‘The Lion and the Lily’: Ira Mukhoty’s new book on Awadh history resurrects Nawab Begum, Bahu Begum
Using Persian, English, and hitherto untranslated French sources, Mukhoty brings to focus the lives and times of 18th century Awadh.
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The 18th century was a tumultuous period in Indian history, marked by wars and battles which would change its fate forever. But it did not happen in isolation. Certain events happening in faraway Europe would lead to a significant transformation for both India and Europe deeply influencing their respective histories and interactions with each other.
The British East India Company (EIC) and the French East India Company competed for dominance in India during the Carnatic Wars (1746-1763). The British emerged victorious, securing their supremacy. Concurrently, the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) in Europe, which began over North American territories, concluded with the Treaty of Paris. This treaty significantly curtailed French trading interests in India and established the EIC's dominance, including political and military involvement in Indian territories.
The Battle of Buxar in 1764 was crucial, where the British, led by Hector Munro, defeated the combined forces of Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, Nawab Shuja-ud-Daulah of Awadh, and Mir Qasim, the deposed Nawab of Bengal. The Treaty of Allahabad (1765) followed, with Shah Alam II ceding diwani rights over Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, and Shuja-ud-Daulah ceding territory and paying a large indemnity.
This led to the decline of the Mughal Empire and the eventual establishment of British colonial...
