Fig. 73: ZINAT MAHAL IN EXILE IN RANGOON, c. 1870. From Metcalfe's Delhi Book. Zinat Mahal Begum (1823-82) was Bahadur Shah's youngest and favourite queen whom he had married in 1840. She worked tirelessly to have her own son Mirza Jawan Bakht declared heir-apparent but this was resisted by Sir Thomas Metcalfe and the government in Calcutta who saw no reason to overturn the rights of Bahadur Shah’s eldest surviving son who had already agreed to vacate the Red Fort and live in retirement at Mehrauli. Metcalfe died mysteriously in 1853 and it was rumoured that she had had him poisoned. This photograph was presumably acquired later by Metcalfe's family and pasted into the album. Photographic print, folio size 25.8x 19 cm. British Library, London, Add.Or.5475 f. 17v.