Bakht Khan

Bakht Khan (1797–1859) was a veteran military officer who served as Commander-in-Chief of the rebel armed forces in Delhi during the 1857 Rebellion. Having served nearly forty years in the British East India Company's Bengal Horse Artillery—including combat in the First Anglo-Afghan War—he brought professional artillery tactics and military discipline to the uprising.

In July 1857, Bakht Khan arrived in Delhi leading the Bareilly rebel brigade. Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar appointed him Commander-in-Chief (Sahib-e-Alam Bahadur) and head of the Court of Administration (Bare Council), a central military-civilian committee formed to organize military defense, taxation, and food supplies during the four-month siege.

Following the British assault and capture of Delhi in September 1857, Bakht Khan refused to surrender. He retreated to Awadh to join Begum Hazrat Mahal and Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah, participating in the ongoing defense of Lucknow. He later retreated into the Nepal Terai, where he passed away in exile around 1859.