By iastoppers.in
Bahadur Shah Zafar was primarily a poet and was initially uninvolved in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 until the Sepoy regiments reached the Mughal Court in Delhi.
He was the last Mughal Emperor with limited control even within Delhi, as the British East Indian Company was expanding its influence.
Despite being a titular Emperor, he commanded immense respect from the people of India.
During the 1857 rebellion, he was reluctantly made the Emperor of India by the rebels due to his neutral religious views.
On May 16, 1857, palace servants and sepoys executed 52 European prisoners, trying to implicate Zafar despite his protests.
Zafar's eldest son, Mirza Mughal, was appointed as the commander of the forces but failed due to lack of experience.
After the British recaptured Delhi, Zafar’s sons and a grandson were executed.
During his trial at the Red Fort, Zafar was accused of leading the mutiny, though he claimed incapacity and mistreatment by the sepoys.
His trusted advisor and Prime Minister, Hakim Ahsanullah Khan, betrayed him during the trial, leading to Zafar’s exile to Rangoon, Burma.
Bahadur Shah Zafar died on November 7, 1862, in Yangon, and was buried near the Shwedagon Pagoda.