The Queen's Gambit

On this day in 1856, The Britishers used their malice and through duplicitous means, annexed Awadh and deposed Wajid Ali Shah.

An 1856 Map of Awadh; Source: Zum.de

The Mughal Empire after Aurangzeb fell into a crisis- rulers were severely incompetent and lost their grip on the empire. The power vested in the Mughal crown declined drastically and rulers in various parts of the empire sensed this. Alternate centres of power began emerging as power got decentralized. The governors of Awadh too started to assert more and more autonomy. In a few years, Awsdh transformed entirely into a strong independent polity. A major reason for the ascendence of Awadh's power was the fact that they were in control of the fertile Central and Lower Doab.

The British had their eyes set on capturing Awadh. It stood as a buffer land between the territory controlled by the Britishers (Bengal and Bihar) and the territorial possessions of the Marathas.

However, after the decline of Maratha Power, Awadh didn't serve the purpose anymore and the British looked to consolidate their power in Awadh as well.

They defeated the armies of Nawab of Bengal, Nawab of Awadh, and Shah Alam II at the Battle of Buxar. Subsequently, they became the most important power in the region. In the aftermath of Buxar, the Treaty of Allahabad was signed between them, under which East India Company was to receive 50 Lakhs from Awadh. Moreover, both sides were to assist one another in case of conflict with other kingdoms.

The British took another step in this direction when Lord Wallesley strong-armed Nawab Saadat Ali Khan to concede half of the territory under his possession, thus cornering Awadh.

Wajid Ali Shas became the last Nawab of Awadh in 1822. He wasn't a bad administrator, but his failings were exaggerated by the British because as per the Doctrine of Lapse, they could assume control of territory in the case of misrule. On 7th February 1856, Lord Dalhousie ordered the army to depose Wajid Ali Shah on the ground of his misrule as the administrator.

While the annexation of Awadh was a bloodless transfer of power, it added to the tensions between the Britishers and the natives. All hell broke loose when the Revolt of 1857 took place, wherein Wajid Ali Shah's son took to agitating against the British with the help of the locals and Awadh emerged as one of the focal points of conflict.