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

THE ERUPTION
While this white army was marching towards Cal-
cutta from all directions, Canning made one more attempt
to pacify the Sepoys. He issued a proclamation and
ordered it to be posted in every town and village. It was
worded in the usual manner and contained the usual stuff.
It said, “ We had no intention to interfere with your re-
ligious and caste affairs. We have not the least intention
of insulting your religion. If you like it, you can make
cartridges with your own hands. It is a sin on your part
who have eaten the salt of the Company to rise against
it.” But who was now going to pay attention to such
empty proclamations ? Where the question at issue was
whether the English ought to have, at all, the right of
issuing proclamations in India or not, to issue a new
proclamation was not to pacify but to exasperate the peo-
ple. Hindusthan had no time to read these proclamations,
for all eyes were turned to the magnificent Proclamation
that went forth from Delhi ! It was a strange sight, two
proclamations at once, one of freedom at Delhi, the other
of slavery at Calcutta. Hindusthan at that time welcomed
the Proclamation of Delhi. And, therefore. Canning laid
aside his pen and ordered the Commander-in-Chief to
direct his guns immediately towards Delhi.

Commander-in-Chief Anson was at Simla when he
got the telegram announcing that Delhi had become free.
When he was thinking what he was to do, he got Can-
ning’s order to take Delhi at once. The ignorance of the
English about the plans and the strength of the Revolu-
tion was so extraordinary, that they perfectly believed
that they could take Delhi in a week and could quell the
rising before a month was over. Sir John Lawrence,
Chief Officer in the Punjab, also sent urgent messages to
Anson to Capture Delhi. But Anson knew better than
either Canning or Lawrence what it meant to take Delhi
and he determined to wait until sufficient preparations were
made. Hardly had Anson left the heights of Simla and
arrived at the army headquarters at Umballa, when there

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