India, Sept. 6 -- Among the countless British sympathisers of Indian descent who were involved in and around Lucknow during the events of 1857, two names stand out in ignominy: Angad Singh and Kannauji Lal. The former was a retired 'sepoy' of the East India Company, while the latter had served as a nazir' (court official) in the deputy commissioner's court of Daryabad (Barabanki), before he turned rogue and became an informant for the British. In this article however, we shall focus on a lesser-known alleged British 'mole' who was funded and positioned in the Lucknow Nawabi court, much before 1857. His life-story is particularly intriguing, especially because of its unforeseen and surprising conclusion. One Haji Muhammad Beg fled from Persia to escape the tyranny of Nadir Shah and arriving in India, developed a close friendship with Safdar Jang. He was later appointed in the court of the young Nawab Wazir as an assistant. However, Shuja-ud-Daula, successor of Safdar Jang, was antagonistic towards Beg, as a result of which, the latter fled to Murshidabad, Bengal. His son, Mirza Abu Taleb, born in Lucknow in 1752, would later be offered the post of 'Amil' (revenue collector) in Etawah, by Asaf-ud-Daula. Abu Taleb who was highly educated and erudite, developed a close association with the British; he was appointed by Col Hannay, collector of Gorakhpur, as his assistant. Subsequently, on the advice of Warren Hastings, Taleb was later called upon by Nathaniel Middleton, Resident at Lucknow, to help in suppressing Raja Balbhadra Singh, a rich zamindar, who had revolted against the Nawabi regime. The Raja was killed, but Abu Taleb became persona non-grata in Lucknow, after Middleton's exit. Taleb travelled to Calcutta and laid bare his woes to Lord Cornwallis, then governor general, who deputed him back to Lucknow to report to George Cherry, the Resident (discussed in an earlier article). Perhaps he became a 'mole' of the EIC at this juncture, as Cherry was known to maintain a network of informers, during his stint as Resident. Taleb's good fortune, however, did not last long, as Cherry was transferred to Benaras and Asaf-ud-Daula ordered Taleb to leave Lucknow. Taleb, again returned to Calcutta and pleaded with John Shore (one can imagine his clout with the East India Company, as he could directly appeal to successive governor generals), for assistance. Captain David Richardson of the EIC, then invited Taleb to accompany him to Europe, all expenses paid, since at that point of time, Taleb was 'without employment and depressed in mind.' Taleb's international exposure now commenced, having parted company from Richardson on the way. He was lavishly entertained at Cape Town, received in Dublin by Lord Cornwallis himself, and on reaching London, he met the leading dignitaries, including key officials of the British Government and East India Company. He would be known as 'The Persian Prince' during his stay in London, although he laid no claims on royalty. As George Cherry had maintained an espionage network in the Awadh court, after his assassination in 1799, it was logical that Taleb be relocated to ensure his safety. It is surmised that being an erudite Shia scholar and speaker, he seemed to be uniquely positioned to impact the events of Awadh (including its annexation), if need be. Being a cloak-and-dagger operation, no historical records are available on the entire exercise, although several aspects of this case are obvious. Taleb (and his father), despite their Persian antecedents, remained persona non-grata in the Awadh court from the times of Shuja-ud-Daula. Conversely, Taleb had access to the highest echelons of power in the EIC, spread across Lucknow, Calcutta and London. What did the British see in him, which the Nawabi administrators did not? Why had his father been hounded out of Faizabad, and so sudden had been his departure that he could only carry with him, 'only his gold and jewels' - the rest of his property being 'plundered by soldiers?' Even the family had been left behind, which continued to reside in Lucknow till 1766. The rationale behind the East India Company's decision to send the financially struggling Abu Taleb on a four-and-a-half-year, all-expenses-paid journey to Europe is not immediately apparent. There were more affordable and closer safe havens accessible. The probable explanation is that the British foresaw Abu Taleb playing a significant role in Awadh if and when the EIC ultimately opted to annex the problematic state. Additionally, upon his return from Europe, travelling through Constantinople and then across Kurdistan and present-day Iraq to the Shia holy sites of Karbala and Najaf, he may have been enhancing his credentials in preparation for serious political endeavors ahead. In August 1803, Taleb arrived in Calcutta, where he rekindled his friendship with Captain Richardson, who was then busy in establishing a staff college for EIC officials in nearby Barasat, 16 miles away from Calcutta. Ultimately, the EIC never recouped its investment, as Abu Taleb passed away shortly thereafter in 1805. PC Sarkar, a former scientist, has authored several books on the forgotten heritage of Lucknow...