Who among the following was the last ruler of the Mughal empire?

The correct answer is Bahadur Shah II.

Key Points

• Bahadur Shah II, also known as Bahadur Shah Zafar, was the last Mughal emperor of India.
• He reigned from 28 September 1837 to 21 September 1857.
• Bahadur Shah II was a nominal figurehead during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British East India Company.
• After the rebellion, he was captured by the British and exiled to Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon, Myanmar), where he died in 1862.

Additional Information

• Indian Rebellion of 1857:
  • Also known as the First War of Indian Independence, it was a major, but ultimately unsuccessful, uprising in India against the rule of the British East India Company.
  • The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the form of a mutiny of sepoys of the Company's army in the garrison town of Meerut.
  • The rebellion posed a considerable threat to Company power in that region and led to the dissolution of the British East India Company.
• Exile of Bahadur Shah II:
  • After the suppression of the rebellion, Bahadur Shah II was tried by the British for treason and found guilty.
  • He was exiled to Rangoon, Burma, in 1858, where he lived out the rest of his life.
  • He died in Rangoon on 7 November 1862.
• Literary Contributions:
  • Bahadur Shah II was also a notable Urdu poet and patron of the arts.
  • He wrote several ghazals and his works are considered a significant part of Urdu literature.
• End of the Mughal Empire:
  • The capture and exile of Bahadur Shah II marked the definitive end of the Mughal Empire.
  • The British formally abolished the Mughal Empire and established direct control over India, leading to the British Raj.