Decadence, mourning and revolution: facets of the 19th-century landscape of Lucknow, India

Gardens played a significant role in the evolution of the city of Lucknow in the last quarter of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. In a period of eight decades from 1775, when it became the court of Avadh province, the city experienced a period of efflorescence in art, architecture, and garden design unmatched in its later history. This era was abruptly terminated by the mutiny or first war of independence in 1857, bringing colonial rule in its wake. Gardens in this brief period can be seen as settings of decadence, theatres of mourning, and arenas of rebellion. The paper explores these three themes interwoven in the landscape narrative.