, Mayor Richard Andrews shook hands with Mr Alia who emerged from behind the curtain. Along with the news related to the victimized royal family of Awadh, the curiosity of the people there about them and the news of the crowd gathering outside the Royal York Hotel continued to be published in the newspapers for several days.

On 30 August 1856, when the royal party left for the station to go to London, the road in front of the hotel was jammed with a crowd of spectators. A convoy of horse-drawn carriages took them to the station and amidst the cheers of the crowd, the royal party kept waving and greeting them. Dear Alia, she had to travel in first class compartment. His journey to the station was captured behind the scenes. The question was about the curtain on the platform. The royal party wanted that no one else should be on the platform except those boarding their reserved special train. But station master Watkins refused to allow other passengers to vacate the platform. Then the tall servants accompanying the royal party made a corridor by stretching sheets on both sides and behind it the Rajmata entered the first class compartment of the train.

There is no empire but lavish expenses

The royal party was a subject of curiosity for newspapers and local people. News related to him also kept getting published. But his stay was getting longer. On the other hand, his mission was not getting any success. Expensive lawyers Gregory-Gregory, Skiro & Shackliffe also did not prove effective. The royal family was no longer the owner of an empire but they were not ready to adjust to the changed circumstances.

The entire hotel, the big mansion, the fares for the group of special trains and carriages as well as the lavish style of his living were very expensive. There was a constant demand for money from London on behalf of the royal party, on the other hand in Calcutta, Wajid Ali Shah was struggling for his needs. After the box of money that went with the team, Wajid Ali Shah was able to send only Rs 50,000 for daily expenses. The demand was high. He was forced to take a loan of more than seventy thousand rupees from the East India Company. Sold gold coins and ingots. Then all this money was sent to London.

in the theater as well as on the screen

The royal party kept publishing news of the atrocities of the East India Company against the Awadh Raj in the newspapers. His agents/lawyers kept presenting petitions everywhere. Appeals were made even to the Parliament. They were discussed but the result was nothing. The royal party remained active in making its presence felt in the social life of London. In 1857, Janabe Alia and her family members went to the Royal Theater at Drury Lane. Newspapers wrote that Rajmata was seen for the first time in a public place. Apart from his son, grandson and three European women, he was also accompanied by dozens of servants. Everyone’s costumes were a subject of attraction. It was not easy to see Rajmata even at a public place. The royal box in which she was sitting was covered with blue and white fine cloth. There were his people in the adjacent and front and back rows also. Every possible effort was made to prevent peeping.

Attempt to prevent Victoria from meeting

On July 4, 1857, Queen Victoria and Janabe Alia met at Buckingham Palace. Before this the rebellion had started in India. Many British were killed in Meerut. Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar had declared independence in Delhi. Revolt had also broken out in Lucknow and Awadh. The news of rebellion and conflict between Indian soldiers of the British Army from different parts of India was troubling the British government. British ministers and directors of the East India Company did not want Queen Victoria to agree to this meeting. But in the end it was decided that there would be no political discussion in the meeting. Only courtesy will be expressed. There will be no curtain. There was arrangement for an interpreter so that there was no hindrance in communication.

that meaningless meeting

Queen Victoria arrived with her seven young children and two-month-old newborn Princess Beatrice. Sir, Alia was without veil for the first time. He kissed Victoria’s hand. Presented a beautiful pearl jewelery and perfume as a gift. There was also a letter along with it, expressing grief and demanding the Queen’s intervention, but there was no scope for discussion on it as per the fixed agenda.

Victoria later wrote about this meeting, “Because of her heavy dress, the weight on her (Janabe Alia) had increased a lot. Her crown and jewels were very small. Her eyes were very beautiful, which were covered with kohl. Both the princes were wearing loose-fitting clothes like dressing gowns. The grandson also had something like a crown on his head.” According to the details of this meeting later published quoting a maid of Janabe Alia, The conversation was limited to discussing the difficulties of sea travel from Calcutta to Britain, boating and multi-storey British buildings.

Victoria suggested some more places for them to visit and also proposed to make arrangements for it. The big task for which Alia had reached London with her entourage and the meeting through which she was hoping to get back her son’s lost kingdom, was not even mentioned in it.

The revolt of 1857 made us hopeless

The Revolt of 1857 and the imprisonment of Wajid Ali Shah in Fort William, Calcutta dashed the hopes of the Awadh Mission. Chief Justice of the Queen’s Bench, Lord Campbell, presented the petition of the royal family of Awadh in the House of Commons. Wajid Ali Shah’s arguments for release proved futile as the king had no connection with the rebellion and was innocent.

The Parliament, which was on summer vacation, did not take any interest in the debate on this issue and rejected it on technical grounds, citing lack of civility in the petition. By then a year had passed since the Awadh Mission came to England and there was disappointment from all sides. Shortage of money was increasing the problems. Wajid Ali Shah was not able to fulfill the demand of money. Meanwhile, Alia’s health was also deteriorating. At the end of 1857, Brother Sikandar Hashmat informed this to Wajid Ali Shah from London. In response, Shah prayed to God for his safe return.

Not a small amount was received for the tomb!

Dear Alia, she wanted to go to France and then Mecca before returning to Calcutta. By this time mutual differences had increased in the Awadh Mission. On January 22, 1858, Janabe Alia reached Dippe with forty-five people. From there, she was taken to the station in a palanquin for the onward train journey to Paris. On reaching Paris, two magnificent carriages were driving ahead of the royal party. On January 24, the news of death of 55 year old lady Alia due to weakness and stress was published in the newspapers.

On January 27, his body was buried with a final salute in the Muslim belt of the Père Lachaise cemetery. Within just a month, on 25 February, Wajid Ali Shah’s brother Sikandar Hashmat died of pleurisy in London. The death of Sikandar Hashmat’s 18-month-old daughter on 14 April 1858 was another shock for the royal family. Rosie Llewellyn Jones writes in “The Last Emperor in India – Wajid Ali Shah” “At the Père Lachaise cemetery where Janabe Alia was buried, a stone fence was to cost Rs 2,640 and marble work was to cost Rs 4,480. The message of this need was conveyed to Wajid Ali Shah. The King replied that he was unaware of any mausoleum being built for his mother. This issue was forgotten with his refusal to pay the expenses.

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