Dr.Mazhar Naqvi
Observance of Taziadari by a Hindu figures
in the writing of Fanny Parks who lived in India between 1822 and 1846 and famus for
her memoir published under the title “Wanderings of a Pilgrim in Search of
the Pictureseque during four and twenty years in the East with Revelations of
Life in the Zenana (Pelham Richardson, 1850).”
She had arrived in India as wife of an official of
east India company and stayed in Kanpur, then spelled as CawnporeSDhe has specifically
mentioned that her Hindu cook asked for leave after taking bath and being
questioned reveled that he does not work on Muharrum day and wanted leave to
take part in Tazia procession. She has not given the name of unknown Taziadar
but remarked that the incident propelled her to know more about Tazia and
Muharram. Parks began living in Kolkata, formerly Cacutta in 1822.Then.she moved t
Allahabad and reached Cawnpore. She also visited Kannauj and Farrukhabad.
She
has penned down two volumes about her travels in India on horseback. She
befriended people and also learnt Persian,Hindustani
Apart from Muharram, Fanny has also given vivid description of Deewali celebration at Sarsaiyaghat in Cawnpore. She was also witness to arrival of Nawab Agha Meer-the exiled Prime Minister of Awadh.It was Agha Meer who began Azadari in Kanpur in a big way and encouraged Muslims to take out processions with grandeur.
Source:Kashif Nawab,one of the descendants of Agha Meer ,in an interview with blogger.
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