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

BENARES AND ALLAHABAD
is in general, it was more true still in this city. At
Allahabad, the Moslems were more advanced than the
Hindus. They were most prominent in the management
of the machinery of the secret society. The efforts of
Hindus and Mahomedans for the freedom of their country
became, at last, so great that the very judges and Munsiffs
of the Government joined the secret society ! 11
Allahabad being the chief station of the province, the
English should have taken extraordinary precautions to
guard the fort. But, on account of the ignorance till the
beginning of May about the internal agitation in the
whole country, the military preparations at Allahabad had
been very bad. At Allahabad itself, the men who were
spreading all around the fire of Revolution had kept such
skilful secrecy that the Government did not think it neces-
sary even to keep a single English soldier there ! When
the news from Meerut came, this important station had
only the 6th Sepoy regiment and about two hundred men
of a Sikh regiment from Ferozepur. Soon after, the Oudh
cavalry was brought there, and the fort, together with the
vast store of arms and ammunition, was kept entirely in
the hands of the Sepoys. The English officers at the
head of these Sepoys were strong in the belief that their
Sepoys were very loyal. Especially the 6th regiment was
undoubtedly the first in loyalty ! One day, after hearing
the news of Delhi, they sent word to their officers, “ Kha-
vind, give us the order to go to Delhi and cut those
mutineers to pieces. We are anxiously waiting.” This
extraordinary symptom of loyalty was admired every-
where. From the Governor-General himself came the order
to give public thanks to the 6th regiment, “ for this
unparalleled faithfulness and loyalty.” Just then
a citizen brought the information that the 6th regiment
was secretly hand in glove with the Revolutionaries ! See-
ing this, the 6th regiment caught two revolutionary
11. Charles Ball's Indian Mutiny, Vol. I, page 268.
193
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