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In the historic locality of Hussainabad, located in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, nonagenarian Faiyaz Ali Khan journeys to the Art Gallery, a nineteenth-century structure that is a relic of the region's regal history.

His hands tremble as he moves, but there is a sparkle in his eyes. He has come to collect his royal pension, a allowance provided to the offspring and associates of the erstwhile Awadh kingdom.

This pension, derived from the Farsi word for a formal contract, is a pension awarded to the heirs and affiliates of the rulers of the previous Awadh state. Awadh, now the central region of Uttar Pradesh, was ruled by semi-autonomous Muslim leaders - called nawabs - until the British East India Company annexed it in the mid-19th century.

India does not retain a royal system, and ex-royalty do not have any honorifics, privileges or special payments, known as privy purses. However, while their kingdoms and authority have long disappeared, some pension arrangements have continued for descendants of these lineages in states including Uttar Pradesh, the southern state, and Rajasthan.

Roshan Taqui, a scholar of Lucknow, where the area is located, says that in the early 1800s some members of the Awadh dynasty lent money to the East India Company - which was then a British trading enterprise - on condition that the earnings be paid out as stipends to their relatives. These advances were ongoing, meaning the Company never had to repay the original sum.

But soon, the colonial power gained power in the region while the nawabs became less powerful.

During that period, the historian says, several rulers were also compelled to provide funds to the enterprise, which required it to fight the conflict in Afghanistan.

Waiting near the Picture Gallery, which was built during the rule of former Awadh ruler Mohammad Ali Shah, the elderly recipient states he has arrived to receive his stipend after 13 months.

"We've been collecting this pension since the time of our great-grandparents. It's so little that I only come once a year to collect it," he said.

The stipend sum is modest, just 9.70 rupees ($0.11; eight pence) a month, but for his family, it is about honour - their final connection to a once-rich past.

"Even if we receive a single paisa, we'll spend a thousand rupees to come and collect it," states his son the younger generation.

Today, around 1,200 individuals - called wasikedars - still receive these stipends.

However, the distributions are neither fixed nor uniform and decrease with each generation. For instance, if a individual received a hundred rupees and had two children, the pension would be reduced by half after their death, giving each 50 rupees. As heirs grew over time, the share of pensions became more diminished.

The distribution of wasika began in 1817 when Bahu Begum, the wife of Awadh's the ruler, lent 40m rupees to the British entity in two instalments on the condition that her kin and affiliates obtain monthly pensions, as per the historian.

Historical documents indicate that additional individuals linked to the dynasty also provided funds to the Company on similar terms.

After India became independent in the mid-twentieth century, part of the funds provided by Bahu Begum was deposited in a bank.

According to Uttar Pradesh's wasika officer SP Tiwari, approximately 3m rupees was initially placed in the central bank (formerly Calcutta) and later moved to Kanpur and then the capital. Today, the pensions are paid out from the returns generated on around 2.6m rupees deposited in a local bank in the city.

The distributions are handled by dual authorities in the Picture Gallery: the local trust, run by the city's authorities, and the Uttar Pradesh government's wasika office. The authorities now transfers pensions straight to financial accounts, while the Trust pays in cash.

Danish Ansari, the state's minority welfare minister, says the pension is given out as per policy and that the practice "dates back to the rulers of the region."

Critics contend that these stipends are remnants of aristocratic entitlement and should have no place in the modern era. But supporters see them as symbolic payments tied to past agreements that cannot be easily brushed aside.

Shahid Ali Khan, a lawyer who is also a recipient of the royal pension, points to his own heritage. His ancestor was a minister to Nawab Mohammad Ali Shah.

Now, he receives distinct stipends associated with two loans, one payment of four rupees and eighty paise quarterly and another monthly payment of 3.21 rupees.

"This pension should not be valued in money. It's our identity, invaluable. Only a few people receive it," he explains, adding that he receives it shortly prior to the sacred period of Muharram, using it only for spiritual purposes.

"I avoid receiving it annually because if any amount is spent elsewhere, I would feel guilty."

Many recipients argue that the pensions should be raised in line with modern financial returns.

"We've been getting the stipend at a 4% interest rate since the era of the rulers, while current financial yields are significantly greater," the elder states.

His offspring comments that they have petitioned multiple times for the sum to be increased, but without success.

"It's regrettable that I spend 500 rupees on fuel just to receive 9.70 rupees," he remarks.

Experts also highlight that the stipend was initially distributed in silver coins that each weighed more than a tola (approximately 11.7 grams).

But when the payments switched to Indian currency, the worth dropped sharply.

The lawyer says he plans to go to court to demand a revision of the sum.

"We'll ask why wasika is no longer distributed in silver coins now. And if not in silver, then at least the sum corresponding to today's silver value should be paid," he says.

It is not just the monetary value of the pension that has diminished, but also the splendor surrounding it.

Another recipient, whose lineage has been receiving these payments for generations, recalls a period when collecting the pension was a celebratory event, with sherbets and beverages being sold on the occasion.

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