On 5 June, eleven-year old Qadr was declared the Nawab of Awadh by his mother Begum Hazrat under the active persuasion of Jailal Singh, the chief spokesman of the rebel army; his coronation was widely supported by court-nobles.

[4] Historian Rudrangshu Mukherjee notes that though the rebel army allowed Begum Hazrat to rule the state on Qadr's behalf, they had carved out a large degree of autonomy.

[4] Qadr and Begum Hazrat issued routine proclamations that sought to emphasize the range of alleged injustices rendered by the British, from seizure of the commoners' property and forceful imposition of Christianity to the whimsical dethroning of Wajid Ali Shah and random toppling of local independent provinces on dubious grounds.

[4] Overall, despite an effective suppression of the Sepoy Mutiny over other parts of India, Lucknow (and Awadh) remained the last major bastion for anti-British forces in India and attracted numerous rebels from other territories, including Nana Sahib, Holkar, et al.[4] In November 1857, another British regiment under Colin Campbell, assisted by the population of The Residency, breached multiple defenses across the outskirts of Lucknow and defeated the local rebel forces to safely evacuate the besieged.

[4] By December, the communication networks and rebellions in other parts of India were completely crushed; the rebel chiefs were isolated from one another and faced a futile war with their defeat imminent.

[4] Campbell failed to secure the escape routes and the rebel populace drifted across to the countryside, which meant that the fall of Lucknow did not automatically lead to the anticipated submission of Awadh.

[4] Notably, whilst the fall of Lucknow destroyed the Maulvi faction, Begum Hazrat maintained a semblance of her erstwhile rule from a local fort: receiving collections, hosting parliaments and issuing orders under the name of Qadr.

[4] Proclamations were issued, urging the local caps[clarification needed] to rebel against the British institutions in an organised fashion and Qadr promised monetary reimbursement for those injured or killed in battle.

[7] Meanwhile, as most of the local rebels had been defeated and subjected to exemplary punishment by the British, Qadr and Begum Hazrat crossed the West Rapti River to take refuge in Kathmandu, Nepal.

[1][8] After arriving in Kathmandu, Qadr again wrote to Rana for asylum and despite his initial hesitance, he and his mother were allowed to stay at the Barf Bagh, a palace near the Thapathali Durbar.

[12][2] After the death of his mother Begum Hazrat Mahal in 1879 and on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887, the British Raj pardoned Birjis Qadr and he was allowed to return home.