Who was the leader of rebellion in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh during 1857?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — C, Khan Bahadur Khan. A grandson of the Rohilla chief Hafiz Rahmat Khan, he led the 1857 uprising in Bareilly (Rohilkhand). When the sepoys revolted he was proclaimed the rebel ruler (Nawab Nazim) of Bareilly and set up a rebel administration; after the British recaptured Rohilkhand he was captured and hanged in 1860.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Begum Hazrat Mahal led the revolt in Awadh (Lucknow), not Bareilly, ruling in the name of her son Birjis Qadr.  (b) Nana Saheb (Dhondu Pant) led the rebellion at Kanpur (Cawnpore), not Bareilly.  (d) Kunwar Singh led the revolt from Jagdishpur in Bihar (the Arrah region), not Bareilly.

Concept: The 1857 revolt threw up distinct regional leaders, each tied to a centre: Kanpur–Nana Saheb, Awadh/Lucknow–Begum Hazrat Mahal, Jhansi–Rani Lakshmibai, Jagdishpur–Kunwar Singh, Delhi–Bahadur Shah Zafar, and Bareilly/Rohilkhand–Khan Bahadur Khan. Rohilkhand in western UP was a strong Rohilla-Pathan base, which is why Bareilly produced its own Nawab-led rebel government.

State PCS 2023 Q2 — History PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2023 Q2 — History PYQ with Answer