The year 1857 in Delhi was a period of unimaginable turmoil, a tumultuous period of political uncertainty, the first war of independence (sepoy revolt) engulfing the city in violence and despair. Amidst this chaos, the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II, the last vestige of a once-glorious empire, was captured after fleeing to near by Humayun’s Tomb.
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| Major William Hodsonx.com |
Hodson, a British officer known for his ruthlessness and ambition, intercepted the princes as they were being transported to the Red Fort near the Khuni Darwaza, often called the Bloody Gate . Despite the princes' conditional surrender and the presence of seemingly harmless morning crowd, Hodson ordered them out of the bullock cart.
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| William Hodson Memorial |
Above image: Hodson memorial; it was designed in 1859–1860 and stands roughly opposite to a memorial to his father, Archdeacon Hodson, erected in 1857
Memorial to William Hodson, Lichfield Cathedral, designed by George Edmund Street, carved by Thomas Earp, erected 1862. Photograph by Jim Cheshire with the permission of the Chapter of Lichfield Cathedral. .https://academic.oup.com/jvc/article/27/4/577/6717446......
https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1951-03-3-1
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| Major Hodson Memorial, Lucknow, India, UP facebook.com |
Brevet Major William Stephen Raikes Hodson was the British leader of irregular light cavalry during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. He was known as "Hodson of Hodson's Horse."
Hodson is credited with being jointly responsible for the introduction of the khaki uniform. His most notable action was to apprehend and safely return the Emperor of India and, the following day, march into an enemy camp where he was heavily outnumbered and demanded the surrender of the Moghul princes who were leading the rebellion around Delhi.
In explanation of the fact that he never received the Victoria Cross it was said of him "that it was because he earned it every day of his life".
This brutal blood-letting act executed in a frenzy sent shockwaves through the already traumatized city, extinguishing the last hopes of a resurgence. Hodson, despite his unpopularity among his own men and a history marred by accusations of corruption, was lauded by some in the British ranks for his decisive action.
Hodson himself reportedly expressed satisfaction in eliminating what he considered "wretches." The capture of the Emperor and the killing of his heirs effectively symbolized the final blow to the Mughal Empire, paving the way for the consolidation of British power in India.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95130236/william-stephen_raikes-hodson
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