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

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW
pur to keep the population and the Sepoys there in check.
This news was divulged to the Sepoys by an official of
the Telegraph Department. Thus the Sepoys who were
already infuriated, rose prematurely on the 31st of July,
1857. They killed some of their English officers, took
the treasury in their charge, had a skirmish with the
English troops that had just arrived, and went away to-
wards the Ghats. The various Revolutionary bands
united together under the leadership of Ramji Shirsal of
Sawantwadi and began to harass the English force in the
direction of the Kadi forest. They were defeated and
dispersed after some months by the English with the help
of the Portuguese of Goa. The new English officer, Jacob,
who had come to Kolhapur, disarmed the remaining
Sepoys there and had their leaders shot.
But on the day on which the Sepoys at Kolhapur had
risen, the town itself had not done so. In the meanwhile,
emissaries from Nana Sahib of Cawnpore had an audi-
ence with the young king of Kolhapur and persuaded
him to join the National Rising. He had also been pre-
sented with a sword by the Durbar of Lucknow. In the
same manner, he was carrying on secret correspondence
with the Rajas of Sangli, Jamkhindi, and other southern
states. But, more than the Maharaja, his younger
brother, Chimna Sahib, had in his veins the blood of
Shivaji. He secretly began machinations to put right
again the plans of the Revolution foiled by the recent
turn of events. He prepared the irregular army of
Kolhapur and many volunteers for a Rising, and in the
early morning of the 15th of December Kolhapur rose
again. The city gates were closed, guns were made ready,
and the drum of Revolution was beaten in the streets.
As soon as Jacob heard the news, he got the men under
him ready and led an attack on a Kachcha gate. From
that moment onward till the time that the English army
took possession of the palace, a fierce battle raged. After
defeat, the Raja, following the usual custom, declared
499