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

TATIA TOPE
Nana was going to Fatehpur in the Lucknow province.
Chowdhuri Bhopal Singh, an intimate friend of Nana
Sahib, received them there very cordially and entertained
them in his house. While Havelock with all his army
was besieging Cawnpore and was thinking of pressing on
to Lucknow, Nana also was deliberating in full Durbar
as to the best means of opposing Havelock.
To find a satisfactory solution to this problem, one person
in this Durbar was eminently fitted by his extraordinary
intellect. His subtle intellect seemed to be ever on the
look-out for difficult problems which awaited solution.
So far, Tatia Tope had done nothing higher than the work
of a clerk ; but then, there was nothing beyond the work
of a clerk, so far, to be done at Nana's Durbar. But one
glimpse of the spirit of liberty—and the Durbar of Nana,
too, showed the characteristic intelligence, alertness, and
brilliance of the old Raigarh Durbar. New aspirations
were now struggling for fulfilment, fresh thrones had to
be established, new armies had to be formed, fresh battle-
fields had to be fought and won. Now, the joy of victory
had gladdened the Durbar but, then, the grief consequent
on defeat produced a reaction. But, in close succession
comes a profound calm ; for, vengeance for past insults
is being planned ; and this calm is being disturbed alone
by the still and silent deliberations in the Durbar as to
the future plan of the Revolutionary party. It was but
natural that the ability, so long latent for lack of scope,
should now step forward boldly, that clever schemes, so
long only suggested to the mind, should now be readily
formulated for action. And it must be admitted that for
clever, deep-laid, successful scheming, an equal of Tatia
Topé would be hard, indeed, to find.
Tatia’s idea was to reorganise the bands disorganised on
account of the defeat at Cawnpore. The splendid logic,
the intimate acquaintance with the most secret springs
of human nature, and the undaunted daring of this extra-
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