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

THE ERUPTION
and the English power to hang each other ! While the
Moulvie was preparing to hang the English power, the
latter was hurrying to erect a scaffold to hang the Moul-
vie. But, in the hurry, they retained the Moulvie in the
Fyzabad prison and thus erected scaffolds for themselves.
For the Moulvie's arrest was the spark that set fire to and
exploded the Revolutionary magazine at Fyzabad. The
whole town, including the army, rose at once. When the
English officers went to the parade ground to keep the
Sepoys in order, the Sepoys on their part informed them
boldly that thenceforth they would only obey the orders
of Swadeshi officers and that their leader was the Subah-
dar Dhuleep Singh. Subahdar Dhuleep Singh then im-
prisoned the English officers ; they were prohibited from
going beyond a distance of twelve steps. Then, the towns-
men and the Sepoys ran to the prison which had been
sanctified by the feet of the popular hero. The door of
the prison creaked and amidst the loving shouts of the
populace, the Moulvie Ahmad Shah threw away the chains
which had now been broken to pieces and walked up to
the crowd ! This was the Moulvie's rebirth ! The Eng-
lish power which was about to hang him was itself hanged
by him at last ! As soon as he was released, he accepted
the leadership of the Revolution at Fyzabad, and the first
thing which he did, in revenge for the sentence of death
passed on him, was to send a message to Colonel Lennox,
now kept under guard, thanking him for his permission
to allow the use of a Hookah while he was in prison.³
After thanking for the gift of a Hookah the man who
gave him the death sentence, the noble-souled Moulvie
warned the English officers to leave Fyzabad immediately.
To prevent looting and disorder at Fyzabad, as happened
He came from Madras and was of a respectable Mahomedan
family and had traversed much of upper India, exciting the people to
sedition. He had been expelled from Agra for 'preaching sedition."
Etc., etc.
3. Charles Ball's Indian Mutiny, Vol. I, page 394.
252