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

THE ERUPTION
No doubt, the English, following John Lawrence’s plan
in the Panjab, crushed the Benares rising in embryo ; but
the news that Benares had risen spread with lightning
rapidity all over Northern India, and the different Revo-
lutionary centres, which were waiting with their eyes
directed towards Benares, began a series of risings. Javan-
pur rose on the 5th of June. When the news arrived at
Javanpur that the Sepoys from Benares were coming there
in all haste, the English officers began to deliver lectures
on loyalty to the Sikh Sepoys stationed there. But these
lectures had hardly ended when the tramp of Benares
Sepoys was heard rapidly approaching ! The few Sikh
Sepoys at Javanpur who belonged to the Sikh regiment at
Benares at once joined the Revolutionaries, and the
whole was ablaze in the flames of the Revolution. Seeing
this, the joint magistrate, Cuppage, again stood up to
lecture, but, from the audience, came a whizzing bullet
instead of applause, and the magistrate sahib fell down
dead ! Commanding officer Lieutenant Mara also fell
shot by a bullet. After this, the Revolutionaries attacked
the treasury and ordered all the English to clear out of
Javanpur. Now, the Benares cavalry too entered the
town. They had taken terrible oaths to kill every English-
man they met. Seeing an old deputy collector running,
the Sowars ran after him. Some Javanpur men tried to
mediate, “ Give the poor man his life, he has treated us
very kindly.” But the Sepoys replied, “Can’t help it ;
he is an Englishman and must die ! ” ⁴
Even in times of such excessive hatred, the Revolutionaries
gave permission to Englishmen who surrendered, to lay
down their arms and run away quietly. Making use of
this permission, most of the Englishmen vacated Javanpur
and departed in a short time. They hired boats on the
banks of the Ganges to go to Benares. But, when in the
middle of the stream, the boatmen looted them and left
4. Charles Ball’s Indian Mutiny, Vol. I, page 245.
186