The book presents itself as a reserve of knowledge, made possible by recordings of collective memory, compilation of accounts and histories. Through the chapters of this book the author Mulana Abdul Halim Sharar draws the reader with a combination of an illustrative writing style and the use of simple Urdu language. The chapters (Baabs) are not named according to their attribution to various crafts, lifestyles or methods. Instead they are just titled numerically. This is probably a result of the fact that the entire volume is one singular narrative that pronounces the way of life a particular community was leading. The societal past of Lucknow is not unknown to most people living today, especially those who have some knowledge of cultural processes of the pre-partition Subcontinent. The state of Awadh was one of the last standing bastions of Muslim rule after the advent of The East India Company and Lucknow was its traditional capital and heart.
The author introduces the vibrant past of Lucknow by using a cultural cross-section directly linked to everyday, noble and royal practices, touching everything from the usage and development of Urdu language to poetry and devotional music to war strategies, games and cuisine.
