Bahadur Shah Zafar: The Life and Legacy of India's Last Mughal Ruler

Bahadur Shah Zafar, the final Mughal emperor, symbolizes the fragility of power. From the 1857 Great Revolt to his lonely exile and death in Rangoon, his life remains a poignant reflection on history, loss, and the inevitability of change.

The Last Scion of a Mighty Empire

The man who was the last scion of India and South Asia’s most powerful ruling house, Bahadur Shah Zafar, died today 164 years ago in Rangoon (Yangon today), British-ruled Burma. Zafar, the last emperor of the Mughal dynasty that ruled the subcontinent from 1526 to 1858, has become the symbol of the fickleness of power in popular imagination. Born to one of the strongest empires in human history, Zafar died alone and most importantly, far removed from the environs that he had called home throughout his life.

Bahadur Shah was born on October 24, 1775, in Shahjahanabad, the Mughal citadel of Delhi that his illustrious ancestor, Shah Jahan, had built. His parents were Emperor Akbar Shah II and Lal Bai. Most know ‘Zafar’ as a poet, for the name was his takhallus. But to historians, Bahadur Shah’s life is also important while studying the Great Revolt of 1857, also known by other terms such as ‘The Sepoy Mutiny’ or ‘The First War of Indian Independence’, depending on which side of the fence one is on.

The 1857 Revolt and the Fall of Delhi

The British East India Company had received permission to trade in the subcontinent from Zafar’s ancestor, Jehangir. Slowly, it developed into the strongest political force in the region until it became the de facto ruler. However, the Company Bahadur’s policies led to deep resentment. Things came to a head in 1857 when rumours of the cartridges of a brand new rifle for the Company’s Sepoys being laced with cow and pig fat began doing the rounds.

On May 9, 1857, the soldiers in Meerut Cantonment revolted and rode towards Delhi. Crossing the Yamuna over a bridge of boats, they entered the city on May 11, where they declared the frail Zafar as the Shahenshah-e-Hind (Emperor of India/Emperor of Hindustan). Aged 82 and initially reluctant, Zafar lent his name, seal, and formal audience to the uprising, becoming its nominal head.

Exile and Legacy

After the British retook Delhi following a string of bloody battles in 1857, Major William Hodson captured Zafar and other members of the royal family on September 21, 1857, at Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, where they had sought refuge. A day later, Hodson shot and killed Zafar's sons, Mirza Mughal and Mirza Khizr Sultan, and grandson Mirza Abu Bakr in cold blood. The spot is now known ‘Khooni Darwaza’ and lies near Maulana Azad Medical College. As for Zafar, he was put on trial at the Red Fort and later exiled to Rangoon (Yangon, where he died in 1862 on November 7.

It is in Rangoon that Zafar penned an immortal verse that has perhaps enshrined his memory among millions in the region: Kitna hai bad-naseeb 'Zafar' dafn ke liye, Do gaz zamin bhi na mili ku-e-yar mein. (English): How unfortunate is 'Zafar' for burial, Not even two yards of land were found in the beloved alley (referring to his homeland, Delhi). His life shows that even the most powerful dynasties cannot stand the march of Time and that only change is here to stay. Perhaps that is what makes the story of his life touching and appealing at the same time.

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