My continuing last in the Series of narration from Dalrymple's "Last Mughal" retold in my own words...
In 3 months of seize of Delhi outside its Ridge by the British Army of mostly Gurkha, Sikhs and Punjabi Muslim mercenaries, the rebel Sepoys were weakened by many factors - from lack of good leadership, food, money, logistics to recently acquired Veneral disease from visiting brothels in Delhi.
It was accentuated by bouts of Cholera post the late June monsoon showers. But cholera was more impartial - took its toll on the rebel Sepoys as well as many from the British Army, including a few of their able officers.
It did not mean that the Rebels gave up without a fight .Seapoys won multiple battles, fought to the hilt, but couldn't combine these wins to win the more important war. They couldn't sustain the battles on long run against a stubborn enemy who continued pushing forward to the city. Often ending a battle with a win, they will relax only to allow the Company Army to replenish and regroup.
It was only when the Sepoys running out of food, ammunition and more importantly the zeal to fight they decided to give one final push, which they could have done long time ago when time was on their side. Now they were desperately looking for leadership to Old Bahadur Shah Zaffer, whom they once it taunted as BUDHA (Oldie) by pulling his beard, passed lecherous remarks at his angry begums and concubines in ZANANA (ladiesquarters) and their horses spoiled his beloved gardens so carefully nourished and preserved by the aesthetic Emperor.
Zaffer, already 80 years in age was hardly battle hardened, so also neither any of his 15 odd legitimate childrens (only Mirza Mughal provided some leadership) and his brood of bastards produced from concubines - which can be attributed to the age sans condoms. (One of his sons was eaten by crocodile in river Yamuna. It is interesting to know Crocs roamed as far as Delhi and Lions now restricted to Gir forest of Gujarat and Cheetah already extinct were in large numbers in North and Central India).
Though the Hindu and Muslim Sepoys were bound by a common cause of hatred towards the English, there was plenty of lack of trust and respect among them. The Wahabbis (followers of an orthodox version of Islam) Jihadi elements openly taunted the Hindus as cowards and "one Muslim being the equivalent of 10 Hindus". They openly proclaimed to annihilate the idol worshipper Kafir Hindus after they drive out the British.
An incident in July during the Muslim festival of Bakr Id brought the difference to the forefront. Instead of sacrificing the usual goat or sheep, the fundamentalist Muslims in the city slaughtered a cow near Jama Masjid. It created an uproar amongst the Hindus whose response was swift.
On 19th, July they slit the throat of 5 Muslim butchers accused of cow killing. The situation turned tense inside the walled city whose population was evenly divided amongst Hindus and Muslims. Bahadur Shah Zaffer, half Hindu himself who celebrated Hindu festivals inside his Red Fort came to the forefront, showing a rare leadership appealing the Hindus and Muslims to maintain peace. His subjects finally acquiesced to the disappointment of the British who were updated by their spies and banked on a communal riot to further the division between the rebels.
But by end of July the wind was blowing in favor of British, refreshed by fresh supply of soldiers, arms and bolstered by the logistics and ready for the final push. They were able to blow their way inside the city by incessantly blasting cannons, only to face stiff resistance by the Sepoys inside the city who stunned the British by staging a successful urban guerrilla warfare.
Couple of times the Sepoys were close to victory. But lack of imagination, leadership, killer instinct inability to give a finishing touch, not to mention lack of logistics providing supply lines cost them the war. Even inside the city Bakht Khan and Mirza Mughal gave a stiff resistance which took the life of the 6 feeter General Nicholson, who perished mortally wounded by a shot from a Sepoy sniper, temporarily demoralizing the English. Yet the faltering Sepoys could hardly take advantage of the situation.
16th of September, 1957 was the turning point of the war. Bahadur Shah Zaffer was prodded one last time and came out to lead a troop of rebels and city dwellers - a 70,000 strong. But soon he chickened out and went back to his Fort on pretext of prayers. His subjects confused by this dithering behaviour of their Commander in Chief, were first disorganised and then fled the city. The British chased and butchered them, rampantly shooting and hanging them. Many of Zaffer's son, including Mirza Mughal who led the rebels and were betrayed into surrendering by their own were shot by General Hudson from point blank, their bodies lying in open rotting in hot Delhi weather for 3 days before given burial.
One of the rare survivors was Mirza Ghalib, the legendary witty poet. British who bore anathema to Muslims post mutiny asked him if he belonged to the community. Ghalib responded - " I am half Muslim". The puzzled officer asked, "How come you are half Muslim" to which the poet replied - "I drink wine, but do not eat Pork. So, I am half Muslim". Impressed by his wit, the officer let him go, but not without an warning.
Zaffer was spared from death and was transferred to Allahabad where he borded a Steam Ship and transported to Diamond Harbour port, Calcutta where they stocked up supplies for the long trip to Rangoon set for his exile. The last Mughal was Excited about seeing sea for the first time in life and fascinated by the technical prowess of the ship.
He was accompanied by his wife, concubines and two living sons. One of them was Jawan Bakht, his son born from his young and powerful wife Zeenat Mahal who dreamt of seeing his son as the next Emperor which was never to be. Now Jawan Bakht, a spoilt brat earned the ire of his mom due to his affair with one of his father's kept and stealthily buying Port wine from the British by bribing them.
Zaffer died in seclusion in 1862 in faraway Rangoon, buried in a nondescript location effectively ending the 300 year old Mughal rule which had seen better days. Ghalib published this news in Delhi's Urdu newspaper where he regularly contributed his SHAYARIs (poems). The legendary poet died in the year 1869, the same year hundred of miles away in Porbandar, Gujarat was born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - the man credited of driving away the British less than a century later.
In 3 months of seize of Delhi outside its Ridge by the British Army of mostly Gurkha, Sikhs and Punjabi Muslim mercenaries, the rebel Sepoys were weakened by many factors - from lack of good leadership, food, money, logistics to recently acquired Veneral disease from visiting brothels in Delhi.
It was accentuated by bouts of Cholera post the late June monsoon showers. But cholera was more impartial - took its toll on the rebel Sepoys as well as many from the British Army, including a few of their able officers.
It did not mean that the Rebels gave up without a fight .Seapoys won multiple battles, fought to the hilt, but couldn't combine these wins to win the more important war. They couldn't sustain the battles on long run against a stubborn enemy who continued pushing forward to the city. Often ending a battle with a win, they will relax only to allow the Company Army to replenish and regroup.
It was only when the Sepoys running out of food, ammunition and more importantly the zeal to fight they decided to give one final push, which they could have done long time ago when time was on their side. Now they were desperately looking for leadership to Old Bahadur Shah Zaffer, whom they once it taunted as BUDHA (Oldie) by pulling his beard, passed lecherous remarks at his angry begums and concubines in ZANANA (ladiesquarters) and their horses spoiled his beloved gardens so carefully nourished and preserved by the aesthetic Emperor.
Zaffer, already 80 years in age was hardly battle hardened, so also neither any of his 15 odd legitimate childrens (only Mirza Mughal provided some leadership) and his brood of bastards produced from concubines - which can be attributed to the age sans condoms. (One of his sons was eaten by crocodile in river Yamuna. It is interesting to know Crocs roamed as far as Delhi and Lions now restricted to Gir forest of Gujarat and Cheetah already extinct were in large numbers in North and Central India).
Though the Hindu and Muslim Sepoys were bound by a common cause of hatred towards the English, there was plenty of lack of trust and respect among them. The Wahabbis (followers of an orthodox version of Islam) Jihadi elements openly taunted the Hindus as cowards and "one Muslim being the equivalent of 10 Hindus". They openly proclaimed to annihilate the idol worshipper Kafir Hindus after they drive out the British.
An incident in July during the Muslim festival of Bakr Id brought the difference to the forefront. Instead of sacrificing the usual goat or sheep, the fundamentalist Muslims in the city slaughtered a cow near Jama Masjid. It created an uproar amongst the Hindus whose response was swift.
On 19th, July they slit the throat of 5 Muslim butchers accused of cow killing. The situation turned tense inside the walled city whose population was evenly divided amongst Hindus and Muslims. Bahadur Shah Zaffer, half Hindu himself who celebrated Hindu festivals inside his Red Fort came to the forefront, showing a rare leadership appealing the Hindus and Muslims to maintain peace. His subjects finally acquiesced to the disappointment of the British who were updated by their spies and banked on a communal riot to further the division between the rebels.
But by end of July the wind was blowing in favor of British, refreshed by fresh supply of soldiers, arms and bolstered by the logistics and ready for the final push. They were able to blow their way inside the city by incessantly blasting cannons, only to face stiff resistance by the Sepoys inside the city who stunned the British by staging a successful urban guerrilla warfare.
Couple of times the Sepoys were close to victory. But lack of imagination, leadership, killer instinct inability to give a finishing touch, not to mention lack of logistics providing supply lines cost them the war. Even inside the city Bakht Khan and Mirza Mughal gave a stiff resistance which took the life of the 6 feeter General Nicholson, who perished mortally wounded by a shot from a Sepoy sniper, temporarily demoralizing the English. Yet the faltering Sepoys could hardly take advantage of the situation.
16th of September, 1957 was the turning point of the war. Bahadur Shah Zaffer was prodded one last time and came out to lead a troop of rebels and city dwellers - a 70,000 strong. But soon he chickened out and went back to his Fort on pretext of prayers. His subjects confused by this dithering behaviour of their Commander in Chief, were first disorganised and then fled the city. The British chased and butchered them, rampantly shooting and hanging them. Many of Zaffer's son, including Mirza Mughal who led the rebels and were betrayed into surrendering by their own were shot by General Hudson from point blank, their bodies lying in open rotting in hot Delhi weather for 3 days before given burial.
One of the rare survivors was Mirza Ghalib, the legendary witty poet. British who bore anathema to Muslims post mutiny asked him if he belonged to the community. Ghalib responded - " I am half Muslim". The puzzled officer asked, "How come you are half Muslim" to which the poet replied - "I drink wine, but do not eat Pork. So, I am half Muslim". Impressed by his wit, the officer let him go, but not without an warning.
Zaffer was spared from death and was transferred to Allahabad where he borded a Steam Ship and transported to Diamond Harbour port, Calcutta where they stocked up supplies for the long trip to Rangoon set for his exile. The last Mughal was Excited about seeing sea for the first time in life and fascinated by the technical prowess of the ship.
He was accompanied by his wife, concubines and two living sons. One of them was Jawan Bakht, his son born from his young and powerful wife Zeenat Mahal who dreamt of seeing his son as the next Emperor which was never to be. Now Jawan Bakht, a spoilt brat earned the ire of his mom due to his affair with one of his father's kept and stealthily buying Port wine from the British by bribing them.
Zaffer died in seclusion in 1862 in faraway Rangoon, buried in a nondescript location effectively ending the 300 year old Mughal rule which had seen better days. Ghalib published this news in Delhi's Urdu newspaper where he regularly contributed his SHAYARIs (poems). The legendary poet died in the year 1869, the same year hundred of miles away in Porbandar, Gujarat was born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - the man credited of driving away the British less than a century later.
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