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Few places in the
world are endowed with such rich cultural traditions as in
this romantic city of Nawabs. Whether it is history, architecture,
music, dance, handicrafts, etiquette, or sports—Lucknow
has its own story to tell.
Surprisingly, the story of Lucknow began not very long ago.
Though the city traces its origin to the Suryavanshi dynasty
of Ayodhya, it actually came into prominence during the 18th
century. In 1732, Muhammad Shah, one of the later kings of
the once-powerful Mughal dynasty, appointed Mohammad Amir Saadat
Khan, a Persian adventurer of noble lineage, to the viceroyalty
of the area known as Avadh, of which Lucknow was a part. Saadat
Khan was the founder of the famous dynasty known as the Nawab
Wazirs—a dynasty which changed the face of this hitherto
little-known place. Under his successors, Lucknow flowered
as never before and all but became the cultural nerve centre
of Northern India. The rapid growth of Lucknow dates from 1755
when the fourth Nawab, Asaf-ud-Daula transferred the capital
of Avadh from Faizabad to Lucknow and began constructing some
splendid architectural marvels, a tradition that was sustained
by this successors. During this period, Lucknow also established
its pre-eminent place in the field of poetry, music and dance.
A colourful local culture, incorporating fairs and festivals
also flourished alongside. However, what set apart Lucknow
from other cities of the time was a certain elegance and grace
of lifestyle. In fact, even today the city breathes history,
and the sound of laughter and music, the tinkling of ankle
bells and the mellifluous rendering of Urdu poetry (shairi)
still echo and reverberate through the long corridors of time.
As you wander through the city, you will encounter a kind of
refined courtesy that seems to belong to another age. |
