WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.640 Okay, let's get into it. Today we are doing a 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:06.400 deep dive into one of the most, well, consequential 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:09.519 and ultimately tragic states of 18th and 19th 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:12.599 century India, the Ud state. Or the Kingdom of 00:00:12.599 --> 00:00:14.759 Awad, as you'll also see it called. Right. And 00:00:14.759 --> 00:00:16.559 this isn't just, you know, a simple history lesson. 00:00:16.699 --> 00:00:18.980 What we're looking at here is really a blueprint 00:00:18.980 --> 00:00:21.539 for how the British expanded their power across 00:00:21.539 --> 00:00:23.980 the entire subcontinent. It's a critical case 00:00:23.980 --> 00:00:27.489 study. Ud was this incredibly wealthy, powerful 00:00:27.489 --> 00:00:30.510 region that managed to carve out a kind of semi 00:00:30.510 --> 00:00:34.549 -independence for, what, nearly 130 years from 00:00:34.549 --> 00:00:38.969 about 1722 right up to 1856. Its story is really 00:00:38.969 --> 00:00:41.170 the story of that entire power shift in North 00:00:41.170 --> 00:00:44.109 India. You've got the slow, crumbling decay of 00:00:44.109 --> 00:00:46.030 the Mughal Empire on one side. And on the other, 00:00:46.090 --> 00:00:48.350 you have the calculated, almost methodical rise 00:00:48.350 --> 00:00:50.850 of the British East India Company. The two lines 00:00:50.850 --> 00:00:53.090 cross right over Ud. So that's our mission for 00:00:53.090 --> 00:00:55.259 this deep dive. betrays that complete historical 00:00:55.259 --> 00:00:57.780 arc. We want to understand how Oud goes from 00:00:57.780 --> 00:01:00.439 being this major regional player, a center of 00:01:00.439 --> 00:01:03.640 high culture, to, well, to a subjugated client 00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:06.819 state. And then ultimately how its annexation 00:01:06.819 --> 00:01:10.760 becomes the real flashpoint for the massive Indian 00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:14.239 rebellion of 1857, because it really was the 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:15.879 spark. If you really want to get your head around 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:18.319 how the British built their empire, often without 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:20.560 what you'd call a conventional invasion, you 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:23.239 have to look at Oud. You really do. It's the 00:01:23.239 --> 00:01:26.280 textbook example of financial and political coercion. 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:30.219 The company mastered the use of debt, of so -called 00:01:30.219 --> 00:01:32.959 protection agreements, and these constantly escalating 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:36.799 costs to just bleed the state dry. Systematically 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:38.840 weakening it from the inside before they just 00:01:38.840 --> 00:01:41.439 step in and take over completely. We've got a 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:43.480 great set of sources here that cover the politics, 00:01:43.579 --> 00:01:46.180 the administration, and the culture. So to start, 00:01:46.219 --> 00:01:48.819 let's just define our terms. Ood is located in 00:01:48.819 --> 00:01:50.799 the Awad region of North India. Very fertile. 00:01:51.340 --> 00:01:54.719 Very wealthy. And that name, Oud, is the anglicized 00:01:54.719 --> 00:01:57.239 version. And its history really falls into three 00:01:57.239 --> 00:02:00.599 very clear phases. First, it's a mogul subah, 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:03.980 a province, but one with a lot of autonomy. Then 00:02:03.980 --> 00:02:06.780 it becomes a proper independent kingdom with 00:02:06.780 --> 00:02:09.479 its own king. And for the last 50 or so years, 00:02:09.620 --> 00:02:12.439 it's a tightly controlled British protectorate 00:02:12.439 --> 00:02:15.180 just waiting for the end. Which finally came 00:02:15.180 --> 00:02:18.250 in 1856. So let's start at the beginning with 00:02:18.250 --> 00:02:20.750 the foundations of that autonomy. It all begins 00:02:20.750 --> 00:02:23.669 with the decline of Delhi. Here's what's so interesting. 00:02:23.949 --> 00:02:27.330 The very structure of the Mughal Empire is what 00:02:27.330 --> 00:02:29.789 allowed for this kind of regional independence 00:02:29.789 --> 00:02:32.490 to happen in the first place. It didn't just 00:02:32.490 --> 00:02:34.930 appear out of nowhere. No, it started life as 00:02:34.930 --> 00:02:37.849 a Mughal subah or province. This was a system 00:02:37.849 --> 00:02:40.150 that went all the way back to Emperor Akbar in 00:02:40.150 --> 00:02:43.469 the late 1500s. He set up this really sophisticated 00:02:43.469 --> 00:02:46.050 administrative grid. And how was that structured? 00:02:46.590 --> 00:02:48.550 Well, each subah was divided into districts, 00:02:48.689 --> 00:02:51.090 which they called sarkars. And those were then 00:02:51.090 --> 00:02:53.710 broken down even further into smaller units for 00:02:53.710 --> 00:02:56.770 collecting taxes, parganas, or mahalas. So a 00:02:56.770 --> 00:02:58.830 fully functioning, legitimate system of governance 00:02:58.830 --> 00:03:01.960 was already in place. Exactly. And that's the 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:04.580 key. When the central power in Delhi starts to 00:03:04.580 --> 00:03:07.439 weaken in the early 18th century, the regional 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:10.000 governors, the subhadars, they're not starting 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:12.699 from scratch. They find themselves in charge 00:03:12.699 --> 00:03:15.060 of this machine that can already raise taxes 00:03:15.060 --> 00:03:18.159 and field an army. So as the emperor's authority 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:21.099 crumbles, the local machinery is still humming 00:03:21.099 --> 00:03:24.500 along. And I imagine the sheer wealth of that 00:03:24.500 --> 00:03:26.870 land, the Gangetic Plain. That must have been 00:03:26.870 --> 00:03:29.689 a huge factor. A massive factor. You have a stable 00:03:29.689 --> 00:03:31.610 revenue base from the fertile land and you're 00:03:31.610 --> 00:03:33.909 just far enough from Delhi to have some breathing 00:03:33.909 --> 00:03:36.169 room. The governors could quickly become, for 00:03:36.169 --> 00:03:38.590 all intents and purposes, independent kings. 00:03:38.770 --> 00:03:41.090 And the man who really seizes that opportunity 00:03:41.090 --> 00:03:44.629 is the first ruler we need to talk about, Sadat 00:03:44.629 --> 00:03:46.949 Ali Khan Enner. A very skilled operator, both 00:03:46.949 --> 00:03:49.460 as an administrator and a military guy. He's 00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:52.900 appointed Subedar on September 9th, 1722. And 00:03:52.900 --> 00:03:55.099 he did not see this as just another bureaucratic 00:03:55.099 --> 00:03:58.020 job. He was there to build a dynasty. So what's 00:03:58.020 --> 00:04:00.400 his first move? The sources seem to emphasize 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:02.860 consolidation. He doesn't just show up and take 00:04:02.860 --> 00:04:05.240 over, right? He has to fight for it. Right. And 00:04:05.240 --> 00:04:08.139 consolidation in this context, it means one thing, 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:10.919 centralizing the flow of money. The challenge 00:04:10.919 --> 00:04:13.789 was that you had all these local leaders. landholders 00:04:13.789 --> 00:04:16.629 chieftains who technically answered to delhi 00:04:16.629 --> 00:04:18.670 but were basically doing their own thing paying 00:04:18.670 --> 00:04:22.029 lip service exactly so sadal ali khan's first 00:04:22.029 --> 00:04:24.759 job was to bring them to heel He successfully 00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:27.160 took on the powerful Sheikhzadas of Lucknow, 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:30.240 who basically ran the city, and another big landholder, 00:04:30.459 --> 00:04:33.279 Raja Mohan Singh of Tiloy. So he's essentially 00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:36.040 reconquering the province he's been sent to govern. 00:04:36.180 --> 00:04:38.379 Yeah. Making sure all that tax money flows to 00:04:38.379 --> 00:04:41.139 his capital, not into the pockets of local chiefs. 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:43.540 And that centralization is what pays for real 00:04:43.540 --> 00:04:46.160 independence. Once he's got his house in order, 00:04:46.279 --> 00:04:49.459 then comes the expansion. By 1728, he's acquired 00:04:49.459 --> 00:04:52.160 the key regions of Varanasi and Janpur. Which 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:54.699 is huge. Bernassi isn't just a religious center. 00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:58.019 It's a major commercial hub on the Ganges. This 00:04:58.019 --> 00:05:00.279 wasn't just grabbing land. It was a massive economic 00:05:00.279 --> 00:05:03.860 boost for Oud. It secured Oud's finances for 00:05:03.860 --> 00:05:06.860 decades to come. But what's really telling about 00:05:06.860 --> 00:05:10.459 Saad Ali Khan is how his story ends. Even while 00:05:10.459 --> 00:05:13.540 he's building his own power base, he still sees 00:05:13.540 --> 00:05:16.040 himself as a pillar of the Mughal Empire. You're 00:05:16.040 --> 00:05:18.379 talking about Nader Shah's invasion in 1739. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:21.529 Yes. When the Persian invader marches on Delhi, 00:05:21.810 --> 00:05:25.430 Sadat Khan takes Ud's army to defend the imperial 00:05:25.430 --> 00:05:27.850 capital. And he's captured at the Battle of Karnal, 00:05:27.930 --> 00:05:31.009 a total disaster for the Mughals. He dies in 00:05:31.009 --> 00:05:33.189 Delhi not long after while trying to negotiate. 00:05:33.509 --> 00:05:35.930 And that act of loyalty, it shows you how complex 00:05:35.930 --> 00:05:38.610 things were back then. These men were building 00:05:38.610 --> 00:05:40.649 new kingdoms, but they were still operating within 00:05:40.649 --> 00:05:43.149 the idea of Mughal legitimacy. At least for a 00:05:43.149 --> 00:05:45.569 little while longer. His death then brings his 00:05:45.569 --> 00:05:48.310 successor, Safdar Jang, to power. And he seems 00:05:48.310 --> 00:05:50.230 to take things in a much more independent direction. 00:05:50.470 --> 00:05:53.230 He does. The first thing he does in 1740 is move 00:05:53.230 --> 00:05:55.870 the capital from the old seat of Iothia to a 00:05:55.870 --> 00:05:58.410 new, modern center at Faizabad. That feels like 00:05:58.410 --> 00:06:00.230 a statement. It is. It's a signal that they're 00:06:00.230 --> 00:06:03.250 looking forward, not back. Suftar Jang really 00:06:03.250 --> 00:06:06.089 takes Ud to its peak. He even gets formal recognition 00:06:06.089 --> 00:06:08.410 from Persia, which was a big diplomatic win. 00:06:08.589 --> 00:06:11.350 And he starts playing kingmaker in Delhi itself. 00:06:11.649 --> 00:06:14.699 Oh, absolutely. He basically controls the Mughal 00:06:14.699 --> 00:06:17.439 emperor, putting Ahmad Shah Bahadur on the throne. 00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:20.339 At this point, Ud isn't just a regional state. 00:06:20.420 --> 00:06:23.040 It's the power behind the throne of the entire, 00:06:23.300 --> 00:06:26.000 albeit fading, empire. And what does he get for 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:28.620 that? Any territorial gains? He gets the province 00:06:28.620 --> 00:06:31.259 of Allahabad in 1748 with the emperor's official 00:06:31.259 --> 00:06:34.740 blessing. This gives Ud control over this huge, 00:06:34.740 --> 00:06:37.699 continuous swath of the Gangetic Plain. This 00:06:37.699 --> 00:06:40.319 is the absolute high point for the state. So 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:42.930 we have this series of capitals. Ayodhya, then 00:06:42.930 --> 00:06:46.410 Faizabad. But there's a fascinating detail in 00:06:46.410 --> 00:06:48.430 the sources that points to what's coming. You 00:06:48.430 --> 00:06:51.290 mean the British resident? Yes. Even when Faizabad 00:06:51.290 --> 00:06:54.250 is the official capital of Ud, the East India 00:06:54.250 --> 00:06:56.449 Company has already set up its political agent, 00:06:56.550 --> 00:06:59.470 the resident, in Lucknow. It's such a subtle 00:06:59.470 --> 00:07:02.110 but incredibly important piece of foreshadowing. 00:07:02.329 --> 00:07:05.629 The British saw Lucknow as the future, the commercial 00:07:05.629 --> 00:07:08.620 nerve center. By putting their man there, the 00:07:08.620 --> 00:07:10.959 guy whose job it is to watch and influence the 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:13.120 Nawab, they're embedding themselves in the state's 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.279 nervous system long before they have any official 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:17.360 reason to. They're just waiting for an opening. 00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:20.040 Just waiting for that moment of weakness. And 00:07:20.040 --> 00:07:22.740 it wasn't long in coming. The East India Company, 00:07:22.819 --> 00:07:25.399 it was a pragmatic organization above all else. 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:30.519 And they looked at Ood and saw two things. Immense 00:07:30.519 --> 00:07:33.740 wealth. And strategic location. Right. It was 00:07:33.740 --> 00:07:36.480 the perfect buffer state against their main rivals 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:39.240 at the time, the Marathas. And this need for 00:07:39.240 --> 00:07:42.040 a buffer for military protection, that becomes 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:44.899 the wedge the British use to pry the state open. 00:07:45.019 --> 00:07:47.319 The ruler at this critical juncture is Shujao 00:07:47.319 --> 00:07:49.420 Dula. He seems like a pretty active political 00:07:49.420 --> 00:07:52.519 player himself. He was. He was the vizier or 00:07:52.519 --> 00:07:55.579 chief minister to the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam 00:07:55.579 --> 00:07:58.839 II. He even gave the emperor asylum after he'd 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:01.240 been defeated by the British. Shujudullah definitely 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:04.500 saw the company as a threat. Which leads directly 00:08:04.500 --> 00:08:07.199 to the turning point. Not just for Ud, but maybe 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:09.740 for all of North India. The Battle of Buxar in 00:08:09.740 --> 00:08:13.180 1764. Yes. Shijud Udela allies with the deposed 00:08:13.180 --> 00:08:16.259 Nawab of Bengal, Mir Qasim, to try and push the 00:08:16.259 --> 00:08:19.220 British back. They were completely, utterly defeated. 00:08:19.540 --> 00:08:22.100 And Buxar is really the moment that cements British 00:08:22.100 --> 00:08:24.519 military dominance, isn't it? Much more so than 00:08:24.519 --> 00:08:26.800 the earlier Battle of Plassey. Without a doubt. 00:08:26.939 --> 00:08:29.459 And for Oud, the consequences were immediate 00:08:29.459 --> 00:08:32.000 and devastating. They were all laid out in the 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:35.399 Treaty of Benares in 1765. This wasn't just a 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:38.419 fine, it was a fundamental change in Oud's sovereignty. 00:08:38.990 --> 00:08:40.909 Let's break down the terms of that treaty because 00:08:40.909 --> 00:08:42.889 they really show the company's strategy. First, 00:08:43.049 --> 00:08:45.870 they occupy the Chunar Fort. Strategically vital. 00:08:46.350 --> 00:08:49.669 Then, Ud is forced to give up the provinces of 00:08:49.669 --> 00:08:52.470 Korah and Allahabad, which the British then hand 00:08:52.470 --> 00:08:55.190 over to the Mughal emperor, basically making 00:08:55.190 --> 00:08:57.429 him a British pensioner. And the financial penalty. 00:08:57.690 --> 00:09:01.929 A massive 5 million rupee indemnity. 5 million. 00:09:02.009 --> 00:09:06.269 In 1765 money, that is just an astronomical figure. 00:09:06.470 --> 00:09:08.769 It was designed to cripple the state. But here's 00:09:08.769 --> 00:09:11.590 the amazing thing. Shuja Udalla paid it all off 00:09:11.590 --> 00:09:14.610 in one year. Wow. It just confirms how incredibly 00:09:14.610 --> 00:09:18.110 rich Ud was. But it was still a huge drain on 00:09:18.110 --> 00:09:20.090 the Treasury. And the real long -term damage 00:09:20.090 --> 00:09:22.269 wasn't just the cash, was it? There were other 00:09:22.269 --> 00:09:24.210 clauses in that treaty. Yes, and this was the 00:09:24.210 --> 00:09:26.529 economic poison pill. The treaty gave British 00:09:26.529 --> 00:09:29.110 traders special privileges, including exemptions 00:09:29.110 --> 00:09:31.169 from local customs duties. So they can trade 00:09:31.169 --> 00:09:34.320 tax -free. Exactly. And they immediately established 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:36.980 monopolies in things like saltpeter and cotton. 00:09:37.240 --> 00:09:40.279 It completely undercut local merchants and basically 00:09:40.279 --> 00:09:42.620 siphoned off Ode's trade revenue directly to 00:09:42.620 --> 00:09:44.940 the company. The state was now paying for its 00:09:44.940 --> 00:09:48.620 own conquest. So Ode is weakened and its new 00:09:48.620 --> 00:09:52.279 job is to be a buffer against the Marathas. But 00:09:52.279 --> 00:09:56.320 then there's this weird move in 1773 where Shujodulla 00:09:56.320 --> 00:09:59.570 actually buys back Korah and Allahabad. This 00:09:59.570 --> 00:10:01.789 just shows you who was really in charge. The 00:10:01.789 --> 00:10:03.730 British had given that land to the Mughal emperor, 00:10:03.870 --> 00:10:05.549 but now they turn around and sell it back to 00:10:05.549 --> 00:10:08.230 Ode for 50 lakh rupees. Half a million pounds 00:10:08.230 --> 00:10:11.509 sterling. An incredible sum. The governor, General 00:10:11.509 --> 00:10:13.990 Warren Hastings, he argued that a stronger Ode 00:10:13.990 --> 00:10:16.250 made a better buffer state. But really, it was 00:10:16.250 --> 00:10:18.289 just a cash grab for the company. It proved that 00:10:18.289 --> 00:10:20.590 Ode's territory was now just a commodity to be 00:10:20.590 --> 00:10:23.269 bought and sold. And all this military aid came 00:10:23.269 --> 00:10:26.129 with strings attached. This is when the resident 00:10:26.129 --> 00:10:30.470 system gets formalized. Yes. In 1773, Hastings 00:10:30.470 --> 00:10:32.610 appoints the first official resident in Lucknow, 00:10:32.730 --> 00:10:34.370 Nathaniel Middleton. And you have to understand, 00:10:34.529 --> 00:10:37.970 the resident wasn't a diplomat. He was the company's 00:10:37.970 --> 00:10:42.509 eyes, ears, and unofficial chief financial officer 00:10:42.509 --> 00:10:45.730 right there in the Nawab's court. Shaving policy 00:10:45.730 --> 00:10:48.289 from the inside. Completely. Making sure every 00:10:48.289 --> 00:10:51.289 decision served Calcutta's interests. The idea 00:10:51.289 --> 00:10:54.070 of Uth's sovereignty was becoming a total fiction. 00:10:54.490 --> 00:10:57.129 Which brings us to the next ruler, Asaf Udola. 00:10:57.500 --> 00:11:00.059 He's often seen as the ultimate puppet. He really 00:11:00.059 --> 00:11:02.000 was. He only got the throne with British military 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:04.639 help, and the price was another punishing treaty 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:08.399 in 1775. What did that one do? It massively increased 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:10.720 the amount Oud had to pay for British troop soldiers 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:13.620 who were supposedly defending Oud, but were really 00:11:13.620 --> 00:11:15.600 there to keep the Nawab in line. Man, more land 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:19.340 was lost. Yes. Four hugely profitable districts, 00:11:19.639 --> 00:11:23.080 Benares, Gazapur, Chunar, and Jampur, were handed 00:11:23.080 --> 00:11:25.179 over directly to the British. So the company 00:11:25.179 --> 00:11:27.750 isn't just charging fees anymore. They're surgically 00:11:27.750 --> 00:11:32.039 removing the wealthiest parts of the state. Aoud 00:11:32.039 --> 00:11:34.340 is just locked into this cycle of compliance. 00:11:34.840 --> 00:11:37.039 The Nawab's government was propped up by British 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:39.820 guns, so it was unstable. To deal with internal 00:11:39.820 --> 00:11:42.279 resistance, he needed British help, which cost 00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:44.759 more money, which made him more dependent. It 00:11:44.759 --> 00:11:46.940 was a vicious circle. It's a protection racket, 00:11:47.100 --> 00:11:50.220 essentially. A very sophisticated one. Asa Fudala 00:11:50.220 --> 00:11:54.019 did try to push back. In 1781, he signed the 00:11:54.019 --> 00:11:56.340 Treaty of Chunar to try and reduce the number 00:11:56.340 --> 00:11:58.820 of British troops and cut costs. But it didn't 00:11:58.820 --> 00:12:01.200 work. It failed completely. He was just... too 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:03.240 reliant on them to keep control over his own 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:05.759 powerful landholders, the Talukars. He couldn't 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:07.580 afford them, but he couldn't survive without 00:12:07.580 --> 00:12:10.779 them. It's a devastating position to be in, and 00:12:10.779 --> 00:12:14.139 it just sets the stage for the final brutal dismemberment 00:12:14.139 --> 00:12:16.769 of the state. The final nail in the coffin of 00:12:16.769 --> 00:12:18.750 Ode's financial independence, it really comes 00:12:18.750 --> 00:12:22.870 under Saad Ali Khan II. He ruled from 1798 and 00:12:22.870 --> 00:12:25.330 he owed his position entirely to the British. 00:12:25.610 --> 00:12:28.149 How so? The governor general, Sir John Shore, 00:12:28.429 --> 00:12:30.649 literally went to Lucknow and proclaimed him 00:12:30.649 --> 00:12:33.330 Nawab. He was the company's handpicked candidate. 00:12:33.649 --> 00:12:36.269 So he starts his reign completely indebted to 00:12:36.269 --> 00:12:39.049 them. Completely. And they called in the debt 00:12:39.049 --> 00:12:42.940 almost immediately. A new treaty in 1798 jacked 00:12:42.940 --> 00:12:46.000 up the annual subsidy Oud had to pay to a staggering 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:49.620 70 lakh rupees. 70 lakh? I mean, how much of 00:12:49.620 --> 00:12:51.720 the state's revenue was that? It was almost certainly 00:12:51.720 --> 00:12:54.159 more than two -thirds of the state's total annual 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:57.259 income. It was a crushing, impossible burden. 00:12:57.700 --> 00:13:00.139 So you have to ask, was this figure meant to 00:13:00.139 --> 00:13:03.720 be realistic? Or was it designed to force a default? 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:06.500 It was absolutely designed to force the next 00:13:06.500 --> 00:13:08.620 step. The company's accounting for its troops 00:13:08.620 --> 00:13:11.600 was famously opaque. The goal was to set a price 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:14.419 so high that Ood couldn't possibly pay in cash. 00:13:14.659 --> 00:13:16.340 Which would force them to give up land instead. 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:19.159 Exactly. And that's what happened with the 1801 00:13:19.159 --> 00:13:21.559 session. The governor general at the time was 00:13:21.559 --> 00:13:24.659 Lord Wellesley, a major expansionist. He needed 00:13:24.659 --> 00:13:26.379 money for the company's wars. This is during 00:13:26.379 --> 00:13:28.940 the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. And he demanded 00:13:28.940 --> 00:13:31.320 territory instead of the annual cash payment. 00:13:31.460 --> 00:13:33.659 And this is the moment that physically breaks 00:13:33.659 --> 00:13:36.500 Ood. What did they lose? It was a catastrophic 00:13:36.500 --> 00:13:39.519 loss. The entire Rohalkand region, the lower 00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:42.039 Doab, and Gauravpur. Let's just pause on that. 00:13:42.360 --> 00:13:43.899 Geographically, what does that do to the state? 00:13:44.100 --> 00:13:46.659 It cuts it in half. Oud is basically reduced 00:13:46.659 --> 00:13:49.580 back to its original size as a Mughal province. 00:13:49.860 --> 00:13:52.759 But more importantly, it's now completely surrounded 00:13:52.759 --> 00:13:55.259 by territory directly administered by the British. 00:13:55.500 --> 00:13:58.159 So its strategic value as a buffer state is gone? 00:13:58.340 --> 00:14:01.720 It's totally gone. Before 1801, Oud was a useful 00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:05.899 shield. After 1801, it was an enclave, an island 00:14:05.899 --> 00:14:08.919 in a sea of British territory. It was strategically 00:14:08.919 --> 00:14:11.840 irrelevant, which made future annexation just 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:14.539 a matter of convenience. But there was a trap 00:14:14.539 --> 00:14:17.519 hidden in that 1801 treaty, wasn't there? A clause 00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:20.659 about good governance. Yes, this was a piece 00:14:20.659 --> 00:14:24.019 of pure cynical genius. The treaty included a 00:14:24.019 --> 00:14:26.419 clause that required the ruler of Oud to provide 00:14:26.419 --> 00:14:28.840 a government that served the citizens of Oud. 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:30.759 A standard they're imposing on a state they've 00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:33.399 just financially crippled. Precisely. They knew 00:14:33.399 --> 00:14:35.419 that their constant demands for cash were creating 00:14:35.419 --> 00:14:37.879 instability and administrative chaos. So they 00:14:37.879 --> 00:14:40.159 insert this clause and then 50 years later, they 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:42.460 use the Nawab's failure to meet this impossible 00:14:42.460 --> 00:14:45.059 standard as the legal justification for annexation. 00:14:45.240 --> 00:14:47.799 So they set the kingdom up to fail and then blame 00:14:47.799 --> 00:14:50.279 it for failing. That's the strategy in a nutshell. 00:14:50.889 --> 00:14:53.669 Meanwhile, Uru is going through these strange 00:14:53.669 --> 00:14:57.570 symbolic changes. In 1816, it officially becomes 00:14:57.570 --> 00:15:01.250 a British protectorate. And then, in 1819, the 00:15:01.250 --> 00:15:04.509 ruler Ghaziuddin Haidar Shah declares himself 00:15:04.509 --> 00:15:08.549 Badshah King. That sounds almost defiant. It 00:15:08.549 --> 00:15:10.389 sounds like it, but it was actually done on the 00:15:10.389 --> 00:15:12.389 advice of the British governor general. It was 00:15:12.389 --> 00:15:15.009 a way of formally breaking with the now powerless 00:15:15.009 --> 00:15:18.409 Mughal emperor in Delhi. So he declares independence 00:15:18.409 --> 00:15:21.690 from a powerless emperor at the exact moment 00:15:21.690 --> 00:15:24.129 he's become completely dependent on the British. 00:15:24.330 --> 00:15:26.889 The irony is just staggering. And you can see 00:15:26.889 --> 00:15:29.210 that dependency in the list of British residents 00:15:29.210 --> 00:15:32.029 stationed in Lucknow. These are not minor officials. 00:15:32.250 --> 00:15:34.330 We're talking about heavy hitters like Sir William 00:15:34.330 --> 00:15:37.110 Sleeman and Sir James Outlaw. Serious administrators. 00:15:37.590 --> 00:15:39.889 Very serious. And their job was to write detailed 00:15:39.889 --> 00:15:42.350 reports back to Calcutta about all the supposed 00:15:42.350 --> 00:15:44.570 corruption and inefficiency in Ood's government 00:15:44.570 --> 00:15:47.049 problems, of course, that were largely caused 00:15:47.049 --> 00:15:49.350 by British financial pressure. They were gathering 00:15:49.350 --> 00:15:51.129 the evidence that would be used for the final 00:15:51.129 --> 00:15:53.809 takeover. Let's shift from that political control 00:15:53.809 --> 00:15:57.190 to a really fascinating cultural and financial 00:15:57.190 --> 00:16:00.799 detail from this period. The Udi Quest. Yes. 00:16:00.940 --> 00:16:04.120 This is a unique system set up by Ghazi Udin 00:16:04.120 --> 00:16:07.379 Haidar Shah. He was a devout Shia Muslim and 00:16:07.379 --> 00:16:10.120 he established a permanent fund to make payments 00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:13.220 to the Shia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala 00:16:13.220 --> 00:16:15.679 in modern day Iraq. And how did he guarantee 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:18.139 these payments? He deposited the principal sum 00:16:18.139 --> 00:16:21.000 with the British East India Company. The company 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:22.799 would hold the money and pay out the interest 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:25.480 forever. So the British become the permanent 00:16:25.480 --> 00:16:27.960 bankers for Oud's religious endowments. That's 00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:29.899 right. The payments were structured as the interest 00:16:29.899 --> 00:16:32.299 on a massive loan that Oud gave to the company 00:16:32.299 --> 00:16:36.159 in 1825. It was a clever move in a way. The Nawab 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:38.200 was trying to use his wealth to secure his religious 00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:40.860 legacy and provide for his family, and he made 00:16:40.860 --> 00:16:43.259 the British the guarantors. He knew the state 00:16:43.259 --> 00:16:45.659 was doomed, but he hoped these payments would 00:16:45.659 --> 00:16:48.539 survive. A remarkable attempt to safeguard something 00:16:48.539 --> 00:16:51.000 permanent from a political catastrophe he could 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:53.289 see coming. But of course, it couldn't stop the 00:16:53.289 --> 00:16:55.629 inevitable. No, it couldn't. The last ruler of 00:16:55.629 --> 00:16:58.649 Ud was Wajid Ali Shah. He comes to the throne 00:16:58.649 --> 00:17:02.830 in 1847. And he's remembered less as a politician 00:17:02.830 --> 00:17:05.589 and more as an artist, isn't he? Very much so. 00:17:05.670 --> 00:17:08.829 A poet, a composer, a dancer. He really presided 00:17:08.829 --> 00:17:11.589 over the final brilliant cultural flowering of 00:17:11.589 --> 00:17:14.789 Lucknow. But his reign was tragically short. 00:17:15.009 --> 00:17:19.769 The end came on February 7th, 1856. The governor 00:17:19.769 --> 00:17:22.369 general... Lord Dalhousie, who was a notorious 00:17:22.369 --> 00:17:25.390 expansionist, simply deposed him and annexed 00:17:25.390 --> 00:17:27.410 Oud. Just like that. Now, we need to be really 00:17:27.410 --> 00:17:29.410 clear about the legal justification here because 00:17:29.410 --> 00:17:31.630 it's often misunderstood. People link this to 00:17:31.630 --> 00:17:33.609 the Doctrine of Lapse. And that's incorrect. 00:17:33.869 --> 00:17:35.910 It's a crucial distinction. The Doctrine of Lapse 00:17:35.910 --> 00:17:38.130 was Dalhousie's policy for annexing states where 00:17:38.130 --> 00:17:40.369 the ruler died without a direct natural heir. 00:17:40.890 --> 00:17:43.349 But Wajid Ali's show was alive and had heirs. 00:17:43.450 --> 00:17:45.369 He had multiple heirs, so the doctrine didn't 00:17:45.369 --> 00:17:47.930 apply. Dalhousie had to invent a different pretext, 00:17:48.049 --> 00:17:50.710 and the one he chose was alleged internal misrule. 00:17:50.910 --> 00:17:54.339 Citing that clause from the 1801 treaty. Exactly. 00:17:54.339 --> 00:17:56.980 He claimed the Nawab had failed to provide good 00:17:56.980 --> 00:17:59.140 government, completely ignoring the fact that 00:17:59.140 --> 00:18:02.240 a century of British policy had made good government 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:05.720 almost impossible. It was a total sham. And Wajid 00:18:05.720 --> 00:18:08.200 Ali Shah, to his credit, refused to sign the 00:18:08.200 --> 00:18:11.019 abdication treaty. He did. It was an act of personal 00:18:11.019 --> 00:18:14.140 dignity in the face of this complete humiliation. 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:17.220 He was exiled to Calcutta. And within about 18 00:18:17.220 --> 00:18:19.480 months of this annexation, all of North India 00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:23.660 just... explodes. The rebellion of 1857. And 00:18:23.660 --> 00:18:26.000 Oud was the absolute epicenter. The sense of 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:28.079 betrayal there was universal. It wasn't just 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:30.700 the royal family. It was the soldiers. So many 00:18:30.700 --> 00:18:33.660 of the company's own sepoys were recruited from 00:18:33.660 --> 00:18:36.220 Oud. It was the landowners, the peasants. The 00:18:36.220 --> 00:18:38.180 territory was immediately lost by the British. 00:18:38.359 --> 00:18:40.759 And who steps up to lead the resistance? The 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:43.420 key figure is Begum Hazrat Mahal, one of Wajid 00:18:43.420 --> 00:18:46.059 Ali Shah's wives. She becomes this incredible 00:18:46.059 --> 00:18:48.559 symbol of resistance. She refuses to accept the 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:51.519 annexation and proclaims their young son, Burgess 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:54.599 Qadr, as the new ruler. She then governed as 00:18:54.599 --> 00:18:56.900 regent. And she provided a focal point for what 00:18:56.900 --> 00:18:59.660 became a truly unified uprising. This wasn't 00:18:59.660 --> 00:19:02.420 just a military mutiny in Ud. No, it was a full 00:19:02.420 --> 00:19:05.140 -scale popular war. You had the dynasty, the 00:19:05.140 --> 00:19:08.019 big landowners or talaqars, the peasantry and 00:19:08.019 --> 00:19:10.579 the city dwellers all fighting together to restore 00:19:10.579 --> 00:19:13.019 their king and kick the British out. The British 00:19:13.019 --> 00:19:15.920 had to mount a huge military campaign just to 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:19.220 retake the territory. The Ood Campaign of 1858 00:19:19.220 --> 00:19:22.920 -59, it took massive resources. And even after 00:19:22.920 --> 00:19:25.380 they defeated the main wriggle armies, the resistance 00:19:25.380 --> 00:19:28.259 didn't just stop. You had guerrilla fighting 00:19:28.259 --> 00:19:31.640 continuing well into 1859, long after the rest 00:19:31.640 --> 00:19:34.500 of India had been pacified. That's how deep the 00:19:34.500 --> 00:19:36.599 resentment ran. And once the rebellion was finally 00:19:36.599 --> 00:19:39.990 crushed... That was the end of Oud as a political 00:19:39.990 --> 00:19:42.390 entity. It was dissolved and merged into the 00:19:42.390 --> 00:19:44.470 British administrative system. Its territory 00:19:44.470 --> 00:19:46.690 was combined with the northwestern provinces. 00:19:47.150 --> 00:19:48.789 Which eventually, through a few name changes, 00:19:49.049 --> 00:19:51.650 becomes the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. 00:19:51.970 --> 00:19:54.049 That's right. The historical heartland of Oud 00:19:54.049 --> 00:19:56.589 is really the core of what is now Uttar Pradesh. 00:19:56.829 --> 00:19:59.150 It's an incredible story. But before we wrap 00:19:59.150 --> 00:20:01.029 up, we have to talk about the culture and the 00:20:01.029 --> 00:20:03.849 people. Because you can't understand the tragedy 00:20:03.849 --> 00:20:07.250 of Oud without understanding what was lost. No, 00:20:07.289 --> 00:20:10.049 you can't. The ruling dynasty itself is fascinating. 00:20:10.390 --> 00:20:14.170 They were Shia Muslims with a deep Persian heritage. 00:20:14.509 --> 00:20:17.809 Their lineage traced back to Nishapur in Persia. 00:20:17.869 --> 00:20:20.650 And that Shia identity was important. It made 00:20:20.650 --> 00:20:23.049 them distinct from many of the other Mughal successor 00:20:23.049 --> 00:20:26.309 states, which were predominantly Sunni. It really 00:20:26.309 --> 00:20:28.470 shaped the culture of the court. But what's remarkable 00:20:28.470 --> 00:20:30.950 is how secular they were in their rule. They 00:20:30.950 --> 00:20:33.200 had to be. Let's look at the demographics because 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:35.339 they tell the story. The population was about 00:20:35.339 --> 00:20:38.420 3 million in the early 18th century. But the 00:20:38.420 --> 00:20:40.920 religious split is key. Absolutely. The ruling 00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:43.440 class was Shia Muslim, but the vast majority 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:45.599 of the population, something like four fifths 00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:48.609 or 80 percent, was Hindu. So for more than a 00:20:48.609 --> 00:20:50.470 century, you have a Shia dynasty successfully 00:20:50.470 --> 00:20:53.349 and for the most part, peacefully governing a 00:20:53.349 --> 00:20:56.230 huge Hindu majority. That speaks volumes about 00:20:56.230 --> 00:20:57.910 their administration. It really does. It was 00:20:57.910 --> 00:21:00.549 based on tolerance and patronage, which makes 00:21:00.549 --> 00:21:03.430 the leader British claims of misrule ring even 00:21:03.430 --> 00:21:06.190 more hollow. And under rulers like Asaf Abdullah 00:21:06.190 --> 00:21:09.750 and Wajid Ali Shah, Lucknow became a cultural 00:21:09.750 --> 00:21:12.390 powerhouse. It was called the Paris of the East. 00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:15.559 Asaf Udalla, even though he was a political pawn, 00:21:15.740 --> 00:21:18.779 was a massive builder. He commissioned the Bara 00:21:18.779 --> 00:21:21.900 Imam Bara, this colossal shrine. And these building 00:21:21.900 --> 00:21:24.079 projects were often a form of famine relief, 00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:26.619 employing thousands of people. And then you have 00:21:26.619 --> 00:21:29.740 the arts under Wajid Ali Shah. He was a pivotal 00:21:29.740 --> 00:21:32.119 figure. He was central to the development of 00:21:32.119 --> 00:21:34.339 the Catholic style of dance and thumb re -music. 00:21:34.539 --> 00:21:36.859 And he didn't just fund the arts. He was an artist 00:21:36.859 --> 00:21:40.009 himself. His court in Lucknow became the cultural 00:21:40.009 --> 00:21:42.750 capital of India, attracting the best poets, 00:21:42.950 --> 00:21:45.809 musicians, and painters. So his deposition wasn't 00:21:45.809 --> 00:21:48.650 just a political act. It was a cultural decapitation. 00:21:48.970 --> 00:21:51.309 It really was. And this cultural boom was happening 00:21:51.309 --> 00:21:53.750 at a time when cities in Ud were growing rapidly. 00:21:54.049 --> 00:21:56.950 While older imperial centers like Delhi and Agra 00:21:56.950 --> 00:21:59.690 were in decline, Lucknow and Varanasi were becoming 00:21:59.690 --> 00:22:03.029 huge metropolises. Driven by stability and, I 00:22:03.029 --> 00:22:05.750 assume, agricultural prosperity. Yes. The sources 00:22:05.750 --> 00:22:08.529 point to environmental factors. The lands around 00:22:08.529 --> 00:22:10.750 Ud were more stable and fertile than regions 00:22:10.750 --> 00:22:12.970 further west, so people migrated there. That 00:22:12.970 --> 00:22:15.049 population growth further fueled the economy. 00:22:15.309 --> 00:22:18.130 And you can't forget the religious significance 00:22:18.130 --> 00:22:21.890 of the land itself. You've got Ayodhya, Varanasi, 00:22:22.150 --> 00:22:26.109 Allahabad. All major Hindu pilgrimage sites. 00:22:26.309 --> 00:22:28.789 Right. Which, again, necessitated that secular, 00:22:28.849 --> 00:22:31.410 balanced approach to governance. It was a complex 00:22:31.410 --> 00:22:33.910 state with deep internal divisions. You had these 00:22:33.910 --> 00:22:37.130 powerful local landholders, the Talukars, who 00:22:37.130 --> 00:22:39.609 were a constant challenge to the central authority. 00:22:39.950 --> 00:22:41.829 The very people the British later claimed the 00:22:41.829 --> 00:22:44.630 Nawabs couldn't control. The very same. And ironically, 00:22:44.769 --> 00:22:47.049 when the rebellion broke out in 1857, it was 00:22:47.049 --> 00:22:49.509 many of those same Tolucars who became the military 00:22:49.509 --> 00:22:51.970 leaders of the fight against the British. Their 00:22:51.970 --> 00:22:54.250 loyalty was to the institution of the Nawab, 00:22:54.349 --> 00:22:57.269 not the foreign company. It's just such a clear 00:22:57.269 --> 00:23:00.589 and painful picture. Aoud was this vibrant, wealthy 00:23:00.589 --> 00:23:03.529 state, and its prosperity is what made it a target. 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:06.619 The British valued it as a buffer, but they coveted 00:23:06.619 --> 00:23:08.900 it as a prize. Its wealth made its absorption 00:23:08.900 --> 00:23:11.440 irresistible in the end. What really stands out 00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:14.160 from this whole deep dive is the sheer patience 00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:16.299 of the company's strategy. This wasn't a quick 00:23:16.299 --> 00:23:19.599 conquest. No, they didn't really conquer Oud 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:21.720 with armies. Not until the very end. They conquered 00:23:21.720 --> 00:23:24.609 it with ledgers. With accounting, if you just 00:23:24.609 --> 00:23:27.250 follow the money, the five million rupee indemnity, 00:23:27.349 --> 00:23:30.470 the 50 lakh to buy back its own land, that insane 00:23:30.470 --> 00:23:34.309 70 lakh annual subsidy, it's a masterclass in 00:23:34.309 --> 00:23:36.369 financial warfare. They weaponized debt. They 00:23:36.369 --> 00:23:39.170 weaponized debt and the cost of protection. They 00:23:39.170 --> 00:23:41.849 blood the state dry, created chaos, and then 00:23:41.849 --> 00:23:44.569 stepped in to restore order. It's the ultimate 00:23:44.569 --> 00:23:47.130 squeeze play. They go from being a trading partner 00:23:47.130 --> 00:23:49.609 to a protection racket and finally to the new 00:23:49.609 --> 00:23:51.809 landlord, all while pretending they're just there 00:23:51.809 --> 00:23:54.140 to help. And that brings us back to that question 00:23:54.140 --> 00:23:56.940 of legitimacy. The sources are clear that everyone 00:23:56.940 --> 00:23:59.400 in Ud, the Muslim elite, the Hindu landowners, 00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:02.420 the Hindu peasantry, saw the 1856 annexation 00:24:02.420 --> 00:24:05.140 as a profound betrayal. So that brings us to 00:24:05.140 --> 00:24:07.519 our final thought. Given that the Nawabs family 00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:10.259 was known for its secularism and that they successfully 00:24:10.259 --> 00:24:13.859 governed a state that was 80 % Hindu, what does 00:24:13.859 --> 00:24:17.240 the fierce unified resistance in 1857 tell us 00:24:17.240 --> 00:24:19.819 about how the people of Ud saw their own rulers 00:24:19.819 --> 00:24:22.150 versus how they saw the British? It suggests 00:24:22.150 --> 00:24:24.450 that whatever flaws the Nawab's government had, 00:24:24.609 --> 00:24:26.369 it was seen as their own. It was legitimate. 00:24:26.529 --> 00:24:29.809 It was infinitely preferable to the cold, economically 00:24:29.809 --> 00:24:33.049 predatory and culturally alien rule of the company. 00:24:33.470 --> 00:24:35.910 The people of Ud didn't rise up to get rid of 00:24:35.910 --> 00:24:38.630 their Nawab. They rose up to get him back. That 00:24:38.630 --> 00:24:40.970 unification of the Hindu majority and the Muslim 00:24:40.970 --> 00:24:44.170 leadership in that rebellion, that's a powerful 00:24:44.170 --> 00:24:46.750 statement. It's perhaps Ud's most important legacy. 00:24:47.369 --> 00:24:49.769 And it stands as a testament to the unique kind 00:24:49.769 --> 00:24:52.769 of syncretic, stable society that dynasty had 00:24:52.769 --> 00:24:55.150 managed to build. A society that was destroyed 00:24:55.150 --> 00:24:57.190 not because it failed, but because it was too 00:24:57.190 --> 00:24:59.789 rich to be left alone. That question of how that 00:24:59.789 --> 00:25:01.789 unity was forged and what it meant is something 00:25:01.789 --> 00:25:03.329 absolutely worth exploring further.