My name is Umrao, Umrao Jaan.It was the time of Wazid Ali Shah of Lucknow, and the English East India Company was ruling over a large part of India ,determined to take over Lucknow.              Lucknow at that time was a place of rich sensuousness and expensive luxury, a land of gold,silver,precious jewellery, fine muslin cloths, ittar, paan,and tobacco,where courtesans reigned stationed in their magnificent mansions called kothas. I was sold to one such kothiwali when I was eleven by one of my neighbours. I was brought up to be a skilled courtesan trained to