Prince Khizar
Sultan was among three Mughal princes who were executed by British General
Hudson outside bloody gate, Delhi to terminate the Mughal Empire for forever.
Prince Khizar Sultan was 9th son of King Bahadur Shah Zafar who was
born in 1834 from a cucubian consort Rahim Bakh Bai. Prince Khizar fair
color, out of the way beauty and livid attitude remarked him significant since
childhood. 45 years old, Crown Prince Mirza Farrukh kept his step brother Prince Khizar with him
in most court duties. After the Doctrine of Lapse (where only legitimate son
can heir the throne) Khizar Sultan raised as short-tempered and annoyed. After the
suspicious death of most favored crown Prince Mirza Farrukh, British allowed the
eldest legitimate Prince Mirza Mughal to grab the same title in 1852.
Prince Khizar
Sultan was married to Mukarram at the age of 18, the same year. The incident of
Mirza Mughal’s appointment annoyed Khizar Sultan to extent that he couldn’t
control his anger on his Mukaram Zamani and beat her harshly. The screams of Mughal
Prince beating a wife reached Diwan e khas at Red Fort and King Bahadur Shah Zafar
called his young son furious.
‘It’s
against Mughal norms that any prince treats any women unpleasant and you hit
your pregnant wife. It is just unbearable,’ King Bahadur Shah Zafar scolded him
and warned him to expel him out of fort for this act. Prince Khizar Sultan
asked for forgiveness and showed regret but king was not ready to forgive such
coward act from his boy.
Prince Khizar
fell into King’s feet to seek his pardon but king pushed him away many times.
Prince Khizar had to plea for long and Bahadur Shah Zafar told him to get out
of his sight warning the consequences if it happened again. Mukram Zamani gave
birth to Khizar sultan’s three children. One was
born the same year when Khizar Sultan was murdered at age of 23 years in public
by British General on 23rd September 1857.
Earlier
being having the Mughal blood Khizar Sultan thought to have all rights to look
for the throne after King Bahadur Shah Zafar. He always dreamt for the revival of mughal legacy with full might. Prince
Khizar Sultan was among strong supporters of rebellion sepoys of East India
Company. He not only insisted reluctant king to grant back from Red Fort but
also fought in battle ground at Badli ki sarai as a commander in first war of
independence 1857. First Khizar Sultan was only famous for his beauty in
British offices as famous poet of time Ghalib called him a “beauty of Joseph”
in his writings but this attempt made him pricking in British eyes.
Badli ki
sarai was a building made by Shahjahan 6 km west of Delhi so that travelers and
traders could stay there. The freedom forces met the enemy under the Command of
Prince Khizar Sultan in an open field near Badli-ki- Sarai on 1st
June 1857 and both side attacked on each other with bursting coup. The British
had to face high casualties in start and couldn’t enter a village around Badli
ki Sarai for a week.
The
freedom forces were advancing and getting success. Prince Khizar Sultan was
hitting the targets
very precisely more than of any other sepoy in field but sepoys did not trusted
in his decision-making skills and they listened at their seniors instead of Prince
Khizar. It was fact that Mughal princes were inexperienced and unskillful to
lead such a big battle. General Bernard sent three cavalries to surround the
sarai from all sides and sepoys and Prince Khizar were seized in the village. The
sepoys suggested the prince to flee from sarai to save his life and Khizar Sultan
reached back fort by 10th June 1857 leaving his soldiers in the
field. British captured northern ridge of Delhi.
After being
forlorn with sepoys’ attitude and misconduct Prince Khizar stayed at fort to
look for administrative duties for freedom fighters. Prince Khizar Sultan left
Red Fort with his family during siege of Delhi when British winning became
evident. The British breached the city walls and entered Delhi by mid September.
Red fort was vacant for the invaders as all Mughal residents were hiding in Humayun
tomb (a beautiful graveyard to bury Mughal deceased princes and kings also had
a splendid building inside it).
Major Hudson met King
Bahadur Shah Zafar in Humayun tomb and asked him to surrender officially. He
also asked to take princes with him as guarantee of surrender. Bahadur Shah
first request General Hudson to declare Humayun tomb as sub jail ask an assurance for the life safety of his family but General
Hudson insisted to take princes with him to police station. He assured the king
that no harm will be given to princes. Major Hudson asked for three
princes that were active in war of independence 1857. Three Prince Mirza
Mughal, Prince Khizar Sultan and son of Mirza Mughal and grandson of Zafar
Prince Abu Bakar left with Hudson on a horse cart. Hudson broke his
promise and asked three princes to come out of cart in front of bloody gate,
Delhi. He ordered them to strip off their shirts and took off all jewelry. Then
he fired to kill three unarmed nude Mughal princes in front of locals who were following the cart with mughal slogans. Hudson looted jeweled
swords, gold bracelets and precious rings from the corpse as booty war and cut the heads of deceased
princes. The slain bodies were hanged in front of police station for public
display and heads of his sons were sent to King Bahadur Shah Zafar with the
termination order of Mughal Empire. Prince Khizar Sultan is buried near Delhi
in a remote and unknown place with his brothers and his head may be rested at
Humayun’s tomb along his forefathers.