CTET 2 Social and Science Jan 2021 Paper

On 10th May, 1857 (during the 1857 revolt), the sepoys of Meerut rode to reach Delhi and wanted to meet the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. The emperor was not quite willing to challenge the mighty British power but the soldiers persisted. They forced their way into the palace and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar as their leader. The emperor had to accept this demand.
He wrote letters to all the chiefs and rulers of the country to come forward and organise a confederacy of Indian states to fight the British. The Mughal dynasty had ruled over a very large part of the country. Smaller rulers and chieftains controlled different territories on behalf of the Mughal ruler. The British had not expected this to happen. They thought the disturbance caused by the issue of the cartridges would die down. But Bahadur Shah Zafar's decision to bless the rebellion changed the entire situation dramatically.