King Hussein of Jordan vs Nawab Wajid Ali Shah

Hussein became King of Jordan at age 17 after his father King Talal was declared unfit to rule due to mental illness. He was formally crowned on May 2, 1953, beginning a reign that would last until 1999.

King Hussein survived several assassination attempts, including a 1960 plot by Syrian intelligence to poison his nose drops. He also survived attacks by the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups, maintaining his rule through periods of regional instability.

King Hussein ordered the Jordanian military to suppress Palestinian factions led by the PLO after they attempted to overthrow his monarchy. The conflict resulted in thousands of casualties and the expulsion of the PLO from Jordan to Lebanon.

King Hussein announced Jordan's administrative and legal disengagement from the West Bank, severing ties with the territory that Jordan had controlled since 1948. This move allowed the PLO to claim sole representation of Palestinians.

King Hussein signed a peace treaty with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin at the Arava border crossing. The treaty normalized relations between Jordan and Israel, ending a 46-year state of war and establishing diplomatic ties.

Wajid Ali Shah became the tenth and last Nawab of Awadh upon the death of his father, Amjad Ali Shah. His reign was marked by a focus on cultural pursuits, including poetry, music, and dance, rather than administrative or military affairs.

Wajid Ali Shah was a significant patron of the classical dance form Kathak and the semi-classical music genre Thumri. His court in Lucknow became a center for these arts, and his own compositions contributed to their evolution.

The British East India Company annexed the kingdom of Awadh under the Doctrine of Lapse, citing misgovernance. Wajid Ali Shah was deposed and exiled to Calcutta, where he lived under British supervision for the rest of his life.

Following the annexation of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah was exiled to Matiaburj in Calcutta. He spent his remaining years there, continuing his patronage of the arts and establishing a cultural center that influenced Bengali music and theater.