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

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW
enemy. Soon he was despatched to the Andaman islands,
and the efforts of Hyderabad thus came to a disastrous
end. The English historian frankly admits : " For three
months, the fate of India was in the hand of Afzul-ud-
daulah and Salar Jung. Their wise policy proved that
they preferred the certain position of a protected state
to the doubtful chances of a resuscitation of the Delhi
monarchy under the auspices of revolted Sepoys."
Though the Nizam thus foiled the Revolution in the
south, the young Hindu Raja of Zorapur, near the
Nizam's territories, resolved to stake his everything in
the War of Independence. Accordingly, he began by col-
lecting an army of Arabs, Rohillas, and Pathans. Nana's
Revolutionary messengers came to him and prepared him
to fight under the flag of the Peshwas. The Brahmins
and Moulvies of Raichur and Arcot also encouraged him
in his plans. Not merely that, but, when he would not
rise as soon as the people wanted him to, they—his own
subjects—began to abuse him as cowardly and effemi-
nate. Then he began the Revolution in the name of the
Peshwas. The Nizam and the English together marched
against him. From the moment he heard this, he knew
his fate was sealed. Not being able to hold his own
against the combined forces of the Nizam and the Eng-
lish, the young Raja went to Hyderabad itself about the
month of February, 1858. While walking about there in
the bazaars, he was arrested by Salar Jung's orders and
handed over to the British ! This Raja was from his
childhood on very intimate terms with Meadows Taylor
and used to call him by the familiar name of " Appa."
Therefore the English authorities sent Meadows Taylor
to the prison to find out from the Raja the secrets of the
Revolutionary conspiracy and the names of the promi-
nent leaders. There, as he was awaiting death, the Raja
was very pleased to see Meadows Taylor and embraced
him heartily. But when Taylor began to ask him
some account of the Secret Society and as to how he got
505