Bahadur Shah Zafar • Industrial + Modern (1775–1862)

Who was the last ever Mughal emperor?

Bahadur Shah Zafar Died 7th Nov 1862

When did the British Empire gain near full control over India?

• East India Company took charge of the wealthy region of Bengal in 1757 • 100 hundred years later after exploiting weaknesses between rival Maratha kingdoms and driving out competition from other European traders, the company ruled almost all of India • They had direct control over large regions and indirectly controlled kingdoms where the local rulers would do as they were told (1 of them was Bahadur Shah Zafar)

When was the war of independence in India?

1857 • A mutiny in the East India Company's army grew out of control • Sepoys (soldiers) in the company's army rose up against their officers and before long there was a general rebellion across the country by Indians who hoped to drive the British out of their lands

How did the rebellion lead some people to turn to Bahadur Shah Zafar?

• Some of the rebels turned to Bahadur as a leader but it is not clear how actively he supported the war • On the eve of the mutiny he was living in the Red Fort at Delhi writing poetry and encouraging artists, poets and musicians to revive the great cultural achievements of Akbar, Shah Jahan and Jahangir

Did Bahadur act as figurehead?

• Wasn't a warrior but he did answer the call of rebels • He became the figurehead needed by those who wanted to drive out the British and rebuild the Mughal empire across India (even though his empire was the Red Fort in which he lived in)

Who won the war?

• There was dreadful brutality on both sides • British emerged victorious but it was clear that the East India Company could no longer be entrusted with ruling India

Who ended up ruling India after the war?

• The British gov in London, acting on behalf of Queen Victoria took control in 1858 • It stayed in charge for another 90 years, known as the 'British Raj' (Raj is the Hindu word for rule)

What happened to Bahadur Shah Zafar?

• As the Raj was being set up, Bahadar was put on trial • He was found guilty of aiding the war of independence and was banished from India completely • He was sent to live in the last years of his life in Burma (now Myanmar and wasn't allowed to be buried in India

What did rule in India become like under Victoria?

1877 • British gov declared Queen victoria 'Empress of India' • 10 years later she included 2 Indians as her servants • Over next 90 years under British kings, millions of Indians accepted British rule and 1000s died fighting for their new empire in WW1 and 2

What happened in India by 1947?

• The majority of Indians wanted full independence • By that time, such deep mistrust had developed between Muslims and Hindus that the British had to partition their former lands creating the Hindu-dominated nation of India and the Muslim states of East and West Pakistan • In 1971 East Pakistan won its own independence and became Banglades