'British loved to dress like nawabs'

LUCKNOW: Officers stationed in Lucknow by the British East India Company not only gave shape to Lucknow the way it comes across in history but also fashioned themselves as the nawabs of the region.
Citing the example of John Wombwell and Antoine Polier who had both posed for paintings that depicted them as nawabs, British historian Rosie Llewellyn-Jones said it was a typical European style statement.Jones was addressing a gathering at a talk on 'Lucknow through European eyes', on Thursday.
"There are several paintings that show these officers in an Indian dress, either on a sofa or cushion, with a hookah, a turban on their heads and women standing upfront. The British were seen as greedy by Indian painters. But they looked at themselves as no less than nawabs and behaved as royalty too," she said.
Talking about the distinct hint of European styled architecture in Lucknow's buildings, she said, "Nawab Saadat Ali Khan was exiled to Calcutta for over 20 years where he was exposed to European-style buildings. It was when he came back that he wanted to replicate the style, so he built Hazratganj with many palaces around."