Which of the following Mughal emperors was first a prisoner of the British and later a pensioner of the Marathas for the rest of his life?
Shah Alam II (ruled 1760-1806) was the Mughal Emperor who fits this description. After losing the Battle of Buxar, he was effectively a prisoner and pensioner of the British at Allahabad. Later, in 1772, he sought and obtained the protection of the Marathas under Mahadji Shinde, becoming their pensioner in Delhi. The correct answer is (B) Shah Alam II.
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The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II was first a dependent of the British and later a pensioner of the Marathas. Following the Battle of Buxar in 1764, he fell under British control and lived in Allahabad as a virtual prisoner for six years, receiving an annual pension from the East India Company. Desiring a return to Delhi, he eventually placed himself under the protection of the powerful Maratha leader Mahadji Shinde in 1772. While back in his capital, he remained a powerless figurehead, relying entirely on the Marathas’ subsidy and protection for the rest of his life.