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

BEHAR
Patna, the ideals of Swadharma and Swaraj were really
in unison.¹
When the Sikh army came into Patna, Tayler proceeded
to try and nip in the bud the Revolutionary activities in
the province. The conduct of Waris Ali, the police
Jamadar of the Tirhut district, appeared suspicious and
the authorities suddenly surrounded his house and made
him prisoner. This Jamadar in the English service was
just then writing a letter to a Revolutionary leader at
Gaya, called Ali Karim! On the evidence of the Revolu-
tionary correspondence seized in his house, he was, soon
after, sentenced to death. When he was brought to the
scaffold, he shouted, “If there is any real devotee of
Swaraj here, let him liberate me!” But, before his re-
quest could be heard by the devotees, his lifeless body was
hanging from the scaffold!
The Mahomedan leader, Ali Karim, was also ordered to
be arrested and a European detachment was sent for the
task. When Mr. Lowis, the head of the detachment, came
up to Ali Karim, the latter mounted his elephant and an
exciting race began! But, the spectators soon dropped
their impartiality and exceeded the bounds of fair play.
The neighbouring villagers, seeing the Feringhis chasing
a countryman, began to harass the former, misdirected
them on their way, and, at last, even stole one of their
ponies! The English officer “irritated by fatigue and
despair,” left it to his Indian servant to chase the swift
Karim and returned the next day, not having achieved
his task. The servant also, being an English-hater, let
Karim alone and came back to his master with a
sorry face.

1. “As soon as the Sikhs entered the town, a wild Fakir rushed
   forward into the road and, with savage menaces and threatening
   gestures, reviled them as traitors and accursed....”—Patna Crisis
   by Tayler.
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While these arrests were going on in the province, Mr.
Tayler came to know the names of several leaders in the
city and he resolved to surprise them. The Revolutionary
secret meetings used to take place in the house of the
leaders at night and, though Tayler had no definite infor-
mation about the names of the persons who were implicat-
ed in, or the general programme formed, still he had no
doubt about the complicity of three most influential Mul-
lahs of the place. He thought it necessary to arrest them at
once. However, there was the fear that an attempt to
arrest them openly would, perhaps, precipitate the revolt
he wanted to suppress. So, the honest officer struck upon
a new plan. One day, select citizens were hospitably
invited to Mr. Tayler's house to confer with him on im-
portant political matters. When all the guests had arrived,
he came up with the Sikhs ; and when, after some con-
versation, the company were taking leave to depart, Tay-
ler stopped the three Moulvies, who were also among the
guests, and informed them smilingly that, as it was
dangerous to leave them at liberty in the then troublous
times, they were arrested ! However, this act was applaud-
ed everywhere on the pretext that it was for the
good of the English power and all admired Tayler's
energetic action.
After having thus arrested the prominent Revolutionary
leaders without shedding a drop of blood, Tayler decided
to strike at the town of Patna, while it was still confused
at the suddenness of the arrests. He therefore issued an
order to disarm the town and prohibited the people from
leaving their houses after 9 P.M. This order rendered the
nightly meetings of secret societies impossible. The storing
of arms, also, became difficult. So long, the Revolutionary
society at Patna was awaiting the signal to rise from
Danapur. But, when this life-killing procedure began,
they resolved to rise suddenly and boldly. rather than be
crippled by it. On the 3rd of July, Mussalmans began to
crowd towards the house of a leader, Peer Ali by name.
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They entered his house and settled their plans. In a short
time, they came out one by one, with green flags and
shouts of “Din, Bôlô! Din !” About two hundred
Jehadis came out in procession and attacked the church.
Just then, a white man, called Lyall, was seen coming with
some troops, and Peer Ali shot him dead, and his infuriat-
ed followers hacked his body to pieces beyond recognition!
But, Rattray came with his “loyal ” Sikhs and made a
desperate attack on the Revolutionaries. When the Sikhs
thrust their swords in the body of the Mother, when their
bodies became red with her blood, then, the handful of
Revolutionaries were soon broken up by the force of
superior discipline and arms. The English arrested the
Revolutionary leaders one after another, among them be-
ing Peer Ali who had shot Lyall.
Peer Ali was originally a resident of Lucknow but had
lately established himself as a bookseller in Patna. He
had imbibed the ideas of independence by reading the
books which he used to sell. The conditions of dependence
and slavery became unbearable to him. He placed him-
self in communication with the Revolutionaries at Delhi
and Lucknow. He imparted to others his passionate
patriotism. Though he was only a humble bookseller, he
had great influence in the Revolutionary councils of Patna.
He collected together a large number of armed men with
the help of the wealthy members of the secret society and
they were all sworn to rise against the British power at
a given signal. When the English officer at Patna, Mr.
Tayler, began torture and oppression, Peer Ali’s hot nature
could not keep quiet. He was by nature stern, spirited,
and brave. He could not bear to see the tortures of his
countrymen, and therefore he, as he confessed later, “rose
prematurely.” Next, we see Peer Ali sentenced to death,
severely handcuffed, his hands bleeding from his wounds.
He stood before the scaffold, with a heroic smile on his
face, defying the death that was awaiting him. There was
only a slight sob when he took the name of his beloved
Published by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 2014.
319

THE CONFLAGRATION
son. Immediately, the English officer, to take advantage
of his emotion, addressed him these words : “ Peer Ali,
you might even now save your life by disclosing the names
of the other leaders.” Turning calmly to the Feringhi,
he replied in bold and noble words, “ There are some
occasions in life when it is desirable to save one’s life—
but there are some others when it is more desirable to
sacrifice it ! This moment is one of the latter kind, when
to embrace death at once is the means of eternal life !”
Then, describing in plain language the numerous acts of
injustice and oppression committed by the English, the
martyr dying for his people said, “ You might hang me,
you might hang other men like me ; but, you cannot hang
our ideal. If I die, thousands of heroes will rise out of
my blood and will destroy your kingdom.”²
With these prophetic words, this hero, without casting the
shadow of a shame on his country, entered by the door of
death into the circle of patriots of immortal memory !
“Out of my blood will rise thousands of heroes !” These
last words of the noble martyr could not be falsified, were
not falsified ! At the news of his death, the “ most
loyal ” regiment at Danapur rose in revolt on the 25th of
July. In spite of the presence of an English regiment and
English artillery, the three Indian regiments, with their
hands, tore away in disgust the Company’s uniforms and
marched away to the Shon river. On account of the fear
and old age of Major-General Lloyd, the chief officer of
the place, the English army did not dare to pursue the
Sepoys. Though the English major-general was thus
2. The Commissioner Tayler himself says: “Peer Ali himself was
a model of a desperate and determined fanatic. Repulsive in ap-
pearance, with a brutal and sullen countenance, he was calm, self-
possessed, almost dignified in language and demeanour. He is the
type of the class of men whose unconquerable fanaticism renders
them dangerous enemies and whose stern resolution entitles them,
in some respects, to admiration and respect !”
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BEHAR
handicapped by old age, still, in the direction in which the
revolted regiments were marching, there in the palace of
Jagadishpur was an old hero who, in spite of age, had
the spirit of youth in his arms and his sword, and who was
proudly twirling his moustache. It is to his banner that
the Sepoys were hurriedly flocking !
There was almost always one great defect which often nul-
lified the efforts of the freedom-loving Sepoys and people,
and that was the want of capable leaders. In the Shahabad
district, at least, the Jagadishpur palace had removed this
want, and therefore the Sepoys marched thither after cross-
ing the Shon river. For, there the Sepoys could find a
leader befitting the battle of Swaraj. A man of heroic
spirit, of unconquerable valour, and born in a Rajput
family of ancient fame, this leader of the Swaraj war
graced the name of Kumar Singh by wearing it. His
lordship over the extensive Shahabad lands had been esta-
blished by the continuity of ages and the people there felt
a natural love towards his ancient family. Storms of great
empires rose and subsided in the land of Hindusthan from
time to time ; but, through all those cruel vicissitudes, this
province was free under its beneficent Rajput princes and
continuously enjoyed freedom and Swaraj. Through all
the most oppressive seasons of a hundred Revolutions, the
Banyan tree of the dynasty of Kumar Singh had been
bearing all the inclemencies of heat and cold on its sum-
mit, but had never ceased to protect the humble birds that
nestled in its branches. Summer heat might scorch the
top ; winter frost might bite the leaves ; but, the birds
enjoyed the quiet of eternal spring for endless generations.
The dynasty loved the subjects like its own children ; the
subjects worshipped the dynasty as the representative of
God upon earth. But, to the foreign despot, this recipro-
cal loyalty and kindness was a thorn in his side. He
therefore determined to ruin this royal family ! All of a
sudden the chattra of Swaraj was broken and the province
was laid bare ; the tree was struck by the cruel lightning
321
21

THE CONFLAGRATION
and the birds began to flutter about in helpless agony !
And it was with a determination to avenge the wrongs of
his dynasty and his country that the old youth was stand-
ing on the terrace of Jagadishpur palace, twirling his
moustache !
An old youth !—yes, he was an old youth. For, nearly
eighty winters had passed over his head and yet the fire in
his soul was as fierce as ever and the muscle in his arm
was strong. A Kumâr of eighty years and a Singh ! How
could he bear the sight of the spoliation of his country by
the English ! After Dalhousie swallowed the kingdom
of Oudh, the English went about, throughout Hindusthan,
digging up and demolishing all raised places in order to
raze them all to the ground. It was in that campaign
that Kumar Singh's country also fell a victim. Kumar
Singh swore that he would shatter to pieces the English
rule which had ruined his country and Swaraj in this in-
excusable, cruel, and unjust manner ! And he began at
once communications with Nana Sahib.
Commissioner Tayler of Patna had, for long, been receiv-
ing information that Kumar Singh was planning a Revo-
lution, that he had established communications with Revo-
lutionary societies throughout India, and that hundreds
of Sepoys at Patna were secretly in league with him. The
very idea, however, that this old man of eighty would run
to the battle-field, instead of lying down for a peaceful
death, appeared to his mind absolutely impossible. Be-
sides, was not Kumar Singh always writing letters of
loyalty to him ? Still, Tayler who was not an exception
to the usual nobility of heart of Englishmen wrote to
Kumar Singh : " You are very old and your health is
very bad! I feel great anxiety for your company for the
rest of your days. I will feel very much obliged if you
will do me the honour of accepting my hospitality. With
the hope that this invitation will not be rejected,—I am
yours etc., Tayler." In the past Afzul Khan had sent a
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BEHAR
similar invitation to Shivaji ! The astute Rajput at once
understood that the loving invitation of the commissioner
meant only the quiet opening of the prison door ! There-
fore, he wrote back : “ Thanks awfully ! It is true, as
you say, that my health is very bad ; and, therefore it is
that I cannot come to Patna just now. As soon as I
feel better, I will start immediately.” O Kumar Singh !
You are, indeed, uneasy in mind and body! And it is also
true that, when you feel better after shedding Feringhi
blood, you are going to Patna ! But, for what ? That is
a different question.
Just then came the revolted Danapur Sepoys with the
medicine to cure Kumar Singh. “ Why do you wait now,
oh Kumar Singh ! We bind you by the oath of the
Motherland, by the oath of our religion, of your honour !
Throw away the sheath and draw your sword for Swaraj!
You are our king, our leader, our general ! You are an
ornament to the Rajput race ; you ought, at once, to jump
into the battlefield !” Thus cried the Swaraj-loving
Sepoys ; thus advised the holy Brahmin priests ; thus,
also, whispered to him his sword, anxious to smite the
enemy ! ³ Then, the hero of eighty, who was too weak
to go on an elephant to Patna, was suddenly inspired and,
from his sickly bed, he jumped right into the battlefield !
The Sepoys next hurried from Jagadishpur to Arrah, the
chief town of the Shahabad district, looted the treasury,
and destroyed the English prisons, offices, and flags. At
last, they turned to a small fortress. The clever English-
men of the place had stored in that fort arms, ammuni-
tion, and stores of provision in order to defend themselves
in case of a rising. Besides, a detachment of fifty Sikhs
had been sent from Patna to help the handful of English-
men. While these men, about seventy-five in all, lay
3. “The Brahmins have incited him to mutiny and rebellion!”
—Major Eyre’s Official Despatch.
323

THE CONFLAGRATION
waiting in the fort fully prepared, the occasion for which
they were waiting arrived and the Revolutionaries besieg-
ed the place.
While these twenty-five Englishmen and fifty Sikhs were
trying to defend the fort obstinately, the Revolutionaries,
instead of assaulting it, were busy in shutting them com-
pletely on all sides. It is probable that they considered
the place almost in their hands and did not think it worth
while to spend time and men in capturing it by general
assault. They probably thought it more advantageous to
look after the surrounding territory and other English
camps. Partly for this and partly for the fierce artillery
of the besieged, the Sepoys brought up their guns and
began to use them instead of ordering a general assault.
In one or two places, mines were laid and blown up with
dynamite. In a few days, the water-supply in the fort was
exhausted. But the Sikhs were too valiant to bear to see
the miseries of the English. In twenty-four hours, they
dug a new well in the fort ! And, while this work was
going on, they were, at the same time, fighting like
demons. The Europeans would not agree to a conditional
surrender, thinking of the fate of their Cawnpore comrades.
When the Sepoys discovered that there were Sikhs, be-
sides Feringhis, fighting within the fort, they grew wild
with indignation. Because, then it was not alone the
Sepoys that were besieging the English but it was Kumar
Singh besieging the followers of Guru Govind Singh. The
Sikhs were extraordinarily brave but basely treacherous
to their country. Every evening, efforts were made to bring
them round to their duty. The messengers of the Revolu-
tionaries would stand behind pillars and shout out to
them words of advice : "O Sikhs ! What hell do you
look forward to by thus helping the Feringhis ! They who
have destroyed our kingdom, they who are violating our
Mother-country, they who have insulted our religion !
Fighting on their side, what hell do you look forward to ?"
The Revolutionaries would bind them with oaths of reli-
324

BEHAR
gion, of country, of interest, of freedom. They shouted
heart-rending implorations to leave the side of the Feringhi.
They threatened to massacre them if they still persisted
in acting treacherously and helping the foreign despots.
Not only had all this no effect on the Sikhs, but the reply
they would give was a shower of bullets, while the Eng-
lish clapped hands in applause shouting, “ Bhalé! Bhalé!”
(Well done !). Thus, the siege went on for three days.
On the third night, on the 29th, the English force was
suddenly awakened by the noise of distant guns. Their
faces beamed with smiles. Was it not the English army,
coming to kill the Revolutionaries and raise the siege ?
Yes, it was the English army. About two hundred and
seventy Englishmen of the English regiments at Danapur
and about one hundred Sikhs under the valiant Captain
Dunbar had come to the banks of the Shon river to raise
the siege. Never was the English army so jubilant and
hopeful of victory ! The Englishmen and women who
had come to see them off bade farewell to them, all smiles.
The boats sailed smoothly on the Shon and, about seven
in the evening, the army reached the outskirts of Arrah.
The bright orb of the waxing moon, also, marched along
with them to partake of their victory. Oh, Captain Dun-
bar ! Arrange your troops properly while the moon is
shining, for soon it will be dark. In this arrangement, as
usual, the “ loyal Sikhs ” must be put in the front. They
also stepped forward lightly. Where is the black guide
who is to show the way in the thick jungles of Arrah ?
Put him forth, and then, oh victorious warriors ! march
on brandishing your swords in the bright moonlight.
Trees were left behind, the ground was being covered, mile
after mile was being crossed, and even the Arrah bridge
is reached. But, what is this ? Where is the enemy ?
How is this, that not a single Revolutionary has yet fallen?
The cowards have run away ! They have run away at
the bare news that Dunbar is coming ! Even Alexander
did not inspire his enemies with such terror ! Oh Moon!
You have so long waited in cold and wind to witness the
325

THE CONFLAGRATION
raging battle, but you have only seen the cleverness of
the retreat of the Revolutionaries. Go, then ; do not stay
any longer to be disappointed ; draw the curtain of night
over this universe and retire to your resting place ! But,
though the moon went away, you, Dunbar ! do not return!
Here now comes the mango-grove and there is no more
chance of encountering the Pandays. But, oh ! What is
this sound ? May it not be the leaves of the mango-tree
shaking in the wind ? Whiz ! Whiz !! Beware, English-
men ! Beware ! A deluge of bullets from all sides !
Every tree of the mango-grove had as if guns in its
branches, smiting the foreign Feringhis ! Kumar Singh
is come ? The English army is prepared to fight ; but,
with whom ? Not one man on the enemy's side could be
seen ! In the thick mango-grove, in the weird darkness of
the night, in the high and low places, Kumar Singh's
soldiers were hidden and not one could be seen ! Nothing
was visible except the stars in the sky and the trees on
the earth ! And it was not possible to fire at both these
and gain victory ! The wind-god was enraged and sent
red-hot shots from somewhere foaming, into the English
army ! Fire from the left, fire from the right, and fire
in front ! The clothes of the English army were white and
easily distinguishable but Kumar Singh's men were dark,
their clothes were dark, and the night was dark ! If all
the dark circumstances conspired together, how could the
English hold to their feet ? The white Englishmen and the
dark Sikhs, both ran away from the field ! Their com-
mander, Dunbar, was one of the first to be killed. Run-
ning for life, the English army came into a ditch near by.
There they tried to hold on for some time, but, about
early morning, they left behind not only their dead but
their wounded comrades on the field and commenced the
flight to the Shon river, being thirsty, hungry, full of blood,
and black with shame. But it was no easy matter to run
away from Kumar Singh. At every step, blood began to
flow. As a wild boar pierced by lances, dropping on this
side and that through weakness, runs shedding streams of
326

BEHAR
blood on the field—such was the English army when it
came to the Shon river. But here, there was the climax
of destruction. At first, they could not find their boats.
After some time, they found that they had stuck in the
sand. Those that there were not so stuck had been set
fire to by the Pandays ! At last, a couple of boats were
saved. When the white population of Danapur came to
the bank expecting to greet a victorious army singing war-
songs, and bringing with them the rescued men of Arrah,
they did not hear a single shout of joy from the boats. No
flag, no band, not a single face uplifted! All hearts began
to beat in impatience, “ My son, my brother, my husband,
my father left only yesterday for the field in all hopes ;
and to-day—God forbid the thought ! ” Before the prayer
could reach Heaven, the unfortunate troops landed on the
Ghat at Danapur, and soon the terrible news spread like
lightning that, out of four hundred and fifteen men, only
about fifty returned alive safe from the hands of Kumar
Singh ! An Englishman writes, “ He who had heard the
heart-rending cries of those English women will not forget
it to this day ! Some began to beat their breasts, crying
piteously, some shouted hoarsely, and some began to pull
away their hair. If they had seen General Lloyd, the ori-
ginator of this destructive plan, there is not the least doubt
that they would have lynched him ! ”
But while the sky was being rent by the cries of these
women at Danapur, Major Eyre was marching towards
Arrah to revenge the defeat and their sorrow. Though
he had not yet heard of Dunbar’s defeat, he had marched
straight towards Arrah, on hearing that the English there
were besieged. While Kumar Singh’s Sepoys were return-
ing after crushing Dunbar’s army on the 29th and 30th
of July, they got the news that Eyre was advancing to-
wards Arrah. The old commander got together his troops
without losing a moment. He made the arrangements for
fighting after taking advantage of every strategic position
on the route, and gave the last desperate battle on the
327

THE CONFLAGRATION
2nd of August, near the village of Bibiganj. Both armies
endeavoured to take possession of a thick forest near by.
In this race between youth and age, the aged Kumar Singh
arrived first and, thus defeating Eyre's plans, he opened
a terrible fire. Eyre had three excellent guns and he was
continually advancing on the strength of these. Thrice
Kumar Singh's men jumped at the guns. Thrice did they
go almost near the mouth of the fire-spitting guns, but the
English kept their artillery constantly firing. At that
moment, Captain Hastings came up panting to the com-
mander Eyre, and said, “ Eyre, even the English infantry
is being pushed back! Victory has slipped from us!” If
this state had continued for half an hour more, the battle
would have been Kumar Singh's. Now, as anyhow the
victory was going, the English wanted to try a last despe-
rate attack before leaving the field. In this, Eyre
ordered the English force to charge with bayonets. Im-
mediately, the English soldiers rushed like arrows on the
Revolutionaries. It cannot be understood why the Sepoys
who would bravely rush up to the mouths of guns could
not stand a general charge with bayonets, but it is certain
that they did not withstand it. Eyre drove them out of
the thicket and pushed forward, marched up to the fortress
at Arrah, and relieved the Englishmen besieged there. And
the town of Arrah thus fell into English hands again.
The siege of Arrah lasted only for eight days. In these
eight days, the brave Rajput had to maintain the siege as
well as fight two battles. His extraordinary courage,
spirit, and bravery were not matched by the bravery of
his followers, and so, after suffering defeat at Eyre's hands,
Kumar Singh had to retreat to Jagadishpur. But when
he heard that the English army, reinforced by the lately
besieged troops at Arrah, were swelling considerably, he
began to collect together all the available fighting men at
Jagadishpur. The English by this time had seen not a
little of Kumar Singh's activity. Fearing that he might
again march on Arrah, Eyre forestalled him and himself
328

BEHAR
started towards Jagadishpur. Kumar Singh was greatly
handicapped and recognised that it was impossible, with
his disheartened followers, to oppose in open battle the
English army, well-disciplined and victorious, and that,
too, near a capital town. He, therefore, decided to use
guerilla tactics and, after two sharp skirmishes, came out
of Jagadishpur. And Eyre, with the English army, pitch-
ed his tent in Kumar Singh’s palace on the 14th of August!
Though the English destroyed the palace, the Hindu tem-
ples, and other buildings at Jagadishpur, still, the idol of
the temples, the king of the palaces, and the owner of the
buildings, Kumar Singh, was as unconquerable after the
battle as before it. Other kings might be cowed down by
the fall of their capitals, but the king of Jagadishpur was
not of that sort. His motto was, “ Wherever I am, there
is Jagadishpur ! ” So, to hold Jagadishpur without cap-
turing him was only a vain endeavour. Now that his
home was lost—the battlefield itself had become his home.
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CHAPTER IV
DELHI FALLS
WHEN the third chief commander of the
English army before Delhi became hopeless
of taking the town and resigned, Brigadier-
General Wilson replaced him. At that time,
in the camp of the English army maddened
by the attacks of the Revolutionaries, it was seriously dis-
cussed, in despair, whether the siege should be raised. It is
difficult to say what would have been the course of the
Revolution of 1857 if this plan had been resolved upon.
Still, it is clear that this one movement on the part of the
English would have harmed their cause more than many
defeats at the hands of the Revolutionaries. The English
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DELHI FALLS
had a strategic advantage in thus besieging the town of
Delhi, because the Revolutionary army was shut up there
in one place. If that vast host had spread over the pro-
vince instead of being thus bottled up and had harassed
the English after forming small detachments everywhere,
this guerilla warfare would have soon reduced the small
English force to impotence. But Delhi being besieged, the
battlefield was restricted, the English force had not to put
up with an unbearable strain, and the Revolutionaries
were inconveniently huddled up together in one city and
thus were more liable to attack. In these circumstances,
to raise the siege of Delhi was to break the dam and let
the Revolutionary forces inundate the whole country.
Even if Delhi were captured, the Sepoys would no doubt
have spread all around. But there was a vast difference
between driving them out of Delhi, defeated and dejected,
and making them elated by raising the siege and allow-
ing them to fall upon the English. Though the English
commander thoroughly understood this difference, despair,
discouragement, and the fierce onslaughts of the Revolu-
tionaries made him think of raising the siege. At that
moment, the English power in India hung in the balance.
It was, indeed, fortunate for the English that there was,
at this time, a bold and desperately courageous officer
like Baird-Smith in the English camp outside Delhi. When
all other officers were thinking of a retreat, he said with
determination, “We must not release our hold of Delhi
even by an inch ! Our noose, fallen round her neck like
cruel death, must be constant and thorough ! If we raise
the siege of Delhi, the Panjab will be out of hand, India
will be gone, and the Empire ruined forever ! ”
Encouraged by the words of Baird-Smith, Brigadier Wil-
son determined not to turn back without taking Delhi.
The Revolutionaries, on the other hand, sustained the siege
with rare ability and courage. They would make a
sudden sortie, attack either the right or the left wing, kill
as many people as possible, and retreat quickly when the
331

THE CONFLAGRATION
English rose vigorously to repel the attack. When the
English army would have been decoyed near the fort in
pursuit of the Sepoys, the Revolutionary guns would at
once open a tremendous fire. With these tactics, the
Revolutionaries so often deceived the English and killed
so many of their number that Brigadier Wilson had to
issue a special order that on no account was a pursuit
of the Sepoys to be attempted. As the English numbers
began to dwindle by this new ruse of the Revolutionaries,
their commander's eyes were turned towards the expected
siege-train from the Panjab. All means of communication
in North Hindusthan—telegraphs, railways, and posts—
were completely destroyed, and the English army at Delhi
was as much besieged as the Revolutionaries. The Eng-
lish had no adequate knowledge as to what was going on
in the south of Delhi, or as to where the army sent from
Calcutta had arrived, or as to the state of affairs in the
towns of Lucknow, Cawnpore, Benares, and other places.
A month after Sir Hugh Wheeler was killed, the English
army at Delhi got ‘reliable’ information that he was
hastening to come to their help! There was no hope of
getting any reinforcements from Calcutta and the whole
strain fell upon the Panjab. Sir John Lawrence had borne
his burden well and had often sent reinforcements of Eng-
lish as well as Sikh soldiers. This time, too, he did not
refuse the new request for a siege-train and more rein-
forcements but sent two thousand troops under the com-
mand of Nicholson. When the news of the arrival of this
army reached the English camp at Delhi, every face
beamed with joy, hope, and encouragement. The fact
that Nicholson was the commander encouraged them more
than that two thousand soldiers were coming. A leader
like Nicholson is worth thousands of soldiers! In the
dispirited English ranks, everyone would say, “ Now that
Nicholson is coming, there is no doubt about the victory!”
As the acquisition of good leaders removed the doubts as
to victory in the English camp, so the lack of good leaders
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DELHI FALLS
among the Revolutionaries made their defeat more and
more certain. The Emperor, whom they had set upon a
rejuvenated throne, though of praiseworthy qualities of
kindness and mercy fit for times of peace, was quite in-
experienced in war and unequal to military leader-
ship. There was no lack of brave Sepoys at Delhi. Those
who had even surpassed English troops in warfare when
fighting on their side, those who had learnt their drill and
discipline under the English themselves, those whose
swords had extended English rule right up to Afghanistan
—there were fifty thousand of such heroes within the walls
of Delhi. But there was wanted at least one capable head
to command and lead to victory these fifty thousand men.
All honour to these fifty thousand men who fought and
failed. The wonder is that they held on for so long with-
out a capable leader to lead them! Even the old Emperor
whom they had placed on the throne was as anxious to
find a good leader for them as they were themselves. He
tried many experiments, but they did not work. He gave
all the power in the hands of Bakht Khan. He appointed
three generals to manage the army. He then ordered that
a committee of six—three Delhi citizens and three Sepoy
leaders—should together look after all the affairs of the
army. And when this representative council also proved
fruitless, the noble and patriotic Emperor, fearing that,
perhaps, the Revolution was being destroyed on account
of his fault and that capable men were leaving his side on
account of his being at the head, announced publicly that
he was ready to give up all his power and abdicate. Rather
than India come back under the English, rather than
the constantly wheeling vulture of foreign domination tear
the entrails of long-suffering India, rather than India be
always submerged in the mire of slavery, the old Mogul
proclaimed that the rule of any man over Hindusthan
who would give her freedom and Swaraj would be a hun-
dred times more pleasing to him than the continuance
of his own rule. He sent letters written in his own hand
to the Rajas of Jeypore, Jodhpur, Bikaneer, Alwar, etc.
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THE CONFLAGRATION
“ It is my ardent wish to see that the Feringhi is driven
out of Hindusthan by all means and at any cost. It is
my ardent wish that the whole of Hindusthan should be
free. But the Revolutionary War that has been waged
for this purpose cannot be crowned with success unless a
man capable of sustaining the whole burden of the move-
ment, who can organise and concentrate the different forces
of the nation and will unify the whole people in himself,
comes forward to guide this rising. I have no desire left
in me of ruling over India, after the expulsion of the Eng-
lish, to my own personal aggrandisement. If all of you
native Rajas are ready to unsheath your sword to drive
away the enemy, then, I am willing to resign my Imperial
powers and authority in the hands of any confederacy of
the native princes who are chosen to exercise it.”⁴
This is the letter written by the leader of Indian Maho-
medans, the Emperor of Delhi to the Hindu kings in
India ! This unique and typical letter shows how the
noble words—Swatantrya, Swaraj, Swadesh, and Swa-
dharma—were thoroughly understood in Hindusthan.
Seeing the religious instincts of Hindus and Mahomedans
thus completely united together in patriotic harmony,
Charles Ball says, “ Such unexpected, surprising, and ex-
traordinary transformation is rarely to be seen in the
history of the world ! ”
But this extraordinary transformation had been completely
effected only in one province of the vast land of Hindu-
sthan, and the immediate result of the Proclamation was
not a perfect success. Though it is in the main, and in
this sense, true that, before the walls of Delhi, a fight was
going on between freedom and slavery, in another and in
an important sense, we can say that there never was a
true fight there between Indians and Feringhis as such.
The author of the famous work The Siege of Delhi, says,
4. The autograph letter:—Native Narrative by Metcalfe, p. 226.
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DELHI FALLS
"There were four times as many natives as Europeans
in the artillery. For every European horseman there were
two native horsemen. It was not possible to move a step
without the help of the natives." The vigorous life in
one part of the country was killed by the treacherous
activity in other parts. In spite of this, even towards
the end of August, the Revolutionaries gave the English
no opportunity to attack, but always pursued the offensive
and continuously directed attacks on the English camp.
This is not a mean indication of their devotion to the
principle of Swaraj.
While all this heroic devotion on the part of the Revolu-
tionaries was rendered powerless for want of a capable
leader, the camp of the enemy got the advantage of a
commander like Nicholson. Now was to be seen, for the
first time, a shadow of despair in Delhi. The armies of
Neemuch and Bareilly began to accuse each other for the
present state of affairs ; and riotous Sepoys, though regu-
larly paid, clamoured for more pay and threatened to loot
the rich men of the town if their demands were not satis-
fied. Then, at the command of the Emperor, Bakht Khan
assembled together the Sepoy leaders, Sepoys, and pro-
minent citizens and asked them the question, "War or
surrender!" At once, the cry went ringing up to the
sky, "War, war, war!" (Ladhai!) At this display of
enthusiasm there was hope everywhere, and the Revolu-
tionary army, not excepting the Bareilly and Neemuch
Sepoys, marched towards Najafgarh to attack and carry
the English siege-train. After reaching Najafgarh, the
Neemuch army would not encamp where the Bareilly
brigade was encamped; and, instead of preparing to fall
together on the enemy, they disobeyed Bakht Khan's
orders and encamped at a neighbouring village. When
the English heard this news, the new commander, Nichol-
son, took a select and sufficient force and marched in all
haste towards Najafgarh. He suddenly attacked the Nee-
much brigade which had encamped at a distance disobey-
335

THE CONFLAGRATION
ing the orders of Bakht Khan. The Revolutionaries were
lying scattered, unprepared, and unformed—the attack was
cautious and well-ordered and under the command of
Nicholson ! The destruction of the Neemuch sepoys was
complete. They fought ; they fought with great courage;
they fought with such bravery that the enemy applauded
them. But this was vain bravery ! The Revolutionaries
had never suffered such a defeat since the battle of Bundel-
ki-Serai. The whole Neemuch brigade fell this day on
the field ! This was the fruit of self-willed action and
disobedience of the orders of their own elected commander!
Undisciplined bravery is as useless as cowardice !
This victory of the 25th of August removed altogether the
cloud of despair in the English Camp. This was their
only real victory since the month of June. Everyone
was anxious now to assault Delhi. Commander Wilson
gave the order to Baird-Smith to prepare the plan of
the final attack. This Baird-Smith who, by his persist-
ence, had retained the English army at Delhi when it
was thinking of raising the siege, prepared the map as
ordered. The new siege-train from the Panjab also arriv-
ed safely in the English camp. The English commander
sent a message to his troops in the following strain.
" This city of Delhi has baulked the English army and
three generals' military skill for the last three months!
The time has certainly come near when your efforts up
to now will be rewarded by the razing to dust of
that city ! "
After the arrival of reinforcements from the Panjab, the
English army consisted of three thousand and five hun-
dred English soldiers, five thousand Sikhs, Panjabees, etc.,
two thousand and five hundred Kashmiris—altogether
eleven thousand men. Besides, the Raja of Jhind him-
self was there, with hundreds of his men to assist in the
fall of Delhi. In the first half of September, the English
commander assumed the offensive and began to construct
336