A Nawab's secret journey to the throne: How British betrayal dethroned Wazir Ali in 1798
Wazir Ali
, the fifth
Nawab of Awadh
, was only 20 at the time of his coronation. This self-respecting young ruler refused to play in the hands of the British. Therefore, after four months of his coronation, Sir
John Shore
, the Governor General of India, chalked out a secret plan in Jan 1798 to replace him by his uncle
Saadat Ali Khan
.
On Jan 13, 1798, Saadat Ali signed an agreement to give half of Awadh to the British in exchange for the throne.
On Jan 16, Saadat Ali was informed by GF Cherry, the agent of Governor General at Varanasi, that he should secretly reach Lucknow for the coronation.
Saadat Ali immediately left his house giving the impression that he was going to attend a dinner but clandestinely got into a waiting palanquin which was equipped for the long journey.
For the sake of secrecy, Saadat Ali travelled from Varanasi to Kanpur only with two trusted unarmed men. His personal pistol was the only weapon he had. He reached Kanpur on Jan 19 afternoon, and after a halt of a few hours, which according to the instruction of the Governor-General was organized by Major General Robert, left for Lucknow protected by Colonel McGowan's army.
On Jan 20, they reached Mohaan, the pre-decided place near Lucknow.
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The next day, according to the secret plan, Governor General John Shore called Nawab Wazir Ali to Bibiapur Kothi on the outskirts of Lucknow on the false pretext of discussing some important administrative issues and arrested him there.
The same day, Saadat Ali's secret journey to the throne ended on a happy note as he was declared the sixth ruler of Awadh by the British and taken to the city in a royal procession.
(The writer is a well-known historian and the author of 'The Life and Times of the Nawabs of Lucknow')
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