Last week, Phoolwalon-ki-Sair or the flower festival in memory of a Mughal prince was held at Mehrauli. Mirza Jahangir, the favourite son of Akbar Shah II, was denied the right to be his successor in preference for his older brother Abul Zafar (who was later known as Bahadur Shah Zafar). Seton turned his horse back and asked the prince to apologise, but he refused and taunted him instead. The Resident then went back and returned with a whole posse of British troops, bent on avenging the insult. Bahadur Shah Zafar, who was considered gay by his father and so supposedly unworthy to be his successor, presided over the festival with great aplomb until 1856.

Source: The Hindu November 05, 2019 08:15 UTC