Greetings!
About the same time as our independence (1770's), the English East India Company was becoming the de facto ruler of the area of India that is referred to as the lower Gangetic plain. Between the Himalayas and the parallel Ganges River lies a fertile area consisting of a couple million years of erosion.
About the same time, a young ensign in the French military named Claude Martin arrives in India, participates in battles, and climbs the ranks to Major General. Along the way, he makes friends with, and designs and constructs major buildings in Lucknow for Asaf-ud-Daula (the grandson of the guy who built the Taj Mahal). He simultaneously holds the titles of Chief of the State Arsenal and Chief Architect of Lucknow. At the time of his death in 1800, he was the wealthiest Frenchman outside of France.
Today, we visited
La Martiniere College, a school for boys which he left as his legacy. Some of the strangest, yet most functional, architecture in India. Containing a Chapel, a Mosque, and a Hindu Temple, it has been serving students non-denominationally for 180 years. It is part of a group of eight colleges in Lyon and Kolkatta founded by Martin.
We next drove to the
Bara Imambara, a place where Shia Muslims mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in Karbala. The complex includes a Mosque, a great hall, a labyrinth, and a step well. Construction began in 1780, and it is said that one of Asaf-ud-Daula's objectives was to provide employment for people in the region for almost a decade during the famine. Ordinary people built during the day, while nobleman tore it down at night.
It reflects the maturation of ornamented Mughal design, one of the last major projects not incorporating any major European elements or the use of iron. It has no beams supporting the ceiling, and is one of the largest such arched construction projects in the world. The maze is the only one existing in India, and came about unintentionally to support the weight of the building which is constructed on marsh land.
Finally, we were treated to lunch by a local Nawab (Persian-descended family) for traditional kababs. The family compound has about forty rooms, purchased by our host's grandfather, split between three sons. A collector and purveyor of Indian antiques which have appeared in numerous films, our host answered our questions about his family history and culture.
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