THE RESIDENCY ,LUCKNOW.

SYNOPSIS ON CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION

IN THE MONUMENT..

REMINISCENCE OF BRITISH
INDIA

SUBMITTED BY :
AFSHAN KHAN
B.ARCH IV yr (A)
ELECTIVE 1
(CONSERVATION)
CHAPTERIZATION

CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION
•AIM
•OBJECTIVE
•JUSTIFICATION

CHAPTER 2 : HISTORY
• ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY
• CULTURAL HISTORY

CHAPTER 3 : CONTEXT
• LOCATION
•FEATURES

CHAPTER 4: CONSERVATIVE MEASURES ADOPTED

•AGENCY CONCERNED.
•MEASURES TAKEN .

CHAPTER 5 : PROBLEMS AND ISSUES

CHAPTER 6 :CONCLUSION

CHAPTER 7 :BIBLIOGRAPHY
•REFERENCE
•SOURCE
 CHAPTER 1:

INTRODUCTION :

AIM :
The aim is to study the details and conservative measures
taken up by the heritage building in order to conserve its
architectural, historical and cultural values.

OBJECTIVES:
•To study about the various architectural features of the
historical site and the various conservative measures taken to
save them from encroachment and destruction in order to
conserve its historical and cultural values .
• To study about the agencies concerned for conservation of the
monument.
• To study about the various conservative steps taken for its
conservation.

JUSTIFICATION:
The residency is a well conserved monument in Lucknow
started by Nawab Asifuddaula in 1775. It was the base for the
British residents of Awadh and is situated on the highest
grounds of the city to initiate and facilitate control of the city.

THE BRITISH
RESIDENCY,LKO. SOURCE: GOOGLE IMAGES
INTRODUCTION :

The foundation of the residency was laid by nawab

ASAF –UD-DAULA in 1775 when the court had moved
from Faizabad to Lucknow, to accommodate the British .
The construction of the Residency was completed
during the rule of Nawab Saadat Ali Khan in 1814.
Located at Mahatma Gandhi Marg , Qaiserbagh,Is a
reminiscence of the Britishers in India.

When you enter the premises of the Residency & walk few
meters you will come across the Bailley Guard gate which
was constructed by Nawab Saadat Ali Khan in honour
of John Bailley who become the Resident of Lucknow in
the beginning of 19th Century.

The site of Residency now consists of ruins of majestic buildings

which give an indication to the various nature of activities within
the complex. Besides the main Residency building, there was
the Sheep house, Slaughter house, Sikh square, Dr.Fayrer’s
house, Banqueting hall, the Treasury house, Begum Kothi the
Church, Mosque, Imambara and the native hospital etc. that
deserve mention. The structures which are still in existence are
described here.

THE BRITISH
RESIDENCY,LKO. SOURCE: GOOGLE IMAGES
INTRODUCTION :

The Model Room, a part of the main Residency Building, which

housed a model of Residency as it was before the 1857 War,
has now been converted into a full-fledged Museum displaying
the original model of Residency, old lithographs, photographs,
paintings, documents and period-of 1857 in a chronological and
systematic way. Besides, a gallery showing the excavated
objects has also been added. Objects, besides a diorama of
Residency siege, giving an accurate visual account of the
freedom struggle
The Residency has been maintained as it was at the time of
the final relief, and the shattered walls are still scarred by
cannon shot. Even since Indian Independence, little has
changed. The ruined building is surrounded by lawns and
flowerbeds and is a tourist attraction nowadays. The cemetery
at the nearby ruined church has the graves of 2000 men,
women and children, including that of Sir Henry Montgomery
who died during the siege.
There is a weathered epitaph near the grave of Sir Henry that
reads "Here lies the son of Empire who tried to do his duty"
while another nearby grave reads "Do not weep my children,
for I am not dead, but am sleeping here." A light and sound
show to display the history of the Residency is also played
each evening.

THE RUINS OF
THE BRITISH RESIDENCY SOURCE: GOOGLE IMAGES
Some of the main attractions inside the Residency are :-

1. Bailley Guard Gate

2. Treasure House
3. Dr. Fayrer’s House
4. Banqueting Hall
5. Imambara & Mosque
6. Begum Kothi
7. Museum
8. Main Building – Residency

BAILLEY GUARD GATE BANQUETING HALL

IMAMBARA & MOSQUE

TREASURE HOUSE

DR. FAYRER’S HOUSE BEGUM KOTHI

SOURCE: GOOGLE IMAGES
 CHAPTER2 :
HISTORY :
CULTURAL :

The British Residency is among the most famous landmarks in

Lucknow. Though the building is now in ruins yet its charm cannot be
overlooked. Archaeological Survey of India has declared it a
protected monument. The British Residency used to serve as a
refuge for as many as 3000 British inhabitants in 1857 during the
time of the uprising. This Residency became the monopolistic center
of the British for almost 90 days during the siege when Lucknow was
the center of all British activities. There are graves of approximately
2000 British soldiers within the walls of this residence. These lost
their lives in the Revolt of 1857. The British Residency of Lucknow
has now been turned into a government office. There is a well-
maintained museum inside the Residency which is managed by the
authorities. Besides, there are tombs of Sadat Ali Khan, who was the
first Nawab of Awadh, Kaisarbagh Palace. An observatory was also
built for a British astronomer named Colonel Wilcox. There are
several other buildings in the vicinity including monuments like
Shaheed Smarak, Tehri Kothi, and High Court Building. Every evening
a light and sound show is organized to display the history of the
Residency.

THE RUINS OF
THE BRITISH RESIDENCY SOURCE: GOOGLE IMAGES
HISTORY :

Built on raised land near the river, it covered an area of

approximately thirty-three acres. Part of this land sloped gradually
to mingle with the streets and houses around the Chhatar Manzil
complex. The Residency itself is a single building to the north of
the site, though the term "Residency" has been used since the
1857 struggle to include all the buildings within this area.
The evidence of the siege of 1857 can be seen on each and
every building of the Residency which was exposed to heavy
cannonades for five months. They suffered heavy damages;
some were completely razed to the ground and are in ruins.
Each ruin the complex has its own story to tell about the events
of the 1857. The Residency-complex today consists of ruins of
several buildings. During its historic siege in 1857, these
buildings and every fortified post were named usually after the
person who lived there. They were also named after the
commanding officer of the post. We thus find names like
Gubbin’s Garrison, Sago’s house, Dr. Fayerer’s house, Brigade
mess, Kanpur Battery, Redan Battery, Sikh square, Anderson’s
Post, etc.

THE RUINSOF
THE RUINS OF
THE BRITISHRESIDENCY
THE BRITISH RESIDENCY SOURCE: GOOGLE IMAGES
ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY :

During the 1770s, General Claude Martin, a French soldier who

later took up major architectural works in Lucknow, bought a
considerable amount of land here from the Shaikhzadas, the
original owners of the area. The rest of the land was gradually
bought over by the Nawabs. Here, Martin began buying and
renting houses, which may already have been there or which he
may have had built, to the Resident's staff. The British also
constructed buildings in brick and mortar, especially after the
Treasury, built of thatch and straw, caught fire. In fact the Treasury
was the first notable building raised by the Company, after
approval from Kolkata. Most of the records were destroyed in
1857, so there are no details available on the construction of
important buildings, except for the Church, which was raised in
1895. The fact that the buildings of the Residency are not even
mentioned in Company records means that they were probably
raiised by the Nawabs.

By 1786, the nucleus of the Residency site was well established. It

comprised of a mixture of brick built bungalows with flat roofs,
thatched houses, Muslim shrines, Zenana buildings and some
"substantial" buildings for higher British officials. There are few
contemporary descriptions; and the raising of new buildings
remained unrecorded. Created with an eclectic mixture of styles,
these buildings had little impact on the architecture of Lucknow.

ARCHITECTURAL
FEATURES SOURCE: GOOGLE IMAGES
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES :

MAIN RESIDENCY BUILDING :

This building was erected on the highest spot in Lucknow, and
it provided a very imposing view over the city towards the south
and east and of the descending slope towards the Gomti on the
north. The building, with its two upper storeys, Tehkhana
(underground rooms) and garden had two splendid porticoes on
its entrances towards east and south. The main entrance of the
building is from the east side through a large double-columned
portico. Along, the west front extended wide and lofty
verandahs. Two spiral stair cases were also provided inside the
two towers on the north and south sides for going upstairs. Both
the stairs have completely collapsed leaving no traces of their
existence. Its roof was protected by a massive Italian
balustrade. There were a number of lofty windows and doors
with Venetian blinds. The upper storey, which is no longer
extant, consisted of a billiard room and library. The ground floor
at the south side had a central hall, three side rooms and a
small room at the entrance. It also had a subterranean room
locally known as Tehkhana which was connected to the ground
floor with a spiral stair case. The main Residency building was
connected by a sloping subway banister which has now been
restored.

MAIN RESIDENCY
BUILDING SOURCE: GOOGLE IMAGES
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES :

Bailey Guard Gate:

In the beginning of the nineteenth century, Nawab Saadat Ali Khan

arranged for a special guard of honour for Caption John Bailey in
the south-eastern part of the Residency. Thus, this portion came
to be known as the Bailey Guard Gate. Supported by plain double
columns, this building is almost square. It consists of one large
rectangular hall and many small chambers. Among the
Residency’s other gates, Watergate and Naubat Khana do not
exist presently. Only Bailey Guard Gate still remains, but in a
ruined state, this rectangular building consists of one huge arched
gateway. There are two guardrooms, one on each side of the gate.
Originally, a pair of huge wooden doors was fixed there. During
the 1857 revolt, it suffered heavy damages by cannonade and on
its wall could be seen the marks of cannon shots.

The Treasury House:

The Treasury House was situated right across the main “Bailey
Guard gateway”. It was a double-storied building decorated with
Rajput and conventional Awadh arches. The construction of the
building was furnished in about 1851. During the revolution of
1857, the central part of this building was converted into an
ordinance factory for manufacturing Enfield cartridges.

THE TREASURY
HOUSE, BAILLEY
GUARD GATE SOURCE: GOOGLE IMAGES
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES :

Banquet hall:
Nawab Saadat Ali Khan built it for the British Resident and his
special guests as Dawat Khana (Dining Place). It was the most
imposing structure in the whole complex with its state
apartments and spacious saloons, furnished with costly
chandeliers, mirrors and silk Diwans. The fine furniture in the
hall was complemented by high quality of workmanship. In the
building, a stucco fireplace at the first floor level still retains a
marble like finish, and a broken fountain in the main entrance
hall is a fine example of inlaid marble work in black and white.
On the first floor, there were large verandahs supported by a
line of round pillars on all four sides. This building was used by
the Resident for entertaining important guests, specially the
Nawabs.

Dr. Fayrer’s House :

Dr. Fayrer, the doctor for the Residency, lived in this house. It is a
very large building with flat roof and low ceilings. It has also a
tehkhana, which gave shelter to the ladies. This place was held
by a part of sepoy pensioners under the command of Captain
Watson, Superintendent of the Military Police. Sir Henry
Lawrence died here on 4the July. Sir James Outram, on his
arrival here with Havelock and his forces, made his headquarter
at this place after the first relief of the Residency.

BANQUET HALL,
DR. FAYRER’S
HOUSE SOURCE : GOOGLE IMAGES
ARCHITECTURAL
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
FEATURES :

Begum Kothi:
It was built by Nawab Asaf-ud-daula and subsequently sold to
Sacville Marcus Taylor, Assistant Resident, who again sold it to
George Prendergast in 1802. Prendergast set up a European shop
here, and later on sold the house and the business to John
Culloden. Malika Mukhdarah Aliya or Vilayati Begum, the European
wife of King Nasiruddin Haider, was the grand-daughter of
Culloden. When Nasiruddin Haider died, Mukhdarah Aliya with her
mother and her stepsister, Ashrafunnisa, came to live here.
Mukhdarah Aliya and her mother died and were buried in the
compound of the Begum Kothi. Ashrafunnisa built a mosque and
an Immambara adjacent to the Begum Kothi.

Church and Cemetery:

This church, in Gothic style was built in 1810 with a number of
pinnacles. It is situated on the north-west of the Residency; its
remains are preserved up to a height of two to three feet,
surrounded by a cemetery. During the early part of the siege, it
was used as a storehouse. It was under the cover of this
building that pits were dug, daily at night to receive the victims
of the day’s firing, cholera or small pox. The church was used
as a granary during the siege of the Residency. The area
around the church was first used as a cemetery during the
siege..

BEGUM KOTHI,
CHURCH AND
CEMETERY. source : google images
 CHAPTER 3

LOCATION AND EXTENT :

Source: google maps

Located at Mahatma Gandhi Marg , Qaiserbagh Deep

Manak Nagar,
Qaiserbagh, Lucknow.
Uttar Pradesh 226001 , Lucknow.
 CHAPTER 4

CONSERVATIVE MEASURES ADOPTED:

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI),

under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the

archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage
of the nation. Maintenance of ancient monuments and
archaeological sites and remains of national importance is the
prime concern of the ASI. Besides, it regulates all archaeological
activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient
Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 as
amicable under AM & ASR (Amendment & Validation Act 2010).
It also regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.
Lucknow circle of Archaeological Survey of India was created
on May 13th, 1985 by the bifurcating the parts of Agra Circle,
Bhopal circle & Patna Circle. As on today, there are 328
monuments/sites under the jurisdiction of Lucknow Circle which
are being looked after by the Superintending Archaeologist of
the Lucknow

CONSERVATIVE MEASURES TAKEN :

• Each and every stone is an evidence of the past incidents,
therefore the conservation requires more of preservation
instead of restoration.
• The compounds of various structures are conserved by way
of pointing wherever bricks and plaster is damaged.
•Due to loss of roof in some areas, floors of the room are open
to sky therefore area supposed to be covered by roof is
cleaned and ramming and concreting of the floor is done.
• An iron grill (jali) on the well near structure is provided to
avoid any untoward incidence.
• Damaged portion of the Begum kothi is conserved to prevent
further damage. In the process original stones, paint ,plaster is
not damaged.
 CHAPTER 5

PROBLEMS AND ISSUES :

The monuments have a serious problem of encroachment.

•Circle superintendants have been vested with the power
of the state officer under the provisions of the Public
Premises Act 1971 to initiate action against the
encroachers.
•The government provides for putting up fences around
centrally protected monuments however such security
measures have been breached to a certain level.
• Loss of roof in some areas lead to the formation of
unecessary vegetation.

CHAPTER 6

CONCLUSION :

Thus this study has helped in understanding the

architectural features and history of a monument like
The Residency , Lucknow.
The Archaeological Survey of India has taken a lot of
steps to conserve and preserve the monument and its
various features to preserve its national value.
 CHAPTER 7

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

REFERENCE :

•TheTourists guide to Lucknow.

•Siege of lucknow.com
•Wikipedia.com
• www.natgeotraveller.in

SOURCE :

• asilucknowcircle.nic.in
• www.indiagov.in
• asi.nic.in
• www.tornosindia.com
• asiconservationportal.nic.in
• google maps.