Why In News?

• An exhibition, a walk and a talk to be held in Kolkata will mark the bicentenary year of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the last king of Awadh.

About Nawab Wajid Ali Shah:

=> Wajid Ali Shah (30 July 1822 – 1 September 1887) was the eleventh and last King of Awadh, holding the position for 9 years, from 13 February 1847 to 11 February 1856.

=> His kingdom, long protected by the East India Company (EIC), was annexed under the tenure of the Governor-General Lord Dalhousie on 11 February 1856 under the pretext of "maladministration" and "lawlessness" .

=> The Nawab was exiled to Garden Reach in Metiabruz, then a suburb of Kolkata, where he lived out the rest of his life on a pension.

His Contribution:

=> He was a poet, playwright, dancer and great patron of the arts. He is widely credited with the revival of Kathak as a major form of classical Indian dance.

=> Contribution to Administration: He was generous, kind and compassionate towards his subjects. He took keen interest in the administration of justice, introduced reforms, and reorganised the military.

=> Contributions to music:

• A large number of composers, including Wajid Ali Shah himself, enriched the light classical form of thumri. Although Wajid Ali Shah's pen-name was "Qaisar", he used pseudonym "Akhtarpiya" for his numerous compositions. Diwan-i-Akhtar, Husn-i-Akhtar contain his ghazals. He is said to have composed many new ragas and named them Jogi, Juhi, Shah-Pasand, etc. The source for much information on music in Nawabi Lucknow comes from the text Ma’danul Moosiqui ('The Mine of Music') of Hakim Mohammed Karam Imam, courtier of Wajid Ali Shah.

Contributions to dance:

• Kathak Under Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, Kathak achieved greater dimensions. He gave a definite form, made it more artistic, and gave to it an aesthetic touch, he enriched it with rasa and bhava, and he added literature to it. During this period, Kathak was also extensively performed by tawaifs. They frequently performed on lighter classical music such as dadra, kajri and tappa as well as thumri. Wajid Ali Shah started two distinct forms one is Rahas and the other one is called Raas. Rahas was a dramatic form of theatre including acting, dancing, and music while Raas was purely a religious form. Primarily Dhrupad was sung in Raas and the performance began with its singing. Raas was a circular form of dance where many gopis danced with one Krishna. He himself choreographed a dance based on the moves of Kathak called, Rahas, that he danced himself with the ladies of his court. It was at his reign that Lucknow Gharana came into existence. The Lucknow style of Kathak dance is characterized by graceful movements, elegance and natural poise with dance.

Contributions to Hindustani theatre:

• He established the famous Parikhaana (abode of fairies) in which hundreds of beautiful and talented girls were taught music and dancing by expert-teachers engaged by the royal patron. He used to organise a spectacular pageant or Mela known as Jogia Jashan, in which all citizens of Lucknow could participate, dressed as Yogis, irrespective of caste and creed. Later, when his favourite venue, the Qaisarbagh Baradari was built, he began to stage his magnificent Rahas (a Personalised name for Rasleela) full of sensuous poetry, his own lyrical compositions and glamorous Kathak dances.

Contributions to literature:

• He also patronised literature and several poets and writers. Notable among them were 'Barq', 'Ahmad Mirza Sabir', 'Mufti Munshi', and 'Aamir Ahmad Amir', Irshad-us-Sultan and Hidayat-us-Sultan, Amanat the famous author of Indra Sabha and Bekhud, who wrote Jalwa-Akhatar, Hajjo Sharaf and Afsana-in-Lucknow. The famous poet Mirza Ghalib also received the gracious patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, who granted him a pension of Rupees five hundred per year in 1854.

Conclusion:

=> As we live in polarised times, it’s inspirational to look back at personalities, especially artists, who were more liberal in their approach and had to tackle and overcome boundaries and restrictions in their own times.

=> Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was definitely one such artist and personality and there’s something so charming and fascinating in not only the way he made art himself, but the way in which he facilitated and paved the way for other artists around him.