Oudh Subah was one of the initial 12 subahs (later expanded to 15
subahs by the end of Akbar's reign) established by
Akbar during his administrative reforms of 1572–1580. A Mughal
Subah was divided into
Sarkars, or districts.
Sarkars were further divided into
Parganas or
Mahals.
Saadat Ali Khan I was appointed
Subahdar of Oudh Subah on 9 September 1722, succeeding
Girdhar Bahadur. He immediately subdued the autonomous Shaikhzadas of
Lucknow and Raja Mohan Singh of
Tiloi, consolidating Oudh as a state. In 1728, Oudh further acquired
Varanasi,
Jaunpur and surrounding lands from the Mughal noble Rustam Ali Khan and established stable revenue collection in that province after quelling the chief of
Azamgarh,
Mahabat Khan. In 1739 Saadat Khan mobilized Oudh to defend against
Nader Shah's
invasion of India, ultimately being captured in the
Battle of Karnal. He attempted to negotiate with Nader Shah but died in Delhi.
Establishment In 1740, his successor
Safdar Jang moved the capital of the state from
Ayodhya to
Faizabad. Safdar Jang gained recognition from Persia after paying tribute. He continued Saadat Khan's expansionist policy, promising military protection to Bengal in exchange for the forts at
Rohtasgarh and
Chunar, and annexing portions of
Farrukhabad with Mughal military aid which was ruled by
Muhammad Khan Bangash. As the
Mughal Empire began to dissolve in the early 18th century, many
subahs became effectively independent. As regional officials asserted their autonomy in
Bengal and the
Deccan as well as with the rise of the
Maratha Empire, the rulers of Oudh gradually affirmed their own sovereignty.
Safdar Jang went as far as to control the ruler of Delhi, putting
Ahmad Shah Bahadur on the Mughal throne with the cooperation of other Mughal nobility. In 1748 he gained the
subah of
Allahabad with Ahmad Shah's official support. This was arguably the zenith of Oudh's territorial span. The next nawab,
Shuja-ud-Daula, extended Oudh's control of the Mughal emperor. He was appointed
vazir to
Shah Alam II in 1762 and offered him asylum after his failed campaigns against the British in the
Bengal War. The battle was a turning point for the once rising star of Oudh. The immediate effect was the British occupation of the fort at
Chunar and the cession of the provinces of Kora and
Allahabad to Mughal ruler
Shah Alam II under the Treaty of Benares (1765). Shaja-ud-Daula further had to pay 5 million rupees as an indemnity, which was paid off in one year. The Treaty of Chunar (1781) sought to reduce the number of British troops in Oudh's service to cut costs, but failed in this measure due to the instability of Asaf-ud-Daula's rule and thus his reliance on British aid essentially as a puppet regime.
Later rulers Saadat Ali Khan II acceded to the throne of Oudh in 1798, owing his seat to British intervention including Governor-General of Bengal
Sir John Shore's personal proclamation in Lucknow of his rule. A treaty signed on 21 February 1798 increased the subsidy paid to the British to 70 lakh rupees per year. The cession halved the size of the polity, reducing it to the original Mughal
subah of Awadh (excepting Gorakhpur which was ceded) and surrounded it by directly administered British territory, rendering it useless as a buffer. The treaty also mandated a government to be put in place that primarily served the citizens of Oudh. It was on the basis of the failure to meet this demand that the British later justified the annexation of Oudh.
Farrukhabad and
Rampur was not annexed by the British yet; instead, they served as separate princely states for the moment. After the rebellion, Oudh's territory was merged with the
North Western Provinces, forming the larger province of
North-Western Provinces and Oudh. In 1902, the latter was renamed the
United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. In 1921, it became the
United Provinces of British India. In 1937, it became the
United Provinces and continued as a province in independent
India until finally becoming the state of
Uttar Pradesh in 1950. == Government ==