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

THE VOLCANO
individuality. Thus, the question was one of diplomacy
rather than of religion, and the reason why England did
not lift the sword for the solution of the problem was also
to be found in diplomacy. England had learnt many
lessons from the history of Aurangzeb. Both the strength
and weakness of the policy of that monarch had been
carefully studied by the English. Learning the wisdom
of Aurangzeb, that the destruction of the religion of a
conquered race makes the problem of retaining it in per-
petual slavery much easier, the English had avoided his
folly of open persecution for religion. Hence the stolid
and continuous efforts of the English to make India
Christian by indirect means only and not openly.
Rev. Kennedy wrote at the time, “Whatever misfortunes
come on us, as long as our Empire in India con-
tinues, so long let us not forget that our chief work
is the propagation of Christianity in the land. Until
Hindusthan, from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas,
embraces the religion of Christ and until it condemns the
Hindu and the Moslem religions, our efforts must continue
persistently. For this work, we must make all the efforts
we can and use all the power and all the authority in our
hands ; and continuous and unceasing efforts must be kept
on until India becomes a magnificent nation, the bulwark
of Christianity in the East ! If, with such uninterrupted
perseverance, we continue our efforts, then I do not doubt
that, by the grace of God, we shall be successful in
the end ! ”
No wonder, then, that every citizen of India—seeing that
English authorities and missionaries were using such
language openly—began to feel that, under the English
Raj, everyone would eventually be forced to be Christian.
With the disappearance of Swaraj, the Rajas and Maha-
rajahs, who made rich gifts of Inams and Jahgirs to
Temples and Musjids, were also disappearing. In this
powerless state,—instead of new inams being granted,
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