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

THE CONFLAGRATION
troops and feudatories had joined Sir Colin ; so also in
the south, Sir Huge Rose had on his side the help of the
princes of Hyderabad, Bhopal, and other states. He had,
in addition, got the valuable assistance of the troops of
Madras and Bombay and the Hyderabad contingent. To
mention specially that the Indian troops had joined Sir
Hugh Rose is unnecessary. For, to mention that Sir Hugh
Rose was successful would imply the first proposition.
For the English to obtain a victory, of themselves, is as
impossible as the most impossible thing in the world. The
traitorous Indian troops thus collected together for con-
quering the southern parts were divided into two divisions.
One was under the command of Brigadier Whitlock who
was to start from Jubbulpore and, subduing the provinces
on the way, was eventually to join Sir Hugh Rose. The
other was under Sir Huge Rose himself. As soon as
Whitlock started from Jubbulpore, Sir Hugh was also to
start from Mhow ; he was to advance through Jhansi on
Kalpi. According to the plan of campaign, Sir Huge
started from Mhow on the 6th of January 1858 and, after
a fight, he captured the fort of Raigarh. From thence, he
advanced to Sagar, released the prisoners kept there by
the Revolutionaries, advanced further south, reducing
various positions of the enemy on the way, captured Bana-
pur on the 10th of March, and reconquered the famous
fort of Chanderi. On the 20th of March, the triumphant
English army encamped about fourteen miles from Jhansi.
By these many struggles, bands of Revolutionaries dis-
tributed all over the country from the banks of the Nar-
bada upwards, now crowded into Jhansi ; and that is
why Sir Hugh advanced. with great dispatch on Jhansi
to reduce this stronghold of the Revolutionaries. But
Lord Canning and Sir Colin both issued orders to Sir
Hugh first to relieve the Raja of Charkhari who was being
besieged by Tatia. This order, if he obeyed it, would
have spoiled Sir Hugh's plan of reducing Jhansi. What
was he to do ? He could neither disobey nor find his way
to obey the orders. As, in these trying circumstances,
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RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
the best interests of the British government lay in advanc-
ing on Jhansi, Sir Robert Hamilton took upon himself
the whole responsibility of disobeying the orders of the
two highest authorities in Hindusthan ; and the British
army, emboldened by a high national feeling, advanced
towards Jhansi, hopeful of victory. But the English army
suffered enormously as soon as they set foot on the soil
of Jhansi. For they found, to their great surprise, that all
the tract of land surrounding Jhansi had been laid waste
by order of the Queen in order that the enemy should have
no supplies of any sort. Not a blade of corn in the fields,
not a vestige of grass on the meadows, not a tree which
could afford shelter; So had William of Orange, when there
appeared to be a possibility of the Netherlands falling into
the hands of the Spanish tyrant and invader, ordered that
the dykes be opened and the sea let in, rather than that
the country should fall in the hands of the enemy. And
this day Jhansi had adopted a similar course.
The same terrible thunder is in her voice ; her eyes are
spouting forth the red flames of anger ! Mardan Singh,
Raja of Banapur, the enraged chief of Shahagarh, the
brave Thakurs, with their lives in their hands, Sirdars of
Bundelkhand, resolute as ever, with their many followers
—all these hot incendiary elements in the interior of
Jhansi are burning and flame-red. The flames leap up
even as the Jaripatka ; and look, the central figure of the
whole fight is there, shining above all ! Aye, she is the
central idea, the flashing impersonation of Swaraj ! She is
the inspiration, she is the incarnation of Liberty !
In spite of the barrenness of the country around, the
English approached Jhansi. For, thanks to the loyalty
of the Scindia and the Raja of Tehri, the force was
throughout the operations abundantly supplied with grass,
firewood, and vegetables.² As the Scindia and the Raja
2. Malleson's Indian Mutiny, Vol. V, page 110.
463

THE CONFLAGRATION
of Tehri are helping the Feringhis, surrounded as you are
by treachery and disloyalty, betrayed by relations as by
strangers, you have not the slightest hope of success. Why
not then avoid extinction by surrendering to the English ?
But, surrender ? And for the Ranee of Jhansi ? Dewan
Lakshman Rao, Moro Punt Tambe, brave Thakurs and
Sirdars, all heroes of Liberty, if you surrender, you will be
saved ; if you fight, you will die. Which will you choose ?
Jhansi answered from her thousand mouths, sternly, in
the words of the Scripture, “ As everyone who is born
must die, why sully fair fame uselessly ? ”
So, it was determined to give battle to the English for
the honour of the country. And Jhansi was busy by
night and by day preparing for the fight. Brave men,
there were many in her army ; but trained men, there
were very few. Want of discipline was very apparent.
The queen herself, however, led the whole army. On
every rampart and every gate, she was moving about
actively ; she was standing where guns were being planted
and moved into position ; she was busy selecting clever
gunners ; and she was to be found everywhere inspiring
heroism even in the coldest hearts. The learned Brahmins
of Jhansi were praying for the success of the country. Its
temples blessed the soldier who went to the field, and
tended the wounded who returned from battle ; its work-
men were busy preparing ammunition and other neces-
saries for war. The men of Jhansi manned their guns,
loaded the muskets ; its women carried ammunition, built
Top Khanas, supplied provisions.³ When the night of
the 23rd fell, sounds of battle-drums were heard through-
out the town and lighted torches shone forth at frequent
intervals from the fort. The guards fired a few shots too.
The morning of the 24th approached. No more delay
3. “The women were seen working in the batteries and carry-
ing ammunition, etc.”—Sir Hugh Rose.
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RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
now! The Ghanagarj (thunder-clap) gun began its
work. The noise made by that gun was terrific.
We shall quote an eye witness's account of the early stages
of the siege.
"From the 25th, the engagement began in right earnest.
The enemy poured in a heavy fire all day and night. In
the night came cannon-balls on the fort and the city.
The sight was terrible to see. A cannon-ball of fifty or
sixty pounds weight would look as small as a tennis ball
but red like live charcoal. During the day one could
not see these balls clearly for daylight, but in the night,
they were clearly visible and gave a weird appearance to
the night. On the 26th, at midday, the English silenced
the guns on the southern gate, and not a man could make
a stand there. All men in the field were nearly dishearten-
ed at this. Then, the gunner on the western gate moved
the gun round and fired at the enemy; the third shot
killed the best gunner in the English army, and the Eng-
lish gun was silenced, in its turn. At this, the Bai Sahib
was very pleased and presented the gunner with a silver
anklet. The name of the brave gunner was Gulam Ghose
Khan. He had displayed similar skill in the engagement
with Nathe Khan also.
"On the fifth or the sixth day, the same sort of engage-
ment took place. For four or five hours, the Bai's guns
were working wonders and the English lost heavily. Many
of their guns, too, were silenced for some time. Then
again, the English guns would be more vigorous, and the
Jhansi troops would be disheartened and their guns silenc-
ed. On the seventh day, at sunset, the gun to the left
was disabled. None could stand there. The battlement
was destroyed owing to the enemy's fire. But in the
night, eleven masons were brought under cover of blankets
to the walls of the fort, and the work was completed
before the day dawned. Thus, the battlement was re-
465
30

THE CONFLAGRATION
paired, and the English, to their great surprise, found the
Jhansi gun in working order. At this time, the English
were careless. They suffered considerably and their guns
were disabled for quite a long time.
“ On the morning of the eighth day, the English army went
for Shankar Killa. The English had very expensive and
modern telescopes and, with their aid, they began to pour
a heavy fire on the reservoir of water within the fort.
Of the six or seven who approached near for taking water,
four were killed ; the others ran leaving their vessels there.
As they could not get water for nearly four hours, even
baths and other ordinary functions could not be carried
on. Now, the gunners on the western and southern gates
stopped the guns of the English attacking the Shankar
Killa, by a continued fire on them. Then it became pos-
sible to get water from the reservoir for bath and dinner.
There was a powder factory in the tamarind grove. As
soon as two maunds of powder was prepared, it was taken
to the sellers to be stocked. A cannon-ball fell on the
factory, and thirty men and eight women were killed.
On the same day, there was a great turmoil. There was
a terrible fight. The fighters were shouting loudly. There
was a terrific noise from muskets, and guns firing heavily.
Trumpets and bugles were sounding everywhere. Dust
and smoke filled the air. Many gunners on the ramparts
and a number of Sepoys were killed. Others were ap-
pointed in their place. The Bai Sahib was working very
hard. She looked to everything, issued the necessary
orders, and repaired every point of weakness. By this,
the men in the army were very much encouraged and
fought continually. On account of this determined resist-
ance, the English, in spite of all their powder and ammu-
nition, could not enter the fort till the 31st of March.”⁴
But pressed as she is by this constant succession of dis-
4. D. B. Parasnis's Life of Lakshmi Bai, pages 187-193.
466

RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
asters, why is Queen Lakshmi looking so earnestly in that
particular direction ? And see, she is smiling too ! Be
ready now and fire your salutes ; let triumphal drums beat
loudly ; let war-cries rend the air ! For there is Tatia
Topé advancing with his army to aid Jhansi !
Tatia Topé has come with his army to dishearten the
English army and to give courage to Jhansi. After the
defeat of Wyndham at Cawnpore and Sir Colin's victory,
Tatia crossed the Ganges and joined Shrimant Nana.
Then, leaving Nana, he crossed the Jumna near Kalpi.
As the Raja of Charkhari refused to help in the war for
the country started by the Peshwa, Tatia, as representa-
tive of the Peshwa, attacked his capital, punished the
traitor well, captured twenty-four of his guns, and took
from him a contribution of three lacs of Rupees. And
then Tatia turned towards Kalpi. There, he received a
letter from Ranee Lakshmi Bai requesting him to come to
Jhansi and relieve the siege. He sent the note to the
Rao Sahib Peshwa, the chief in authority ; and, as soon
as he got the orders, he charged the rear of the English
army. It is on seeing him that a smile of hope has come
to the lips of Lakshmi. These two had played together as
children in the palace at Brahmavarta, without anyone
noticing them particularly. To-day they are playing on
the battle-field ; the one, on the fortifications of Jhansi,
is standing amidst rings of flaming fire, the other is ap-
proaching close to the Betwa, with his twenty-two thou-
sand troops. While playing as children, people hardly
noticed them ; to-day, the whole world is looking on
their game !
Tatia had under him, now, the largest number of troops
he ever had, and hence the English were not a little dis-
concerted. They would have been completely so in the
battle too, handful as they were. For, in front of them
was the Ranee Lakshmi Bai ; behind them was this Mah-
ratta tiger, with his twenty-two thousand claws. Why
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THE CONFLAGRATION
should he not, then, tear Sir Hugh to pieces and eat him
up ? He advanced to do this, but his twenty-two thou-
sand claws seemed all of a sudden disabled, they could
hardly be lifted. And what could even a tiger do without
his claws ? Alas ! A most shameful poltroonish
cowardice was exhibited by the Revolutionary troops on
the river Betwa. The army of Jhansi was to attack the
rear, and Tatia was to attack the front ; the plan was
admirable. But the English, with the dash of despair,
advanced on Tatia and opened fire on Jhansi. This nulli-
fied the two attacks of the aggressive party. One deter-
mined attack, like that of the Mawalas of Shivaji or the
select band of Kumar, and vultures had fed upon the
Union Jack and its followers. But, the English charged
straight on the enemy. The cowards did not even offer
fight, and—was it treachery or terror —not a cannon-
shot from Jhansi was heard. So, the army and its com-
mander were routed and ran away. Plentiful military
supplies were captured by the English, Tatia's guns fell
into their hands, and one thousand and five hundred of
the Revolutionaries were killed in the pursuit. Fifteen
hundred people killed in the flight ! Mad men and fools!
Instead of dying the death of cowards while fleeing, if
you had only attacked Sir Hugh Rose, you would have
died the death of the Ghazis of Bareilly, you would have
destroyed the whole army with Sir Hugh Rose, and your
name would have lived for ever ! Yet God forgive you !
If not our respect, you deserve at least our sympathy. For,
howsoever you died, you died for the liberty of your coun-
try ! May my country learn from your death at least the
lesson that soldiers who. fly to live, die, and that those
who fight to die, live !
And for death was Ranee Lakshmi Bai fighting ! Why,
then, this hopelessness on the part of Sirdars, Thakurs,
and Sepoys ? For nine days and nine nights, you stood
the deadly charge of gun-fire in the hope that Tatia Topé
would soon come to your aid. When he came, you shout-
468

RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
ed for delight ; by the defeat of Tatia on the 1st of April,
not only that joy but the very hope of victory is dashed
to pieces ; and those supplies, to deprive the enemy of
which thousands of lives had been sacrificed, have fallen
with ease into the enemy's hands. Tatia's ammunition
and guns also have fallen into their hands. All this is
certainly true. But, why this despair ? The enemy may
render it impossible for you to live victorious, but he
cannot deprive you of a death of glory. There is nothing
to despair for, then ! And stop, hear the steady, firm,
courageous voice of Ranee Lakshmi.
" It was not relying on the Peshwa that Jhansi fought so
long nor does she require his help to continue her fight
in the future. So far, your self-respect, your daring, your
determination, and your bravery have been exhibited by
you most admirably. I urge to do the same now and to
fight with courage and desperation."
Aye, fight with desperation, be ready, let the battle-drums
beat, and the trumpets sound ! Let war-cries rend the
air and let big guns thunder forth ! The 3rd of April
has dawned and the last assault of the English on Jhansi
has begun. They are coming from all sides and pressing
hard. Start, then, in right, good, deadly earnest ! See
how the goddess of war has taken the sword and see how
she is making her way through the troops. She is mov-
ing about with lightning rapidity, presenting some with
golden bracelets, some with dresses ; some she is touching
with her sacred touch to pat, to some she is offering her
sweet smile ; others she is encouraging with her heroic
words. So now ! Gulam Ghose Khan and Kuar Khuda
Bhaksh, let the fire be most deadly ! The enemy is storm-
ing the main gate and the fortifications, ladders have been
planted at eight different places. "Har, Har, Mahadev!"
From the fort, from ramparts, and from houses came a
perfect shower of bullets, a constant succession of shots.
The deep-mouthed cannon are vomiting forth burning red-
469

THE CONFLAGRATION
hot balls. "Mâro Feringhiko!" Lieutenant Dick and
Lieutenant Meiklejohn have mounted the ladders and are
calling upon their men to follow them. Boom, boom!
Instantly, the daring Englishmen fell in the jaws of death!
Anyone coming behind? Lieutenant Bonus and heroic
Lieutenant Fox, you seem anxious for death—your desire
shall be accomplished;--die, then! Seeing these four
heroes who had scaled with the greatest difficulty shot
down, the ladders trembled. They swayed and broke
under the weight of the English troops. The English
sounded the bugle to retire; the army began to go back—
it went back, the soldiers concealing themselves behind
every stray stone! ⁵
A strong defence was thus offered at the principal gate.
But who is giving forth that tragic wail near the southern
ramparts? May it be that mean treachery has lost the
Morcha gate? Yes, unfortunately yes; the English have
captured the gate, with the aid of treachery—so it is said
—and they have mounted the ramparts, and are advanc-
ing rapidly on. There was no other thought that day but
to kill or be killed! Once within the city, the English
gave no quarter and streams of blood flowed freely. The
English, taking one position after another, massacring,
firing, destroying—came right up to the palace. As soon
as the palace was forced, thousands of Rupees were
5. "No sooner did we turn into the road leading towards the
gate, than the enemy's bugle sounded, and a fire of indescribable
fierceness opened upon us from the whole line of the walls and from
the tower of the fort overlooking this site. For a time it appeared
like a sheet of fire, out of which burst a store of bullets, round
shots, and rockets destined for our annihilation....But the fire
of the enemy waxed stronger, and amidst the chaos of sounds, of
volleys of musketry and roaring of cannon, hissing and bursting
rockets, stink-pots, infernal machines, huge stones, blocks of wood,
and trees, all hurled upon our heads, it seemed as though Pluto
and the Furies had been loosened upon us, carrying death amongst
us fast. At this instant a bugle sounded on our right for the Euro-
peans to retire."—Lowe's Central India, page 254.
470

RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
looted, guards were massacred, and buildings were
destroyed. At last, alas ! Jhansi had fallen into the
enemy’s hands !
Standing on the ramparts, the Ranee looked back for one
moment at Jhansi. Before her rose the hideous picture
of the terrible disaster that had happened near the south
gate. The enemy had, after all, defiled her Jhansi ! Her
eyes were ablaze with anger ; she was almost mad with
rage. She took up her sword and, with her small force
of a thousand or fifteen hundred men, she marched down
the fort. The tigress to avenge her cubs runs not so
fleetingly. As soon as she saw the white troops near the
southern gate, she rushed for them, and then, “ swords
crossed, the two armies were mixed up before you could
count even fifty ; swords flourished and dealt hard blows.
Many Englishmen were killed. The rest ran towards the
town and began to fire shots from under cover ! ” By
this sight of Feringhi blood, the anger of this Kali was
a little appeased, and now she saw that it was foolhardy
to fight alone so far from the fort. But echoes of such
daring heroism were now to be heard in every street in
the city. Fifty stablemen in the palace, while the whole
town and the palace itself was bathed in blood shed by
English swords, refused to give up the stables ! “ Sur-
render ” was a word not to be found in their dictionary.
Everyone of these men cut down the enemy as hard as
he could, and it was only when everyone of them was
killed that the pâgâ fell into the enemy’s hands ! The
English had, by now, rendered the whole town desolate.
Everyone who fell into their hands, from children of five
to old men of eighty, were massacred ; the whole city
was set fire to ; wailings from the wounded and the dying,
and the cries of those who killed, filled the air. A huge
wail rose from the whole town !
When the Queen stood on the walls of the fortress (which
the enemy had decided to storm only the next day on
471

THE CONFLAGRATION
account of its strength), looking at this sad, sad picture,
she was smitten with grief and tears started to her eyes !
The Queen of Jhansi wept ! Those beautiful eyes were
red with weeping ! Her Jhansi to be reduced to this !
Then she looked up and saw the flag of the Feringhi fly-
ing over the walls of Jhansi, and a strange fire shone from
those weeping eyes ! All glory to her courage ! But why
is this messenger running hard towards her ? He said,
“ Your Majesty, the pre-eminently brave Sirdar who
guarded the chief gate of the fort, Sirdar Kuar Khuda
Buksh, and Gulam Ghose Khan, the chief gunner of the
artillery, have both been shot down by the English ! ”
What a blow this to the already afflicted Queen ! What
a succession of disasters this ! What is your next plan,
then, Queen ? Aye, one and one alone ! She said to the
messenger, who was no other than an old Sirdar, “ I have
determined to blow myself up with the fort, setting fire
to the ammunition with my own hands.” With her
Jaripatka she must be—if not on the throne, at least on
the pyre !
Hearing this, the old Sirdar calmly replied, “ Your
Majesty, as it is not safe to be in this neighbourhood now,
your Majesty should leave the fort to-night breaking
through the enemy’s camp, and should join the Peshwa’s
forces. If death comes on the way, the conquest of heaven
by a dip in the sacred waters of the battle-field is always at
hand ! ” Lakshmi said, “I should choose to die on the
battle-field, but, being a woman, I fear that the enemy
might insult my person ! ” To this the whole Durbar
answered with one voice : “ Insult ! So long as there is
life in the body of the least among us, our sword shall
cut to pieces the enemy who would dare so much as touch
your sacred person ! ”
Well then, the night had fallen ; Lakshmi greeted all her
dear subjects and gave them her blessings for the last
time ! Her subjects were full of tears at the thought that
472

RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
she was leaving Jhansi, perhaps for ever. She took a
select number of horsemen with her. An elephant with
jewels on him was placed in the middle and Ranee
Lakshmi descended the fort amidst cries of “ Har, Har,
Mahadev ! ” She put on male apparel ; a steel armour
covered her person, a Jammia was in her girdle ; a fine
sword hung from her belt, a silver cup was in her Pudder,
and her adopted child Damodar was on her back, tied in
a silk Dhoti. Thus accoutred, riding on a noble white
steed, this queen, Lakshmi, looked like the goddess of
war. When the north gate came, the sentry who belonged
to the traitor army of the Tehri State asked, “ Who goes
there ? ” “ The army of Tehri is going to the aid of Sir
Hugh Rose,” was the answer. The sentry was satisfied
and the Ranee advanced, evading the English sentry too
in a similar manner. One maid, one bargeer, and ten or
fifteen horsemen formed her body-guard, and marched
through the camp of the enemy. But her other horsemen
were stopped by the English on suspicion and had to
fight hard. Moro Punt Tambe, wounded though he was,
was able to run as far as Datia. But the traitor Dewan
of that State captured him and gave him over to the
English, who later on hanged him.
But, Lakshmi, put your horse now in a gallop. For
Lieutenant Bowker is galloping behind, followed by select
horsemen, in order to capture you. And you, O horse,
fortunate on account of the sacred treasure you carry,
gallop on ! Let the men of Bharata be traitors, but, ye
animals, ye at least be faithful ! O Night, drop the cur-
tain of darkness between Queen Lakshmi and her enemies!
O horse, fleeting as you are, quicker than the wind,
balance Lakshmi lightly ! Ye paths, do not obstruct the
horse’s onward march ! O ye stars, shine not for the
enemy, but just shine so that this tender beauty, delicate
as a flower, should be encouraged on the way by your
rays, cool as nectar ! The dawn has now broken ; so,
heroic Queen, flying all night on the wings of the wind,
473

THE CONFLAGRATION
rest thee near the village of Bhandeir. The Mahalkuree
of the village will feed your darling Damodar.
As soon as breakfast was over, she again started on her
journey on the Kalpi road. But what is this dust behind?
Spur your horses on ! Lakshmi, keep Damodar safe on
the back and gallop on. Take out your sword ! There,
Bowker is pressing close ! Here is the reward for your
wicked pursuit ! Dare you hold back the lightning ? A
long sweep of her sword, and Bowker was violently thrown
off his horse. A deadly fight took place between her
fifteen or twenty horsemen and the English pursuers ;
those who were alive advanced forward to protect
Lakshmi Bai. Wounded Bowker and his handful of men
gave up the pursuit. The sword of the Mother advanced
triumphant, shining. The sun in the heaven above, Ranee
Lakshmi Bai on earth—both were marching forward.
Morning was gone and mid-day came, but the Ranee did
not stop. Afternoon came, the shades of evening began
to fall, the sun went down the horizon—but the Ranee
still would not stop. The stars rose. They saw her just
as they had seen her the night before—marching, march-
ing in hot haste. At last, at midnight, Ranee Lakshmi
entered Kalpi. A ride of a hundred and two miles she
accomplished, and that, fighting with Lieutenant Bowker
and his soldiers and with the burden of a child on her
back. That horse just lived, it so seemed, to carry her
to Kalpi. For, as soon as he saw the rider safe in Kalpi,
he fell down on the ground all in a heap. Six men were
immediately ordered to attend to the horse. The Ranee
loved the horse very much. A horse which carried safe
such a person with such faithfulness deserves to be re-
membered, and his memory will be loved for all time.
The Ranee slept till dawn. In the morning, the touching
meeting between the Ranee and Shri Rao Sahib Peshwa
took place. Both remembered their ancestors—the
thought that they were descended from those who had
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RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
done such seemingly impossible deeds inspired them both.
They realised that the flag of the Mahratta empire waved
as far as Attock because men like the Scindia and the
Holkar, the Gaekwar and Bundela and Patwardhan were
ready to give up their lives for Swaraj. And for that
very flag, for that very Swaraj for which their fathers
and grandfathers had bled, they resolved to continue un-
interrupted, to the very last breath of their lives, the war
already begun against those who attempted to enslave
their motherland.
So, they resolved to carry on the war as vigorously as ever.
And again did Lakshmi Bai and the brave Tatia Topé
begin to make preparations for the coming deadly fight.
While these arrangements are going on there, we shall
take a rapid glance at the activities of Brigadier Whit-
lock whom we had left sometime back. To reconquer the
tract between the Narbada and the Ganges and the Jum-
na, two armies had started and, of these, the one under
Sir Hugh Rose, as we had already seen, had taken Jhansi.
When Jhansi was taken, the British indulged in a whole-
sale looting such as Nadir Shah alone had accomplished
before, defiling of temples and polluting of images, and
massacring terribly all alike. That finished, the army
continued the campaign. The last part of the campaign
had been appointed for Brigadier Whitlock to accomplish.
Accordingly, Brigadier Whitlock started on the 17th of
February from Jubbulpore, with all his army—European
regiments, Indian regiments from Madras, “ black ” and
white cavalry, and splendid artillery. He entered Sagar
in triumph, where the loyal Raja of Oorcha joined him.
Then, the English army began to advance on the Nabob
of Banda, the chief leader of the Revolutionaries in that
province. In the beginning of the Revolution at Jhansi,
Sagar, and other places, cruel massacres had taken place
and the Europeans from those places ran wherever they
could to save their lives. The Nabob had brought them
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THE CONFLAGRATION
to his palace and was looking after them well. But, at
the same time, he was as busy in trying to throw off the
British yoke already tottering through the shocks of the
Revolution as he was in saving the lives of these English-
men. From the very beginning, the symbols of slavery
in his kingdom had been smashed and he was ruling as
an independent prince. Seeing the English army coming
to deprive him of his liberty, the Nabob, urged and aided
by the whole populace, was ready for battle. Several
engagements took place between the two parties, but,
being defeated in them, the Nabob started for Kalpi with
his army, and Whitlock entered Banda in triumph on the
19th of April. The next march was to be on the Rao
of Kirwi.
Rao Madhav Rao of Kirwi was a child of ten and his
guardianship was in the hands of the English. The Rao
of Kirwi was a near relation of Baji Rao Peshwa. In
1827, Anant Rao, the then ruler of Kirwi, deposited two
lakhs of Rupees with the English Government for some
charities in connection with the temples of Benares. As
soon as he died, the English swallowed the whole amount.
More than that, they took unlawful possession of a fur-
ther sum of several lakhs of Rupees foolishly deposited
with them by Anant Rao's son, Vinayak Rao, in spite
of the lesson he had already received. This was soon
after Vinayak Rao's death. Rao Madhav, the adopted
son of Vinayak Rao, being a minor, as the supervision
of the whole state was in the hands of the English, and
Ramachandra Rao, the chief Karbhari, had been appoint-
ed by the English, there was every reason to suppose that
there would not be much fear of revolt in the Kirwi State.
But, in 1857, whatever the Raos and Maharaos did was
not quietly acquiesced in by the people. Sometimes
obscurely and sometimes clearly, the power of the people,
the strength of the real nation, was slowly struggling into
prominence. The Zemindars, the priests, the merchants
of Kirwi, nay, even the common people, inspired by the
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RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
strong ideal of liberty, hailed with joy the news which
one day proclaimed Delhi free and the next day Lucknow
and the third that Jhansi had uprooted the flags of the
Feringhi. Encouraged by these hopeful incidents, they
proclaimed the independence of Kirwi and the destruction
of the alien yoke, not waiting for the opinion of the Rao
or the sanction of his ministers. Now, while this procla-
mation was being loudly celebrated by the populace, the
Rao, a boy of nine or ten, had not done even a single
thing against the English! Nay, when the English army
returned to Bundelkhand, he went forward to receive
them and invited them into the city. According to his
invitation, the English army entered the city silently, but
they entered to imprison this little Rao, to destroy his
capital and to pull down his palace! Dreadful looting,⁶
wholesale burning, and a vengeance of wickedness took
place. And the State was annexed.
Whitlock now encamped at Mahoba, in order to ‘pacify’
the conquered provinces. As a matter of fact, he had now
completed his campaign. He had conquered all the
eastern part of Bundelkhand and he had sent small ex-
peditions to ‘pacify’ one or two places. So now, leaving
Whitlock, let us again follow the sacred steps of the
gallant Queen of Jhansi.
The Ranee, now again full of hope, made an advance on
Kunchgaon, forty-two miles from Kalpi, with the army
of the Peshwa. But the Rao Sahib, it would appear, had
6. “With regard to this injustice done to Rao, Malleson has
to confess: “Not a shot had been fired against him (Whitlock),
but he resolved nevertheless to treat the young Rao as though he
had actually opposed the British forces. The reason for this per-
version of honest dealing lay in the fact that in the palace of Kirwi
was stored the wherewithal to compensate soldiers for many a hard
fight and many a broiling sun. In its vaults and strong rooms
were specie, jewels, and diamonds of priceless value....The wealth
was coveted.”—Kaye and Malleson’s Indian Mutiny, Vol. V, pages
140, 141.
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THE CONFLAGRATION
not arranged the forces as she would have liked him to.
It must be borne in mind, however, that it was not possi-
ble to make effective arrangements, either for Rao Sahib
or Tatia Tope. Though in that place, the Nabob of
Banda, the Raja of Shahgarh, and the Raja of Banapur
had all gathered together under the same flag, they had
not gathered together as the organised and disciplined
parts of a grand military force, moved by oneness of
heart, with a unity of plan and constitution, sustained by
strict military discipline and subordination. No one
could get his ideas carried out. But, in the opposing
army, there was no such conflict amongst leaders. It
seemed that the whole organisation was perfect and well-
controlled. Before Sir Hugh Rose was appointed com-
mander, there was heated discussion and difference of
opinion ; but, once he was the commander, his opinion
was the opinion of all. Whatever orders he issued were
right ; and, even if they were not right, they must be
obeyed. And even mistaken orders of a weak general
carried out by the obedient and unanimous bravery of
the troops under him, become successful—are bound to
become successful. On the other hand, even well-planned
orders of a capable general lead to disaster and defeat,
through the self-willed behaviour of the troops and the
lack of oneness in command and proper subordination.
Otherwise the rout at Kunchgaon could never have taken
place. As soon as Sir Hugh Rose came from Jhansi, the
Revolutionaries met him at Kunchgaon. Knowing that
the mid-day sun was unbearable to the English, the Re-
volutionaries had ordered in one of their commands,
" None should engage in a fight with the Feringhis before
ten in the morning. The fight should begin always after
ten." This very clever rule was put into practice this
day. Much havoc was thereby created in the English
army as happened on many other occasions where the
fight took place after ten. But, in spite of this, the Revo-
lutionaries were defeated at Kunchgaon and retired to-
Published by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 2014.
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RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
wards Kalpi. The admirable way in which they retired,
the organised manner in which they fell back has been
praised very much even by the enemy.⁷ But then this
excellent organisation came after and not before the
engagement. With this defeat, the Revolutionaries came
on to Kalpi. There, they began to make up for the defeat
by wrangling against and abusing one another,—the
infantry laid the defeat at the door of the cavalry, the
cavalry blamed the Jhansi troops, and all together blamed
the general, Tatia.
But, Tatia Topé is not going to come any more to Kalpi
to hear these wranglings. He has gone at present to the
village of Charkhi, near Jalwan, to see his father. No
one knows definitely where he is going after that, or
whether he is going there at all. Let us remember that
Gwalior lies in the direction of his road ! May the meet-
ing between this extraordinary son and his fortunate father
be full of love ! And after that loving visit, may this
great messenger of the Revolution go with despatch to
carry out whatever designs he might have set his heart on!
While Tatia was going on this journey, Ranee Lakshmi
went to the royal tent of the Peshwa. The heroic
Lakshmi relieved him of his dejection after the defeat of
Kunchgaon and said to him that, if the army was pro-
7. "Then was witnessed action on the part of the rebels which
impelled admiration from their enemies. The manner in which
they conducted their retreat could not be surpassed. They re-
membered the lessons which the European officers had well taught
them. There was no hurry, no disorder, no rushing to the rear.
All was orderly as on a field-day. Though their line of skirmishers
was two miles in length, it never wavered in a single point. The
men fired, then ran behind the relieving men, and loaded. The
relieving men then fired, and ran back in their turn. They even
attempted, when they thought the pursuit was too rash, to take
up a position, so as to bring on it an enfilading fire."—Malleson's
Indian Mutiny, Vol. V, page 124. This praise by the enemy does
credit to the Panday party.
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THE CONFLAGRATION
perly organised, the enemy should never again be vic-
torious. The Nabob of Banda was inspired by her speech.
Proclamations in spirited language were again published
in the Revolutionary army. And to-day, on the banks
of the Jumna, crowds are gathering. Swords and guns,
angry Sepoys invoking the Jumna to bless the cause of
the independence of their soil—such a Revolutionary
pilgrimage the banks of the Jumna had probably never
before seen. These banks are simply echoing forth the
triumphant cries for the Mother and for Dharma ! “ Jai
Jumna ! With this thy sacred water in our hands, we
swear that the Feringhis shall be extinct, that Swadesh
shall be independent, and that Swadharma shall be re-
established ! Jai Jumna ! If all this is accomplished,
then alone we will live. If not, we will die this day on
the field of battle. We swear, by thee, O Kalindi,
three times ! ”
Heroes, thrice bound by this oath, come on then to the
field. Rao Sahib will lead the whole army. Drive away
this 25th infantry under Sir Hugh Rose. They are all
Indians—drive these traitors before you ! Major Orr
advances—make him share the same defeat ! In this
maidan before Kalpi, our position—with this undulatory
part to cover—is almost impregnable. But look, the
vanguard, is falling back ! It went too far, and being
not well covered, has had to retreat. Run then, Lakshmi,
run to protect them. She rushed forward sword in her
hand with lightning-like rapidity, and fell on the right
wing of the English, with her red-uniformed cavalry.
The triumphant right stopped dead, so sudden was the
attack ; stopped dead, and then retired back helpless.
This rapid onslaught of the girl of twenty-one, her horse
at full speed, her sword cutting men down to the right
and to the left,—seeing this, who would not fight for her?
Who would not be inspired by her ? All the Revolu-
tionaries were inspired by her strength ; the battle raged
bloody and hot. The Feringhi gunners of the light field
480

RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
artillery began to die one after another. The Ranee and
her cavalry, then, advanced right on the guns which were
spitting deadly fire, and attacked the artillery. English
gunners left the guns; the horse artillery was routed;
the heroes of the Revolution advanced on and on, from
all sides, overjoyed at the prospect of crushing the
Feringhis who had so long escaped them; and before
them all fought Lakshmi !
Sir Hugh Rose, taken aback by this terrible onslaught,
then advanced with his reserve camels, and the English
saved their own lives, simply because of the camels. An
English writer says, "Fifteen minutes more, and the
mutineers would have cut us down! Fresh camels, one
hundred and fifty in number, changed the fortunes of the
day. Ever since that day, I have looked on the camel
with eyes of affection." By the strength of the camel-
men alone, on the 22nd of May, the Feringhis succeeded
in forcing the Peshwa's army to retire towards Kalpi.
After another complete defeat of the Peshwa's troops
and after a few skirmishes, Sir Hugh entered Kalpi on
the 24th of May. In the fort of Kalpi, the English cap-
tured a very considerable amount of military supplies
which Shri Rao Sahib Peshwa and Tatia Topé had, with
great trouble, gathered together in one year. Sixty thou-
sand pounds of gunpowder were found buried under the
ground; muskets beautifully made, brass balls of the
latest type for the guns, factories for making and repair-
ing cannon-balls, heaps of military uniforms, flags, drums,
French trumpets, Howitzer guns manufactured in
Europe, and arms of various kinds—such was the very
useful find that the English army came upon !
What they did not capture was the brave and ever-memor-
able leaders of the Revolutionaries. For, when Kalpi
fell after a week, Rao Sahib, the Nabob of Banda, Ranee
Lakshmi Bai, and other leaders had left Kalpi and gone
—nobody knew where. But now these unfortunate, help-
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