Faizabad
Faizabad,
7km. from Ayodhaya,developed as a township nearly 220 years ago, during
the reign of Safdar Jung, the second Nawab of Avadh ( 1739-54 ), who laid
its foundation by making it his army headquarters.
Shuja-ud-daula,
his successor settled at Faizabad after 1764 and built a fort known as
Chhota Kolkata, now in ruins. In 1765, he built the Chowk and Tripaulia
and subsequently laid out the Anguribagh and Motibagh to the south of it,
Asafbagh & Bulandbagh to the west of the city.
During the
reign of Shuja-ud-daula, Faizabad attained prosperity which it never saw
again. The principle achievement of the period was the mausoleum of
Shuja-ud-daula, famous as Gulab Bari. It is a striking building of fine
properties, standing in a garden surrounded by a wall, approachable
through two large gateways. Shuja-ud-daula's wife was the well known Bahu
Begum, who married the Nawab in 1743 and continued to reside in Faizabad,
her residence being the Moti-Mahal. Closeby at Jawaharbagh lies her
Maqbara, where she was buried after her death. It is considered to be one
of the finest buildings of its kind in Avadh, which was built at the cost
of three lakh rupees by her chief advisor Darab Ali Khan.
A fine
view of the city is obtainable from top of the Begum's tomb. Bahu Begum
was a woman of great distinction and rank.
Most of the Muslim
buildings at Faizabad are attributed to her. From the date of Bahu Begum's
death, till the annexation of Avadh, the city of Faizabad gradually fell
into decay.
The glory of Faizabad eclipsed with the shifting of
capital from Faizabad to Lucknow by Nawab Asaf-ud-daula.
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