Lot 259

Indian Princely States, Awadh State, Brijis Qadr (AH 1273-1274, 1857-1858 AD), Silver Rupee, Approx 11.30 gms, Approx 21 mm, Suba Awadh Mint, AH 1229, RY 26, Birjis Qadr was the son of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah and was proclaimed Nawab of Awadh at Lucknow during the Revolt of 1857 after the British annexation of the kingdom. As a minor, the administration was effectively directed by his mother, Begum Hazrat Mahal. His accession symbolized the restoration of Awadh's sovereignty and provided a legitimate rallying point for rebels, taluqdars, and local elites opposing British rule. Recognized by the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II, Birjis Qadr served as the nominal head of a rebel government that controlled much of Awadh during the uprising. His brief reign ended with the British recapture of Lucknow in 1858, after which he and Begum Hazrat Mahal sought refuge in Nepal. Despite its short duration, his reign remains historically significant as the last assertion of independent Awadhi rule and is commemorated through the rare coinage issued in his name during the rebellion, KM # 386, Kapoor & Master Page 160 Ref 12.07, NGC graded as MS-66, the highest-graded example in the NGC Population Report, extremely rare in this grade.