Mirza Khizr Sultan

Khizr Sultan was one of several Mughal princes who joined the Indian rebellion against the British in 1857.

He was the commander of the Indian troops during the Battle of Badli-ki-Serai in June of that year. Though the rebels seemed initially favoured to win, the defection of one of the leaders of the cavalry resulted in their defeat. Khizr Sultan fled the battlefield, though his soldiers fought on before retreating to Delhi.^[2]

In September, Khizr Sultan, Bahadur Shah and other members of the Imperial family were taking refuge in Humayun's Tomb when they were captured by the British. He, along with his brother Mirza Mughal and nephew Mirza Abu Bakht, were taken to the Delhi Gate by Major William Hodson, near an archway later nicknamed "the Bloody Gate". Hodson ordered the three princes to strip naked and, using his revolver, shot each of them twice in the heart, one after the other.^[3][4]

Their bodies were hanged in front of the police station for a few days, before being buried unceremoniously.^[5]

Khizr Sultan had one son and two daughters:^{[citation needed]}

• Mirza Muhammad 'Usman Bahadur (b. 1850);
• Mirza Muhammad 'Umar Bahadur (b. 1852);
• Umda uz-Zamani Begum;
• Khurshid uz-Zamani Begum;
• Rahmat Sultan Begum;