Following his involvement in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the British deposed him and exiled him to Rangoon in British-controlled Burma in late 1858, after convicting him on several charges.

[citation needed] However, the East India Company exiled Jahangir after he attacked their resident in the Red Fort,[4] paving the way for Bahadur Shah to assume the throne.

Bahadur Shah Zafar ruled over a Mughal Empire that had by the early 19th century been reduced to only the city of Delhi and the surrounding territory as far as Palam.

While some part of his opus was lost or destroyed during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, a large collection did survive, and was compiled into the Kulliyyat-i-Zafar.

After Zafar's defeat, he said:[7] ہندوں میں بُو رہے گی جب تلک ایمان کی Hinduyoñ meñ bū rahe gī jab talak īmān kī As long as there remains the scent of Iman in the hearts of Hindus (Indians), تختِ لندن تک چلے گی تیغِ ہندوستان کی Takht-i-Landan tak chale gī tegh-i-Hindostān kī.

It was later believed that Bahadur Shah was not directly responsible for the massacre, but that he may have been able to prevent it, and he was therefore considered a consenting party during his trial.

Company forces led by Major William Hodson surrounded the tomb and Zafar was captured on 20 September 1857.

[13] The trial was a consequence of the Sepoy Mutiny and lasted for 21 days, had 19 hearings, 21 witnesses and over a hundred documents in Persian and Urdu, with their English translations, were produced in the court.

[14] At first the trial was suggested to be held at Calcutta, the place where Directors of East India company used to their sittings in connection with their commercial pursuits.

But when Zafar ultimately did this, Hakim Ahsanullah Khan betrayed him by providing evidence against him at the trial in return for a pardon for himself.

At 4 am on 7 October 1858, Zafar along with his wives, two remaining sons began his journey towards Rangoon in bullock carts escorted by 9th Lancers under command of Lieutenant Ommaney.

To prepare for his death Davies commanded for the collection of lime and bricks and a spot was selected at the "back of Zafar's enclosure" for his burial.

"[28] Before his accession, he lived like "a poor scholar and dervish", differing from his three royal brothers, Mirza Jahangir, Salim and Babur.

[28] In 1828, a decade before he succeeded the throne, Major Archer said that "Zafar is a man of spare figure and stature, plainly apparelled, almost approaching to meanness.

[28] In an incident in which one of his followers was bitten by a snake, Zafar tried to cure him by giving a "seal of Bezoar" (a stone antidote to poison) and some water on which he had breathed to the man to drink.

[29] The emperor had a staunch belief in ta'aviz or charms, especially as a palliative for his constant complaint of piles, or to ward off evil spells.

On their advice, he would sacrifice buffaloes and camels, buried eggs and arrested alleged black magicians, and wore a ring that they told him would cure his indigestion.

کہہ دو اِن حسرتوں سے کہیں اور جا بسی اتنی جگہ کہاں ہے دلِ داغدار میں

اِک شاخِ گل پہ بیٹھ کے بُلبُل ہے شادماں کانٹے بِچھا دیتے ہیں دلِ لالہ زار میں

کتنا ہے بدنصیب ظفر دفن کے لئے دو گز زمین بھی نہ ملی کوئے یار میں लगता नहीं है जी मेरा उजड़े दयार में किसकी बनी है आलम-ए-नापायेदार में

kah do in hasratõ se kahī̃ aur jā basẽ itnī jagah kahā̃ hai dil-e-dāġdār mẽ

ik shāx-e-gul pe baiṭh ke bulbul hai shādmā̃ kā̃ṭe bichā diye hãi dil-e-lālāzār mẽ

kitnā hai badnasīb zafar dafn ke lie do gaz zamīn bhī na milī kū-e-yār mẽ My heart has no repose in this despoiled land Who has ever felt fulfilled in this futile world?

It was staged at Purana Qila, Delhi ramparts by Nadira Babbar and the National School of Drama repertory company in 2008.

[37] A Hindi-Urdu black-and-white movie, Lal Quila (1960), directed by Nanabhai Bhatt, showcased Bahadur Shah Zafar extensively.

In the 2001 Hindi historical drama series 1857 Kranti, on DD National, the character of Bahadur Shah Zafar was played by S. M. Zaheer.

In the 2005 Bollywood film Mangal Pandey: The Rising, directed by Ketan Mehta, the character of Bahadur Shah Zafar was played by Habib Tanveer.