Tales from later Mughals

lakhs. Asafuddola spent 40 lakhs on the festivities of Holi
and Basant. When Ghaziuddin Hyder assumed the royal title,
he spent 200,000 on his coronation. Nasiruddin Hyder
celebrated several festivals and solemnised many marriages
all of which cost the treasury the entire wealth accumulated
by his predecessors. It was estimated that his monthly
expenditure was 1,000, 000 rupees.
As a result of these expenses the income of the state
could not meet the growing demands of the ruling classes;
consequently, the officials imposed new taxes on the
common man. The economic chasm between the rich and
the poor thus became wider and discrimination weakened
the society of Awadh, so when the British decided to seize
the state there was nobody to defend it. Wajid Ali Shah
meekly surrendered to the British and accepted exile.
The causes for the downfall of the Awadh state were
the creation of a parasite class which did not contribute
anything to the economy but consumed its resources
Secondly, there were many candidates for succession and
they were ready to give great concessions to the British in
exchange for their support. After Shuja`uddola, on the
occasion of every succession, the East India Company got
concession after concession. On the succession of Sa`adat Ali
Khan, it got half of the state of Awadh under its control. The
British Resident became the virtual ruler.
Realising the worthlessness of its rulers, it was
decided to incorporate it into the British territory.
History tells us that when a ruling family becomes a
financial burden on the society, it causes lack of
development and creates unrest among the people. Also,
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