It is said, when destiny calls, you must answer. In the history of India, there was a man whom destiny literally screamed at, come and get me! Unfortunately, this man, Bahadur Shah II, the last Mughal emperor of India, did not listen to his destiny. And he died an unhappy man.
During the Revolt of 1857, Indian soldiers charged to Delhi, rallied around Bahadur Shah and proclaimed him the Shahenshah-i-Hindustan. Even the other Kings of India wanted Bahadur Shah to become the emperor of India and liberate them from the British. Every rebel leader raised the banner of revolt in his name.
Obviously, this made Bahadur Shah an eyesore for the British who launched a military attack against him. Bahadur Shah prepared his counter attacks under the able guidance of Subedar Bakht Khan who defeated the British in successive attacks. Bahadur Shah also asked help from the Sikhs, but unfortunately the Sikhs were so poisoned against him by Sir John Lawrence, the Chief Commissioner of Punjab, that they instead sided with the British.
At one stage in the ongoing onslaughts against the British, Bakht Khan asked Bahadur Shah to come along with him for a new kind of a strategic attack on the British. Unfortunately, Bahadur Shah, who listened to Elahi Baksh, a man bought by the British, refused. By refusing to go with Bakht Khan, the Emperor sealed his fate and also the fate of the country. Elahi Baksh further helped the British in capturing Bahadur Shah who tried him and sentenced him to life imprisonment. They humiliated him by making him live in poverty at Red Fort and making him a peep show for the European Visitors. They finally exiled him to Rangoon in October 1858 where he died in 1862.
As a father, he lived to experience the death of his sons and grandsons, in animal like fashion by the British. Also, Captain Hudson who caught hold of the three royal princes after capture of Bahadur Shah, stripped them and shot them dead. He also beheaded and presented their severed heads to the emperor with the remark, "Here is the company's Nazar (tribute) to you which had not been presented for years."
In exile at Rangoon, Bahadur Shah longed to be back home and wrote poetry which has kept his memories alive even today. Zafar was his adopted poetic sobriquet.
It would not be wrong to state that he died, eventually of a heart break.
This is his poem written on his epitaph- it beautifully expresses the pain of the man.
My heart is not happy in this despoiled land.
Who has ever felt fulfilled in this transient world.
Tell these emotions to go dwell elsewhere.
Where is there space for them in this besmirched heart?
The nightingale laments neither to the gardener nor to the hunter.
Imprisonment was written in fate in the season of spring.
I had requested for a long life, a life of four days.
Two passed by in pining, and two in waiting.
How unlucky is Zafar! For burial
Even two yards of land were not to be had, in the land (of the) beloved.
During the Revolt of 1857, Indian soldiers charged to Delhi, rallied around Bahadur Shah and proclaimed him the Shahenshah-i-Hindustan. Even the other Kings of India wanted Bahadur Shah to become the emperor of India and liberate them from the British. Every rebel leader raised the banner of revolt in his name.
Obviously, this made Bahadur Shah an eyesore for the British who launched a military attack against him. Bahadur Shah prepared his counter attacks under the able guidance of Subedar Bakht Khan who defeated the British in successive attacks. Bahadur Shah also asked help from the Sikhs, but unfortunately the Sikhs were so poisoned against him by Sir John Lawrence, the Chief Commissioner of Punjab, that they instead sided with the British.
At one stage in the ongoing onslaughts against the British, Bakht Khan asked Bahadur Shah to come along with him for a new kind of a strategic attack on the British. Unfortunately, Bahadur Shah, who listened to Elahi Baksh, a man bought by the British, refused. By refusing to go with Bakht Khan, the Emperor sealed his fate and also the fate of the country. Elahi Baksh further helped the British in capturing Bahadur Shah who tried him and sentenced him to life imprisonment. They humiliated him by making him live in poverty at Red Fort and making him a peep show for the European Visitors. They finally exiled him to Rangoon in October 1858 where he died in 1862.
Bahadur Shah being taken as a prisoner by the British
(Picture courtesy : Wikipedia)
(Picture courtesy : Wikipedia)
Bahadur Shah, during his life imprisonment.
(Picture courtesy : Wikipedia)
(Picture courtesy : Wikipedia)
In exile at Rangoon, Bahadur Shah longed to be back home and wrote poetry which has kept his memories alive even today. Zafar was his adopted poetic sobriquet.
It would not be wrong to state that he died, eventually of a heart break.
This is his poem written on his epitaph- it beautifully expresses the pain of the man.
My heart is not happy in this despoiled land.
Who has ever felt fulfilled in this transient world.
Tell these emotions to go dwell elsewhere.
Where is there space for them in this besmirched heart?
The nightingale laments neither to the gardener nor to the hunter.
Imprisonment was written in fate in the season of spring.
I had requested for a long life, a life of four days.
Two passed by in pining, and two in waiting.
How unlucky is Zafar! For burial
Even two yards of land were not to be had, in the land (of the) beloved.
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