Delhi as a Centre of the Revolt of 1857

Delhi emerged as the political and symbolic epicenter of the Revolt of 1857. The arrival of the Meerut sepoys transformed a localized military mutiny into a nationwide war for liberation from East India Company rule. Delhi provided the movement with legitimacy, an administrative structure, and a focal point that united diverse regional uprisings.

Arrival of Sepoys and Symbolic Leadership

On May 11, 1857, sepoys from Meerut crossed the Yamuna River using the boat bridge and entered Delhi. They killed British officers, including Colonel Ripley, and seized control of the city.

• The rebel soldiers marched to the Red Fort and requested the 81-year-old Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II (Bahadur Shah ‘Zafar’), to lead the movement.
• Bahadur Shah Zafar was proclaimed Shahenshah-e-Hindustan (Emperor of India).
• The proclamation gave the uprising political legitimacy across various social classes and princely states.
• Regional leaders like Nana Saheb in Kanpur and Khan Bahadur Khan in Bareilly recognized Bahadur Shah Zafar as their nominal sovereign.

Military Leadership and the Jalsa-e-Intizami

While Bahadur Shah Zafar was the nominal head, real military and administrative authority rested with a specialized council.

• General Bakht Khan arrived from Bareilly on July 1, 1857, with large force contingents and took charge of the rebel army in Delhi.
• A 10-member administrative court named Jalsa-e-Intizami (Court of Administration) was formed to manage civil and military affairs.
• The council consisted of 6 military members and 4 civilian members to maintain order, collect revenue, and supply provisions to the troops.
• Mirza Mughal, the son of Bahadur Shah Zafar, was appointed Commander-in-Chief initially, but active tactical operations were directed by General Bakht Khan.

Siege of Delhi and British Reconquest

The British realized that capturing Delhi was essential to break the backbone of the rebellion. They assembled forces on the Delhi Ridge to launch a counter-offensive.

• British troops under Sir Henry Barnard and later Major-General Archdale Wilson held the Delhi Ridge position.
• The Delhi Field Force received reinforcements, siege trains, and fresh troops from Punjab under Brigadier-General John Nicholson.
• Heavy bombardment damaged the city walls between September 11 and September 14, 1857.
• British forces breached the Kashmiri Gate and entered the city, engaging in intense street fighting for six days.
• John Nicholson was mortally wounded during the storming of the city on September 14 and died on September 23, 1857.
• Major-General Archdale Wilson secured full control of Delhi on September 20, 1857.

Summary of Key Figures at Delhi (1857)

Fall of Delhi and Its Aftermath

The recapture of Delhi marked the beginning of the end for the Revolt of 1857.

• Major William Hodson arrested Bahadur Shah Zafar from Humayun’s Tomb, where the Emperor had taken refuge.
• Hodson shot and killed the Mughal princes—Mirza Mughal, Mirza Khizr Sultan, and Mirza Abu Bakr—at Khooni Darwaza (Bloody Gate).
• Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried for treason, convicted, and exiled to Rangoon (Burma), where he died in 1862.
• The British troops carried out widespread plundering and executions across Delhi, forcing a large part of the civilian population to evacuate.

Key Historical Facts

Lieutenant Willoughby and his men blew up the Delhi Magazine (the main ammunition depot) on May 11, 1857, to prevent it from falling intact into rebel hands. The British set up the “Delhi Field Force” drawing troops heavily from the Punjab region, including Sikh and Gurkha regiments, to retake the city. The fall of Delhi in September 1857 isolated rebel pockets in Awadh, Rohilkhand, and Central India, allowing British forces under Sir Colin Campbell and Sir Hugh Rose to crush them individually.