Architecture of Lucknow
Among the extant architecture there are religious buildings such as imambaras, mosques and other Islamic shrines, and secular structures like enclosed gardens, baradaris, palace complexes.
It is located in the middle of Ganaetic Plain and reaches Gomati (left of Ganga River), placing it in the center of Uttar Pradesh.
[2] Being defeated by the British Imperials forces, the nawabs made an alliance with the East India Company until it was annexed in 1856.
The architectural history of the city only started flourishing once the capital of "Awadh" or "Oudh" moved from Faizabad to Lucknow in 1775 by Nawab Wazir Asafud-Daulah (1775-1798).
Under Asafud - Daulah’s rule, the city hosted variously educated and skilled literates and workers, poets, and soldiers.
[3][4][5] Lucknow flourished under Asaf-ud-daula’s reign as it was during this period that the city grew outwards past Macchi Bhawan and the Chowk area.
In 'My Indian Mutiny Diary' (1957 pp57–58),[7] William Russel's describes the city with:"A vision of palaces, minars, domes azure and golden, cupolas, colonnade, long faced of fair perspective in pillar and column, terraced roofs - all rising up amid a calm and still ocean of the brightest verdure.
"The change in Lacknavi landscape occurred after the introduction to Colonial rule when Wajid Ali Shah (the last Nawab) surrendered in 1856.
[6] Previously, the second ruler of Awadh, Nawab Safdar Jang (1739-1756) attempted to restore an old fort in the city named Machchi Bhavan, however that building was destroyed by Sir Henry Lawrence during the 1857 uprising.
[1] These were the Iranian group of Mughal nobility and therefore held a close connection to Persian ideologies which influenced a lot of their stylistic features, for example, the animal motifs like the fish emblem.
[10] The indigenous houses also have been found to have labyrinth like networks that rarely open to big spaces and are mainly used by residents.This architecture had strategic importance as outsiders would be unable to comprehend the complexity of the narrow lanes and therefore discouraged stranger access.
[11] Keeping the religious requirements in mind, most imambaras allow for segregation and have designated male and female sections within each structure.
[11] A key aesthetic and practical component of Imambaras was the ‘Mehraab’ which was utilised to show the direction of prayer and usually included floral embellishments and engravings, along with calligraphy in the Arabic, Persian, or Urdu script.
"This immense building is covered with vaults of very (ample toxin and still simpler construction, being of a rubble or coarse concrete several feet in thickness, which is laid on a rude mould or centering of bricks and,mud, and allowed to stand a year or two to dry and set.
The architecture maintained Palladian symmetry and utilized wooden columns for support, along with tiles for the roofs of verandas.
59)“flat roof structures with windows covered with wooden venetian shitters and at least two verandahs, thatched or tiled… contained gardens, kitchens, stables and servant quarter… large central rooms surrounded by smaller spaces for dressing, bath and storage, and encircled by verandahs”It is evident that designs typically maintained the individuals personal needs by giving importance to the dining and bedroom (which were usually situated in the centre of the home).
"servants were required to keep up the gardens, get water form the well, cook and clean, wait at tables, groom horses, remove waste from “thunder boxes” and engage in a multitude of other chores, leaving the housewife with few household responsibilities and ample leisure time.
