The royal dynasty of Awadh emerged when the Mughal Empire collapsed. The early days were prosperous. The rulers (Nawab Wazir) had immense power and authority. Awadh flourished with its fertile land and sufficient financial resources.....until the British came.
In 1763, the Battle of Buxer resulted in the British supervising the affairs of the state and thereby reducing the authority of the Nawab. This suited the Nawabs just fine, who relished in the never-ending luxury they afforded with the allowances doled out to them by the British Resident. In return, the Nawabs conceded their power to the British, transforming themselves into weak rulers who were assured by the devious British that the state was still under the control of the Nawabs. This deceit comforted the Nawabs, who couldn't care less to know the truth, and instead were more preoccupied with maintaining their harems and living lavishly.
An exorbitant amount of money was spent on coronation ceremonies, weddings, and irrelevant festivals and worthless pursuits. The Nawabs spent their entire time in the company of women and eunuchs. Shuja'uddola had almost 2000 women from whom he had 25 sons and 22 daughters. Wajid Ali Shah, the last ruler, had 40 sons and 34 daughters. Thus, the growing size of the royal family consequently burdened the economy further. As a result, the British flooded the Nawabs with more allowances, and most of the state's income went directly to the royal family to meet their opulent and extravagant demands. This corruption of mind and morals led to corruption in power and authority. In addition to the allowances they received, the Nawabs heavily taxed the common man in order to grab more money and add to their wealth and fuel their luxurious desires. This, ultimately, forced the majority of society into poverty. But, sadly, the Nawabs were least bothered about the common man and happily lived in the utopia that had been created for them by the British.
The abyss between the rich and the poor created by the economic disparity generated the downfall of Awadh. The common man felt discriminated and collectively the society weakened. The rulers were worthless---mere puppets serving the British interests. So, when the British finally decided to take over completely, nobody rose to defend the state. Wajid Ali Shah simply surrendered and accepted exile. And Awadh along with its pompous and self-absorbed leaders disintegrated and became part of the British territory.
Is this not a mirror image of what is happening in present day Pakistan? Aren't our leaders also serving the interests of external powers? History has constantly shown that whenever leaders of a nation attempt to succeed with assistance from external elements, major concessions are given in exchange---and this transaction always takes place at the cost of the country's interests. This is the reality that we are faced with now. The question is, unlike the people of Awadh, will we rise?
http://dare2deviate.blogspot.com/2009/11/repeating-awadh_17.html
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