New Delhi: After the death of the last great ruler of the dynasty, Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal Empire was in a perpetual state of decline. None of its subsequent rulers managed to live up to the fame and glory of the first six emperors, and the most powerful force in the Indian subcontinent and possibly in Asia began to shrink rapidly.
While there were many rulers from 1707 to the empire’s official end in 1857 who reigned for a brief period, some even for meagre days and months, there were some who managed to hold on to the throne for decades albeit with greatly reduced power. One of them was Akbar II or Akbar Shah II, the penultimate Mughal Emperor and the longest-ruling one in the post-Aurangzeb era, even with de facto power.
The early life and ascension to the throne
He was born Prince Mirza Akbar on April 22, 1760, to Emperor Shah Alam II when the latter was in exile. He became a crown prince on May 2, 1781, and acted as the viceroy of Delhi from 1782 till 1799. Unfortunately, in 1788, following Ghulam Qadir, the Rohilla leader’s invasion of Delhi, the young Mirza was forced to nautch dance with other Mughal princes and princesses. Following the exile of Shah Jahan IV, he became the titular Emperor with the title of Akbar Shah II and remained acting emperor even after Shah Alam II was once again reinstated to power.
Akbar II was an emperor only in name as the British East India Company was rapidly expanding its influence all over the Indian subcontinent and his power was limited to Delhi’s Red Fort. During his reign, the cultural life of Delhi flourished. However, his indifferent and defiant attitude towards East India Company officials frustrated the British. Hence, in 1835, they changed his title to ‘King of Delhi’ and stopped acting as the Empire’s lieutenants as they did from 1803. On the coins of the company, English replaced Persian and they stopped carrying the name of the emperor.
Interestingly, it was Akbar II who appointed Ram Mohan Roy, the famous Bengali reformer who is said to be the father of the modern Indian Renaissance to go to the Court of St James’s in London and explain in detail the treatment meted out to him by the East India Company. Also, he conferred on Roy the title of Raja.
Ram Mohan Roy went to England as the Mughal envoy and argued well, but was unsuccessful in the venture. Interestingly, Akbar II was credited with starting the Phool Walon Ki Sair in Delhi, a festival among the flower sellers in the city that represents harmony between Hindu and Muslim communities. He passed away on September 28, 1837, at the age of 77.
Akbar II was an emperor only in name as the British East India Company was rapidly expanding its influence all over the Indian subcontinent and his power was limited to Delhi’s Red Fort. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
