Wajid Ali Shah

Who was Wajid Ali Shah?

Wajid Ali Shah was the fifth King of Oudh, holding the position from 13 February 1847 to 11 February 1856.

He was the tenth and last Nawab of the state of Awadh in present day Uttar Pradesh in India. He ascended the throne of Awadh in 1847 and ruled for nine years. His kingdom, long protected by the British under treaty, was eventually annexed peacefully on 11 February 1856 – days before the ninth anniversary of his coronation. The Nawab was exiled to Garden Reach in Metiabruz, then a suburb of Kolkata, where he lived out the rest of his life off a generous pension. He was a poet, playwright, dancer and great patron of the arts. He is widely credited with the revival of Kathak as a major form of classical Indian dance.