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

THE FIGHT IN DELHI
English power, the Revolutionaries at Delhi began to
manufacture the arms and ammunition necessary for its
continuation. A big factory of cannon, guns, and small
arms was started, and some Frenchmen were employed to
supervise the manufacture. Two or three big ammunition
depôts were also opened and many maunds of gun-powder
began to be prepared by people working day and night.
A general order was issued prohibiting the slaughter of
kine throughout the country and, when once some fanatic
Mahomedans wanted to insult the Hindus by declaring
Jehad against them, the old Emperor, seated on an ele-
phant and with all his Imperial officers, went in a proces-
sion through all the city declaring that the Jehad was
against the Feringhis alone ! Anyone found killing a cow
was to be blown up or his hand cut off. Different regi-
ments were named after the different princes of the palace.
Some Europeans, too, were to be seen fighting on the side
of the Revolutionaries against the English power.
The position which the English had occupied after the
battle of Bundel-ki-Serai was very nicely suited to their
military operations. The long range of hills, styled by
the English as the Ridge, which almost touched the forti-
fications of Delhi at one of its extremities and extended
to the river Jumna four miles ahead, had, owing to its
height, a special advantage from the military point of
view. For the Ridge, being higher than the surrounding
level by fifty or sixty feet, offered a fine position for the
guns so as to keep up a continuous and effective can-
nonade. Again, this Ridge had at its back the wide canal
of the Jumna which, owing to the heavy rains of the year,
was copiously supplied with water even in this month of
June. Being at their back, this canal was free from at-
tacks of the enemies of the English power, and now
especially so ; for, the Panjab, which would have been the
greatest terror to the English had it attacked them from
their rear as Delhi had been doing from their front, had
now declared in favour of the British. The Rajas of
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