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

BENARES AND ALLAHABAD
them on the sands ! There, at Javanpur, the whole town
came out, looted and burnt English houses, and mixed
into dust all the signs of their power. The Sepoys took
as much treasure as they could carry and marched towards
Ayodhya. Then, the old women of the town and paupers
who had never had a Rupee in their lives, were placed in
charge of the remaining treasure. They helped themselves
with it plentifully, and showered blessings heartily on
Swaraj and the Revolution !
In this way rose Azimgarh on the 3rd of June, Benares on
the 4th, and Javanpur on the 5th. The whole province
of Benares was in flames. If the chief town of a province
falls to the enemy, the Revolution, as a rule, loses strength
in that province. For the whole province to depend on
the capital in times of Revolution is regarded as a most
dangerous fault in Revolutionarv tactics. Mazzini says,
“ Wherever our flag flies, that is our capital.” The capital
must follow the Revolution and not vice versa. How-
ever accurately the map of a Revolution might have been
drawn in the beginning, it is impossible that events will
happen in a settled order during its course ; therefore,
though it fails in the capital, the province must never give
it up. Undoubtedly, Benares gave a very good illustration
of this principle. For though the capital of the province,
the city of Benares, fell into the grip of the English, in
the province itself, the cyclone of the Revolution arose at
once and enshrouded the whole atmosphere. Zemindars,
peasants, Sepoys,—all began to consider English rule as
unholy as cow’s flesh ! Even small villages, if they heard
that an Englishman was within their boundaries, would
beat and drive him out ! ⁵ Especially the people were so
5. At every successive stage of this military revolt, the fact of
a deep-seated and widespread feeling of hatred and an unappeasable
revengefulness for an assumed wrong is more plainly developed.
The desire for plunder was only a secondary influence in producing
the calamities to which the European residents of various places
were exposed.”—Charles Ball’s Indian Mutiny, Vol. I, page 245.
187