The present work is the culmination of my study about the role of Shahzada Firoz Shah in the great uprising of 1857. At the young age of 20-22, this Mughal prince - sans resources and only by dint of his sheer courage and his ancestors’ prestige - mustered a massive following in Mandsaur and soon we find him traversing Bundelkhand, Awadh, Ruhelkhand and Rajputana working shoulder to shoulder with towering personages such as Laxmibai - the Rani of Jhansi - Bakhatbali of Shahgarh, Mardansingh of Mardanpur, Begam Hazrat Mahal of Lucknow, Maulvi Ahmadulla Shah, Rana Beni Madhav, Nana Saheb Peshwa, Khan Bahadur Khan of Bareilly, Rao Saheb and Tatya Tope himself. From July 1 857 to the end of 1 859 he was actively engaged in his struggle against the British with utmost courage, confidence, determination, tenacity and willpower.

Once the flame of insurgency simmered down in India, he journeyed to Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran and Mecca to gather support against the British but in vain. As fate would have it, his efforts failed to bear fruit and he died at the age of 40 - disabled and penniless in holy Mecca.

His military daring, hair-breadth escapes and skilful horsemanship are the stuff of legend and spoken of with admiration. Although confronting dire circumstances, he declined to barter self-respect, personal liberty or the claims of his House. The Shahzada had been an intrepid fighter and his faith in his beloved country’s destiny remained unshaken till the bitter end.

I have tried to be objective in my narrative, which is based mainly on archival sources. Whatever sources are available about Firoz Shah, They are in English showing the British point of view, but looked with keen eyes, a clear picture of the exploits and role of Firoz Shah in the great struggle comes out.

My thanks are due to the Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi for giving me an opportunity to delve in the life and works of this valiant warrior by granting me the Senior Academic Fellowship for two years and the publication grant too. I also thank the authorities of Shri Natnagar Shodh Sansthan, Sitamau, District Mandsaur, MP, who allowed me to take up this research work under their prestigious institution and to use the library of the Sansthan. Its Director Dr. Manohar Singh Ranawat was nice enough to discuss with me some important points regarding Firoz Shah’s movement in Malwa. I also thank my friend Mr. K..C. Pande of Mandsaur for providing me the Urdu Ms. of Baghawat-e-Malwa and a Malwi folk song on Firoz Shah.

Next to be thanked is my late wife Sheela, who, as always, relieving me of the household chorus, allowed me to busy myself with my books and laptop for the entire period of fellowship.