India, June 28 -- Taj-ud-Din Mohammad, known as Roshan-ud-Daula, served as the contentious Prime Minister under the reign of Nasir-ud-Din Haider, the second king of Awadh. His appointment, seemingly orchestrated by the influential Qudsia Mahal, a favourite consort of the king, has been a point of historical debate. Scholars largely agree that both the begum and her protege, Roshan-ud-Daula, were deeply enmeshed in the palace's intrigues and engaged in substantial financial dealings, while the besotted king feigned ignorance of their machinations. It is also believed that Roshan-ud-Daula received covert backing from the British. When Qudsia Begum consumed poison, Roshan-ud-Daula tried his level best to save her life, but could not succeed. However, his concern for Qudsia Begum appears to have been contrived, since he soon conspired to have his cousin sister married to the bereaved king. As a symbol of his power and luxurious life-style, Roshan-ud-Daula had his residence constructed, possibly during 1827-37, an edifice which was unique and perhaps one of its kinds in the world. Built in an opulent manner, adopting an Islamic-French style, it was an immense four-storey structure, adorned with a half dome on the rear side of the roof and cupolas on all four sides of the top floor. The roof's facade featured a semi-circular, gilded crown, while the entrance boasted an expansive porch supported by Corinthian columns. The half dome was embellished with royal arms in gold and the cupolas adorned with intricately designed 'chhattris', reminiscent of the famed Chhattar Manzils. Both the half dome and the cupolas gleamed with a gilded finish, giving off the illusion of solid gold. The kothi had small mosques with Turkish-style minarets on either side of the main entrance. Apparently one was functional and the other was a 'jawab' or facsimile structure, used as a store room, but providing an architectural balance for the mansion. It appears that the unknown architect and/or Roshan-ud-Daula himself, had been heavily influenced by earlier Nawabi creations, including Asafi Kothi, Musa Bagh Kothi and Martin's villa (Farhat Baksh). This included a prominent central hall, octagonal in shape, with doorways leading off from all sides. Another interesting feature of the kothi was the existence of a subterranean level (tykhana) with a well, which apparently provided a cooling effect during summers and also served as a source of potable water for the establishment. The well might have been connected to a network of ducts which existed within the walls at all levels of the building, similar to Martin's last creation, Constantia. These helped in moderating the internal temperature of the building during Lucknow's torrid summers.In fact, this well-house or 'kupghar' feature had also been seen in earlier Nawabi creations such as Musa Bagh Kothi. British writer HG Keene (1875), however, wrote disparagingly that 'the kothi had ionic columns, balustrades with globe-like finials, Moorish minarets, Hindu umbrellas. arches, pediments, lanterns, all blended in a confusion which the eye may long seek vainly to disentangle and surmounted with an unmeaning gilt band.' Shortly after Nasir-ud-Din Haider's death, Roshan-ud-Daula was removed from the court by Mohammad Ali Shah, the next king of Awadh. The ex-Prime Minister was heavily fined for his misdemeanors and banished to Kanpur, where he languished in his old age, although he continued to have the support of Company officials. Wajid Ali Shah, the last King of Awadh, had the kothi renovated, re-christened 'Qaiser Pasand' (Caesar's Choice) and included in the overall layout of his new Qaiserbagh palace complex. It became the residence of Begum Mashooq Mahal and was in the hands of Indian revolutionaries during 1857-58. Its tykhana was used to imprison British prisoners who were later executed, when news of the impending British recapture of the city reached the revolutionaries (discussed in an earlier article). During colonial rule, the district courts were housed in the building, which came to be known as Roshan-ud-Daula Kutchery. According to British author Sidney Hay (1939), 'the lofty centre chamber filled with clerks sitting cross-legged at their sloping desks a few inches high. Through many rooms and up a narrow winding stair is a flat room. There perches a little iron statue of a famous dacoit, which was slightly injured by the earthquake of 1933.' The statue was part of the legends associated with the kothi, including one of Behram Khan, a notorious dacoit, who foiled every plan of the British to capture him. When he was ultimately caught and sentenced to death, his metallic statue was hung on top of the kothi to serve as a warning to similar wrongdoers. The statue might have also served as a lightning conductor of sorts. Roshan-ud-Daula Kothi had been partially demolished by the British, possibly in the early 1900s. In March 2026, the UP government formally approved the development of the kothi in an 'adaptive re-use' framework under PPP mode. Till such time the project actually materialises, the kothi will continue to exist in a forlorn state - totally deprived of its former grandeur and zany architecture. PC Sarkar, a former scientist, has authored several books on the forgotten heritage of Lucknow...