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

THE VOLCANO
the Company ask even its own servants as to how they
spend their pensions or what they save out of it ? But it
is strange that a question, which the Company dare not
ask even of its own servants, is raised in the case of the
heir to a royal dynasty, and is made the pretence to break
a treaty." With this argumentative and spirited des-
patch, Nana's faithful ambassador, Azimullah Khan,
left for England.
Of the important characters in the Revolutionary War
of 1857, the name of Azimullah Khan is one of the
most memorable. Among the keen intellects and minds
that first conceived the idea of the War of Independence,
Azimullah must be given a prominent place. And among
the many plans by which the various phases of the Revo-
lution were developed, the plans of Azimullah deserve
special notice.
Azimullah was very poor by birth. He rose gradually
on the strength of his own merits, and at last became the
trusted adviser of Nana Sahib. His early poverty was
such that he served as a waiter in the household of an
Englishman. Even while in such a low state, the fire of
ambition was always burning in his heart. He took ad-
vantage of his profession as a Baberchi in order to learn
foreign languages, and in a short time he had learned to
speak English and French with fluency. After acquiring
a knowledge of both these languages, Azimullah left the
service of the Feringhis and began to study in a school at
Cawnpore. By his extraordinary ability, he soon became
a teacher at the self-same school. While still serving as
a teacher in the Government school at Cawnpore, his
reputation as an able scholar reached the ears of Nana
Sahib, and he was introduced at the Brahmavarta Durbar.
Once, at the Durbar, his wise counsels were appreciated
and valued by Nana Sahib, who would take no important
step without first consulting Azimullah. In 1854, he was
made the chief representative of Nana Sahib and sent to
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