Walla Jah, we are told, means “supremely dignified gentleman”.

Indeed, Nawab Wallajah was not only a dignified gentleman but also a fascinating one. Although he was the legal heir of the 7th Nawab of Arcot, Anwaruddin Khan, he assumed power as the 9th Nawab. Before he could lay his claim to the throne, a relative of his, by the name of Chanda Sahib  usurped it and became the de facto 8th Nawab. For 3 years, between 1749 and 1752) Wallajah battled to dislodge the pretender; and the British supported him in his efforts. At the end of the war, Wallajah emerged very victorious and Chanda Sahib ended up being very dead. And that’s how Wallajah  became the 9th Nawab.  

Wallajah shifted his capital from Arcot to Madras (modern Chennai), because that’s where his dear friends, the British, lived. He lovingly built the beautiful Chepauk Palace, very close to the British Fort St. George. It is said that he wanted to live inside Fort St. George, but the English were nervous about the security risk. However, they did make a Wallajah-Gate on the Cooum-side of the Fort so that Wallajah could enter freely and hobnob with the British bigwigs.

Life was not easy for him. He fought wars against the Mysore Kings and the Tanjore Mahrattas. The British, his allies, agreed to supply him with both weapons and soldiers, but at a cost; Soon, Wallajah ended up owing them outrageous sums of money for the hardware and outsourced manpower!

Yet, Wallajah did not let petty accounting interfere in his business of noblesse oblige. He generously contributed to public causes. He built shelters in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, sent Haj pilgrims on his private ships, contributed to mosques and even commissioned the famous Madrasa-E-Azam, an Islamic school. His munificence was not restricted to Muslims either. He donated heavily to the Srirangam and Triplicane Parthasarathy Temples. He donated land to the Mylapore Kapali Temple for building a tank. Even today, during the annual Float Festival of that tank, his descendants are first honoured. He also donated land to Christian institutions like the Bishop Heber School and St Joseph’s College in Trichy. Indeed, in charity, he was truly secular. But by now, Wallajah was very, very broke. Secular charity needed secular funding. So, he borrowed heavily from all communities: the British, the Armenians and other Indians.

The Nawab’s full name was: Amir ul Hind, Walla Jah, ‘Umdat ul-Mulk, Asaf ud-Daula, Nawab Muhammad ‘Ali Anwar ud-din Khan Bahadur, Zafar Jang, Sipah-Salar, Sahib us-Saif wal-qalam Mudabbir-i-Umur-i-‘Alam Farzand-i-‘Aziz-az Jan, Biradarbi Jan-barabar [Nawab Jannat Aramgah], Subadar of the Carnatic.  There isn’t enough street there for a name that long, and sensibly, they settled on Wallajah Road. 

By the Treaty of Paris signed in 1763, Wallajah was recognised as a King, independent of the Moghul Emperor. But it did nothing to change  local Economics. His ultra-deficit financing model would have made even the US Government cringe, but Wallajah was ever full of courtesy and grace. Once an Armenian money lender, Shawmier Sultan, came to enforce his dues. Wallajah charmed him so much that Shawmier tore  up his promissory note, declaring that his  claim was but just a little dust on Wallajah’s shoes’. Wallajah responded in kind by gifting a whole village to Shawmier! In victory he showed kindness. When he defeated the Tanjore Mahrattas, his soldiers raided the Tanjore Treasury. To their disappointment they found that everything had been spent in the war – only the personal jewellery of the Queen Mother remained! Wallajah ordered his soldiers to return it to the Queen Mother and treat her like Royalty.

Wallajah lived like a King, gave like a King, and died like a King. Unfortunately, he left behind huge debts that made his descendants vulnerable. The British exploited this and took over his kingdom by means fair AND foul. They could not completely ignore his friendship, however: even today his descendant sports the honorary title of ‘Prince of Arcot’ and receives a tax-free pension from the government.

His memory lives in names like Wallajah Mosque, Walajapet, Walajabad, Wallajah Gate and Wallajah Road. And as any kid in cricket-crazy Chennai will tell you, every other over in the Chepauk Cricket Stadium HAS to be bowled from the Wallajah End!

You will find more about Wallajah here.