Read more : http://www.kapadia.com/Zafarlastdays/Lastdays1.htm

Thank u RSBI a wonderful account......also a request is there any book on the costumes and textiles of India?

It is often conveniently overlooked that "the troops defending Delhi had been defeated by the combined forces of the British and the other communities and Princes supporting the British" [as above] ~ especially by those who seek to present the 'mutiny' as a genuinely nationalist 'uprising'. The overwhelming majority of the forces deployed by the British were, in fact, 'Indian' and the mutiny only broke out (to any significant degree) in the northern provinces of the sub-continent. "The British were comforted... [ by the fact] that few of the princes became involved; some had actively - and in the case of the Maharajah Sindhia, indispensably - supported the British wholeheartedly... a reassuringly large number of landowners remained aloof. The mutiny in the army had been largely confined to various regiments in Bengal; many disarmed sepoys simply returned quietly to their homes; tens of thousands of Indian soldiers fought with the British , who could not have survived without their support." ~ Christopher Hibbert

Bahadur shah Zafar was a simple man who was at times Naive, Bakht Khan was a extra ordinary Military Commander was turning the tide against Britishers when British spies poisioned Zafars ears against him Bakht Khan was deposed which led to British gaining the upper hand. even when Delhi Fell to the British Bakht Khan requested Bahadur shah Zafar to escape with him and fight for another day but again Bahadur Shah listened to the adivice of British spies. had he escaped with Bakht khan history would have been different. There is a proverb in urdu which says' Lamhon ne khata ke thi Sadiyon ne Saza Pai" that was a historical Blunder

This was in my history book :)

Route to Yangoon The following route was taken by the prisoners on their way to Rangoon: Depart from Delhi October 7, 1858 Reached Allababad November 13, Left Allahabad November 16, Reached Mirzapur November 19, Left Mirzapur on the Soorma Flat towed by the Steamer Thames November 19, Reached Buxar November 22, Reached Dinapur November 23, Reached Monghyr November 25, Reached Rajmahal November 27, Reached Ramput Balliah November 28, Reached Womurkolly November 29, Reached Khoolnah December 1, Reached Diamond Harbour December 4, The prisoners were moved over to HMS Megara December 4, Reached Kedgeree December 4, Left Kedgeree December 5, Reached Sandheads December 5, Reached Rangoon December 9, 1858

Just to add some trivia,King Thiba of Myanmar was exiled and put in house arrest by British at Ratnagiri a small town in Konkan ! They built a small palace for him there.It is known as Thiba palace which is a tourist attraction now at Ratnagiri.

Lovely link

@ niting ashok. thanks for the info

A royal 'exchange program' of sorts.. : )

:) Yes but British were masters of this game as they had exiled Wajid Ali Shah to Calcutta and Peshwa Bajirao to Bithoor in UP before.

And Maharaja Dalip Singh (successor to Maharaja Ranjit Singh) to Fatehgarh and then to London.

How about Maharaja Jay Singh of Alwar to Benares.

@ RBSI: En route the emperor also passed through Kanpur where he saw a steam engine for the first time.