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

BENARES AND ALLAHABAD
moment, shot him ! But the other Sikhs, unable to for-
give this great crime, hacked him to pieces ! The Sikhs
were waiting for the reward of this loyal deed, when the
English artillery opened fire on them all ! Seeing the
confusion going on between the Hindu and the Sikh
Sepoys, the English authorities must have suspected that
the Sikh regiment also had deserted them. On account
of this misunderstanding, they opened fire on all indis-
criminately. Now the unfortunate Sikhs had no other
way left but to join the Revolutionaries ! All the Indians,
together, attacked the artillery thrice. This was about
the only prominent occasion in the history of 1857 when
Hindus, Mahomedans, and Sikhs, unitedly fell upon the
English ! But, at that very moment, the Sikhs were mak-
ing extraordinary efforts to expiate this sin ! While the
battle between the English and the Sepoys was raging
near the barracks, there was a fear that the townsmen
would also rise. In this fear, English officers, women,
and children were running about in the streets. Then
the Sikh Sirdar, Surat Singh, rushed forward to protect
them. The treasury at Benares, besides containing lakhs
of Rupees, also contained the most valuable ornaments
wrested by the English from the late Sikh Queen. And
this treasury was guarded by the Sikhs ! It was here im-
possible that the Sikhs would not entertain the idea of
taking hold of the treasury and taking back the ornaments
belonging to their Queen who had been deported by the
English. But their leader, the loyal Surat Singh, came
forward and arranged that his co-religionists should not
touch any of them ! And, soon, the treasure was trans-
ferred to the guard of English soldiers. At this time, a
Pundit, called Gokul Chand, had also joined the side of
the English. Even the Raja of Benares placed his all—
his influence, his wealth, and his power—his everything at
the feet of his lord—not Kashi Vishweshwara, but—the
English ! The Sepoys alone did not surrender in spite of
the hot fire, but retired fighting out of the field and
spread all over the province.
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