Bahadur Shah Zafar last Mughal emperor [1775-1862]

Mughal emperors are considered as a king and creator of Urdu language. They gave birth to Urdu and lit up to sky of glory. Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last king of Mughal’s ruling time period. He was born in 1775 in Delhi. His father Akbar Shah got married to a Hindu lady Lalbai. When his father died he placed on his seat in 1837. Mughal emperors ruled over India and Asian subcontinent for the 300 years. When he came to throne British dominance have taken place in India and has became much stronger. So Mughal ruling time came to end. British dominance reduced the power and authority of Mughal’s emperors to such an extent that he could not do something to pull down their dictatorship. Mughal ruling was just limited to the red fort. Bahadur Shah Zafar was forced to live on the pension given by the British and the real power was in hands of them.

He was an abundant poet and talented calligrapher also. In his ruling period Urdu prospered a lot and reached to its peak of glory. As Mughal family have prolific poets so he inherited the taste of poetry from his forefathers. He wrote four divans. Basic subjects of his poetry were the love and spirituality. He faced huge degradation and suffered a lot of pain and sorrows due to British ruling over India. Most of his poetry shows these painful stories. He had the deep interest in literature and was a patron of poetry. Mirza Ghalib, Zauk, Momin and Daagh were the famous Urdu poets in his ruling time He wrote a famous verse.

“In hasertoon say keh do kahein aur jaa basain”

Itni jaga nahi ha dil-e Daagh daar main”

“Tell these longings to go live elsewhere, my bruised heart shall contain no more”.

Independence war of 1857 started In Bahadur Shah Zafar’s time and he won the war initially. He nominated a commander of the freedom fighters. But after some time strong British forces defeated him. He put into jail. He had hidden in the Humayun's tomb.  His three sons and grandfather  were killed by captain Hodson. Many heads of his companions and relatives were brought in the court of Captain Hodson. He passed last 5 years of his life in the jail and died in 1862, and then he was 87 year old.