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

THE ERUPTION
their conduct after acquiring freedom and their duties in
sustaining the newly established Swaraj.¹ And now, this
Swadeshi brigadier went through the town in the carriage
of the English brigadier. Behind him followed the new
officers seated in the carriages of their English predeces-
sors. Khan Bahadur Khan was accepted by acclamation
as the ruler of Rohilkhand in the capacity of Subahdar
of the Emperor. After all the houses of the English at
Bareilly had been burnt down and looted, Khan Bahadur
Khan ordered the imprisoned Englishmen to be brought
before him. He had acted as judge under the English
administration and knew English justice thoroughly. So,
he appointed a court for the trial of the English crimi-
nals. Among them were the Doctor, the son-in-law of the
Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western provinces, the
principal of the Government college at Bareilly, and the
District Judge of Bareilly. Only the day before, loyal
Khan Bahadur Khan had been sitting beside them as a
friend. Today, one was on the throne and the others in
the prisoner’s dock ! The jury took their oaths as usual,
and took their seats on the bench. The prisoners were
charged with various crimes involving treason and were
all sentenced to be hanged, and the six Englishmen were
forthwith executed. As the Commissioner of Rohilkhand
had escaped with his life, Khan Bahadur Khan issued a
proclamation that the Feringhi commissioner had ab-
sconded, and a reward of one thousand rupees was offered
to anyone who would bring him, dead or alive. After
having thus firmly cemented his authority with English
blood, Khan Bahadur Khan sent word to Delhi that
Rohilkhand had become free. The Revolution began that
morning at eleven, and, before sunset, the messenger an-
nouncing Rohilkhand’s freedom set out for Delhi !
The announcement that the whole of Rohilkhand had
become free was not a vain boast. While the artillery at

1. Charles Ball’s Indian Mutiny, Vol. I.
   172