Traditional Islamic studies were no longer supported by the state, and some madrasahs lost their waqf or endowment. The Indian rebellion of 1857 is held by nationalists to have ended in disaster for the Muslims, as Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal, was deposed. Power over the subcontinent was passed from the East India Company to the British Crown.
The decline of traditional Islamic studies and the loss of endowments for madrasahs are linked to the Indian rebellion of 1857, which is seen as a negative event by nationalists due to the deposition of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor. The transfer of power from the East India Company to the British Crown marks a significant shift in control over the subcontinent.