Identify the ruler of 1857 Revolt with the given clues:
A. I was the Nawab of Awadh.
B. My territory was annexed by Lord Dalhousie in 1856.
C. I was exiled to Calcutta on the charge of misgovernance.
Who was this ruler?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Wajid Ali Shah
When Lord Dalhousie annexed Awadh in 1856, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was dethroned and exiled to Calcutta on the plea that the region was being misgoverned.
NCERT (2026-27): “2. Awadh in Revolt … In 1851 Governor General Lord Dalhousie described the kingdom of Awadh as ‘a cherry that will drop into our mouth one day’. Five years later, in 1856, the kingdom was formally annexed to the British Empire.… 2. Awadh in Revolt … Lord Dalhousie’s annexations created disaffection in all the areas and principalities that were annexed but nowhere more so than in the kingdom of Awadh in the heart of North India. Here, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was dethroned and exiled to Calcutta on the plea that the region was being misgoverned. The British government also wrongly assumed that Wajid Ali Shah was an unpopular ruler.…” |