The city of Nawabs (regional aristrocrats), as Lucknow is often called, is today the capital of the largest state of India, Uttar Pradesh. The city has a glorious history and has been hailed as one of the centers of culture in Northern India. Even today, it is among the major highlights of Uttar Pradesh tourism, and the numerous tourist attractions in Lucknow indicate the high levels achieved by the engineers and architects of the time.

The area around present day Lucknow has been part of numerous kingdoms ever since the first large states started to form in North India. After a shift of capital from Faizabad in 1775, the city came to prominence and became the hub of cultural activities in Awadh, a state that existed almost independently under the nominal suzerainty of the Mughul Emperor in the 18th century. Awadh was annexed by the British East India Company in 1856, and the last Nawab, Wajid Ali Shah was deposed. The next year saw the city become one of the centers of the Sepoy mutiny of 1857, or the first war of Indian independence, as many view it as. The gradual decline in the rich traditions was inevitable, but thankfully, Lucknow still preserves many of its rich traditions.

Attractions:

• Qaiser Bagh palace
• Sikandar Bagh
• Chattar manzil
• Bara Imambara
• Chota Imambara
• Aurangzeb’s mosque
• The Residency
• La Martiniere College
• State Museum