Āṣaf al-Dawla (1749-97) ruled the north India state of Oudh (more correctly, Awadh) from 1775 to 1797, the third in a dynasty of eleven rulers known as the Awadh dynasty, who held power from 1720 to 1856. During his reign, Awadh's autonomy was severely reduced because of British political and military influences. The nawāb s, or regional rulers, of Awadh were Shīʿī Muslims whose ancestors came from Iran. In the process of consolidating and expanding their political presence in the north, they invited a steady stream of