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History
Why did the Mughal emperor agree to support the rebels during the 1857 uprising?
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1 Reply
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The Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah’s first reaction when the sepoys of Meerut stormed into the Red Fort, was of rejection and horror.
It was because the sepoys were in total defiance of normal court etiquette and had barged into the fort with such strong forces that Bahadur Shah feared that if he did not align with their wishes, the sepoy might turn against him too. Moreover, upon further revelations done by him, he realised that all they needed was a “nominal” head of the rebellion. The last Mughal Emperor would not have to jump to the ground or practice mutinies, he had to just stand in support of the rebels. However, this meant that the British might turn against the emperor if he showed his faith lay with the rebels.
Yet, the emperor chose to defy that and felt that if he supported the mutinies of the rebels, he would be standing in support of his people, who, however inconsiderately, were here to seek his approval and to make him the nominal head of the rebellion.
Therefore, the rebellion was legitimised after the emperor assumed nominal leadership because of the sepoy’s efforts and the first movement to drive out the British took place.