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

THE CONFLAGRATION
formed their allotted task, set fire to the whole town and
followed them.
When the English army burnt alive the whole town of
Fattehpur, the fumes spread along and, at last, reached
Cawnpore. The news reached Nana Sahib’s camp that
the detachment which attacked Major Renaud’s force was
suddenly set upon by Havelock’s army and that, after
routing them, the English had entered the town and
destroyed the whole city by first looting the place and
then, burning alive the people in it. The whole of the
Cawnpore Durbar was excited with rage and fury. Just
when it was decided to send another army under Nana
Sahib himself to obstruct the English march on Cawnpore
at the Pandu river, it was announced that some traitors
who had deserted to the English had just been arrested.¹
At their trial, it was proved that some of them had carried
letters from the women prisoners at Cawnpore to the Eng-
lish at Allahabad. When the news spread that those whom
Nana had saved from massacre as “ women ” were main-
taining secret, treacherous correspondence with the
English at Allahabad, the important question arose as to
what should be done to them. As the English burnt
Fatehpur, why not avenge it by destroying this “Bibigarh”
(Palace of Females) in return ?
Though the prison was called Bibigarh, there were, also,
some men in it saved by the intervention of Nana Sahib.

1. “ After the ,defeat of Nana Sahib’s forces at Fattehpur,
   some reputed spies were brought to the Nana Sahib. They were
   accused of being the bearers of letters supposed to have been written
   to distant stations by the helpless women in prison. In the cor-
   respondence, some of the Mahajans and Baboos of the city were
   believed to be complicated. It was, therefore, resolved that the
   said spies together with the women and children, as also the few
   gentlemen whose lives had been spared should all be put to death.”
   —Narrative of the Revolt, page 113. One of the Christian prisoners
   in the prison of Nana Sahib tells the same account and one of the
   Ayahs (nurses) deposes to the same effect.
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