‘Daroga’ takes charge of La Martiniere College

Lucknow: Schools are known to be the abode of headmasters. But it springs a surprise when you hear a ‘daroga' being part of the school's administrative set up and that too as a hereditary privilege.

This rare and unique tradition is part of La Martiniere College, Lucknow, which has appointed Mohammad Fahd Azeem as the new Daroga and Estate Superintendent to oversee all properties of the college in the city.

Azeem, 28, a law graduate, is the sixth generation from his family to hold the coveted post which has been represented by his family since the advent of the 19th century.Fahd's great-great grandfather, Mia Matchoo, was the first Daroga of the school's iconic building Constantia — the residence of La Martiniere College founder and Frenchman Claude Martin.

Mia Matchoo's selection had an interesting background. In his quest for a teacher to learn Persian, which was the court language in the 18th century, Claude Martin zeroed in on Mia Matchoo. The teacher-pupil relationship grew into a strong bond and Martin, before his death in 1800, rewarded Matchoo by appointing him as the Daroga and made the post hereditary. Any European appointed as the superintendent of the estate was to coordinate with Matchoo. Martin incorporated this clause in his 32-page will and last testament.

Fahd Azeem's grandfather, MN Azeem, served on the post until his demise in 2013. Since then the post had remained vacant due to administrative reasons and therefore Azeem's father, Zia ul Azeem, could not serve on it.

Fahd, who took charge as Daroga on Tuesday, told TOI, "This esteemed position, deeply rooted in tradition, has been held within my family for generations. I am honoured to accept this role and will ensure that the historic and cultural significance of La Martiniere remains intact for generations to come."

He said, "I grew up listening to my great-great-grandfather Mia Matchoo, my great-grandfather Ahmad Azeem and my grandfather MN Azeem. In those days, Daroga was essentially a manager. Mia Matchoo used to receive a retainership of 80 sikka (silver) rupees and even accompanied Claude Martin during the war against Tipu Sultan."

"Daroga post has no retirement age and can be succeeded by his son or a family member only after his death. We also have a private graveyard in Martin Purwa where five generations of my family are buried," he added.

Fahd Azeem will now oversee all properties of La Martiniere in Lucknow, including Claude Martin's tomb, La Martiniere Girls' College and Chattar Manzil (which belongs to the college). He will be responsible for the preservation, maintenance and administration of these properties in accordance with the original directives of Claude Martin's will.

The appointment document, issued by the Trustee of Lucknow Martin Charities, upholds the provisions of Claude Martin's will, which mandates the Daroga's role be passed down through generations within the designated families.

The iconic Constantia

This iconic building served as the residence of Frenchman Claude Martin. Its construction began in 1785. Martin died in 1800 before the house could be fully completed. The construction was finished two years after his death in 1802. Before his death, Martin made a will stating his desire to use the property as a centre of learning, which is how Constantia became an integral part of La Martiniere College which was established in 1845.



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