CH# 13: THE MUGHAL ECLIPSE
The arrival of Commander Bakhat Khan changed the battle in 1857
'...What! Have you gone mad? Your
rival princes are busy in the battle to win the throne and you’re asking me to
go to British lady Angeline with your proposal,’ Queen Zeenat Mahal yelled at
Prince Jawan Bakhat.
‘Ami Huzoor, why don’t
you understand it’s also a strategy of war. You don’t allow me to fight in
front as I know you’re still loyal to whites and don’t want to come in their
bad books. Angeline is the only daughter
of General Nicholson and this marriage will strengthen the bonding of Red Fort
and British,’ Prince Jawan Bakhat explained his point.
‘I’m just focused and
waiting for the atrocious end of your brothers in this brawl so that I can talk
to General for your approval as next emperor...and your mind is scrolling
somewhere else… I don’t think Angeline will be ready for it,’
‘I don’t care. Angeline is just a booty of war for me. I could make her my concubine consort but I’m honoring her the status of my first legal wife. She should be grateful for this. She has no choice other than saying yes to my proposal. You better go and bring her here,’ Prince Jawan Bakhat insisted.
Queen Zeenat Mahal came out Rang Mahal thoughtful. It was afternoon and the sun
was still blazing amid cruel hot air. All folks in the Red Fort and the
residents of the city around were resting inside to avoid sunstroke. She saw
Princess Hamida Bano was entering Prince Khizar room in princes’ quarters.
‘You have disappointed
me Prince Khizar Sultan at fleeing from the battlefield. How hard I convinced aba
huzoor to thrust upon you by giving you the command. I shouldn’t rely on you.
Everyone is gossiping about the incompetence of Mughal commanders,’ Princess
Hamida Bano showed up angry.
‘Mughal Princes may be incompetent but it’s also a fact that these sepoys don’t give
any value to anyone from Red Fort. They’re just using the Mughal name tag to fuel
the fire. Everyone is considering a need for proficient central command in this
fight. I believe these sepoys will soon throw Mirza Mughal out too. It’s time
to look for a man of our choice in command,’ Prince Khizar Sultan told to
princess embarrassed. Minister Mabub ul Malik was also present in the room.
‘And
that man will reveal from the sky! Will you sit here like mice and blow on your
women or do you have any solid plan?’
‘I
have written to one of my
courageous Pukhtun friends Bakhat Khan to join me. He is a non-commissioned
officer (Subedar) with the British Army and has 40 years of experience in Afghan
and other battlefields. He would change
the course of battle and would aid me to throw Mirza Mughal out of his position
as commander in chief,’ Prince Khizar Sultan clinched his first.
‘He must be capable;
otherwise very few Indians have reached the position of non-commissioned
(Subedar) officer in East India Company,’ Mehbub ul Malik asked thoughtfully.
‘Bakhat khan is from the Omer Khel branch of the famous Yousaf Zai tribe and belonged to the Rohila family from his father's side. May
you are not aware of another noticeable fact that Bakhat’s mother belongs to
the ruling throne of our neighboring state Awduh. When I last met him, he was
upset at the end of his mother’s family throne because of the “Doctrine of Lapse”.
According to my intelligence, he’s on his way from Peshawar with his 4000 men.
We just have to roar loud about the incompetence of Mirza Mughal so that king can
switch him from his position,’ Prince Khizar Sultan told him details.
‘How can you trust him?’ Princess Hamida Bano looked at Khizar Sultan.
'We're restrained to trust him if we want to
win this war in our favor. Bakhat Khan is proficient in English and knows
to maintain and manipulate the British soldiers. Sepoys are dispersed and not
satisfied with Mirza Mughal’s command. Bakhat will organize them and will
create a bridge between me and the sepoys. In return, I’ll support him for the position of chief in the army. I’ve written him all details and asked him to meet me first upon
his arrival,’ Prince Khizar Sultan told him. Queen Zeenat Mahal was successful
to overhear some of the planning and she decided to leave to Syed Ahmed’s
house.
The decorated horse
carts stopped at Syed Ahmed’s gate. Many servants came out with dishes of
sweets and dry fruits. Queen Zeenat Mahal entered the house with a royal
protocol.
‘You’re honored that my
son, the heir of Mughal sultanate wants to marry your daughter. I hope you’ll
be overjoyed on getting this golden chance of being a part of the Mughal Empire,’
she met with Katherine in a big room.
‘What! This is just
impossible,’ Katherine reacted stunned.
‘Today is Monday and
I’ll come on Friday with necessary preparations of Nikkah and will take
Angeline as my daughter in law. No one on earth can deny to a
Mughal prince, who possibly can be the next emperor. Your daughter will become
queen. You should be cherished on availing this opportunity,’ Queen Zeenat
Mahal got up telling her arrangement.
‘But…,’ Angeline came forward and tried to say something.
'Come here my daughter and wear this as a rasm,' Queen Zeenat Mahal held Angeline's hand and slipped the diamond ring in her finger ascertaining her affection.
'You can't do this,' Katherine gazed at the ring.
‘There are Mughal guards everywhere around the city. It is better if you stay at home and wait for the day. I hope you will not create any problem,’ Queen Zeenat turned to Katherine.
After a while, Queen Zeenat Mahal left big-headed without considering any objection.
They were already scared of the freedom fighters ’ possible attack and now this proposal bothered them a lot.
‘I knew this. These
princes are not able to fight on the ground. They just develop Harams and rest
there. They’ve grown to be just like their Haram mates. I’m the daughter of a brave
commander. I’ll better die to surrender against these coward princes,’ Angeline
threw the ring in the backyard.
‘There is tight security
on city gates. Freedom fighters are scanning everyone coming inside. That way your father is unable to get you out from here. It is risky too if you try to leave the city,’ Syed Ahmed
also seemed helpless upon Kathrine's request to help them in getting out of there.
1st July 1857
‘We want freedom…we want
freedom…long live Hindustan…long live King Bahadur Shah Zafar,’ Bakhat Khan
joined in the forces with his 4000 men at Bihar by end of June.
Prince Khizar Sultan
stripped off his shirt and a vest to get rid of stinking sweating and asked for
the jug of lemonade. It was dusk but still, the air was blistering. It seemed
that the high temperature was thawing the living beings of Hindustan. Everyone
was waiting for the rainy season to beat the sun. Khizar Sultan’s two little kids
were playing and swimming in a water channel of Nhiri e Bhisit to slug the
heat. His wife Mukarram Zamani was feeding her third child at one corner.
‘Bakhat Khan has joined
the freedom forces in Bihar,’ just then Mehbub ul Malik ran to inform Prince
Khizar Sultan.
‘What! …why he has not
approached and reported straight to Red Fort?’ Prince Khizar Sultan got up
worried. Mukaram Zamani stooped feeding and called her other two children out
of water.
‘Doesn’t he suppose to
be here first? You said that he’s your man!’ Princess Hamida Bano wearing a white
cotton gown with light pink Duppata approached there.
‘Let me check from my
men,’ Prince Khizar answered thoughtfully.
‘Look Prince Khizar, I
supported you to take revenge of my brother Prince Farukh. I want to see Prince
Mirza Mughal’s head in my mother’s feet at every cost. First, you ran from the battleground and then rested in Red Fort in wait for any aid from the sky. You
better wear this!’ Princess Hamida put off her bangles and presented it to his
stepbrother.
‘Just shut your mouth. I
know what I’m doing,’ Prince Khizar Sultan shouted and threw the jug of
lemonade out on the lawn near his wife Mukaram Zamani. Mukaram crumbled in
fear, took her children, and walked asides in hurry.
‘Princess Hamida, you’re
crossing the limits now. You better stay out of my matters,’ Prince Khizar
Sultan got up.
‘You better tame Bakhat
Khan in your way and tell him his limits. He should be here at Red Fort at
once. Meet him and judge him,’ Princess Hamida Bano replied.
The freedom soldiers
were overjoyed on getting a huge fresh aid in their cavalry. Niaz Din and Aneel
welcomed Bakhat Khan in Bihar and briefed him about the situation in Bihar and
Oudh.
‘People are upset of
mounted taxes on grocery items and they’re refused to give any penny as war
taxes. There is an uprising in the city as many mutineers have captured shops and
houses in the captured towns to make their living. There are indiscipline and massacre in many towns.
British are afraid of trusting the native sepoys and are filtering them to
judge their loyalty,’ Niaz Din told Bakhat about the on-ground situation.
‘But…this is also a fact
many native sepoys are still loyal to the British and are ready to fight for them.
According to our intelligence, British forces are gathering the support with the full punch and they will attack as soon as the blazing weather will bow to the upcoming rainy season. They’re bearing heat in their holes for now,’ Bakhat
Khan explicated the recent position.
‘On the other side, the
energies of freedom sepoys are defusing of not getting any financial or
logistic support from Red Fort. We’ve not seen any sluggish commander like
Mirza Mughal. You know he was playing chess to celebrate the defeat of Sarai.
In this blazing month, sepoys help themselves in case of any disease. They
arrange food and shelter from near towns and people blame them to capture their
food stores and houses,’ Aneel continued the discussion.
‘Yes, I’ve heard about the incompetence of Mughal
princes. I’ll deal with it soon,’ Bakhat Khan reacted and wished to address the
sepoys on the field.
‘I was more capable…more
competent…more skilled… any of vicious white officers like many of you but still
repulsive attitude and biased policies of East India Company halted our way to
promotions. Why locals Indians are not permitted to grab higher ranks after Subedar?
They let us no option other than of rebellion,’ Bakhat Khan reached among the
soldiers at Oudh with his men and showed off his angst against British
thunderous. The soldiers at the battbattlefieldsted up at an entry of experienced
attendants.
‘I was reluctant to join you at the start but
the unbelievable and all of the sudden fall of Delhi at the hands of freedom
fighters and their heroic stories has spread all over India so swiftly that
I couldn’t resist coming here. Every one of us dreams of free India out of
this white slavery,’ he went louder.
‘Long live
Hindustan…long live King…we want freedom…we’ll seek freedom,’ the slogans
roared up with morning breeze.
‘After the announcement of Fatwas of Jihad
from Maulvi Sarfraz Ali at my hometown Rohilla and Maulana Muhammad Qasim from
Delhi left me no choice. This is a war of passion and the British will face
atrocious end in Hindustan,’ Bakhat khan seemed overconfident.
‘We’re cheerful and
thankful at your arrival. It has boosted our energies
Long live Bakhat Khan
Bakhat Khan zindabad
What do we want?
Freedom,’ Niaz Din and
other sepoys shouted with slogans of freedom.
‘Umm... most of the
Ulemas at Delhi still are reluctant to announce fatwas of Jihad. We’ve to push
pressure on them for announcements so that more and more can sepoys join us from
other states. The Ghazi forces are passionate but not skillful. We’ve to
organize them. The rich states like Bengal, Mysore, and Kashmir are quiet or
unbiased. Sikh government of Punjab is afraid of Muslim power
restoration, that’s why they have offered full logistic support to the British.
We’ll write Gujars for a big alliance,’ Bakhat Khan was there with full
details. In the day his capabilities were evident on all soldiers. Bakhat Khan
opened the map and explained his plans to beat the enemy and to sustain success. His dominating personality, his judgmental opinion, and thorough
experience gained gossip in a day and many soldiers wished to see him as
commander. After plotting and making ground Bakhat left for Red Fort.
A big group of British troops left Bengal and they became to cluster near Fatehpur to recapture the city. The freedom soldiers asked for more force from Red Fort. Mirza Mughal was tired of understanding the administrative duties. He never had such a hard time doing work all the time without thinking of any recreation. He got the message from Lucknow and Fathepur in the south and he was also aware of an uprising in Bihar and the joining of Bakhat Khan on the eastern side but there was not any proper mechanism to deploy the freedom soldiers accordingly. Freedom soldiers were joining and leaving wherever they liked. Umer and Ranbir decided to leave for Lucknow leaving the duty of security at Delhi gate.
Despite the tense
situation Queen Zeenat Mahal wanted to make the occasion of his son’s wedding
memorable. She was collecting and buying expensive clothes and ornaments for
the bride. Many men approached Syed Ahmed’s house to measure the size of
Angeline. The mother and daughter were waiting for any miracle to happen to get
rid of Red Fort but it seemed that cruel clock hands were moving faster without
showing any mercy. Prince Jawan Bakhat ordered a heavy gold set for his
bride and looked for his mother right one night before his wedding.
‘The incapability of Prince Khizar Sultan
is proved now. If you facilitate me in clearing Prince Jawan Bakhat’s way to the throne then I bet you to meet your revenge,’ Queen Zeenat Mahal came to the roof
when Princess Hamida Bano was about to sleep. Due to suffocation and heat, most
of the fort residents sleep on roofs.
‘Look what else was left
to witness that the low-rated women are offering me an aid. Tomorrow the mother
of toddler Prince Shah Abbas's mother will come with her plea and the series will
continue with other legitimate and illegitimate princes in the Red Fort,’
Princess Hamida got up.
‘Princess…,’
‘I’m queen, the most
favorite wife of Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. I’m not like others. You owe respect for me,’ Queen Zeenat Mahal tried to compose him.
‘Every other yawn and dream for the throne in these big forts but most of them just meet death,’
Princess Hamida Bano again sat on her charpoy and ordered for a glass of water.
A maid ran down after listening to her.
‘ Fate is not same for all dear. Tomorrow is Jawan Bakhat’s wedding ceremony and I want you to join us at Syed Ahmed’s house. I never dreamt of my only son's wedding like this,' she sighed.
'It'll be a simple Nikkah ceremony tomorrow because of turmoil in the city but I'll arrange a grand walima afterwards,' she continued noticinging Princess Hamida's stillness.
'Once Angeline comes to Fort then I’ll ask your father to think about you. Syed Ahmed is a good man. You know that king does whatever I want him to do,’
'Please go right now. I'll see you in morning,' Princess Hamida signaled her to leave.
Queen Zeenat Mahal came down where Prince Jawan Bakhat was looking for him.
‘I was looking for you everywhere. Look isn’t it splendid? I’ve bought it for Angeline,’ Prince Jawan Bakhat stopped by his mother.
There was a wooden box having a heavy gold set comprising of heavy earrings, seven-layered Rani Necklace, Tika, Jhoomer, Nose ring, and an emerald ring in his hands. The jewelry was glittering in dim lights of lanterns that were lit in the lobbies.
‘It is... go and take a rest... right after your wedding, we’ve to plan further,’
Queen Zeenat advised his son thoughtfully.
‘I’ll changer her name
to Mahnoor (lightened like the moon).’ Prince Jawan Bakhat closed the jewelry box and sneaked a
peek at the half-moon in the sky which was playing hide and seek with flying clouds
there.
‘Who is in the cart?
Where are you going at midnight?’ a security man stopped the horse cart at
Delhi gate. The horse stopped and then sneezed while scuffling with mosquitoes.
‘It’s an emergency. I have
a dead body to deliver to its hometown. Two ladies with me are
relatives of the deceased,’ the driver came down and turned the curtain from one
corner.
A man in the coffin was
laying on the backside of the cart and two ladies wearing full black gowns sat in
front of the cart.
‘Then he’s a dead man,’
Security officers approached nearer with the brighter lantern and a stick. He
hit the dead body with a force that the dead body screamed out with pain.
‘Look I’m a magician… or a messenger of God that I made a dead man alive with a stick,’ the security officer cried in joy and arrested the suspicious guy.
‘Check out the women! I’m doubted they’re British sepoys disguised as women. Kill them at once,’
'These are British ladies! They seem to escape from the city. What to do with them?' one sepoy on security used a stick to turn down the veil from Angeline and Katherine's faces.
‘Let them go. They’re women and we owe respect for them,’ just then Umer approached the check post and came in front.
‘Umer you don’t come in
the way. It’s not your duty to decide upon the fleeing enemies. We'll safely handover them to Red Fort, You don't get worried,’
‘I’m saying you last
time. Let them go,’ Umer took out his dagger from his robe and came forward.
'We shouldn't scuffle on foreign women. We can talk on it,' the security officer grinned and tried to judge Umer's intentions.
'How dare you? Let them go,' Umer swung his dagger again.
'Catch him,' the Security officer called for help.
‘Hangs on…Umer,’
Ranbir came forward to hold the situation.
Five security men circled Umer, Ranbir, and women from all sides.
3rd July 1857
Friday
Prince Jawan Bakhat got
up early in the morning and Queen Zeenat Mahal wished her son for a blessed life, and his expected appointment as the next emperor. Queen
Zeenat wanted to take the bride before Friday prayers. The small wedding convoy left the Red Fort
for Syed Ahmed’s house in the early hours of the day from the Lahori gate of Red Fort.
Just then Bakhat Khan
entered the Red Fort from Delhi gate and reached straight to King Bahadur Shah
Zafar without taking care of any royal conduct. Mirza Mughal and Prince Khizar
Sultan and Prince Abu Bakar also joined the meeting with other courtiers.
‘Is there anyone who is seriously looking at the war…at the sepoys… or… the soldiers are hung alone in the blistering sun? The two British columns have left Shimla and from Meerut.
The British forces have reached Cawnpur. They are destroying everything in the way and killing many innocent suspecting them rebellious. They are about to counter back and there is no planning yet,’ just then Bakhat khan entered the Red Fort and reached straight to Bahadur Shah Zafar bypassing Prince Khizar Sultan.
‘Bakhat Khan, correct
your record. Freedom fighters have gained many successes in two months under
the competent command from Red Fort. They’ve captured many cities all around
Delhi. For now, they’re facing resistance from the British but we’ll also cope with
it. Don’t you bring any gifts for the king as per tradition,’ Mirza Mughal
didn’t like Bakhat’s attitude and tried to subdue him?
‘First I’m excited to spot all princes in the fort at a time when their forces are
struggling in the battlegrounds and secondly I gave those gifts to soldiers in
the ground,’ Bakhat Khan looked around and responded.
‘I’m here for the
meeting and soon will leave for Lucknow,’ Mirza Mughal explained to the king.
‘What do you want
Bakhat? You can command the forces fighting in Bihar. Your letter will be
issued,’ King Bahadur Shah looked at him.
‘Aali ja, your princes are unfamiliar with British tactics. They’re not even good at English communication. If you want to restore your legacy in real then it’s better to give me the full charge of soldiers. I’m already here with 4000 men and can lead and manage the 30,000 plus soldiers perfectly,’ Bakhat khan was straight forward
‘It’s impossible,’ King
yelled out.
‘Already many sepoys
have written to us about the incompetency of our crown prince. We should not waste
more time, Aba Huzoor,’ Prince Khizar Sultan was hurried to back Bakhat khan.
 |
| Prince Khizar Sultan, Bakhat Khan and Prince Mirza Mughal |
‘Then you should clearly
cut the Mughal tag from your struggle and stretch it at your own,’ king showed up.
‘I don’t mean it. Prince Mirza Mughal can be shifted to any other suitable designation. You are …and you’ll remain the head of our fight for freedom,’ Bakhat Khan twisted his tongue. He knew that the dream of a revival of the Mughal legacy was pulling and boosting the native sepoys towards war. If the king withdraws its back at any time then the soul of the freedom movement will abscond from the body of confrontation.
The royal guests arrived at Syed Ahmed's house to take the bride...
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Disclaimer: All characters of the story are imaginary. They bear no
resemblance to anyone living or dead.
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