It all began with the Subsidiary Alliance that was imposed on Awadh in the year 1801. When a state came under the Alliance, it meant it would directly come under British supervision with the local armies disbanded and replaced by British troops. read more
Many of these taluqdars were loyal to the Nawab of Awadh, and they joined hands with the wife of the exiled Nawab to fight the British. The sepoy mutiny was pretty intense in the Awadh region mainly because of the participation of a large number of peasants and taluqdars. A huge proportion of sepoys were in fact peasants from Awadh. read more
Awadh (Hindi: अवध, Urdu: اوَدھ ), ( pronunciation (help · info)), known in British historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a region in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh) and a small area of Nepal's Province No. 5. read more
In areas like Awadh where resistance during 1857 was intense and long lasting, the fighting was carried out by taluqdars and their peasants. Many of these taluqdars were loyal to the Nawab of Awadh, and they joined Begum Hazrat Mahal (the wife of the Nawab) in Lucknow to fight the British; some even remained with her in defeat. read more