How did Begum Hazrat Mahal lead the rebellion in Oudh?

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Illustration of De Kantzow defending the treasury at Mainpuri during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, showing a British officer confronting armed sepoys inside a building as tensions rise during the uprising. — Indian Rebellion of 1857 Indian sepoys (soldiers) corner a British officer amid their attack on a treasury in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh.

Begum Hazrat Mahal, a consort of the deposed ruler of Oudh, played a pivotal role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 by acting as regent for her young son, Birjis Qadir.1

Operating from Lucknow, she established a rebel administration to challenge British authority. Her leadership involved:1

Building Alliances: She successfully gathered support from taluqdars (large landholders) to strengthen the resistance.1
Ideological Mobilization: Through her official proclamations, she rallied the populace by defending their rights, religion, and honor against British rule.1

Following the British defeat of the rebel forces in Oudh, she was forced to flee to Nepal, where she eventually died in exile.1