Bahadur Shah Zafar
Bahadur Shah Zafar sat upon a throne that held no power beyond the walls of Delhi. He became emperor in 1837 after his father Akbar II died. The East India Company controlled all real authority outside the Red Fort. His rule covered only the Walled City and territory as far as Palam. Earlier empires like the Maratha Empire had ended Mughal control over the Deccan region during the eighteenth century. Hundreds of smaller kingdoms fragmented the land outside British control. The company provided him with a pension while they collected taxes from Delhi. Zafar never possessed any imperial ambition or interest in statecraft.
A man described by Major Archer in 1828 wore plain clothes and resembled an indigent teacher more than royalty. Bahadur Shah Zafar lived like a poor scholar before he ascended to the throne. He was regarded as a Sufi Pir who accepted pupils into his circle. The newspaper Delhi Urdu Akhbaar called him one of the leading saints of the age. His court hosted renowned poets including Mirza Ghalib and Daagh Dehlvi. He wrote numerous Urdu ghazals that formed the collection known as Kulliyyat-i-Zafar. Some of his work survived the rebellion while other parts were destroyed. He believed in magical charms and used them to ward off evil spells. A group of pirs advised him to mix written charms in water for protection against illness.
Sepoy regiments reached the Mughal Court at Delhi on the 12th of May 1857. They treated the emperor familiarly or disrespectfully during their first formal audience. Zafar asked why they had come since he lacked means to maintain them. He yielded to demands when told they could not win without his support. On May 16, sepoys killed fifty-two Europeans hiding within the city under a peepul tree. Executions took place despite Zafar's protests with the aim to implicate him in the killings. Once he joined them, Bahadur Shah II took ownership for all actions of the mutineers. The administration functioned haphazardly and became chaotic and troublesome. Outside Gujjar herders began levying tolls on traffic making it difficult to feed the city.
Company forces led by Major William Hodson surrounded Humayun's Tomb where Zafar sought refuge. The former emperor was captured on the 20th of September 1857. Hodson shot his sons Mirza Mughal and Mirza Khizr Sultan under his own authority near the Khooni Darwaza. News of these executions left the eighty-two-year-old poet-king shocked and unable to react. A trial lasting twenty-one days followed with nineteen hearings and over one hundred documents produced. Hakim Ahsanullah Khan betrayed Zafar by providing evidence against him during the proceedings. The Red Fort served as the venue for this first case tried there instead of Calcutta. Charges included four counts related to the rebellion but the emperor defended himself claiming complete haplessness before sepoys.
Zafar departed Delhi at 4 am on the 7th of October 1858 in bullock carts escorted by Lieutenant Ommaney. His wife Zeenat Mahal and two remaining sons accompanied him toward Burma. He fell ill in 1862 at age 87 and found even broth difficult to consume by November 3. Captain H. Nelson Davies wrote that he was sinking from pure desuetude and paralysis in his throat region. The British Commissioner selected a spot at the back of Zafar's enclosure for burial. He died on Friday, the 7th of November 1862 at 5 am and was buried at 4 pm near the Shwedagon Pagoda. The shrine known as Bahadur Shah Zafar Dargah was built after restoration of his tomb on the 16th of February 1991.
The Indian National Army paid tribute to his tomb in Rangoon during 1943. A postal stamp honoring him appeared in 1975 issued by the Indian government. Playwright Javed Siddiqui set his work 1857: Ek Safarnama during the rebellion and staged it at Purana Qila in 2008. Ashok Kumar played the lead role in a television show titled Bahadur Shah Zafar which aired on Doordarshan in 1986. S. M. Zaheer portrayed him in the 2001 series 1857 Kranti while Habib Tanveer took the part in the 2005 film Mangal Pandey: The Rising. Many individuals claim descent from him living throughout India though these claims remain disputed. His epitaph poem reflects on the lack of space for burial in the land of his beloved.
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Common questions
When did Bahadur Shah Zafar become emperor of the Mughal Empire?
Bahadur Shah Zafar became emperor in 1837 after his father Akbar II died. He ruled until 1857 when British forces captured him.
What was the real power status of Bahadur Shah Zafar during his reign?
Bahadur Shah Zafar sat upon a throne that held no power beyond the walls of Delhi. The East India Company controlled all real authority outside the Red Fort and collected taxes from the city.
How many sons were killed by Major William Hodson near Khooni Darwaza?
Major William Hodson shot two sons named Mirza Mughal and Mirza Khizr Sultan under his own authority near the Khooni Darwaza. These executions occurred on the 20th of September 1857 while Bahadur Shah Zafar sought refuge at Humayun's Tomb.
Where is the tomb of Bahadur Shah Zafar located today?
Bahadur Shah Zafar died on Friday, the 7th of November 1862 and was buried near the Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon. The shrine known as Bahadur Shah Zafar Dargah was built after restoration of his tomb on the 16th of February 1991.
Who betrayed Bahadur Shah Zafar during his trial for rebellion?
Hakim Ahsanullah Khan betrayed Bahadur Shah Zafar by providing evidence against him during the proceedings. The trial lasted twenty-one days with nineteen hearings and over one hundred documents produced at the Red Fort.