India, Sept. 13 -- What links a neglected Nawabi garden by the Gomti with a razed church in Hazratganj and a crumbling structure within the Residency grounds beside a mosque? These remnants, steeped in history, reveal the rich and often poignant narrative of Lucknow, which we shall delve into today. In the days of British Cawnpore (now Kanpur), there resided a physician by the name of James Short, with his Armenian wife and their children: Mary, John, Eliza and Joseph. Following the untimely passing of Dr Short, his family relocated to Lucknow, where Mary, the eldest daughter, drew the eye of the reigning monarch, Ghazi-ud-Din Haider. The circumstances by which this 'vilayati girl' captivated the attention of a king entangled in a tumultuous marriage with Badshah Begum remain somewhat shrouded in mystery. Perhaps it was a serendipitous encounter, as the young maiden stood by the roadside to catch a glimpse of the king and his entourage. Alternatively, it may have been a calculated display by her bereaved mother, ensuring that her daughter donned exquisite European attire to make a memorable impression whenever the king visited the esteemed Badshah Bagh. Hearts fluttered on both sides and the king eventually married Mary, with the title of Sultan Mariam Begum or 'Vilayati Begum'. The year was 1817. Mary was close to the king's heart, and a European-style garden speedily came up beyond Bibiapur Kothi in her honour, which would be known as Vilayati Bagh. With a 'flight of steps leading to the meandering river, alcoves, covered walks, orange trees, kiosks, statuary and ornamented roofs covered with gilded bosses and spires' - it presented a pretty picture, quite different from the usual Mughal or Nawabi era gardens. Although Mary had converted to Islam, she attended divine service in a room of the Farhat Baksh, receiving 'the blessed sacrament from the Roman Catholic priest of Lucknow.' The king bestowed upon her a 'wasiqa' (fixed monthly allowance) of Rs 2,500 for perpetuity (i.e. she was free to bequeath it to her descendants). However, with the passing of Ghazi-ud-Din in 1827, Mariam joined the legions of widowed begums of Awadh living in neglect. Contracting tuberculosis later in life, she petitioned the British to allow her to leave Lucknow and settle in a place with a favourable climate, but could not succeed in her efforts. Joseph, her youngest sibling, whom she regarded as her son, arranged for her to be buried in a modest mausoleum in the Qaiser Pasand cemetery, when she died in 1849, being merely 43 years of age. Joseph, whose life was more colourful and carefree, was captured during 1857 as a British sympathiser and brought before Begum Hazrat Mahal, who had him released, due to his relation with Sultan Mariam. Interestingly, Joseph died in 1870 and was interred in the St Joseph's Church at Hazratganj. The grave and tombstone of Joseph (with others) were lost when the old church was demolished in 1969 to make way for the St Joseph's Cathedral we know today. A little beyond Dr Fayrer's house in the Residency compound was a substantial building, which had been occupied by several European merchants, including one John Culloden. Culloden's daughter, a widow named Mrs Whearty, who had a son and a daughter, later married George Walters, a British Dragoon. She bore him a daughter, Emma, who, by the machinations of a certain Baksh Ali, came to the notice of Nasir-ud-Din Haider, the second king of Awadh. Nasir-ud-Din proposed marriage and bequeathed large sums of money to Emma and her family; she came to be known as 'Muqdara-e-Alia' (Mistress of Ceremonies) or Vilayati Begum. Emma's mother got married a third time (after the untimely death of George) to Baksh Ali and the entire family converted to Islam. Vilayati Begum's foster brother was now called Amir Mirza and foster sister was named Sharaf un-Nisa. Thus, at one point of time, Lucknow had two 'vilayati' begums, one being the notional mother-in-law of the other, although the age difference between the two could not have been much. Nasir-ud-Din Haider died in July 1837 and the now dispossessed second Vilayati Begum returned to her parental house in the Residency, which came to be known as Begum Kothi. This Vilayati Begum died in November, 1840. Mohammed Ali Shah, the reigning king had desired that Muqdara-e-Alia be buried alongside her husband, Nasir-ud-Din Haider in the Iradatnagar karbala. However, the British did not allow this token of sentimentality. Both Mrs Whearty and her daughter, Emma (Muqdara-e-Alia), the second Vilayati Begum, lie buried in the grounds of the Begum Kothi. Sharaf un-Nisa was accepted as the sole beneficiary of Muqdara-e-Alia, and as a measure of gratitude, she had a masjid and an Imambada constructed within the Begum Kothi complex. Very little remains of the main Kothi now, although the arches of its gateway and some other structures are extant. The mosque and the beautifully stuccoed Imambada can be seen, but present a rather eerie appearance even in daytime, giving rise to unfounded tales concerning supernatural occurrences in the area. PC Sarkar, a former scientist, has authored several books on the forgotten heritage of Lucknow...