Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal emperor of India, ruling from 1837 to 1857. He was born on October 24, 1775, and became a symbolic figure during the decline of the Mughal Empire. His reign was marked by British colonial expansion, which significantly diminished the power of the Mughal dynasty. In 1857, Zafar played a prominent role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, where he was declared the leader of the uprising against British rule. After the rebellion was suppressed, he was captured and exiled to Rangoon, where he died on November 7, 1862.