After the death of Aurangzeb, Mughal emperors held only symbolic value. Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last such Mughal emperor. During the 1857 revolt, the rebels needed someone who would rule the land once the British were thrown out of the country. They decided that this leader would have to be the Mughal emperor living in the Red Fort, in Delhi. Though a reluctant leader at first, Bahadur Shah did play an important role in the rebellion. Though Mughals had lost their earlier authority, a Mughal emperor's word still held importance for quite a number of smaller rulers and chieftains. Bahadur Shah sent letters to all such chiefs and rulers, urging them to come forward and support the rebellion. After the revolt was suppressed, Bahadur Shah was tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment. He and his wife were sent to prison in Rangoon in October 1858. He died in the Rangoon jail in November 1862.