१८५७ का स्वातन्त्र्य समर (वीर विनायक दामोदर सावरकर - अंग्रेजों द्वारा छपने से पूर्व प्रतिबन्धित महाग्रन्थ)

THE VOLCANO
their children to pray that the English should be destroyed
root and branch.⁸ Mukund Lal, Private Secretary of
the Emperor of Delhi, says :—"Sitting at the doors of
the royal palace, Moguls and others within the palace used
to discuss the Revolution openly. The Sepoys would rebel
soon ; the army of Delhi would rise against the English ;
and then, all people, along with the army, would throw
off the Feringhi yoke and enjoy Swaraj—such definite
opinions were current. All people were inspired with the
hope that, when once the Raj was won, all power and all
authority would remain in their own hands." Thus, in
every cellar, in every house in Delhi, the disaffection only
awaited for a spark which should explode everything up.
Like the capital cities of Delhi and Brahmavarta,
Lucknow also, the capital of Oudh, the last victim that
had fallen a prey to the greed of Dalhousie, began to catch
fire from the flames of the War of the Revolution. The
Nabob of Lucknow and his Vizier were now residing
near Calcutta. To all appearances, the Vizier of Lucknow
looked as if he was wasting his time in luxury ; as a
matter of fact, however, Vizier Ali Nakkhi Khan was as
much absorbed in his dangerous conspiracy near Calcutta
as Nana Sahib himself was. One cannot help feeling
wonderstruck at the schemes—secret, extensive, and daring
—which Ali Nakkhi Khan was weaving to seduce the
Sepoys in Bengal and to prepare them to join him at the
right moment already fixed upon. Confidential agents
were sent by him, in the garb of Fakirs or Sanyasis, to
preach 'sedition' to the Sepoys. He opened correspon-
dence with the Indian officers in the army to make them
understand fully what immense advantages Swaraj could
confer as compared with the service of the Company.
How the English had committed an unpardonable crime
in annexing Oudh, how the royal family of the Nabob
had been treated with insult, and how the very Queen and
Begums were expelled with violence from the palace—
8. Trial of the King of Delhi.
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