Where History Meets Modern India's Challenges
Traveling east from Delhi brings you to Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh (UP) – India’s most populous state. To grasp UP’s enormous scale, consider this: its population of 255 million exceeds that of the United Kingdom four times over and represents more than half the combined population of the European Union. On a geographical territory approximately equal to that of the UK or only 1/16th the size of the EU ! Lucknow’s 4 million residents make it relatively modest by Indian metropolis standards, but the city’s historical significance far outweighs its size.
It is a bustling city, where Hindu and Muslim seem to cohabitate in relative harmony. Streets markets are everywhere, teeming with people and animals.
One of Lucknow’s famous activities is the production of cotton textile industry, and in particular its rich traditional embroideries called ‘chikenhari’ (I am not making this up), which necessitates hand washing of the textiles, to get rid of the indigo pattern marks, on the edge of its major river. Pretty spectacular.
The Remarkable Legacy of Claude Martin
The Major General Claude Martin is standing on the Left, showing an illustration of Calcutta drawn by him.
At the heart of Lucknow’s educational heritage stands La Martinière, a prestigious private school spread across 700 acres. Its founder, Claude Martin, embodied the complexity of colonial-era success stories. Born in 1735 Lyon, France, to humble beginnings, Martin’s journey from a rebellious, science-loving youth to a major colonial figure exemplifies the extraordinary social mobility possible in 18th-century India.
Martin’s rise is particularly fascinating in the context of colonial politics. After joining the French East India Company at 16, he navigated the turbulent waters of Anglo-French rivalry with remarkable adaptability. Captured by the British East India Company after France’s loss of Pondichéry, Martin’s intelligence and military expertise led to an unprecedented career trajectory – from prisoner to major general in the British forces, all while maintaining his French identity.
Martin was a true colonial renaissance man whose genius lay in his versatility. His achievements span multiple fields:
- Military Leadership: Rose to become Lucknow’s general administrator
- Science: Pioneered cartography in India, creating the first detailed map of Calcutta
- Business: Developed diverse enterprises including banking, artillery manufacturing, and agriculture
- Architecture: Designed the iconic Constantia palace
- Medicine: Practiced as a surgeon
His most enduring legacy, however, is educational. The schools he founded with his fortune – La Martinière institutions in Lucknow, Calcutta, and Lyon – continue shaping young minds today. Notably, he introduced the school slate, an innovation that can be seen as a forerunner to modern digital learning tools.
Martin’s story resonates today as an example of how individual vision, adaptability, and commitment to education can create institutions that outlive their founders by centuries. His life demonstrates how colonial-era figures could transcend national boundaries and leave lasting positive impacts on their adopted homes, even while operating within the complicated framework of colonial rule.
The Ambedkar Legacy and Social Reform
The Ambedkar Mausoleum complex represents India’s ongoing struggle with social equality. Through the story of two powerful figures – Dr. Ambedkar (the main author of India’s constitution) and Ms. Mayawati – we see how India grapples with its caste system. The Reservation system, introduced by Ambedkar in 1950, presents a complex modern dilemma: while aiming to uplift historically oppressed communities, it has created new challenges in merit-based advancement. This system affects roughly a third of Indian society, influencing everything from education to employment, and remains a hotly debated topic in Indian politics.
The story of Mayawati, UP’s former chief minister, illustrates the system’s impact. Rising from humble origins to become a very powerful political figure, she commissioned the mausoleum complex. At a huge cost to the tax payer, she oversaw the building of a 4 acre memorial park with controversial architectural choices, including treeless expanses of polished granite and 164 life-size elephant sculptures. There is so much polished granite that the complex cannot be visited in summer because of the sun reflection. In the middle of it all is a massive mausoleum, whose purpose is to recount the story of the Dalits place and recognition in Indian society, where Ms Mayawati figures prominently.
The Monk Who Transformed UP's Law and Order
Yogi Adityanath is a unique political figure. He is Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) current Chief Minister and represents a potent blend of spiritual leadership and political authority. As a sadhu (Hindu ascetic) who heads a monastery, his rise to political power underscores the often intertwined strands of religious symbolism, caste/community networks and personal charisma in political leadership. His election to parliament at age 26, followed by his ascension to Chief Minister in 2017, marks a significant shift in Indian state political leadership.
Yogi Adityanath’s approach to governance, particularly in law enforcement, has redefined political administration in India’s largest state. He directly and publicly confronted organised crime in the city by suggesting they either should chose to “Live peacefully or Rest in peace”.
His most controversial policy involved the systematic use of “police encounters”, which he conducted during his first 10 months in office (up to four police encounters per day).
“Police encounters”, simply called ‘encounters’, are a euphemism for extra-judicial killings by the police, supposedly in self-defence against suspected gangsters. The police were encouraged to shoot to kill when confronted with gangsters, rather than throw anyone in prison because as the Yogi said “My prisons are already full”. Over 120 documented fatalities were recorded. The effect was dramatic. Crime rate reductions plummeted from 40% to under 10% in less than a year. Deterrence was so strong that some inmates refused prison release for fear of what might happen to them. Popular support for these unconventional methods were such that Yogi Adityanath was re-elected for the first time ever in UP history as Chief Minister in 2022.
Yogi Adityanath’s administration represents a new model of Indian state governance where traditional religious authority merges with modern political power and immediate results take precedence over procedural norms. His success in UP, despite or because of unconventional methods, may influence future Indian political leadership styles and crime control strategies. The model though raises crucial questions about the balance between effective governance and democratic principles in developing societies.
Lucknow emerges as more than just a capital city – it’s a crucible where traditional power structures, social justice, and modern governance continuously evolve and intersect. The city’s story, from Martin’s educational vision to Adityanath’s administrative innovations, reflects India’s ongoing struggle to balance progress with tradition, justice with efficiency, and democratic ideals with practical governance.
As UP continues to evolve, Lucknow stands as a testament to how individual leadership, however controversial, can shape the destiny of millions. The city’s journey from colonial outpost to modern metropolis, guided by such diverse personalities, offers valuable insights into the complexities of administering and developing what is the world’s largest democracy.