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

THE ERUPTION
Though popular sympathy in the Panjab was with Delhi,
the Revolutionaries could not take advantage of it. The
reason is that the wave of Revolution was inevitably
checked for three weeks after the freedom of Delhi. If,
according to the pre-arranged plan, there had been uni-
versal and simultaneous risings, the English could not
have moved anywhere ; solitary and helpless regiments
could not have been disarmed in the Panjab ; the wave
of Revolution would have daily gained in volume, and
undecided and hesitating people like the Sikhs would
have been carried away with it ; and, seeing a glorious
and successful beginning, those who sympathised but
dared not throw in their lot with the Revolution would
have become emboldened and,—India would have
been free.
In short, on account of the treachery of the Sikhs and
the premature rising at Meerut, the roots of the Revolu-
tion in the Panjab were all weeded out. And the Panjab
being the backbone of Delhi, the news was very discourag-
ing to the Delhi patriots.
We have given, above, the movements of the Revolu-
tionaries and of the English in Delhi and the Panjab
during the three weeks. The English had been making
all possible preparations during these three weeks, and
large contingents of European troops were constantly be-
ing sent from Calcutta to Allahabad. In Bombay and
Madras, in Rajputana and Sind, a minute inquiry was
made as to the sympathisers of the Revolutionary move-
ment, and great efforts were being made to crush it in
time, as was done in the Panjab. And, thanking God
for this previous warning of the Revolution, they began
to be confident that they had extinguished the flames in
various places. While these preparations were going on
during these weeks on the side of the English, on the side
of the Revolutionaries all possible outward quiet was
maintained in general, except for some small risings that
158

THE INTERLUDE AND THE PUNJAB
took place here and there. This was the state of affairs,
on both sides, on the 30th of May. We must now turn
to the succeeding events—how this was immediately
altered, how the growing confidence of the English was
dashed to the ground, how the flames of the Revolution
burst again with redoubled vigour in spite of the great
losses it had sustained during these three weeks. Revolu-
tions are not regulated by fixed laws. They are not
accurately working machines like clocks or watches. They
have their own way of marching. They can only be
regulated by a general principle ; but they brush away
minor rules by their very shock. Revolution has only
one watchword—" Dash on ! " All sorts of new and
unthought of circumstances might arise during its progress,
but one must stop ; one must overcome them and
press forward.
Tell us now, O Muse of History, how Nana Sahib,
the Moulvie of Lucknow, the Ranee of Jhansi, and other
grand heroes clung to this principle with such extraordi-
nary persistence ! And fail not to tell, also, O History,
how all Indians could not cling to it as these heroes did !
Come and sing the songs of glory and of praise with us in
the first part, and, also, come and weep with us later on !
159

CHAPTER V
ALIGARH & NASIRABAD
JUST as the tremendous shock was shaking
the whole of North-Western India, towards
Umballa and the Panjab, so also in the
South, another part of the country was trembling
through another of its waves. In the town of
Aligarh, below Delhi, there was the regiment called
the "9th Native Infantry." Some detachments of
this regiment were stationed at Minpur, Itawa, and
Boland. The Government had such confidence in this
regiment, that they thought that it would never revolt
even though all the Sepoys in India should rise against
them. Though the officials heard rumours that, in the
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ALIGARH AND NASIRABAD
bazaars of Boland, secret revolutionary societies were rife,
they believed that the 9th regiment was sure to stand aloof
from them, and remained idle in this sense of false security.
About the month of May, the places about Boland
selected from amongst them a revered, faithful, and free-
dom-loving Brahmin, and deputed him immediately to
Boland town. The Brahmin walked away with quick
steps, his heart overwhelmed with conflicting emotions of
hope of success and fear of failure of the errand on which
he went, towards the military station of Boland, which
on the one hand was relied upon by the English for
loyalty, and, on the other, was looked upon with hopeful
eyes by the Mother-country. Will my compatriots listen
to my pleadings for the freedom of the Mother-country
and for the protection of religion ? Or will they cling
again to the dread and dark narcotic of slavery ? and draw
their swords against me for having disturbed their sleep,
when I wanted to wake them and show them the brilliant
vision ? ” With such feelings surging in his heart, but
with his face beaming with a quiet light of peace, this
Brahmin entered the station with his extraordinary
message. He was well received and his message was wel-
comed. As to the plan of rising, the Brahmin said that
they should all rise suddenly amidst the noisy jollity of a
great marriage procession, massacre the English, and pro-
ceed to Delhi. Of course, there was nobody there against
the principle of overthrowing English dominion, but a
discussion began as to the fitness of this mode of realising
the principle at Boland. Just then the Brahmin was ar-
rested on the information of three Sepoys of the regiment.
He was immediately sent from Boland to Aligarh, the
chief station of the regiment, and sentenced to be hanged
in the presence of all the Sepoys. While this was happen-
ing at Aligarh, the three loyal Sepoys were being disgrac-
ed and spat upon at Boland. The whole camp of Boland
heaped curses on them and went, without the permission
of their officers, to Aligarh where the Revolutionary
161
11

THE ERUPTION
messenger had been taken. On the evening of the 20th
May, the Brahmin was to be hanged. The whole regiment
was made to attend at the execution. What was to be
done now ? If they were to wait till the 31st of May, the
Brahmin would be hanged. As they whispered to each
other, “ He is going ! ”, and looked up, they beheld that
the Brahmin’s body was hanging on the scaffold, deliver-
ing a terrible oration of REVENGE ! What an oration !
Instead of strings of words, streaks of blood were flowing
incessantly ! The dead Brahmin could never in his life
have delivered such an oration as he was delivering from
the scaffold without uttering a single word ! For, in an
instant, a Sepoy broke forth from the ranks and, pointing
his sword towards the body of the Brahmin, he exclaimed,
“ Friends ! This martyr bathes in blood ! ” This shaft
from the mouth of that brave Sepoy, entered the heart of
the thousands of Sepoys quicker, even, than it takes for a
spark to explode a powder-magazine ! They, at once, drew
out their swords ; and these thousands of Sepoys, mad
with rage, began to dance with delirium, thundering,
“ Death to the Feringhi rule ! ”
It is no wonder that the English officers were at their
wits’ end after this scene. Not only did the “ most loyal ”
9th regiment rise, but it spoke out that, if the English
wanted to save their lives, they should leave Aligarh at
once ! Taking advantage of this generosity, the officers
at Aligarh with their wives and children, and all the other
Englishmen and women there, including Lady Outram,
left Aligarh quietly. Before midnight not a trace of Eng-
lish rule remained at Aligarh !
The news of the freedom of Aligarh arrived at Minpur
on the evening of the 22nd May. It has been said above
that a detachment of the 9th infantry was stationed here.
Anybody can imagine from the account of their brethren’s
doings at Aligarh, what the thoughts of the Sepoys of this
detachment would have been. The officers at Minpur got
162

ALIGARH AND NASIRABAD
information that a certain Rajé Nath Singh, who had
fought against the English at Meerut, had gone to a place
called Jivanti. They, therefore, sent some Sepoys to arrest
him. But these Sepoys of the 9th regiment, instead of ar-
resting him, took him safely out of Jivanti and reported to
the officers that no one of that name stayed there. A Sepoy
called Ram Din Singh was sent by the officers under
guard to Aligarh, for disobedience. When he was half-
way, the Sepoys on guard released him, broke his chains
and quietly returned to Minpur! This regiment, fired
with patriotism, was only waiting for the signal to rise.
But in order that the enemy might not cripple them before
the simultaneous rising, they apparently kept such good
behaviour that the 9th regiment was regarded as the
"most loyal" regiment in the whole of India! But since
the above-mentioned tour of the Brahmin, not only the
Sepoys, but the whole mass of the people of the Aligarh
district also, were in a rage. The Minpur detachment of
the 9th regiment had been sent to the Aligarh district to
quell the growing discontent, and, when it returned to
Aligarh, the butchers, and even loafers in the bazaars, ask-
ed them questions like, "When are you going to kill the
Feringhis?", "When are you going to rise for freedom?",
How would Sepoys have liked to postpone a work for
which even butchers and loafers were impatient? Just
then came the news of Aligarh. Seeing that their com-
rades had risen, they thought it disgraceful to wait any
longer, and so they rose that same day. They, also, spared
the life of all Englishmen who fell into their hands, took
plenty of arms and ammunition from the arsenal, loaded
it on camels, and started on the 23rd to Delhi.
At the same time, a similar movement was going on
amongst the garrison of Itawa. The chief magistrate and
collector at Itawa, Allen O. Hume, as soon as he heard
the news from Meerut, formed a select corps to guard the
roads round about Itawa, with the help of the assistant
magistrate Daniell. On the 19th this corps met a handful
163

THE ERUPTION
of Sepoys coming from Meerut. The few Sepoys sur-
rendered and were ordered to lay down their arms. The
Meerut Sepoys pretended to obey the order, disarmed the
enemy of his suspicion, and then suddenly took up their
arms and massacred their captors! Before this news got
about, the Sepoys entered a Hindu temple near by, and hid
themselves there with all their arms. When the collector of
Itawa, Mr. A. O. Hume, heard this, he and Daniell took
some Indian soldiers and marched to attack the temple.
At first, Mr. Hume was confident that the handful of
Sepoys must have been killed by the populace even before
his little corps attacked them ! But, when they came near
the temple, they discovered that the townsmen, instead of
killing them, were singing their praises and giving them
provisions. Though the villagers thus belied his ex-
pectations, Daniell thought that at least his Sepoys and
police would stand by him. 'With immense confidence,
he gave the order to attack the temple and himself rushed
forward. But who followed him ? Only a single Sepoy
was inclined to obey his order ! But this white com-
mandant and his black slave were both despatched in an
instant by bullets from the Sepoys in the temple, and Mr.
Hume, who was proudly coming up, left the Sepoys in
peace at the temple and took to his heels !
On this day, the 19th of May, a rumour was afloat that
the army at Itawa was going to rise. But the head-quar-
ters were at Aligarh, and, as the order to rise had not yet
come, the Sepoys at Itawa remained quiet. And it would
have remained so till the 31st of May but for the fact
that in the meantime the self-sacrifice of the Brahmin
martyr set the Revolutionary flames glowing. When, on
the 22nd, the news came that Aligarh had risen, Itawa
rose also. On the 23rd of May, the whole army rose,
shouting, "Har ! Har ! Mahadev !", sword in one hand
and a lighted torch in the other. The Sepoys then attack-
ed the English camp. They looted the treasury, broke
prisons, and told the English that, unless they left the
164

ALIGARH AND NASIRABAD
place instantly, they would be indiscriminately massacred.
In this terrible plight, the English took their wives and
children with them and ran wherever they found a way !
Mr. Hume himself, profiting by the magnanimity of the
Sepoys, disguised himself as an Indian woman and ran
away.¹ When Hume ran away, it was proclaimed by beat
of drum that Itawa was independent, and all the Sepoys
went away to join the chief division of the regiment
marching towards Delhi.
Thus the regiment rose like one man. In places so far
apart as Aligarh, Boland, Minpur, and Itawa, the pro-
gramme was perfectly carried out—looting the treasury,
announcing freedom, sparing the life of the English when
at the mercy of the sword, and after securing a good sup-
ply of provisions and ammunition, marching to Delhi.
The regiment which the English thought would be the
last to rise, thus rose sword in hand long before the
others. The English, thereafter, could not feel them-
selves secure of anything !
There is a small town called Nasirabad about twelve miles
from Ajmere. In this town there was a company of Eng-
lish soldiers and the 30th native infantry, besides the
artillery. There were, also, the 1st Bombay Lancers and
the 15th regiment which had been lately brought from
Meerut. In the last regiment, the hatred of the English
and the desire for driving them out were strongest. And
it would have been a wonder, if the thousand political
preachers from Meerut would have let go this opportunity
of explaining personally to the Nasirabad Sepoys the
resolutions of the Secret Society at Meerut. Excepting
some men of the Bombay Lancers, the whole Sepoy army
was unanimous, and resolved only to wait a suitable op-
portunity. This came on the 28th of May, for, on that
day, the discipline in the artillery was very lax. Thus, at

1. Red Pamphlet, part II, page 70.
   165

THE ERUPTION

the appointed signal, the 15th regiment from Meerut took
possession of the artillery. To take it back the English
officers together with the Bombay Lancers marched upon
them. But, in a very short time, the Lancers retired
with wisdom, and the English officers fell dead on the
ground. Newbury was not only killed but his body was
blown to pieces! Colonel Penny and Captain Spottis-
woode also fell in this skirmish. Then, leaving all hope
of the city, the English ran away to Biau. The Revolu-
tionaries took the treasury, and their unanimously elected
commander gave presents to the Sepoys in the name of
the Emperor of Delhi. The houses of the Englishmen
were burnt. Then that army composed of thousands of
Sepoys marched towards Delhi brandishing their arms
to the tune of enthusiastic military airs!

166

CHAPTER VI
ROHILKHAND
BAREILLY was the capital of the province of
Rohilkhand. The English had wrested the king-
dom away from the Rohilla Pathans who had
been ruling the province. There was a popula-
tion there of brave, strong, and spirited Mussul-
mans, biding their time to take revenge for this
insult. Rohilkhand and its capital must also be counted
among the places where the Revolutionary propaganda
against English rule was spreading fast about the year
1857. In Bareilly, at this time, were stationed the 8th
Irregular Cavalry, and 18th and 68th regiments of infantry,
and a battery of Indian artillery. Over this force, the
167

THE ERUPTION
chief officer was Brigadier Sibbald. About the month of
April, some Sepoys had expressed their doubt about the
cartridges, but the Government did not pay any serious
attention to them, and forced the Sepoys singly to accept
them. Once or twice again there was some tumult and
growing disaffection among the Sepoys, but the Govern-
ment could not see its danger.
The news of the Meerut rising reached Bareilly on the
14th of May. Thereupon, the Englishmen sent all their
families towards Naini Tal and ordered the cavalry to be
in readiness. The cavalry was also Indian, but it had
the special and complete confidence of the English. All
the Sepoys, including the cavalry, were called on parade
on the 15th of May, and the chief English officer preached
to them loyalty and good behaviour. He said that the
new cartridges were thenceforth to be stopped, and that
the Sepoys should use the old cartridges to which they
had no objection. Nay more, he said he would himself
trample into the dust any new cartridges which he saw
on the field and thus tried to remove the Sepoy's fear
about the cartridges. As a matter of fact, to dilate upon
cartridges now was superfluous. The Commander-in-
Chief had issued an order that throughout Hindusthan,
the new cartridges were, thenceforth, to be stopped. When
the Government thus drew back immediately after the
Meerut rising, and stopped, of their own accord, the use
of the cartridges upon which they insisted so much before
the month of May, the people and the Sepoys saw in the
new order nothing but a sign of fear and weakness. The
error of the theory that the Sepoys revolted solely on ac-
count of the cartridges, was now to be clearly proved at
Bareilly. The Brigadier told the Sepoys that he would
himself smash these cartridges, and tried to reassure
them ; but the days were gone when such words could
pacify them. What was the use of giving orders about
cartridges ? Where the question at issue was whether
the English should any longer have the power of giving
168

ROHILKHAND
any orders whatsoever in the land, to give further orders
was to inflame the quarrel. To lecture now about good
or bad cartridges was an unpardonable digression !
For the people of Rohilkhand had now received an
urgent and pressing invitation from the Swadeshi throne
of Delhi to hold aloft the flag of Indian freedom. Was
this invitation one that could be lightly treated ?
“ From the commander of the army at Delhi to the com-
mander of the army at Bareilly, hearty embraces. Brothers,
there is a fight with the English proceeding at Delhi. By
the grace of God, even the first defeat that they have
received at our hands has demoralised them more than ten
defeats would have done them at other times. Innumer-
able Swadeshi heroes are coming to Delhi. At such a
time, if you are dining there, come here to wash your
hands. The Padishah of Shahs and the Home Splendour,
our Emperor of Delhi, will give you a great welcome and
fitly reward your services. Our ears are anxious for the
sound of your cannon and our eyes are thirsting to see
you. Come ! Come at once ! For, Brethren, how will
the rose-tree flower without spring ? How will a child
live without milk ? ”
Was this an invitation to be rejected ? While the invita-
tion was on its way, Khan Bahadur Khan, the descendant
of Hafiz Rahmat, the last independent Rohilla chief, was
weaving the nets of the secret society. Khan Bahadur
Khan used to get two pensions from the English, one as
the descendant of Hafiz Rahmat, and the other as a judi-
cial officer under the English. He was known throughout
the province as a great favourite of the English. The
Government also had great confidence in him. And he
was the life and centre of all the secret societies of Bareilly!
But, though this invitation asked the people of Bareilly
to come at once, they decided to wait till the 31st of May,
in accordance with the plans originally arranged. All the
169

THE ERUPTION
Sepoys were doing their duties without, in the least, dis-
obeying the English officers. A few days before, a hundred
of the revolted Meerut Sepoys came and lived secretly in
the " lines " themselves, and stirred up the revolutionary
spirit by the narrative of the events at Meerut, and then
left. Still, the Sepoys kept the peace outwardly. The
Subahdars of the regiments even went so far as to request
the Europeans to bring their families ! But before this
request was fulfilled, a rumour arose on the 29th of May
that the Sepoys had taken oath, at the time of the morning
bath in the river, that they would massacre the English
at two o'clock ! Immediately the English got ready the
loyal cavalry regiment. They, also, came together and
formed without murmur. But the whole day passed and
the Sepoys never rose. The English retired at night, say-
ing that though the rumour was false, it at least incident-
ally proved that the cavalry could be relied upon. Just
then, sure and certain information came that the cavalry
had sworn, long before, never to lift their swords against
their comrades or help the English ! The English now
could not make up their minds what to believe. Not
only the 29th, but also the 30th passed away
without any incident. And, on the latter day, the
conduct of the Sepoys was so good—if anything,
it was more loyal than ever—that the civil and
military authorities made up their minds that the
danger was surely past and that there was no
longer any reason for fear !
The 31st of May dawned. Early in the morning, the house
of Captain Brownlow was set on fire. But the English
had not much reason to be particularly fearful of any-
thing serious. The day was Sunday. The Sunday mili-
tary parade passed off smoothly, as well as the reports
of native officers. The English officers even observed that
the Sepoys were more than usually quiet that day. The
English prayed in their churches. There was not the least
sign of trouble anywhere.
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ROHILKHAND
The clock struck eleven. A gun was fired among the
Sepoy lines. Hardly had the echo died out, when a noise
of clanging rifles and shrill shouting rent the sky ! The
rising at Bareilly was so carefully planned, that it was
arranged beforehand who was to kill which Englishman.
As soon as it was eleven, the 68th regiment at-
tacked the Englishmen near their lines. Small detach-
ments quickly went to the various bungalows, and the rest
attended to the straggling Englishmen, to go to their
houses and burn them. On hearing this noise and tumult,
the terror-stricken Englishmen ran towards the cavalry
lines. All the civil and military officers had decided to
come together there for refuge. As soon as they arrived
there, they ordered the cavalry regiment to march on
the Revolutionaries. But the Indian head of that regiment
was also a Revolutionary. Mahomed Shafi galloped to-
wards the Revolutionaries and ordered the horsemen to
follow him. They followed him, shouting, “ Die for reli-
gion, come, the green flag is calling you ! ” Still the
English tried to collect together a few that remained, and
attempted to come near the parade ground, but finding
it impossible to stand before the terrible onslaught of the
Revolutionaries, they all turned their backs and began
flying towards Naini Tal. Brigadier Sibbald was killed
in the first affray. Captain Kirby, Lieutenant Fraser,
Sergeant Walton, Colonel Troup, Captain Robertson—
all the Englishmen that fell into the hands of the
Revolutionaries were killed. Only thirty-two officers
escaped the massacre and safely reached Naini Tal. In
this way, the English power at Bareilly was made to end
in six hours !
When the English flag was hauled down and the flag of
freedom began to fly at Bareilly, the Subahdar of the
Sepoy artillery, Bakht Khan, accepted the commander-
ship of all the Sepoy troops. We will hereafter have occa-
sion to refer to him at the time of the siege of Delhi. He
delivered an enthusiastic oration to all the Sepoys as to
171

THE ERUPTION
their conduct after acquiring freedom and their duties in
sustaining the newly established Swaraj.¹ And now, this
Swadeshi brigadier went through the town in the carriage
of the English brigadier. Behind him followed the new
officers seated in the carriages of their English predeces-
sors. Khan Bahadur Khan was accepted by acclamation
as the ruler of Rohilkhand in the capacity of Subahdar
of the Emperor. After all the houses of the English at
Bareilly had been burnt down and looted, Khan Bahadur
Khan ordered the imprisoned Englishmen to be brought
before him. He had acted as judge under the English
administration and knew English justice thoroughly. So,
he appointed a court for the trial of the English crimi-
nals. Among them were the Doctor, the son-in-law of the
Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western provinces, the
principal of the Government college at Bareilly, and the
District Judge of Bareilly. Only the day before, loyal
Khan Bahadur Khan had been sitting beside them as a
friend. Today, one was on the throne and the others in
the prisoner’s dock ! The jury took their oaths as usual,
and took their seats on the bench. The prisoners were
charged with various crimes involving treason and were
all sentenced to be hanged, and the six Englishmen were
forthwith executed. As the Commissioner of Rohilkhand
had escaped with his life, Khan Bahadur Khan issued a
proclamation that the Feringhi commissioner had ab-
sconded, and a reward of one thousand rupees was offered
to anyone who would bring him, dead or alive. After
having thus firmly cemented his authority with English
blood, Khan Bahadur Khan sent word to Delhi that
Rohilkhand had become free. The Revolution began that
morning at eleven, and, before sunset, the messenger an-
nouncing Rohilkhand’s freedom set out for Delhi !
The announcement that the whole of Rohilkhand had
become free was not a vain boast. While the artillery at

1. Charles Ball’s Indian Mutiny, Vol. I.
   172

ROHILKHAND
Bareilly was shaking the English power to pieces, English
blood had already begun to flow at Shahjahanpur. This
latter town is about forty-seven miles from Bareilly, and
was the headquarters of the 28th infantry. The news
of Meerut reached Shahjahanpur on the 15th of May.
But since the Sepoys gave no indication whatever of their
plans to the authorities, the 31st of May dawned there like
other days, in peace and happiness. It being Sunday, the
English were in church ; but before their prayer was half-
finished, the Sepoys ran towards the church ! When the
chaplain came out to see what the matter was, his hand
was cut off and the massacre began. The city magistrate,
Ricketts, fell while running. Labadoor was killed in the
church itself. Only one batch of the Sepoys had come
to the church while the other had been sent to the English
cantonment. The latter had already started killing and
burning. The assistant magistrate ran into the verandah
for life, but was killed. Doctor Bowling began to address
a few words to the Sepoys. The Sepoys, also, were listen-
ing to his words, but, unfortunately, he called them, in
the course of his speech, “seditious.” In reply to this
“charge,” a bullet came whizzing and he dropped dead.
The Revolutionaries who had gone to the church had only
swords and sticks with them ; so, now, they returned to
the lines to take their rifles. In the meanwhile, some
Englishmen, together with the women and children, with
the help of some Sikh Sepoys and the native cooks and
servants, ran to the house of a neighbouring Raja for
safety. But the Raja explained to them his helplessness
and asked them to “move on.” The fugitives then went
away towards Mahmadi. Thus, before the evening of
the 31st of May, Shahjahanpur also became free.
To the north-west of Bareilly, at a distance of about forty-
eight miles, is the district town of Moradabad. Here was
stationed the 29th infantry regiment and half a battalion
of native artillery. A fine opportunity came to test their
loyalty, after the news from Meerut had gone there. The
173

THE ERUPTION
English authorities got information on the 18th of May
that some of the Meerut Sepoys had camped near Morada-
bad. The 29th regiment was ordered to make a night
attack on them. In obedience to that order, the Sepoys
attacked the Meerut Revolutionaries while they were
asleep in the woods, but, however, in some ways or other,
in spite of the determined attack under these conditions,
all but one of them succeeded in escaping. The night was
so dark ! The English officers also thought that the dark-
ness helped the Meerut Sepoys to escape, though attacked
under such odds. It has now transpired, however, that
the attack was a mere sham ; nay more, some of the
Meerut Sepoys, said to have escaped in the forest, actually
slept that night in the Sepoy lines at Moradabad ! How-
ever for the time being the English had entire confidence
in the 29th regiment on account of the loyal night-attack
which it made. And nothing in its conduct was calculated
to dispel it till the end of May.
On the morning of the 31st, however, all the Sepoys began
to form on the parade-ground. The English were about
to ask the reason of their assembling thus without permis-
sion, when the Sepoys spoke authoritatively in the follow-
ing manner :— “ The rule of the Company is at an end !
Therefore, you should leave this country immediately and
go away, or else you will be massacred ! If you cannot go
at once we will allow you two hours to prepare for de-
parture. But you must vacate Moradabad as soon as the
two hours are over.” The Moradabad police also an-
nounced that thenceforth they would not obey the orders
of the English, and the citizens supported them ! When
these three simultaneous notices were given, the English
people at Moradabad—the judge, the collector, the magis-
trate, the surgeon, and others—with their families, ran
away from Moradabad without the least attempt at
remonstrance. Any Englishmen who were found in
Moradabad after the time limit had expired were killed.
Commissioner Powell and others became Mahomedans
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ROHILKHAND
and thus saved their lives. The Sepoys took possession
of the treasury and all government property, and before
sunset the green flag began to fly on Moradabad.²
There is also another district town, called Budaun, bet-
ween Bareilly and Shahjahanpur. Mr. Edwardes was
then collector and magistrate of the district. Since the
English government came into Rohilkhand, the old
Zemindars were being frightfully oppressed with heavy
taxes and otherwise. Therefore, the big Zemindars and
their tenants were very much disaffected. In fact, the
land-tax in Budaun was so oppressive, that Edwardes
himself knew that Budaun was perfectly ready, and only
waiting for a chance to drive out the English ; and for
this reason he asked military help from Bareilly. But the
situation in Bareilly, as has already been described, was
not such that help could be sent to Budaun. However,
a message from Bareilly came that troops under European
officers would be despatched on the 1st of June. At this
news Edwardes felt happy and on the 1st of June sat with
his eyes towards the road from Bareilly. He soon saw a
government man coming galloping on towards Budaun.
In the hope that he would be the forerunner of the
succour which he expected, Edwardes hastily interrogated
him. But in reply, instead of an assurance of help from
Bareilly, he got the message that, at Bareilly itself, the
English power was at an end ! There were Sepoys kept
at Budaun to guard the treasury, and Edwardes asked
their head, “Bareilly has become independent ; what
about Budaun ?” The head replied that the Sepoys
under him were loyal and that there was no cause for
anxiety. But in the evening, the town of Budaun rose in
revolt ! The Sepoys at the treasury, the police, and the
leading citizens announced, by beat of drum that the
English rule was at an end. Thus, the whole district
went willingly into the hands of Khan Bahadur Khan.
2. Charles Ball’s Indian Mutiny.
175

THE ERUPTION
The Sepoys took the treasure and marched towards Delhi
and all the English officers at Budaun began to run about
in the forests at night. Under privations of food and
clothing for weeks, hiding everywhere, sometimes in the
stable of some villager, sometimes in deserted houses,
English collectors, and magistrates, and English women,
were running about to save their lives. Some of them
were killed, some died, and some lived under the protection
of kindly "natives!"
In this manner, the whole province of Rohilkhand rose
in a day! In Bareilly, in Shahjahanpur, in Moradabad,
in Budaun, and other district towns, the military, the
police, and the citizens issued Proclamations and deported
the British Power in the space of a few hours! The Eng-
lish power was smashed and the Swadeshi government was
put in its stead; British flags were torn down, and green
flags began to fly in the court-houses and police-stations
and offices. India assumed the role of ruler and England
was put in the prisoner’s dock! This extraordinary trans-
formation took place in a whole province in a few hours!
What wonder that not a drop of Swadeshi blood was shed
in freeing the whole of Rohilkhand? Instead of saying
"Rohilkhand is dependent," all said "Rohilkhand is free,"
and the thing was done! On one day, unanimously,
everywhere and at once, the police, the Sepoys, and citi-
zens rose and drove away the few English officers in the
district towns. No more pains than this were required to
make the province free! A strong organisation of secret
societies, and the swift and clever execution of the plan
proposed, these were the two things which enabled Rohil-
khand to free itself from the English and accept the rule
of Khan Bahadur Khan.
All the Sepoys went away to Delhi to fight under the
leadership of Bakht Khan, the head of the Bareilly artil-
lery above-mentioned. Then, Khan Bahadur Khan
formed a new force to keep order in the province and the
176

ROHILKHAND
capital. Almost all citizens were formed into a militia.
The civil departments were also organised and almost all
the previous holders of offices were confirmed in their
posts. And the chief posts, occupied previously by
Europeans, were now given to Indians. The government
land-tax was assessed in the name of the Emperor of Delhi.
Courts of justice were opened as before and the former
officers were retained. In short, there was no break in
any department or its work on account of the Revolution,
except that, instead of Englishmen, the chief officers were
Indians. Khan Bahadur Khan personally wrote an ac-
count of the doings in his province to the Emperor, and the
following Proclamation was posted throughout Rohilkhand.
“ Residents of Hindusthan ! The long-looked-for festival
of Swaraj has arrived ! Are you going to accept or refuse
it ? Are you going to take advantage of this great op-
portunity or are you going to let it go out of your hands ?
Hindu and Mahomedan Brethren ! Be it known to all of
you that, if these English are permitted to remain in India,
they will butcher all and put an end to your religion !
The residents of Hindusthan have so long been deceived
by Englishmen, and have cut their necks with their own
swords. So, now we must repair this sin of treachery
to our country ! The Englishmen will try, now also, their
old work of deception ; they will try to incite the Hindus to
rise against Mussalmans, and the Mahomedans to rise
against the Hindus. But, Hindu Brethren ! do not fall
into their nets. It is hardly necessary to tell our clever
Hindu brethren that the English never keep their pro-
mises. They are adepts in the art of trickery and deceit-
ful imposture ! They have all along been trying to root
out all other religions on earth but their own ! Have they
not pushed aside the rights of adopted children ? Have
they not swallowed up the countries and kingdoms of our
Kings ! Who took away the kingdom of Nagpur ? Who
took away the kingdom of Lucknow ? Who has trampled
under foot both Hindus and Mahomedans ? Mussulmans,
if you revere the Koran, and Hindus, if you revere the
Published by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 2014.
177
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