New Delhi, February 18 A new English translation of a seminal Urdu work on the life and legacy of Awadh’s last ruler seeks to reclaim Wajid Ali Shah as a major cultural visionary, whose artistic contributions have long been overshadowed by narratives from the colonial era.
Titled “Wajid Ali Shah: A Cultural and Literary Legacy,” the book has been written and translated by Shah’s great-grandson, the late Kaukub Quder Sajjad Ali Meerza, and Meerza’s daughter, Talat Fatima, who is also a legal academic and author specializing in cyber law.
Originally published in Urdu in 1995 as "Wajid Ali Shah Ki Adabi aur Sakhawati Khidmat" by Tarraqi Urdu Bureau, New Delhi, the English translation aims to introduce contemporary readers to a fuller portrait of the last ruler of Awadh, who is often remembered in popular imagination as the ill-fated king dethroned by the British, and who sought solace in music and dance during his exile.
"Drawing from rare manuscripts, forgotten letters, and overlooked compositions, the book reconstructs the multifaceted life of a ruler who was not only a patron of the arts, but also a prolific poet, dramatist, musicologist, and innovator in architecture, fashion, and performance," said publisher Hachette India in a statement.
The book is touted as both a biography and a cultural history of 19th-century Awadh, attempting to restore a neglected voice to India’s artistic heritage and challenge long-standing myths of decadence and incompetence associated with the ruler.
It has been endorsed by historians such as Irfan Habib and filmmaker Muzzafar Ali.
While Habib described the book as a "truthful, humane portrait of a misunderstood poet-king," Ali said that the English translation will go a long way in bringing out the "true picture of an unfortunate poet-king, so vilified by the usurpers of his thriving kingdom."
"Now translated into English by his daughter, Dr Talat Fatima, herself a distinguished scholar of AMU, this 600-page work stands as an indispensable and enduring contribution to the study of Wajid Ali Shah and nineteenth-century Awadh," said Habib, professor emeritus at Aligarh Muslim University, in his praise for the book.
Meerza, who died in 2020 at the age of 87 due to Covid-19, had also worked as a research consultant for acclaimed filmmaker Satyajit Ray on the film "Shatranj Ke Khiladi," which is set during the final phase of Wajid Ali Shah’s reign. In addition, he also contributed to NCERT’s writings on Begum Hazrat Mahal, the second wife of the Nawab of Awadh and the regent of Awadh during 1857-1858.
The book, priced at Rs 1,299, is currently available for purchase across online and offline stores.