Noor Bakhsh Kothi

Even the supernatural appear to fear the echelons of power, or otherwise why should ghosts leave the Noor Bakhsh Palace. According to Sidney Hay in Historic Lucknow (first published in 1939) 'Within the Kothi Noor Bakhsh stands a tomb popularly reputed to be haunted.'
Interestingly today, the ghosts have disappeared and the Kothi is the hub of the district administration being the District magistrate's residence and camp office (on the Mahatma Gandhi Marg, opposite the Sarojni Naidu Park).
Most writers agree that Noor Bakhsh Kothi was built by the sixth Nawab of Awadh, Saadat Ali Khan (1798-1814) who succeeded his nephew Mirza Wazir Ali, the son of Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah, when he was removed by the British, just four months after his assumption of the rule on September 20, 1797. Saadat Ali Khan was installed on January 21,1898, and was specially called from Banaras for the purpose. According to a U.P. Tourism brochure, it was occupied by Sadiq Ali Khan, a son of Saadat Ali Khan. However, Sheikh Mohammed Azmat Nami Kakorvi, a contemporary chronicler of the Nawabi period, lists Kothi Noor Bakhsh amongst the buildings erected by Nawab Ghazi-ud-din Haider (1814-1827) the son and successor of Saadat Ali Khan, who declared himself a monarch independent of the Moghuls on October 19,1819, at the behest of the British. Some attribute its construction to Agha Mir, his Prime minister.

According to Sidney Hay in Historic Lucknow 'some say that it (Kothi Noor Bakhsh) was built by Saadat Ali Khan to serve as a maktab (school) for his grandson Rafi-ush-Shaan (the son of Naseer-ud-Daulah, later known as Mohammed Ali Shah).
The name of Rafi-ush-Shaan is associated with Noor Bakhsh Kothi in another form by Nami Kakorvi. Naseer-ud-Daulah like his father Saadat Ali Khan also succeeded his nephew to the rule of Awadh. He was appointed the King to succeed his nephew the second King, Naseer-ud-Din Haider on the death of the latter, when the British refused to recognise Munna Jan as his son and the heir apparent. Munna Jan was forcibly crowned as the King by his grandmother Badshah Begum, to the displeasure of the British Resident who intervened and removed Munna Jan with a show of force within hours of his coronation at Lai Baradari [on July 8,1837]. Soon after his coronation Mohammed Ali Shah divided his property amongst his wives and children and the Kothi Noor Bakhsh was gifted to his son Rafi-ush-Shaan. He is said to have stayed there till 1857.

Agha Mehdi in Taareekh-e-Lucknow refers to the structure as Mahtab Bakhsh Kothi, a residence of Wajid Ali Shah, the last King of Awadh, who is said to have come out of his verandah to see a procession. He points out that the building was used by the British for the residence of the Deputy Commissioner. He also mentions an Imambara of Muftah-ud-Daulah built during the reign of Wajid Ali Shah lying in ruins behind it.

The Hilton's map of 1913 published with his Guide to Lucknow identifies the Deputy Commissioner's house (mentioned within brackets) with Noor Bakhsh Kothi. It is shown to be situated at the place where we find the District Magistrate's residence today.
Kothi Noor Bakhsh also finds specific mention during the narratives of the struggle of 1857-1858, during the first relief of the Residency in September 1857 and during the recapture of Lucknow (and Qaiser Bagh in particular) from the rebels (freedom fighters) in March 1858.

Source:
Hindustan Times, City Scan, A Time in History
Wednesday 29.9.1999 — A tomb in administrative block