Compositions of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah - patron of Kathak & arts
Kathak dance attained new heights of popularity and glory under the patronage of King of Oudh, popularly known as
Nawab of Oudh. Read more...
 Reign 1847 - 1856, Born July 30, 1822, at Lucknow, Died September 1, 1887 at Kolkata
Wajid Ali Shah was the tenth and last nawab of the princely kingdom of Awadh (Oudh) 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 February 7, 1856 - days before the ninth anniversary of his
coronation. The Nawab was exiled to Garden Reach in Matiabruj, 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.
Paron of the arts - Indian Classical Dance Kathak and others
A large number of composers who throve under the lavish patronage of the Nawab rulers of Lucknow enriched the
light classical form of thumri; most prominent among these was Wajid Ali Shah. He was not only a munificent patron
of music, dance, drama, and poetry, but was himself a gifted composer. He had received vocal training under great
Ustads like Basit Khan, Pyar Khan and Jaffar Khan. Although his pen-name was Qaisar, he used the pseudonym
"Akhtarpiya" for his numerous compositions. Under this pen name, he wrote over forty works - poems, prose and
Thumris. "Diwani-Akhtar", "Husn-i-Akhtar" contain his Ghazals. He is said to have composed many new ragas and named
them Jogi, Juhi, Shah-Pasand, etc.
Revival of Kathak
Kathak dance attained new heights of popularity and glory under his expert guidance and lavish patronage. Thakur
Prasadji was his Kathak guru, and the unforgettable Kalka-Binda brothers performed in his court. What with the
grand pageantry of the Rahas, Jogiya Jashan, Dance dramas, and Kathak performances, Lucknow became the magnetic
cultural centre where the most reputed musicians, dancers and poets of the time flourished. The greatest musicians,
dancers and instrumentalists of the time enjoyed his munificent patronage and hospitality.
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