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

DELHI FALLS
according to the advice of Ilahi Baksh Mirza. This
Ilahi Baksh was a first-class traitor ! He gave the news
to the English, who immediately sent thither Captain
Hodson. After a promise to spare his life, the Emperor
surrendered, was brought to the palace by the English,
and imprisoned. Just then, the traitorous dogs, Ilahi
Baksh and Munshi Rajab Ali, came up running and said,
“ But the princes are yet hiding in Humayun’s tomb ! ”
Again, Hodson ran ; the princes surrendered to him, were
put in a carriage, and taken to the town. As soon as the
cavalcade entered the town, Hodson ran up to the carriage
and shouted out that those who killed English women
and children deserved death alone. So saying, Hodson
turned towards the surrendered princes, who were dragg-
ed out of the carriage, and robbed of all valuables on the
person, and helpless stood before him. Three shots put
an end to the lives of the three princes ! Hodson cut
away this last sprout of Timur’s family ! But his revenge
was not satisfied by simply shooting dead these illustrious
princes. It is only savages that wreak a vengeance till
death. If Hodson had stopped there, where would be
the humanity of civilised English vindictiveness ? There-
fore, the dead bodies of the princes were thrown right
before the police station. When the vultures had fed on
them for some time, the rotting bodies were dragged and
thrown into the river. Oh Time ! what changes are
wrought by thee ! That there should be no one to give
the last burial rites to the descendants of the great Em-
peror Akbar ! And now, the Sikhs thought that the
prophecy in their books was fulfilled ! But, in what way?
By what means ? To what end ? For whose benefit ?
Then began terrible looting and a general massacre at
Delhi. After hearing the accounts, Lord Elphinstone
writes to Sir John Lawrence, “ After the siege was over,
the outrages committed by our army are simply heart-
rending. A wholesale vengeance is being taken without
distinction of friend and foe. As regards the looting, we
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