Read Online In the City of Gold and Silver by Kenizé Mourad, Anne Mathai in collaboration with Marie-Louise Naville - Free Book Online Page A
Ads: Link
herself she will do everything possible to infuse him with some of her boundless energy. He will have great need of it during his mission in England, which will certainly be fraught with a thousand obstacles. She is determined not to remain in Calcutta with the other Mahals, and intends to convince the Queen Mother to take her along in order to entertain the king, to make him laugh and to versify with him.
Â
On March 13th, 1856, after six weeks of confrontation that no one, not even his friends, would have believed him capable of, Wajid Ali Shah leaves his beloved town, saluted by a mixed crowd of Hindus and Muslims in tears. They accompany him for miles, showering blessings upon him, begging him not to abandon them and to return soon.
Hazrat Mahal is not among the travellers.
Â
The day before they were to depart, the Queen Mother had summoned her.
âI am sorry, my child, but despite my insistence, my son decided not to take you along.â
The young woman felt the earth slipping away from under her feet.
âBut why?â she cried out, distraught. âWhat have I done to displease His Majesty?â
âNothing, he planned to take you with him, but you must know you have powerful enemies in the zenana. The first wife, Alam Ara, made a terrible scene, swearing that if you went she would remain in Lucknow with her son, the crown prince. The king tried hard to make her change her mind, but she would hear nothing of it and he was forced to give in.â
He was forced to give in! Is he not the king? No one, not even Alam Ara, can impose their will on him. But he hates confrontation . . . and for the sake of peace he abandons me . . .
Â
She felt as if she was caught in a stranglehold, she found it difficult to breathe; her legs no longer held her up, she . . .
When she regained consciousness, she saw the Queen Mother by her side, caressing her forehead with a gentleness unusual for this woman, reputed for her coolness.
âDo not work yourself up into such a state, my child. My son and I expect a great deal from you. You will be our eyes and ears here, and you will pass everything you consider important on to us. The king appreciates your intelligence and loyalty. He knows you will not disappoint him.â
âOh, I would do anything to be of service to him!â she stammered, still overwhelmed by emotion. âBut I do not know . . . Thousands of miles apart and watched by the Angrez, how will we be able to communicate?â
âYou will find ways. The king trusts you. Never forget that he named you âthe pride of women.ââ
In the months that followed, this sentence, which Hazrat Mahal often repeated to herself during her worst moments, became her most precious talisman.
7
T he annexation of Awadh scandalises public opinion throughout India.
The Hindu Patriot
37 writes:
Â
âWhat is true of the common thief who steals an apple is also true of the âheroâ who annexes a state. If, in the first case the offense against morality condemns the culprit, then how can the usurper not be condemned even more vehemently? Awadh is ill governed we are told, so let us annex Awadh. Hyderabad is oppressed, then let us depose its sovereign.
But if one follows this reasoning, no kingdom in the world will be safe any longer from its neighbourâs aggression, inasmuch as accusations of bad government will fly the moment a powerful, unprincipled state wants to seize a weaker state unlucky enough to possess riches the former covets.â
Â
Everyone considers this annexation pure and simple theft, and they are worried. If the British are capable of betraying their most faithful ally, then surely they are capable of anything! Who will their next victim be?
Yet these fears are soon to be forgotten, as by an extraordinary coincidence, this year, 1856, the Hindu festival of colours, Holi, and the Nowruz festival, marking the beginning of the
Â
On March 13th, 1856, after six weeks of confrontation that no one, not even his friends, would have believed him capable of, Wajid Ali Shah leaves his beloved town, saluted by a mixed crowd of Hindus and Muslims in tears. They accompany him for miles, showering blessings upon him, begging him not to abandon them and to return soon.
Hazrat Mahal is not among the travellers.
Â
The day before they were to depart, the Queen Mother had summoned her.
âI am sorry, my child, but despite my insistence, my son decided not to take you along.â
The young woman felt the earth slipping away from under her feet.
âBut why?â she cried out, distraught. âWhat have I done to displease His Majesty?â
âNothing, he planned to take you with him, but you must know you have powerful enemies in the zenana. The first wife, Alam Ara, made a terrible scene, swearing that if you went she would remain in Lucknow with her son, the crown prince. The king tried hard to make her change her mind, but she would hear nothing of it and he was forced to give in.â
He was forced to give in! Is he not the king? No one, not even Alam Ara, can impose their will on him. But he hates confrontation . . . and for the sake of peace he abandons me . . .
Â
She felt as if she was caught in a stranglehold, she found it difficult to breathe; her legs no longer held her up, she . . .
When she regained consciousness, she saw the Queen Mother by her side, caressing her forehead with a gentleness unusual for this woman, reputed for her coolness.
âDo not work yourself up into such a state, my child. My son and I expect a great deal from you. You will be our eyes and ears here, and you will pass everything you consider important on to us. The king appreciates your intelligence and loyalty. He knows you will not disappoint him.â
âOh, I would do anything to be of service to him!â she stammered, still overwhelmed by emotion. âBut I do not know . . . Thousands of miles apart and watched by the Angrez, how will we be able to communicate?â
âYou will find ways. The king trusts you. Never forget that he named you âthe pride of women.ââ
In the months that followed, this sentence, which Hazrat Mahal often repeated to herself during her worst moments, became her most precious talisman.
7
T he annexation of Awadh scandalises public opinion throughout India.
The Hindu Patriot
37 writes:
Â
âWhat is true of the common thief who steals an apple is also true of the âheroâ who annexes a state. If, in the first case the offense against morality condemns the culprit, then how can the usurper not be condemned even more vehemently? Awadh is ill governed we are told, so let us annex Awadh. Hyderabad is oppressed, then let us depose its sovereign.
But if one follows this reasoning, no kingdom in the world will be safe any longer from its neighbourâs aggression, inasmuch as accusations of bad government will fly the moment a powerful, unprincipled state wants to seize a weaker state unlucky enough to possess riches the former covets.â
Â
Everyone considers this annexation pure and simple theft, and they are worried. If the British are capable of betraying their most faithful ally, then surely they are capable of anything! Who will their next victim be?
Yet these fears are soon to be forgotten, as by an extraordinary coincidence, this year, 1856, the Hindu festival of colours, Holi, and the Nowruz festival, marking the beginning of the
Similar Books
