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

THE ERUPTION
were to be taken, on the same day, the Revolutionists took
possession of the fort. Finding this, the English went to
take shelter in the city fort. The Revolutionaries made
an attack upon that also, and took it. On the 7th,
Rasaldar Kala Khan and Tahsildar Mahomed Hussein of
Jhansi and other valiant soldiers led the attack and the
flag of Revolution was hoisted on the fort of Jhansi. The
English, on the other hand, hoisted the white flag and
craved for peace. Hakim Salay Mahomed, a prominent
citizen of Jhansi, promised to spare the lives of the English,
if they surrendered unconditionally. The English laid
down their arms, and the doors of the fort were opened.
But, when the English came out of the gates, the soldiers
shouted, “Mâro Feringhiko!” The Sepoys had known
how the English had massacred their women and children
and how Neill had burnt whole villages and were infuriat-
ed beyond measure. On the 8th, a procession was led
through the city and the English were made to march in
the procession as prisoners of war. The very English peo-
ple, who were wielding the highest authority at Jhansi
only a week before, were, to-day, parading as captives.
As they were approaching Johan Bagh the Sepoys asked
the general, “Rasaldar Sahib, what further orders?”
The Rasaldar ordered that the Feringhis who were guilty
of treason in having dared to dethrone the Ranee and
annex the country should not be spared and that, there-
fore, they should be drawn up in three separate rows of
men, women, and children and, as soon as the jail Daroga
decapitated the commissioner in the line of men, imme-
diately the rest of the lines of men, women and children
should be beheaded. In a second, blood began to flow in
streams. Thus, they died as victims of the merciless
annexation policy of Lord Dalhousie refusing to recognise
the adoption made by the queen.
About seventy-five men, twelve women, and twenty-three
children were decapitated by the Revolutionaries and,
there being no legal or adopted heir of the English to
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