Dhania Mahri –‘Maid’ who
defeated Josh Malihabadi’s Great Grandfather to Build an Imambara
Prof.Mazhar Naqvi
Dhania Mahri is a household name
in the old localities of Lucknow. People have heard her name because of a
bridge built by her. Popularly known as ‘Dhania Mahri Ka Pul’, the bridge has
kept her name alive but failed to ensure the reverence she deserves as a
faithful and fearless Azadar of Imam Husain. She came from a humble background
as is evident from her name itself. While Dhania is usually not used by elite
class for christening of their children, Mahri means a female domestic help or
maid. But she must have been indeed a woman of exceptional qualities and
intelligence or else how could she become a favorite of King Naseer Uddin
Haider.
So powerful was her influence on
the King as Darogha( Superintendent ) of
his seraglio that she outsmarted Faqir Muhammad Khan Goya ,the Great
Grandfather of famous Marsiya writer and Shair-E-Inquilab Josh Malihabadi when
he refused to offer his land for the construction of a Langarkhana ( Free
Kitchen) being built by her adjacent to her Imambara In Maulviganj area. Upon
coming to know about Goya’s refusal, she persuaded King Naseer Uddin Haider to
send Raja Darshan Singh with an order, instructing Faqir Muhammad to
immediately handover his land to Dhania Mahri.
After gaining possession of the
land, Dhania built an impressive Imambara with a mosque and Langarkhana. Goya
took the whole incident as his personal insult. It was beyond his imagination
that he could be outwitted by a woman who had once been just a maid. Moreover,
he had also not imagined that King would ask him to handover his land in view
of intimacy with him. It is said that Naseer Uddin Haider was fond of mangoes.
As Goya belonged to Malihabad, a small town near Lucknow and famous for its
mangoes all over the world even today, Naseer Uddin Haider used to get
regularly high quality and delicious mangoes from him during season. In return,
Goya used to receive precious pearls from the King. He also earned the position
of an influential courtier.
Being an intelligent person and a
reputed poet himself, Goya complied with the King’s order quietly but launched
a campaign against Dhania for her ouster from seraglio. His efforts yielded
positive result also, for Dhania was not only removed from her post but also
banished to Kanpur after sometime. Goya also took the possession of the land
acquired by Dhania for Langarkhana. She however did not lose her heart and
settled down gracefully in Patkapur locality. Her love for Azadari continued
with the same fervor. She built an Imambara near Jama Masjid area of Kanpur and
also constructed a palatial building for her residence.
A dilapidated building on the
road leading to Neelwali Gali from Patkapur offers traces of the imambara built
by her. Though the building is no longer used as imambara and is occupied by
members of a Qazi family but the embellishment of its outer walls with stucco
work indicates its ornamentation during its heydays. The Imambara erected by
her in Lucknow is also not functional nor have efforts been initiated by anyone
to restore to its original character. Only the mosque built by her in
Maulviganj is still in use.
If Faqir Muhammad was from the
clan of Afridi Pathans who are known for neither forgetting nor forgiving their
enemies, Dhania also behaved in similar fashion. Even from Kanpur, she fought
back to regain confidence of Naseer Uddin Haider and got back her position in
the royal seraglio with the assistance of Prime Minister Roshan- Ud- Daula.
Later on, she took her vengeance also by getting Faqir Muhammad banished from
Lucknow.
Once back in Lucknow with full
glory, she concentrated on Azadari again and erected an Imambara in Alam Nagar along
with a mosque. She also built a mosque in Shivpuri area for the devotees of Ahle-bait.
Unfortunately, all the buildings built by her could not sustain the vagary of weather
nor find any patron after Dhania Mahri lost her influence over the King. It
appears whatever she earned in her lifetime went to the construction of three Imambaras
and mosques. Hence, she could not create any endowment for the maintenance of
Imambaras like Bahu Begum, Badshah Ghazi Uddin Haider or Muhammad Ali Shah who
succeeded Naseer Uddin Haider to the throne of Awadh Kingdom.
History is silent over her last
days. It is quite obvious as well because she was neither an Empress nor
favorite queen of any King. She was simply a superintendent of female attendants
of King’s seraglio .Her only noteworthy accomplishment was the Khilat of
fourteen Parcha with a sword and a shield
when the King conferred upon her the title of Afzalun-Nisa. Historians apathy
towards her however does not deprive her from the status of a true Azadar who
challenged a powerful landlord and courtier when he proved to be a barrier to
her desire to construct a grand Imambara with Langarkhana for distribution of
free food to the down trodden.
The setbacks and fluctuation in
fortune also failed to deter her spirits as she continued to perform Muharram
ceremonies initiated by her with the same devotion and lavish expenditure even
in the days of hardship. Her Imambaras may not be functional today but they
surely remind followers of Ahle-bait the great love and affection she has for
the martyrs of Karbala and her desire to overcome all barriers and challenges
in her endeavor to erect Imambara in memory of Mazloom-e-Karbala. Her victory
over Faqir Muhammad Goya should be seen as a blessing from Masoomeen. The birth
of Josh Malihabadi in Goya’s family also indicates how Masoomeen place their blessed
ones even in the house of their opponents. How devotionally Josh was attached
to Ahle-Bait can be gauged from his wonderful Marsiyas, Nauhas and Salams. Further,
his famous couplet “Insaan ko Bedar to Ho Lene Do-Har Qaum Pukaregi Hamare Hain
Husain” (Let their be awakening among human being-Each community will Call
Husain as its own) has also made him immortal. Legends around Malihabad say
that Josh was born in Goya’s family because he had dedicated himself to
seclusion and memory of Imam Husain after his banishment.
( Reference available on
Request).
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