A historian reads that one of the first acts of the sepoys of Meerut…

The correct answer is Option (2) → To appeal to the old Mughal emperor to accept the leadership of the revolt

Option (1) To seek the leadership of Nana Sahib, who held his court in the city — Incorrect. Nana Sahib was the successor to Peshwa Baji Rao II. The sepoys and people of Kanpur made him their leader, so the Meerut sepoys did not go to Delhi for him.

Option (2) To appeal to the old Mughal emperor to accept the leadership of the revolt — Correct. To fight the British, the rebels needed leadership and turned to those who had led before the British conquest. So the Meerut sepoys went to Delhi to ask the old Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah, to lead the revolt.

Option (3) To appeal to the Nawab of Awadh, living there in exile, to lead them — Incorrect. The Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, had been displaced when Awadh was annexed. In Lucknow the people hailed his young son Birjis Qadr as leader; this had nothing to do with Delhi.

Option (4) To ask the Governor General there to withdraw the new cartridges — Incorrect. The sepoys did not go to a British official. In Delhi they told Bahadur Shah about the greased cartridges.