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

THE ERUPTION
great fear, and that was about the side that the Scindia
would take. The mere news that the Scindia had joined
the Revolutionaries would have made Mr. Colvin surrender
that impregnable fort! But as it was clear that the
Scindia was not against him, as was proved by his "loyal"
letters and help, the English flag at Agra seemed to revive.
But the weight of supporting it was too much and Mr.
Colvin died on the 9th of September, 1857, to the deepest
sorrow of the English government in India.
The Revolutionary spirit that exhibited itself among the
masses and the Sepoys at Gwalior had also burst forth in
a terrible manner at Indore. Secret communication was
established between all the troops in the English camp at
Mhow and the troops of Holkar, and a rebellion was
decided upon. On the 1st of July, Saadat Khan, a Maho-
medan nobleman at the Indore court, ordered the army
to fall upon the English at the Residency. He declared
that the Maharaja Holkar had given him the order. But
the Indian troops did not need any such declaration, even.
They raised the flag of freedom and, at once, marched
with their guns on the Residency. The Indian troops at
the Residency refused to fire on their countrymen on
behalf of the English. The English lost all hope ; they
quietly packed their bag and baggage and fled from
Indore. The Indian troops at the Residency had guaran-
teed them their lives and protected them till the end.
English authors always try hard to find out exactly whe-
ther the Maharaja Holkar sympathised with the English or
with the Revolutionaries. But one who minutely studies
the history and the conditions of 1857 would see at once
that during the Revolution, most of the states had purpose-
ly observed a dubious attitude. The desire of freedom
is innate in man. Most of the states intended to raise the
flag of freedom as soon as there was reasonable prospect
of the success of the Revolution. They did not join the
English, because they did not want to aid in the failure
of the Revolution. On the other hand, they did not want,
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