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

THE VOLCANO
petition or by prayer and his heart, filled with vengeance
born of despair, was planning dozens of schemes for the
attainment of his object. This was Rango Bapuji of
Satara. Azimullah, the representative of the Peshwa, used
often to visit him, and they both used to hold secret con-
sultations. Leaving these two—one, the representative of
the Chhatrapati of Satara himself, and the other, the
representative of the Prime Minister of the Chhatrapati
—to the quiet and secret solution of the problem of saving
the Hindu Empire, let us turn our attention to the
activities of Nana Sahib.
Fortunate will be the day when a complete and syste-
matic history of the life of Shrimant Nana Sahib Peshwa
will be before the world. Meanwhile, until such a day
arrives, it would not be out of place to recount in brief
some of the details of his life about this period, as pub-
lished by the English historians, bitter enemies of Nana
Sahib as they are. We have already related incidentally
the story of his youth. He had married a cousin of the
chief of Sangli. While in the north, in 1857, the Revolu-
tion was being resolved upon, this relation of Nana Sahib
was making strenuous efforts to achieve the same end in
Maharashtra by working in the Patwardhan State. Nana
had made Brahmavarta his home after the demise of his
father. This city was in itself very beautiful, while the
sacred Bhagirathi which flowed close to the city walls
greatly added to its beauty. The palace of Nana com-
manded a most charming view ; before him stretched the
quiet waters of the Bhagirathi ; the banks were cheerfully
alive with throngs of men and women ; and beautiful
temples of famed architecture raised their cupolas all along
the banks. The Palace of the Peshwa was a grand struc-
ture. Its political, administrative, and other offices, and
the large shops and well-kept roads inside the gates, amply
testified to the activities within the palace. The many
extensive halls within this palace were decorated with rich
carpets and gorgeous tapestries. Most valuable china
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