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

RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
strong ideal of liberty, hailed with joy the news which
one day proclaimed Delhi free and the next day Lucknow
and the third that Jhansi had uprooted the flags of the
Feringhi. Encouraged by these hopeful incidents, they
proclaimed the independence of Kirwi and the destruction
of the alien yoke, not waiting for the opinion of the Rao
or the sanction of his ministers. Now, while this procla-
mation was being loudly celebrated by the populace, the
Rao, a boy of nine or ten, had not done even a single
thing against the English! Nay, when the English army
returned to Bundelkhand, he went forward to receive
them and invited them into the city. According to his
invitation, the English army entered the city silently, but
they entered to imprison this little Rao, to destroy his
capital and to pull down his palace! Dreadful looting,⁶
wholesale burning, and a vengeance of wickedness took
place. And the State was annexed.
Whitlock now encamped at Mahoba, in order to ‘pacify’
the conquered provinces. As a matter of fact, he had now
completed his campaign. He had conquered all the
eastern part of Bundelkhand and he had sent small ex-
peditions to ‘pacify’ one or two places. So now, leaving
Whitlock, let us again follow the sacred steps of the
gallant Queen of Jhansi.
The Ranee, now again full of hope, made an advance on
Kunchgaon, forty-two miles from Kalpi, with the army
of the Peshwa. But the Rao Sahib, it would appear, had
6. “With regard to this injustice done to Rao, Malleson has
to confess: “Not a shot had been fired against him (Whitlock),
but he resolved nevertheless to treat the young Rao as though he
had actually opposed the British forces. The reason for this per-
version of honest dealing lay in the fact that in the palace of Kirwi
was stored the wherewithal to compensate soldiers for many a hard
fight and many a broiling sun. In its vaults and strong rooms
were specie, jewels, and diamonds of priceless value....The wealth
was coveted.”—Kaye and Malleson’s Indian Mutiny, Vol. V, pages
140, 141.
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