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

OUDH
corded by the English to both Hindus and Mahomedans
against mutual injury. He then personally presented
swords, shawls, turbans, and other presents to those Sepoys
who had shown their loyalty ; while, on the other side,
the 7th regiment was being disarmed and disbanded. What
an irony time had in store for him ! In a very short time,
these loyalists who got rewards had to be sentenced to
be hanged on proof of their complicity with the
Revolutionaries.
The loyal Durbar was held on the 12th. On the 13th, the
news came that Meerut had risen and, on the 14th, the
people heard the joyful news that Delhi had fallen into
the hands of the Revolutionaries and that a Proclamation
had been issued of the freedom of Hindusthan.
Sir Henry Lawrence now selected two places near Lucknow
city, Machi Bhawan and the Residency, and began the
work of fortifying these as places of refuge. The English
women and children were taken there and all Englishmen,
clerks, civil officials, and merchants were taught military
drill, discipline, and the use of the rifle. At Meerut too,
after the rising, all the civil Englishmen there had been
given such training and made ready for the field in ten
days. Sir Henry Lawrence was made the chief military
officer of the province. Oudh being close to Nepal, Sir
Henry Lawrence sent a mission to Nepal requesting help
from there. He asked Jung Bahadur to come down into
Oudh with an army. While these precautions were being
taken, Sir Henry would get “ reliable ” information every
day that there would be a rising that day. Daily, on re-
ceipt of the news, he would take special precautions ; but
the day would pass and no rising would take place. He
was often thus deceived. On the 30th of May also, an
officer informed Sir Henry that there was to be a rising
that evening at nine o'clock.
The sun set on the 30th. While Henry Lawrence was
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