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

TEMPORARY PACIFICATION
try and their own subjects. They would not openly join
the Revolutionaries, because they were possessed by the
sinful motive of looking to their own personal and indi-
vidual gain. Was the Swadeshi army to starve while
these selfish states had hoarded provisions lying uselessly
in their stores ? To remedy such a tragic state of affairs,
Tatia Topé and Rao Sahib hit upon the marvellous and
just plan of snatching away from these unfaithful custo-
dians, the means that were necessary for the defence of
the country. This plan would give the Revolution suffi-
cient money, provisions, and arms. Thus, the cost of
maintaining the army of defence would not fall on the
poor people of the country alone. These weak princes
had generally only small armies, which were armies only
in name, and even these more often than not sympathised
with the Revolutionaries. Therefore, to levy contribu-
tions on these kings was not at all a hard task. Since
these states are at every step, the army need not be
hindered with too much baggage on its marches. The
army would have very little baggage to carry and, even
if the enemy looted the provisions sometimes, it would
not give rise to great inconvenience, as the Revolutionary
army could always find an Indian State on its way and
make use of the provisions in its stores. For all these
advantages, this plan was determined upon by Tatia Topé.
If the kings gave provisions, on demand, willingly to the
Swadeshi army—and many of them did give them—then,
well and good ; if they did not, they were forced to give
them, that was all.
On these three principles, therefore, the future operations
of Tatia Topé depended ; guerilla warfare, never to face
the enemy in the open field, and to levy contributions on
the Indian States and exact them if they refused. Tatia's
ultimate object was to keep up such marches and cross
the Narbada at the most favourable opportunity and
thus to bring the Mahratta tiger to its native forests.
The object of the English was not only to prevent him
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