NEW DELHI – The Delhi High Court has rejected a petition by Sultana Begum, a descendant of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II, seeking possession of the historic Red Fort and compensation from 1857 to date.
Sultana Begum, the widow of Bahadur Shah Zafar II’s great-grandson, claimed the British forcibly took possession of the Red Fort after the fall of the Mughal Empire during the First War of Independence in 1857. She demanded the return of the fort as well as financial compensation for its “illegal occupation” by successive administrations, including the Indian government.
The court dismissed the plea, finding no legal basis for the claim. The iconic Red Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, remains a symbol of India’s independence and is managed by the Government of India.
Sultana’s petition stirred controversy, with critics arguing that the Mughals’ historical legacy does not entitle their descendants to claim ownership of national heritage sites. Many hailed the decision, emphasizing that the Red Fort stands as a monument to India’s struggle for freedom, not a relic of colonial or dynastic rule.