India, Nov. 9 -- In medieval times, the grand gateways of cities were not just functional entry points but symbols of power and celebration. These impressive structures served as triumphal arches, where rulers would parade through, flanked by their court, while captivated crowds looked on in admiration. In the historical context of Nawabi Lucknow, there were at least 52 such gateways dotting the landscape, with the majestic Rumi Darwaza standing out as the main entrance from the west. This magnificent gateway positioned Lucknow alongside renowned 'gateway cities' like Aleppo in Syria and Istanbul in Turkey. Other notable gateways included the Panch Mahalla gateway, also known as Sheikhan Darwaza, and the Akbari Darwaza, both of which predated Nawabi rule. The Sheesh Mahal and Moti Mahal gateways, along with numerous entrances in Hussainabad, further enriched the city's architectural tapestry. The reign of Wajid Ali Shah also saw the construction of many significant gateways, such as those at Sikandarbagh, Alambagh, and the Qaiserbagh palace complex. By a conservative estimate, Qaiserbagh could have had 10 gateways or more, which included the two Lakhi Darwazas, leading into the inner courtyard of the palace complex from the east and west and the architecturally enigmatic Mermaid gateway. The main entrance to Qaiserbagh was from the NE side (facing the Observatory or Taaron Wali Kothi), which led to the Jilau Khana, a courtyard, from where ceremonial processions assembled before proceeding into the central courtyard. The NE gateway came to be known as China Bazar gateway, because it also led to the Chini Bagh, where earlier, the 'Chini Bazar' had existed. In the beginning of June 1857, several British fugitives, including Mounstuart Jackson, his two sisters Madeleine and Georgina, Capt Patrick Orr, Sgt Morton and others from Sitapur, sought refuge from the Raja of Mitauli who was already sheltering some British refugees. The group was later handed over by the Raja to the Indian revolutionaries, headquartered at Qaiserbagh, Lucknow, then under the command of Begum Hazrat Mahal. The refugees were imprisoned in the basement (tykhana) of Roshan-ud-Daula Kothi, awaiting their fate. Historical details are hazy at this stage, but it is surmised by some writers that Begum Hazrat Mahal may have had the idea of using the prisoners as leverage to bargain for the release of Wajid Ali Shah, who, by then, had been placed under house arrest in Fort William, Calcutta. However, when news of the impending British capture of the city reached the revolutionaries, the prisoners were executed in two separate batches, on September 24 and November 16, 1857, but again it is not clear, as to whether Mammoo Khan, the Begum's protege or Ahmadulla 'Danka' Shah, another firebrand revolutionary leader, had ordered the executions. The bodies were hurriedly buried in a ditch, opposite this very NE Qaiserbagh gateway, discussed above. After the British finally recaptured Lucknow in March 1858, efforts were made to locate the exact burial spot of the executed Europeans. But prior to the final assault on the city, the revolutionaries had fortified Lucknow by way of digging trenches, erecting earthen embankments and fixing wooden barricades. In such a scenario, it was impossible to identify the exact burial spot of the Europeans or retrieve their remains, for building their proper graves. Hence, it was decided to erect a plain, well-proportioned monument on the spot, within 50 yards of their last resting place, enclosed by an iron railing. This cenotaph, which exists today, is commonly known as the 'Orr Monument', dedicated to the 'Victims of 1857'. The Raja of Mitauli, who was accused by the British of having 'sold' the prisoners to Begum Hazrat Mahal for Rs 8000 was sent to the Andamans, together with Mammoo Khan, both accused of war crimes. But Raja Jai Lal Singh, a ta'aluqdar from Azamgarh, and a key functionary in charge of several departments in the Begum's administration, was sentenced to death on September 23, 1859, and subsequently hanged by the British on October 1, 1859, near the same spot where the European refugees had been killed earlier. However, the story was to go on. Half a century later, in around 1910, a question was raised by the colonial administration regarding the China Bazar gateway, proposing its demolition, as it was 'rickety and an obstruction to traffic, with practically no architectural interest.' One Mr Olliver had previously claimed that this was the same gate from where Raja Jai Lal Singh had supervised the murder of the Orr and Jackson party, whose obelisk now faced the gateway. Later, it was clarified that the Raja did not sit on this gate, but on another, long since demolished. It was hilariously noted on the relevant file that the only authentic historical event with this gate was that Olliver had sat on it in 1859, to witness the execution of Raja Jai Lal Singh. It was concluded that 'it was practically the only trace of the front of the Qaiserbagh palace and had been rightly or wrongly associated with the worst of the Mutiny tragedies.' The China Bazar gateway was subsequently repaired and allowed to stay on by the colonial administration; today it houses the UP Press Club and its compound is home to a slew of restaurants serving Nawabi cuisine. Post Independence, a statue of the Raja under a canopy, was erected at the same spot where he had been unceremoniously hanged from a tamarind tree by the British. The grounds where the 'Orr Monument' and the statue stood were renamed as Raja Jai Lal Singh Park under the aegis of the Lucknow Development Authority. PC Sarkar, a former scientist, has authored several books on the forgotten heritage of Lucknow...