On This Day: September 21, 1857 The End of the Mughal Empire
The End of the Mughal Empire : The capture of Bahadur Shah Zafar During the 1857 Indian Rebellion
Captured by the British on September 21, 1857, Bahadur Shah Zahar was the last emperor of the Mughals. Zahar’s capture and the subsequent 1857 Indian Rebellion, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, signified the fall of the Mughal Empire and the dynasty that has controlled India for centuries.
Bahadur Shah Zafar and the Revolt of 1857
Mughal Empire’s dominance and power greatly diminished by the 1850’s. Bahadur Shah Zafar was a resident of Delhi’s more prominently known as the Red Fort, Bahadur was more of a cultural and poetic icon as opposed to a ruling emperor. When Indian soldiers did decide to rebel against the British East India Company, to their surprise, Zahar was their self proclaimed sovereign.
Zafar’s name was on almost every proclamation issued and for a brief moment, the Mughal banner seemed to have returned. However, the British did come back for revenge. There was a epic fight and control of the city changed hands and in September, 1857 the city of Delhi was captured.
Capture at Humayun’s Tomb
Zafar was one of the last remaining emperor’s from the Mughal dynasty, Zafar’s attempt to escape did not go unnoticed as he was hiding underneath the Humayun’s Tomb. The last emperor of the Mughals, captured and put on trial in the Red Fort, sentenced to exile. The emperor’s Zafar sons were publicly executed as a demonstration of political power.
Exile to Rangoon
In 1862 he died while in exile in Rangoon (Myanmar), and his grave, which is also in Rangoon, is starkly distant from the beloved city of Delhi. In his poems he lamented the fact of dying outside his country, which also indicates he was not in favour of his seperation from India.
Why This Day Matters
The defiance displayed by the British along with the capture of Bahadur Shah Zafar exemplified the collapse of the Mughal dynasty. Though the rebellion lost, it was the first flicker of resistance in the struggle which was to come.
Remembering 21st September 1857 even now reminds us of the day which has the distinction of marking the end of the Mughal Empire and the beginning of tightened British rule over India.
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