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| Asaf-ud-Daula | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirza (Royal title) NawabWazir ofAwadh Khan Bahadur Adan Muqaam[nt 1] | |||||
 Water colour in style ofZoffany | |||||
| Nawab of Awadh | |||||
| Reign | 26 January 1775–21 September 1797 | ||||
| Coronation | 26 January 1775 | ||||
| Predecessor | Shuja-ud-Daula | ||||
| Successor | Wazir Ali Khan | ||||
| Born | (1748-09-23)23 September 1748 Faizabad,Kingdom of Oudh | ||||
| Died | 21 September 1797(1797-09-21) (aged 48) Lucknow,Kingdom of Oudh | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Issue | adopted sonWazir Ali Khan | ||||
| |||||
| Dynasty | Nishapuri | ||||
| Father | Shuja-ud-Daula | ||||
| Mother | Umat uz-Zohra Begum Sahiba | ||||
| Religion | Shia Islam | ||||
| Military career | |||||
| Allegiance | Mughal Empire | ||||
| Service | Nawab of Oudh | ||||
| Rank | Subadar,Grand Vizier,Nawab | ||||
Mirza Asaf-ud-Daula (23 September 1748 – 21 September 1797) was theNawab wazir of Oudh ratified byShah Alam II, from 26 January 1775 to 21 September 1797,[1] and the son ofShuja-ud-Dowlah. His mother and grandmother were theBegums ofOudh.[2]
Asaf-ud-Dowlah became Nawab at the age of 26, on the death of his father,Shuja-ud-Daula, on 28 January 1775.[3] He assumed the throne with the aid of theBritish East India Company, outmanoeuvring his younger brother Saadat Ali who led a failed mutiny in the army. British ColonelJohn Parker defeated the mutineers decisively, securing Asaf-ud-Daula's succession. His first Chief Minister,Mukhtar-ud-Daula, was assassinated in the revolt.[4]
The other challenge to Asaf's rule was his motherUmat-ul-Zohra (better known as Bahu Begum), who had amassed considerable control over the treasury and her ownjagirs and private armed forces. She, at one point, sought the Company's direct assistance in the appointment of anti-Asaf ministers. When Shuja-ud-Daula died, he left two millionpounds sterling buried in the vaults of thezenana. The widow and mother of the deceased prince claimed the whole of this treasure under the terms of a will which was never produced. WhenWarren Hastings pressed the nawab for the payment of the debt due to the Company, he obtained from his mother a loan of 26 lakh (2.6 million)rupees, for which he gave her ajagir (land) of four times the value; of subsequently obtained 30 lakh (3 million) more in return for a full acquittal, and the recognition of her jagirs without interference for life by the Company. These jagirs were afterwards confiscated on the ground of the begum's complicity in the rising ofChait Singh, which was attested by documentary evidence.[2] Ultimately this removed Umat-ul-Zohra as an obstacle to Asaf's reign.
In the aftermath of Saadat's revolt, Asaf sought to restructure the government, particularly by appointing nobles favourable to his cause and British officers to his military. Asaf appointedHasan Riza Khan as his chief minister. Although he had little experience in administration, his assistantHaydar Beg Khan turned out to be a valuable support.Tikayt Ray was appointed as the finance minister.[4]
Asaf was known for his generosity, particularly the offering of food and public employment in times of famine. Notably, theBara Imambara in Lucknow, was constructed during his reign by destitute workers seeking employment. A popular saying of his time spoke of his benevolence: "Jisko na de Maulā, usko de Asaf-ud-daulā" which translates to "to whom even God does not give, Asaf-ud-Daula gives."[5]
He was painted several times byJohann Zoffany.[6]
In 1775 he moved the capital of Awadh fromFaizabad toLucknow and built various monuments in and around Lucknow, including theBara Imambara.[citation needed]
Nawab Asaf-ud-Dowlah is considered the architect general ofLucknow. With the ambition to outshine the splendour ofMughal architecture, he built a number of monuments and developed the city of Lucknow into an architectural marvel. Several of the buildings surviving today, include the famedAsafi Imambara, which attracts tourists even today, and theQaisar Bagh area of the downtownLucknow where thousands live in resurrected buildings.
TheAsafi Imambara is a famed vaulted structure surrounded by beautiful gardens, which the Nawab started as a charitable project to generate employment during the famine of 1784. In that famine even the nobles were reduced to penury. It is said that Nawab Asaf employed over 20,000 people for the project (including commoners and noblemen), which was neither a masjid nor a mausoleum (contrary to the popular contemporary norms of buildings). The Nawab's sensitivity towards preserving the reputation of the upper class is demonstrated in the story of the construction of Imambara. During daytime, common citizens employed on the project would construct the building. On the night of every fourth day, the noble and upper-class people were employed in secret to demolish the structure built, an effort for which they received payment. Thus, their dignity was preserved.
The Nawab became so famous for his generosity that it is still a well-known saying in Lucknow that "he who does not receive (livelihood) from the Ali-Moula, will receive it from Asaf-ud-Doula" (Jisko na de Moula, usko de Asaf-ud-Doula).
TheRumi Darwaza, which stands sixty feet tall,[7] modeled (1784) after theSublime Porte (Bab-iHümayun) inIstanbul, is one of the most important examples of the exchange between the two cultures.[8]
He died on 21 September 1797 in Lucknow and is buried atBara Imambara, Lucknow.
| Preceded by | Wazir al-Mamalik of Oudh 1775 – 1797 | Succeeded by |
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Asaf-ud-Dowlah".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 714.ASAF-UD-DOWLAH ... was the son of Shuja-ud-Dowlah, his mother and grandmother being the begums of Oudh