Begums, Thugs and White Mughals

by Fanny Parkes

  CHAPTER XVII

  SCENES IN OUDE

  JANUARY 1ST 1831 – New Year’s Day was celebrated with all due honour at home, the party separating at four o’clock; punch à la Romaine and fine ices making men forget the lapse of time. The people here are ice-making mad; I flatter myself I understand the mystery of ice-ification better than anyone in India.

  January 5th – The view from our verandah is remarkably good; the King of Oude, Ghazee-ood-Deen Hyder, has pitched his tent on the opposite side of the Ganges and has constructed a bridge of boats across the river. In attendance upon him, they say, there are two thousand elephants, camels and men in proportionate number; the sides of the river swarm with troops, animals, and tents.

  Early on the morning of the 6th, the Governor-General, Lord William Bentinck, arrived at Cawnpore; and her Ladyship received the station. We paid our devoirs; and, in conversation with Lady William on the subject of the zenāna of the King of Oude, I excited her curiosity so much by my account of Tājmahul, that I feel convinced she will pay her a visit on her arrival at Lucknow.

  January 7th – We were invited to breakfast with the Governor-General, with whom the King of Oude was to breakfast in state. We rode to the tents – but let me commence the narrative from the dawn of day. Long before sunrise the guns and drums in the king’s encampment announced that all were in preparation to cross the bridge of boats. About seven o’clock an enormous train of elephants, camels and troops crossed over, brilliantly decorated, and proceeded to the camp of the Governor-General. We then cantered off – I on the Bokhara grey who became very impetuous; but, although surrounded with elephants, camels, galloping horses and guns firing, I never lost my courage for an instant: nevertheless, I will play no such game again, it is too hazardous.

  Lord William met the king halfway, and having been invited to enter the royal howdah, he took his seat on the king’s elephant and they proceeded together to the breakfast-tent through a street of dragoons, infantry, etc. Lady William, with all her visitors assembled around her, was in the tent awaiting the entrance of the great people; on their arrival, after the usual embracings and forms were over, we proceeded to breakfast.

  The whole scene was one of extreme beauty. The magnificent dresses of the natives, the superb elephants covered with crimson velvet embroidered with gold, the English troops, the happy faces and the brilliant day rendered it delightful.

  After breakfast Lord William received all visitors who asked for a private audience in a separate tent: my husband made his salam, and requested permission to visit Lucknow in his Lordship’s train; having received a kind affirmative, we returned home.

  January 8th – The Governor-General returned the king’s visit and, crossing the bridge of boats, breakfasted with his majesty on the territories of Oude.

  January 10th – Lady William gave a ball to the station.

  January 11th – His lordship was invited to dinner – and dined with the eleventh dragoons, he being their colonel; the next day the Governor-General’s party commenced their march to Lucknow, the king having quitted the day before.

  January 18th – Having sent on our camels and tents beforehand, we started for Lucknow, intending to drive the whole distance in one day, for which purpose we had laid eight buggy horses on the road, the distance being only fifty-five miles.

  Going over the sandy bed of the Ganges, the horse being unable to drag the Stanhope, we mounted an elephant which took us some miles; being obliged to return the elephant, we got into a native cart drawn by bullocks, and so arrived at the spot where the second horse was laid. But the horses found it almost impossible to get through the sand, the country had been so much cut up from the multitudes that had crossed and recrossed it. In consequence night overtook us in the middle of Oude without a tent or food, and a dark night in prospect; whilst debating where to find shelter, we espied a tent in the distance which proved to be an empty one belonging to a friend of ours, and there we took up our quarters.

  A boy came forward and saying, ‘I Christian,’ offered to procure a chicken and give us a curry, which we ate off red earthen dishes, with two bits of bamboo as a knife and fork, after the style of chopsticks. I must not forget to mention that after our repast Christian came forward and repeated the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer in Hindustanī; he repeated them like a parrot, but, judging from his answers when questioned, did not appear at all to comprehend his newly-acquired religion.

  The sutrāengī, the cotton carpet of the tent, served to defend us from the cold during the night; and the next morning we recommenced our journey, but did not reach Lucknow in time to join the dinner-party at the Residency to which we were invited to meet Lady William Bentinck.

  January 18th – The Governor-General breakfasted with the king. The whole party quitted the Residency on elephants most beautifully clothed and were met halfway by his majesty. The scene was magnificent. The elephants, the camels, the crowds of picturesque natives, the horsemen and the English troops formed a tout ensemble that was quite inspiring. The Governor-General got into the king’s howdah and proceeded to the palace, where breakfast was laid in a fine service of gold and silver. After breakfast we proceeded to a verandah to see various fights and, having taken our seats, the order was given to commence the tamāshā.

  The Elephant Fights

  The river Goomtee runs in front of the verandah; and on the opposite side were collected a number of elephants paired for the combat. The animals exhibited at first no inclination to fight, although urged on by their respective mahouts, and we began to imagine this native sport would prove a failure.

  At length two elephants, equally matched, were guided by the mahouts on their backs to some distance from each other and a female elephant was placed midway. As soon as the elephants turned and saw the female they became angry, and set off at a long swinging trot to meet each other; they attacked with their long tusks, and appeared to be pressing against each other with all their might. One elephant caught the leg of the other in his trunk, and strove to throw his adversary or break his foreleg. But the most dangerous part appeared to be when they seized one another by their long trunks and interlaced them; then the combat began in good earnest. When they grew very fierce, and there was danger of their injuring themselves, fireworks were thrown in their faces which alarmed and separated them, and small rockets were also let off for that purpose.

  The situation of a mahout during the fight is one of danger. The year before, the shock of the combat having thrown the mahout to the ground, the elephant opposed to him took a step to one side and, putting his great foot upon him, quietly crushed the man to death!

  Sometimes the elephant will put up his trunk to seize his opponent’s mahout and pull him off: skill and activity are requisite to avoid the danger.

  The second pair of elephants that were brought in front of the verandah hung back, as if unwilling to fight, for some time; several natives, both on horseback and on foot, touched them up every now and then with long spears to rouse their anger. One of the elephants was a long time ere he could be induced to combat but, when once excited, he fought bravely; he was a powerful animal, too much for his adversary for having placed his tusks against the flank of his opponents, he drove him before him step-by-step across the plain to the edge of the river, and fairly rolled him over into the Goomtee. Sometimes a defeated elephant will take to the water and his adversary will pursue him across the river.

  The animals are rendered furious by giving them balls to eat made of the wax of the human ear, which the barbers collect for that purpose!

  The hair on the tail of an elephant is reckoned of such importance that the price of the animal rises or falls according to the quantity and length of the hair on the tail. It is sometimes made into bracelets for English ladies.

  A great number of elephants fought in pairs during the morning, but to have a good view of the combat one ought to be on the plain on the other side the river, nearer to the combatants. The verandah from which we
viewed the scene is rather too distant.

  When the elephant fights were over, two rhinoceros were brought before us and an amusing fight took place between them; they fought like pigs.

  The plain was covered by natives in thousands, on foot or on horseback. When the rhinoceros grew fierce they charged the crowd, and it was beautiful to see the mass of people flying before them.

  On the Goomtee, in front of the verandah, a large pleasure-boat belonging to his Majesty was sailing up and down. The boat was made in the shape of a fish, and the golden scales glittered in the sun.

  The scene was picturesque, animated, and full of novelty.

  In an enclosed court, the walls of which we overlooked, seven or eight fine wild buffaloes were confined: two tigers, one hyena and three bears were turned loose upon them. I expected to see the tigers spring upon the buffaloes, instead of which they slunk round and round the walls of the court, apparently only anxious to escape. The tigers had not a fair chance and were sadly injured, being thrown into the air by the buffaloes, and were received again when falling on their enormous horns. The buffaloes attacked them three or four together, advancing in line with their heads to the ground. I observed that when the buffaloes came up to the tiger, who was generally lying on the ground, and presented their horns close to him – if the animal raised his paw and struck one of them, he was tossed in a moment; if he remained quiet, they sometimes retreated without molesting him.

  The bears fought well, but in a most laughable style. The scene was a cruel one and I was glad when it was over. None of the animals, however, were killed.

  A fight was to have taken place between a country horse and two tigers, but Lady William Bentinck broke up the party and retired. I was anxious to see the animal, he is such a vicious beast; the other day he killed two tigers that were turned loose upon him.

  Combats also took place between rams. The creatures attacked each other fiercely – the jar and the noise were surprising as head met head in full tilt. Well might they be called battering rams!

  January 21st – We visited Constantia, a beautiful and most singular house built by General Martin it would take pages to describe it; the house is constructed to suit the climate; ventilation is carried up through the walls from the ground floor to the top of the building, and the marble hall is a luxurious apartment. The king having refused to give General Martin the price he asked for Constantia, the latter declared his tomb should be handsomer than any palace in his Majesty’s dominions. He therefore built a vault for himself under the house, and there he lies buried; this has desecrated the place, no Musulmān can inhabit a tomb.

  The monument stands in the vault; a bust of the general adorns it. Lights are constantly burned before the tomb. The figures of four sipahīs, large as life with their arms reversed, stand in niches at the sides of the monument. In the centre of the vault, on a long plain slab, is this inscription:

  HERE LIES MAJOR-GENERAL CLAUDE MARTIN,

  BORN AT LYONS, 1735;

  ARRIVED IN INDIA A COMMON SOLDIER,

  AND DIED AT LUCKNOW, THE 13TH ĐECEMBER, 1801.

  PRAY FOR HIS SOUL.

  Claude Martin was a native of the city of Lyons. He was originally a common soldier, and fought under Count Lally; he afterwards entered the service of the East India Company and rose to the rank of a Major-general. He died possessed of enormous wealth, and endowed a noble charity in Calcutta, called La Martinière.

  The house is a large and very singular building; a motto fronts the whole – ‘Labore et Constantia’ – hence the name of the house.

  Returning from this interesting place, we proceeded on elephants to see the Roomee Durwāza, a gateway built at the entrance of the city, on the Delhi road, by Ussuf-ood-Dowla; it is most beautiful and elegant, a copy of a gate at Constantinople.

  Near this spot is the Imām-Bārā, a building almost too delicate and elegant to be described; it contains the tomb of Ussuf-ood Dowla, the second king of this family. Within the court is a beautiful mosque.

  We were delighted with the place and the scene altogether – the time being evening and the streets crowded with natives.

  January 22nd – The Governor-General quitted Lucknow at daybreak. On account of some points of etiquette respecting the queen mother and the king’s favourite wife, Gosseina, Lady William Bentinck did not visit the royal zenāna.

  This day we visited a palace called Padshān-i-Takht, containing the king’s throne and the banqueting-rooms, a delightful place; on quitting it we crossed the river to a new house and garden, built by the present king, called Padshāh Bāgh, of which I must give a description, it being the most luxurious palace I have seen in India.

  A large space has been enclosed as a garden within a high wall; it contains three houses and two gateways; the first house is a most delightful one, all you can wish for in such a climate as this; beautiful rooms, with six fountains playing in them, and everything in fairyland style; then such an hammām or steam baths, containing rooms heated to different temperatures, the heat of each increasing until you arrive at the steam bath itself.

  The apartments are built of white variegated marble, and the roofs arched; the rooms were so delightful, we felt every inclination to remain in the hammām, the temperature was so luxurious.

  Crossing from this palace to the centre of the garden, we entered another elegant building, supported on white marble pillars, beautifully finished, and adorned and furnished with crimson and gold.

  On the left of the garden is a third palace, sacred to the ladies of the zenāna; this house is built of marble, and covered with flower-work of pounded tālk (talc), which has exactly the appearance of silver, giving an eastern style to the place. There are two handsome gateways, a steam-engine to supply the fountains, and a superb tiger in a cage. Every luxury of life may be contained within the walls of this garden; it is at present scarcely finished, but displays great taste and beauty.

  On our return we visited the king’s stables and saw two hundred horses, amongst which were some very fine Arabs. His Majesty has five hundred horses in his private stables. This day was one of much fatigue; we were on elephants, and exposed to the sun throughout the whole day.

  January 23rd – Mr M— invited us to quit our tents and come into the Residency, giving us the apartments vacated by the Governor-General, which are delightful; and here we are installed with some most agreeable people. First and foremost, our kind host the Resident; Mr G—, the Resident of Nagpur; Mr H—, the Resident of Delhi; and Colonel Gardner, a most charming old gentleman – but he will require pages to himself, he is one of many thousand.

  But I can write no more – my aide-de-camp, a young Bhopāl chieftain, is in attendance to invite me to ride with the Resident. This little native chief is a fine intelligent boy about fourteen years of age; he rides well, on a small horse covered with silver ornaments; and his own dress, with two and sometimes three swords at his waist, is so curious, I should like to have his picture taken. The young chief with his followers often attends me on horseback to do my bidding.

  The king has a charming park near Lucknow, called Dil-Kushā, or ‘Heart’s Delight’, filled with game: deer, nilgāī, antelopes, bears, tigers, peacocks and game of all sorts. The drive through it is most agreeable, the road being kept constantly watered: the house is good, and very convenient. His Majesty visits the place often for shooting.

  Just beyond the park is a second park called Beebeepore, formerly the residence of Mr Cherry, who was murdered at Benares.

  January 24th – I took a steam bath in true oriental style, which was very delightful; when the pleasing fatigue was over I joined a party and proceeded to Daulat Khāna, a palace built by Ussuf-ood-Dowla, but now uninhabited, except by some of the ladies and attendants of the old king’s zenāna.

  We went there to see a picture painted in oil by Zoffani, an Italian artist, of a match of cocks between the Nawāb Ussuf-ood-Dowla and the Resident, Colonel Mordaunt; the whole of the figures are portraits; t
he picture excellent, but fast falling into decay.

  The next place visited was the country-house of one of the richest merchants in India, a place called Govinda Bāgh. It is one of the handsomest houses I have entered, and beautifully furnished with fine mirrors and lustres; its painted ceilings are remarkably well done and have a very rich effect; the pillars also in imitation of porphyry look extremely well. The owner, Govind Lal, lives in a mean dirty house in one of the meanest galīs (lanes) in the city, that his wealth may not attract robbers or cause jealousy.

  January 25th – My husband accompanied the Resident and a party to breakfast with the King, and I called on my charming friend, Mrs F—, in cantonments.

  In the evening I accompanied the Resident, in his barouche drawn by four fine horses, round the grounds of Dil-Kushā. The carriage was attended by an escort on horseback; when it passed the guards, arms were presented, and trumpets blown: and sometimes men with baskets of birds running by the side of the carriage let them fly whenever they caught his eye, in the hope of some reward being thrown to them for having liberated their captives in compliment to the great man.