The last great grand son of of the last king of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah is no more. He breathed his last on Sunday evening. The last real prince of Awadh namely Kaukab Quder Sajjad Ali Meerza died in Kolkatta at the age of 87 after succumbing to deadly Covid 19 having been infected by the dreaded virus a week ago.
He was the grandson of the Awadh’s last King Wajid Ali Shah n Begam Hazrat Mahal’s son Nawab Birjis Qadr. late prince Sajad Ali Meerza, the last surviving prince was also the senior trustee of the Sibtainabad Imamnara Trust in Matiaburj Kolkatta where his great grand father last king of Awadh lies buried and the last great grandson as well.
He is survived by his wife who hailed from a prestigious family of Lucknow, famous Khaandaan – e- ijtehaad, two sons and four daughters.
It may be recalled that the last King of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah was ousted from his kingdom of Oudh by the Britishers in 1856 and sent to Metiaburz, Calcutta on an annual pension of Rs 12 lakhs.
Generous kind and companssionate towards his subjects Wajid Ali Shah was extremely magnanimous n passionate patron of Indian traditional fine arts having special charm for Thumri, Kathak n other classical dances including ghazals n various other forms of dances etc.
After ascending to throne from where he ruled for nine long years from 1847 to 1856 Wajid Ali Shah was famous for administration of justice, organising military and making land reforms. He was forced to finance the entire British Army n their lodging n boarding etc.
He was also imprisoned in Fort Williams by the British alongwith his prime minister in Bengal as the English feared that he may pose a great challenge to their authority by colluding with the king of India Bahadur Shah Zafar n the Indian revolutionery Sepoys who’d revolted in 1957 against the British forces and installed his son as king of Awadh.
Wajid Ali Shah was the eleventh and the last king of Awadh who ruled for nine years from 1847 to 1856. His first wife was Alam Ara who was better known as khas Mahal due to her exquisite beauty being one of the two wedded wives.
