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

THE CONFLAGRATION
son. Immediately, the English officer, to take advantage
of his emotion, addressed him these words : “ Peer Ali,
you might even now save your life by disclosing the names
of the other leaders.” Turning calmly to the Feringhi,
he replied in bold and noble words, “ There are some
occasions in life when it is desirable to save one’s life—
but there are some others when it is more desirable to
sacrifice it ! This moment is one of the latter kind, when
to embrace death at once is the means of eternal life !”
Then, describing in plain language the numerous acts of
injustice and oppression committed by the English, the
martyr dying for his people said, “ You might hang me,
you might hang other men like me ; but, you cannot hang
our ideal. If I die, thousands of heroes will rise out of
my blood and will destroy your kingdom.”²
With these prophetic words, this hero, without casting the
shadow of a shame on his country, entered by the door of
death into the circle of patriots of immortal memory !
“Out of my blood will rise thousands of heroes !” These
last words of the noble martyr could not be falsified, were
not falsified ! At the news of his death, the “ most
loyal ” regiment at Danapur rose in revolt on the 25th of
July. In spite of the presence of an English regiment and
English artillery, the three Indian regiments, with their
hands, tore away in disgust the Company’s uniforms and
marched away to the Shon river. On account of the fear
and old age of Major-General Lloyd, the chief officer of
the place, the English army did not dare to pursue the
Sepoys. Though the English major-general was thus
2. The Commissioner Tayler himself says: “Peer Ali himself was
a model of a desperate and determined fanatic. Repulsive in ap-
pearance, with a brutal and sullen countenance, he was calm, self-
possessed, almost dignified in language and demeanour. He is the
type of the class of men whose unconquerable fanaticism renders
them dangerous enemies and whose stern resolution entitles them,
in some respects, to admiration and respect !”
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