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18-560: The city was founded in 1793 AD by " Muhammad Yahya Asif Al-Dawla Bahadur Al-Hindi " ( محمّد يحيى آصف الدولة بهادر الهندي), who was the first Nawab of Awadh . He funded digging a canal on the Euphrates to provide drinkable water for the region. Nouri al Maliki went to school there in his younger days. This Iraq geographical location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Asaf-ud-Daula Mirza Asaf-ud-Daula (23 September 1748 – 21 September 1797)

36-435: A failed mutiny in the army. British Colonel John Parker defeated the mutineers decisively, securing Asaf-ud-Daula's succession. His first Chief Minister, Mukhtar-ud-Daula , was assassinated in the revolt. The other challenge to Asaf's rule was his mother Umat-ul-Zohra (better known as Bahu Begum), who had amassed considerable control over the treasury and her own jagirs and private armed forces. She, at one point, sought

54-550: A loan of 26 lakh (2.6 million) rupees , for which he gave her a jagir (land) of four times the value; of subsequently obtained 30 lakh (3 million) more in return for a full acquittal, and the recognition of her jagirs without interference for life by the Company. These jagirs were afterwards confiscated on the ground of the begum's complicity in the rising of Chait Singh , which was attested by documentary evidence. Ultimately this removed Umat-ul-Zohra as an obstacle to Asaf's reign. In

72-527: Is a shrine built by Shia Muslims for the purpose of Azadari . This imambara is the second largest after the Nizamat Imambara . The building complex also includes the large Asfi mosque , the Bhul-bhulaiya (the labyrinth), and Bowli, a steep well with running water. Two imposing gateways lead to the main hall. It is said that there are 1024 ways to reach the terrace, but only two ways to come back, which

90-406: Is through the first gate or the last gate. It is an accidental architecture. Construction of Bara Imambara was started in 1780, a year of devastating famine, and one of Asaf-ud-Daula's objectives in embarking on this grandiose project was to provide employment for people in the region for almost a decade while the famine lasted. It is said that ordinary people used to work during the day building up

108-654: The Sublime Porte (Bab-iHümayun) in Istanbul , is one of the most important examples of the exchange between the two cultures. He died on 21 September 1797 in Lucknow and is buried at Bara Imambara , Lucknow. Asafi Imambara Bara Imambara ( Hindi : बड़ा इमामबाड़ा), also known as Asafi Imambara , is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India , built by Asaf-ud-Daula , Nawab of Awadh , in 1784. Bara means big . An Imambara

126-599: The edifice , while noblemen and other elite worked at night to break down anything that was raised that day. It was a project that preceded a Keynesian -like intervention for employment generation. Construction of the Imambara was completed in 1784. The estimated cost of building the Imambara ranges between half a million rupees to a million rupees. Even after completion, the Nawab used to spend between four and five hundred thousand rupees on its decoration annually. The architecture of

144-424: The Company's direct assistance in the appointment of anti-Asaf ministers. When Shuja-ud-Daula died, he left two million pounds sterling buried in the vaults of the zenana . The widow and mother of the deceased prince claimed the whole of this treasure under the terms of a will which was never produced. When Warren Hastings pressed the nawab for the payment of the debt due to the Company, he obtained from his mother

162-410: The aftermath of Saadat's revolt, Asaf sought to restructure the government, particularly by appointing nobles favourable to his cause and British officers to his military. Asaf appointed Hasan Riza Khan as his chief minister. Although he had little experience in administration, his assistant Haydar Beg Khan turned out to be a valuable support. Tikayt Ray was appointed as the finance minister. Asaf

180-458: The buildings surviving today, include the famed Asafi Imambara , which attracts tourists even today, and the Qaisar Bagh area of the downtown Lucknow where thousands live in resurrected buildings. The Asafi Imambara is a famed vaulted structure surrounded by beautiful gardens, which the Nawab started as a charitable project to generate employment during the famine of 1784. In that famine even

198-457: The complex reflects the maturation of ornamented Mughal design, namely the Badshahi Mosque; it is one of the last major projects not incorporating any European elements or the use of iron. The main imambara consists of a large vaulted central chamber containing the tomb of Asaf-ud-Daula. At 50 by 16 meters and over 15 meters tall, it has no beams supporting the ceiling and is one of

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216-473: The largest such arched constructions in the world. There are eight surrounding chambers built to different roof heights, permitting the space above these to be reconstructed as a three-dimensional labyrinth with passages interconnecting with each other through 489 identical doorways. This part of the building, and often the whole complex, may be referred to as the Bhulbhulaiya . It is a popular attraction among

234-450: The locals as well as the tourists and is possibly the only existing maze in India. It came about unintentionally to support the weight of the building, which is constructed on marshy land. Asaf-ud-Daula also erected the 18 meter (59 foot) high Roomi Darwaza just outside. This portal, embellished with lavish decorations, was the Imambara's west-facing entrance. The Bara Imambara is among

252-426: The nobles were reduced to penury. It is said that Nawab Asaf employed over 20,000 people for the project (including commoners and noblemen), which was neither a masjid nor a mausoleum (contrary to the popular contemporary norms of buildings). The Nawab's sensitivity towards preserving the reputation of the upper class is demonstrated in the story of the construction of Imambara. During daytime, common citizens employed on

270-610: The project would construct the building. On the night of every fourth day, the noble and upper-class people were employed in secret to demolish the structure built, an effort for which they received payment. Thus, their dignity was preserved. The Nawab became so famous for his generosity that it is still a well-known saying in Lucknow that "he who does not receive (livelihood) from the Ali-Moula, will receive it from Asaf-ud-Doula" ( Jisko na de Moula, usko de Asaf-ud-Doula ). The Rumi Darwaza , which stands sixty feet tall, modeled (1784) after

288-457: Was known for his generosity, particularly the offering of food and public employment in times of famine. Notably, the Bara Imambara in Lucknow, was constructed during his reign by destitute workers seeking employment. A popular saying of his time spoke of his benevolence: "Ji sko na de Maulā, usko de Asaf-ud-daulā" which translates to "to whom even God does not give, Asaf-ud-Daula gives." He

306-448: Was painted several times by Johann Zoffany . In 1775 he moved the capital of Awadh from Faizabad to Lucknow and built various monuments in and around Lucknow, including the Bara Imambara . Nawab Asaf-ud-Dowlah is considered the architect general of Lucknow . With the ambition to outshine the splendour of Mughal architecture , he built a number of monuments and developed the city of Lucknow into an architectural marvel. Several of

324-596: Was the Nawab wazir of Oudh ratified by Shah Alam II , from 26 January 1775 to 21 September 1797, and the son of Shuja-ud-Dowlah . His mother and grandmother were the Begums of Oudh . Asaf-ud-Dowlah became Nawab at the age of 26, on the death of his father, Shuja-ud-Daula , on 28 January 1775. He assumed the throne with the aid of the British East India Company , outmanoeuvring his younger brother Saadat Ali who led

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