Day 17 - Lucknow

I completely forgot to recount an embarrassing episode the other day when searching for the Bibighar memorial, so before I close the blog, which will be tomorrow’s entry, I’ll do just that. 

I've referenced the abundance of excrement in India before, and I've also said how much care one has to take in avoiding it. I've also stated that I'm walking in hiking sandals. The two came together in spectacular fashion when I was tramping along the Kanpur road and got distracted by a long line of local children, parents, and several army personnel on the pavement. As I walked down the line, I said 'hi' to one and that generated a cascade of greetings and shaking of hands as I went. Occupied by being all ambassadorial, I didn't notice the enormous cow pat ahead, and proceeded to kick the thing like a rugby conversion. Unfortunately for me, it's density wasn't substantial, and my foot sunk deep in the mire while at the same time sending globules of poo onto my hitherto adoring crowd, in a roughly 120 degree arc. I styled it out as best I could, but the previous enthusiasm for my friendly hand quickly evaporated. About a hundred yards down the road I plucked up the courage to look down at the mess, and it seemed clear even upon cursory inspection, the evening would be spent scrubbing the upper thigh downwards. I assume my victims did likewise. I must have avoided 10,000 such landmines since arriving in India, and hadn't had any incidents before or since. That I chose such a very public occasion and managed to share so freely for my only 'accident', will be the cause of a red face for the remainder of my days I think. 

The Lucknow Residency is quite a place. I went there yesterday. It isn't a single building (I had it in my head that it was) but many buildings, inside a mostly walled enclosure. It's a bit like a college campus if you like. Anyone that has the climatic scene from Carry On Up The Khyber in their head, needs to reconsider. Actually, I can see where the Carry On team got their inspiration from. Maybe it's as good an image as any, except there is more than one building to bear in mind here. Clear? Great. 

The site is as well presented as any historical site in India outside of the Taj Mahal (from what I've seen so far) and the only one to directly remember and reference The Mutiny. It is surprisingly decrepit. It has a touch of the 'Roman ruins' about it. This is in part due to the effect of artillery, and part neglect. Every building is but a shell. The grounds are kept in good order, and there were a good number of local visitors, who treat the place as part park, part historical curiosity I think. A few families were clearly interested in sharing the history with their younger members, but bunking schoolchildren and couples mainly just mooched and smooched. 

I also visited the Imambara Mosque complex. It too is a preserved historical building and seems to have survived the ravages of time rather better than the residency, but then it wasn’t the subject of a 90 siege, so I guess it would to an extent. Also occupied by mutineers, it finally fell to the British late on in the conflict. It is a very very impressive ensemble of buildings indeed. 

The residency today, incomplete with musket and artillery damage in evidence

The Imambara. A Shia icon and downright big old mosque 

HISTORICAL NOTE:

The next morning, Campbell's men took several more buildings by storm, pushing closer to the residency. In the process, Captain Garnet Wolseley (eventually Field Marshall Wolseley, one of the greatest and most celebrated Victorian generals) carried several strategic positions at extraordinary personal risk. 

At last, the residency at Lucknow was reached, and Sir Colin Campbell, Sir Henry Havelock and Sir James Outram came together, and Lucknow was finally relieved. Almost 90 days of continuous siege had passed and the survivors who had been there from the beginning could at last slump on their breastworks, or ruined outposts, consider themselves fortunate they had escaped the fate of Kanpur, and breathe a sigh of relief. 

Fighting continued but plans were made to extract true occupants back to Kanpur. On the 27th November, the Lucknow garrison, with 4000 escorts started out for Kanpur. Sir Henry Havelock was left behind in his grave along with many many other of Native and European descent. Lucknow was left in the hands of the mutineers, but the writing was on the wall for Lucknow and the rebellion. The high water mark in The First War of Independence for India had passed. 

Captured rebel Sepoys were often subjected to harsh punishment on the spot. Execution in the traditional method of the Moghul Emporors was a favourite. The subject was blindfolded and his back bound to the muzzle of an artillery piece. The piece was then fired, and bits of Sepoy were showered across the parade ground. 

The mutiny continued on into 1858, and only on 8th July 1859 did Earl Canning feel confident enough to declare a 'state of peace' now reigned throughout India, but the rebels never managed anything more than occasional tactical successes after the taking of Lucknow. It was all over bar the shouting. 

From Wikipedia;

In March 1858, Campbell once again advanced on Lucknow with a large army, meeting up with the force at Alambagh, this time seeking to suppress the rebellion in Awadh. He was aided by a large Nepalese contingent advancing from the north under Jang Bahadur. Campbell's advance was slow and methodical, with a force under General Outram crossing the river on cask bridges on 4 March to enable them to fire artillery in flank, the forces drove the large but disorganised rebel army from Lucknow with the final fighting shooting on 21 March, there were few casualties to his own troops. This nevertheless allowed large numbers of the rebels to disperse into Awadh, and Campbell was forced to spend the summer and autumn dealing with scattered pockets of resistance while losing men to heat, disease and guerrilla actions.