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In Hussainabad, located in the north Indian state of UP, nonagenarian Faiyaz Ali Khan journeys to the Art Gallery, a 19th Century structure that stands as a reminder of the city's royal past.

His hands tremble as he moves, but there is a sparkle in his eyes. He has come to collect his wasika, a payment granted to the descendants and associates of the former Awadh realm.

This pension, originating from the Persian word for a written agreement, is a stipend given to the descendants and associates of the rulers of the former Awadh state. Awadh, now the heartland of Uttar Pradesh, was governed by partially independent Muslim leaders - known as nawabs - until the British East India Company took control in 1856.

India no longer has a royal system, and ex-royalty lack any honorifics, special rights or unique stipends, known as privy purses. However, while their realms and authority have vanished, some pension arrangements have continued for heirs of these lineages in states including UP, the southern state, and the western state.

A historian, a scholar of the city, where the area is located, explains that in the beginning of the nineteenth century some members of the Awadh royal family provided loans to the East India Company - which was then a commercial entity - on condition that the interest be paid out as stipends to their relatives. These advances were ongoing, meaning the firm 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 needed it to fight the Afghan war.

Standing outside the Picture Gallery, which was constructed during the reign of ex- Awadh ruler Mohammad Ali Shah, the elderly recipient says he has arrived to receive his stipend after 13 months.

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

The pension amount is meagre, only 9.70 rupees ($0.11; £0.08) a thirty days, but for his household, it is about honour - their last living link to a formerly wealthy heritage.

"Even if we get just one paisa, we'll spend a thousand rupees to come and collect it," says his son Shikoh Azad.

Today, around twelve hundred individuals - known as wasikedars - still receive these stipends.

However, the distributions are variable and inconsistent and decrease with every successive heir. For instance, if a person received a hundred rupees and had two children, the pension would be halved after their death, giving each 50 rupees. As heirs grew over the years, the portion of the stipend became even smaller.

The distribution of the pension began in the early nineteenth century when the royal consort, the spouse of Awadh's the ruler, gave 40m rupees to the East India Company in two instalments on the condition that her relatives and associates receive monthly pensions, according to Mr Taqui.

Historical documents indicate that other people associated with the dynasty also gave loans to the Company on similar terms.

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

As per Uttar Pradesh's wasika officer SP Tiwari, approximately three million rupees was initially placed in the central bank (formerly Calcutta) and subsequently transferred to the industrial city and then Lucknow. Now, the pensions are distributed from the interest earned on around 2.6m rupees held in a local bank in the urban area.

The payments are made by dual authorities in the Picture Gallery: the Hussainabad Trust, managed by Lucknow's district administration, and the Uttar Pradesh government's wasika office. The authorities now sends stipends directly into financial accounts, while the foundation distributes physical currency.

Danish Ansari, the state's official, states the pension is distributed as per regulation and that the practice "originates from the rulers of the region."

Critics contend that these stipends are vestiges of aristocratic entitlement and should have no place today. But supporters view them as symbolic payments linked to past agreements that cannot be easily brushed aside.

Shahid Ali Khan, a lawyer who is also a beneficiary of the royal pension, references his own family's legacy. His ancestor was a official to Nawab Mohammad Ali Shah.

Today, he gets two separate royal pensions linked to two loans, a distribution of 4.80 rupees every three months and another monthly payment of three rupees and twenty-one paise.

"This pension should not be valued in currency. It's our heritage, worth more than millions. A select group receive it," he says, noting that he receives it just before the sacred period of the Islamic month, allocating it solely to spiritual purposes.

"I avoid receiving it annually because if even a single paisa is used for other purposes, I would have regrets."

Many recipients argue that the stipends should be increased according to current interest rates.

"We've been receiving wasika at a 4% interest rate since the era of the rulers, while current financial yields are much higher," the elder says.

His son comments that they have made repeated appeals for the amount to be increased, but in vain.

"It's regrettable that I spend 500 rupees on petrol only to receive 9.70 rupees," he says.

Scholars also highlight that the wasika was initially distributed in silver coins that every piece weighed more than a tola (around 11.7 grams).

But when the distributions switched to Indian currency, the value dropped sharply.

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

"We'll inquire why wasika is no longer distributed in silver coins anymore. And if not in silver, then at least the sum corresponding to today's silver value should be provided," he states.

It is not only the financial worth of the pension that has faded, but also the grandeur surrounding it.

Masood Abdullah, whose lineage has been receiving these payments for generations, remembers a period when receiving the stipend felt like a festival, with refreshments and beverages being sold on the day.

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