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

BENARES AND ALLAHABAD
the officers and their wives complained, "Who will give
us carriages now?" But the Sepoys replied gallantly,
"Do not be anxious; we will give you carriages." With
such extraordinary magnanimity, the Sepoys brought
carriages, took away the handcuffs of the English, put
them in carriages, and even gave a few Sepoys as guard;
and thus, the whole caravan, including all the flags and
other signs of English rule, started forth for Benares!
On the other side, the treasure of seven lakhs, the English
store of ammunition, the prison bearing the stamp of
British rule, offices, roads, barracks—all fell into the hands
of the Sepoys. And who was foremost in all this work?
It was the police, the police whom the English trusted for
information about a possible rising in order to save their
lives! The police were as well undermined and as harm-
less on the surface as the Sepoys. When the appointed
time came, they began by hoisting the flag of Swaraj on
the English houses and prisons. Some Englishmen who
did not find room in the carriages going to Benares ran
away in the night to Ghazipur. When the sun rose the
next day, it gazed in admiration at the marvellous trans-
formation that had taken place during its short absence,
and shone delightfully on the revolutionary flag flying at
Azimgarh. The Sepoys, in the flush of victory, drew up
a great military procession; and, to the strains of martial
music and banners unfurled marched away to Fyzabad.
Although the news of the freedom of Azimgarh reached
Benares, there were hopes amongst the English that
Benares at least would be safe. Since the news of the
Meerut rising, John Lawrence in the Panjab and Lord
Canning in Calcutta had been straining every nerve to send
English troops to the chief centres of the Revolution.
Since the northern army was busy in the siege of Delhi,
there was perfect helplessness in the parts south of Delhi,
and English officers sent pathetic requests to Calcutta,
saying, "For God's sake, send us Europeans!" We have
already described how, by this time, Lord Canning had
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