Mirza Mughal
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Mirza Mughal (1817–1857) was the fifth son of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor. His mother, Sharif-ul-Mahal Sayyidini, came from an aristocratic family that claimed descent from the prophet Muhammad.
Following the death in 1856 of his elder brother Mirza Fakhru, Mirza Mughal became the eldest surviving legitimately born son of Bahadur Shah Zafar. However, the British refused to recognize anybody as heir to the throne of Delhi, and indicated that the monarchy would be abolished following Zafar's death.
[edit] War of 1857
In May 1857, sepoys of the British Indian army rebelled against their British officers and streamed into Delhi. A few days later, Mirza Mighal and some of his half-brothers petitioned their father to be appointed in charge of the rebel troops. Their plea was initially refused but later granted, and Mirza Mughal was designated commander-in-chief. Mirza Mughal had had no training or experience for his new office; however, he energetically sought to organize the troops, make arrangements for their billeting and provisioning, and bring a semblance of order to the edgy city. His inexperience soon became apparent, and he was upstaged a few week later by the arrival, at the head of a large force from Bareilly, of Bakht Khan, a former officer in the British army, who had earned a fine reputation during the Afghan wars. Shortly after his arrival, the emperor appointed Bakht Khan commander-in-chief and left Mirza Mughal in charge of supplies. A few weeks later, following another reshuffle of offices, Mirza Mughal was given charge of administering the city of Delhi.
[edit] Death
Towards the end of the revolt, Mirza Mughal, along with several members of his family, took refuge in Humayun's tomb lying outside the walled city of Delhi. They later surrendered to the British troops, led by captain Hodson, who surrounded the tomb. Mirza Mughal and two of his half-brothers were mounted on a bullock-cart and driven towards the city. As they approached the city gate, Hodson asked the princes to get off the cart, and strip naked. He then shot the three princes dead, in cold blood and at point-blank range. Hodson then stripped the princes of the signet rings, turquoise arm-bands and bejewelled swords, all of which he pocketed. The bodies were then thrown in front of the kotwali or police-station and left there to be viewed by the public. The gate near which the murders were performed has came to be called the Khooni Darwaza (Bloody Gate).
[edit] References
- William Dalrymple, "The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty. Delhi. 1857." Published by Penguin in 2006.
