Bahadur Shah Zafar: The fall of the last Mughal Emperor in 1857

In September 1857, the final Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, faced the end of his reign during the Indian Rebellion. Following the British siege of Delhi, which lasted approximately three months, the city fell to British forces on September 14.

On September 17, Bahadur Shah Zafar was forced to vacate the Red Fort. By September 20, he surrendered to British Major Hosson and was taken into custody within the same fort he once ruled. The following day, September 21, British forces officially arrested him. Following his trial, he was exiled to Rangoon (present-day Myanmar), where he eventually passed away.