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

THE ERUPTION
wrongs and oppressions of a century. The hatred to-
wards the English was so violent that stone houses where
they resided, which could not be burnt, were pounded
down! The bungalow of Commissioner Greathed was
set fire to. He was still hiding inside. The rumour went
about that the people of Meerut had risen in arms and
surrounded his bungalow. Then the Commissioner fell
at the feet of his butler and implored him for his and his
family’s life. The butler gave the mob a ruse and led
them away, and the Commissioner fled away from the
crumbling bungalow. The mob dragged Mrs. Chambers
out of her bungalow and killed her with knives. Captain
Craigie clothed his wife and children in horse clothes to
disguise their colour, and hid them all night in an
old demolished temple. Dr. Christie and Veterinary
surgeon Phillips were battered to death. Captain Taylor,
Captain MacDonald, and Lieutenant Henderson were
hotly pursued and killed. Many women and children
died in the burning houses. As more and more English
blood was spilled, the terrible cry of the Revolutionaries
and their spirit became more and more violent. Passers-
by began to kick about English corpses! If in the middle
somebody showed pity in striking down the English,
thousands of men used to run there crying, “Mâro
Feringhiko!” They would point to the mark of the hand-
cuffs round the wrist of any lately manacled Sepoy pre-
sent in the company and would shout, “We must revenge
this!” Then swords flashed out without any thought
of mercy.
Meerut was about the last place where the Revolu-
tion should have started in the natural course of events.
There were only two Sepoy regiments of infantry and one
of cavalry, while there was a complete riflemen battalion
and a regiment of dragoons of Europeans there. Besides,
the whole of the artillery was in the hands of the Euro-
peans. Under these circumstances, the Sepoys had no
chance of success. Therefore was it that, immediately
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