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

THE ORIGINAL PUBLISHER'S PREFACE
This book on the history of 1857 was originally written
in an Indian vernacular. But owing to the unique nature of
the book which, for the first time ever since the great War
was fought, proves from the English writers themselves that
the rising of the Indian people in 1857 was in no way an
insignificant chapter in, or a tale unworthy of, a great peo-
ple's history, pressing requests were made from many quarters
to translate the work into the English language, so that, by
translations into the other vernaculars, the whole of the Indian
nation might be enabled to read the history of the ever memor-
able War of 1857. Realising the reasonableness and impor-
tance of these requests and with the kind permission of the
author the publishers undertook the translation of the original
into the English language. With the patriotic co-operation of
many of their countrymen, they are able to-day to place this
work in the hands of Indian readers.
The work of translating an Oriental work into a western
tongue has ever been a task of immense difficulty, even when
the translator has all the facilities which leisure and training
could afford. But when the translation had to be done by
divers hands and within a very short time, it was clearly fore-
seen by the publishers that the translation would be defective
and unidiomatic. But the main point before the publishers
was not to teach the Indian people how to make an elegant
translation nor to show them how to write correct English
—points to which they were supremely indifferent—but to let
them know how their nation fought for its Independence and
how their ancestors died “for the ashes of their fathers and
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