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

CAWNPORE AND JHANSI
half that all these accusations are false.^{11} Still, this does
not end the question. Not only did Nana Sahib save
these women from massacre and thus put to shame Neill,
Reynold, and Havelock, but, in that conflagration of 1857,
Nana Sahib did not show to the treacherous enemy who
ruined individuals, the nation, and religion, even a hun-
dredth part of the severity and cruelty which, in similar
conditions and under similar provocations, England herself
has shown to India, Austria to Italy, Spain to the Moors,
or Greece to the Turks. And this is proved by the
histories of the English themselves.
In the first confusion of the massacre at Cawnpore, four
English women and some half-caste women had been
taken away by some cavalrymen. At this news, Nana
Sahib had the Sepoys immediately arrested and disgraced.
He compelled them to restore the women at once.^{12} The
prisoners were given chapatees, and meat occasionally.^{13}
They were not forced to do hard labour in any sense.
The children were given milk. Over them was kept a
chief wardress, called Begum. Since cholera and dysen-
tery broke out in the prison, they were brought out to
take fresh air, thrice every day.^{14} It would not be here
out of place to give a small anecdote to show how the
people were furious even at the name, "English." One
morning, a Brahmin peeped over the prison wall and saw
English women, who would never go out except in a
palanquin, wash their clothes. Moved at this sight, the
Brahmin remarked to his neighbour, "Why do they not
allow them a washerman?" As a check to this excessive
humanity, the neighbour slapped the Brahmin hard in the
11. Muir's Report and Wilson's Report. See also, Kaye and
Malleson's Indian Mutiny, Vol. II, page 267.
12. Trevelyan's Cawnpore, page 299.
13. Narrative, page 113.
14. Neill himself says in his report: "At first they were badly
fed but afterwards they got better food and clean clothing and
servants to wait upon."
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