Begum Hazrat Mahal leads Awadh

After the rebels' victory at Chinhat, the British Residency at Lucknow was besieged.

Key points for UPSC

• Awadh had been annexed in 1856 on the grounds of alleged misgovernance, and its ruler Wajid Ali Shah sent to Calcutta.
• Begum Hazrat Mahal led the revolt in Lucknow; her son Birjis Qadr was proclaimed ruler of Awadh.
• She refused British offers to surrender and ended her life in exile in Nepal.

Who was involved

• Begum Hazrat Mahal · leading Awadh's revolt

Test yourself

1. 1. On what grounds did the British annex Awadh in 1856?

   • (a) Alleged misgovernance
   • (b) Doctrine of Lapse
   • (c) Subsidiary Alliance default
   • (d) Revolt of its army
   Show answer

   (a) Alleged misgovernance. Dalhousie annexed Awadh claiming misgovernance, not by the Doctrine of Lapse.

2. 2. Whom did Begum Hazrat Mahal have proclaimed ruler of Awadh?

   • (a) Her son Birjis Qadr
   • (b) Wajid Ali Shah
   • (c) Nana Saheb
   • (d) Bahadur Shah Zafar
   Show answer

   (a) Her son Birjis Qadr. Her young son Birjis Qadr was declared ruler in 1857.

3. 3. Begum Hazrat Mahal spent her last years in:

   • (a) Nepal
   • (b) Rangoon
   • (c) London
   • (d) Mecca
   Show answer

   (a) Nepal. She took refuge in Nepal and died in Kathmandu.