India, July 26 -- The Nawabi rulers of Awadh, despite their medieval lineage, were not particularly known for cruel practices (other than animal fights) or viciousness. Having a laid-back approach to governance, they remained engaged in the construction of magnificent palaces, enjoying gastronomic delights and other pleasures while resisting various pressures from East India Company officials stationed at Calcutta and Lucknow. Among the 11 rulers of Awadh, it was Nasir-ud-Din Haider, the second 'king' who stood out for his temperamental outbursts. Nasir's origins were troubled, being born to a maidservant named Subh Daulat, who was in the service of Badshah Begum, the 'khas mahal' or chief consort of Ghazi-ud-Din Haider. Following Nasir's birth, the begum, in a fit of rage, orchestrated the death of his mother, a heinous act that left an indelible mark on Nasir's life. There were even plans to eliminate the newborn, which were thwarted by the intervention of the begum's courtiers. Growing up under the tutelage of Badshah Begum herself, Nasir, who was chafing under the thumb of the begum, changed his attitude towards his foster-mother, once he was crowned as king. After all, the begum had his mother killed, and at one point of time, even submitted a written petition to her husband, the king, that Nasir was not actually his son. Successive prime ministers viz Agha Mir, Hakim Mehdi and Roshan-ud-Daula played their cards in order to create differences between the young king and his foster-mother, as a result of which, matters went from bad to worse. The king and the dowager queen complained against each other to successive British Residents, but the EIC officials feigned helpless, citing that it was an entirely a family matter between mother and son, on which the British could not intervene. Badshah Begum, an aggressive and haughty lady, who had never capitulated before her husband and king, Ghazi-ud-Din Haider, had no intention of bowing down before the wishes of Nasir, who desired that she should leave the Farhat Baksh palace complex and reside in a remote location, away from Lucknow. The begum started amassing a private army to take on the king's forces and there were several skirmishes between the two groups, much to the alarm of the Resident and the horror of the citizens of Lucknow. Nasir also harassed her in petty ways, confiscated her jagir (estate) and blocked her finances. Thus humiliated, the begum ultimately shifted her establishment to Almas Bagh, which was then remotely located, away from the main city. She was penniless but not helpless, and continued with her role as a 'king maker' even after the death of Nasir in 1837. Nasir had no brother, who by convention would have been the General or 'Jarnail' of the Awadh armed forces. This honour fell upon a certain Raja Bakhtawar Singh, who was an upright and efficient man. Once, during a lunch party hosted at the Dilkusha, His Majesty, attired in western clothes was twirling his silk hat in the manner of carefree Englishmen, attempting to poke his finger through the top of the hat. His finger went through easily, which prompted the Raja to proclaim jocularly, 'There is a hole in your Majesty's crown.' Nasir, who was extremely sensitive about his origins and royalty went red with anger and ordered Roshan-ud-Daula, then prime minister, to have Bakhtawar arrested and beheaded. The captain of the bodyguard, a European officer, intervened in Bakhtawar's favour and took him into his personal custody; that the personal relations between the general and the prime minister were not cordial was generally known, and the personal safety of Bakhtawar could not be guaranteed under Roshan-ud-Daula's custody. The unfortunate court official and his family were subject to immense humiliation and deprivation and finally removed from Lucknow, to an unspecified location. His properties and wealth in Lucknow were confiscated, his turban defiled and his sword shattered by a blacksmith, in full view of the court, under the express orders of the king himself. A year went by, and it was observed that hoarding and corrupt practices were rampant in the markets, leading to food shortages and black-marketing. Nasir made surreptitious inquiries, and came to know that Bakhtawar had kept a tight check on such corrupt practices when he was in office. The chastened king brought back Bakhtawar and reinstated him to his original position in the Nawabi court. Although the incident ended on a positive note, it cannot be denied that an upright official and his family faced enormous deprivation due to the unstable behaviour of a ruler, who wielded absolute powers without any accountability. PC Sarkar, a former scientist, has authored several books on the forgotten heritage of Lucknow...