Wasiqah: When a symbol of royalty becomes a source of embarrassment

Lucknow, Oct 19 (PTI) Nawab Shahid Ali Khan has just received his "Wasiqah" -- 3 rupees 21 paise! Wasiqah refers to the interest on money given as a loan with the intention that its interest generated thereof on the amount be passed on to the descendants of the lender and their loyalists.

For long, the wasiqah has been proof of documentary evidence of the Nawabi lineage of people like Khan.

There are some 900 Nawabi descendants in Awadh who also receive Wasiqah.

But now, this meagre pension amount has started to embarrass the descendants of Nawabs, who disclose plans to soon file a petition in the high court to increase their pension.

"If necessary, we will also approach the International Court of Justice," they say.

An official from the Wasiqah Department (under the UP's minority welfare department) stated that currently, approximately 900 descendants of Awadh's rulers and their loyalists receive such pension.

"A total amount of approximately Rs 22,000 per month is reserved for these families," the officer said.

Nawab Shahid Ali Khan, the great-grandson of Rafiq-ud-Daula Bahadur, the minister of Awadh's third king, Muhammad Ali Shah, receives 4 rupees 19 paise every three months as a will from Shah, and 3 rupees 21 paise as a will from Nawab Asif-ud-Daula's mother, Bahu Begum.

He says this amount is invaluable as it is documentary proof of his royal lineage.

Khan told PTI that Bahu Begum, the mother of Nawab Asif-ud-Daula of Awadh, had lent money to the East India Company on various occasions.

"The total amount that was lent was equivalent to approximately Rs 4 crore of those days," he said.

Similarly, Muhammad Ali Shah, the third king of Awadh, also loaned the East India Company a sum equivalent to Rs 12 lakh in 1839.

According to the will of both these rulers, the interest generated on the loan amount is distributed among the Nawabi descendants and their loyal followers.

Shikoh Azad, general secretary of the Royal Family of Awadh — an organisation of descendants of the Nawabs of Awadh — explained that his father, Nawab Fayyaz Ali Khan, a descendant of Muhammad Ali Shah, the third king of Awadh, receives only Rs 281 and 45 paise per month, a proof of their Nawabi-connect.

"Before independence, the will amount was paid in silver coins. However, after the transfer of power in 1947, the then Jawaharlal Nehru government introduced gilt coins instead of silver." With the passage of time, the amount of the will decreased as it got divided among the Nawabi descendants in the same proportion.

Azad explained that since the Wasiqah will is a matter related to the Union Home Ministry, a delegation from the Royal Family of Awadh had met the then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in June 2015.

"A request was made to him to increase the amount of the will," he said, adding that a committee had been set up to probe the issue.

"The committee's report is still awaited," he said and disclosed that they plan to seek legal intervention.

"The Royal Family of Awadh will examine every detail and file a petition in the Allahabad High Court to increase the amount of the will," he said, adding that they plan to file the petition in January 2026.

"If we don't get justice from the Indian courts, we will approach the International Court of Justice. This is because we have the support of many members of the Royal Family residing abroad. The British High Commission will also be made a party to the petition, as the rulers of Awadh had given the loan to the British East India Company," he added.

Azad explained that during the transfer of power in 1947, the funds left in the banks by the rulers of Awadh were given to the then Nehru government.

"At the time of the transfer of power, the British government had told the Nehru government that as long as the 'sun and moon exist' it would have to pay the will amount to the descendants of the rulers of Awadh in the same way as the British government had been doing," he said.

"The registered agreement between the British government and the Nehru government at that time stipulated a four per cent interest rate. The will is still being paid at the same four per cent rate," he said, adding that the pension amount should be hiked to the current around 9% interest rate.

"The government should cover the difference in interest rates over the years, and pay us on the basis of the current interest rate in silver coins," he added.

An official from the Wasiqah department explained why the wasiqah pension amount has become low.

"The interest on the loan given by the rulers of Awadh to the East India Company among the Nawabi descendants began decreasing as the family members or claimants of that amount kept increasing over the years.

Azad explained that 95 per cent of the will amount is primarily going to the descendants of Bahu Begum, Muhammad Ali Shah and Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula.

The remaining five per cent is for the families of ministers and servants of the Nawabs.

Referring to the history of the will, Azad explained that when the East India Company moved from Kolkata (then Calcutta) to Awadh, its administration lacked sufficient funds, so they resorted to borrowing.

Initially, they took fixed loans. When that didn't suffice, they took security notes and collateral. These were the types of loans that the rulers of Awadh, especially Bahu Begum, Muhammad Ali Shah, Wazir Ali and Shuja-ud-Daula, lent to the Company.

Azad explained that due to the continued expansion of the British, these rulers feared that the Awadh government would no longer be a long-term guest. Concerned about the fate of their descendants, they began lending to the East India Company with guarantees. Therefore, an agreement was reached at that time that a fixed interest on the loan amount of over Rs 4 crore must be provided among their descendants. Every Nawab nominated people of his caste as his vassals. PTI SLM MAN AMJ AMJ