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

RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
tion and giving salutes after salutes just in the midst of
the war. The whole world had seen the dead body of
the Revolution which by this means alone he now lifted
from the grave of despair. The world—some with plea-
sure and others with despair—had cried : "That is a
dead body, there is no life in it !" But what wonderful
magic this ! Tatia took the dead earth at Gopalpur, he
breathed on it thus, and—wonderful !—the whole world
saw with the dumbness of surprise, a throne rising from
the thimbleful of earth, jingling with lakhs of Rupees !
Wonder of wonders ! See the thousands of swordsmen
advancing ; hear the salutes thundering forth from the
guns ! A new army is up, new guns are up, Tatia has
captured a new kingdom ! Tatia has done all this not
merely to strike the world dumb with his splendid
triumph. He knew that the Revolutionaries who had
spread far and wide would, on hearing the salutes pro-
claiming the Shrimant as the Peshwa of the Mahratta
empire, get a concentrated inspiration, vigour, and hope.
He knew that the sight of the triumphant flag of the
nation, thus unfurled at Gwalior, would infuse an uncon-
trollable enthusiasm and dash. He knew that the law-
lessness which had set in owing to the want of a rallying
point, would now make way for discipline, through res-
pect for the new-established throne. All this Tatia saw.
And what he foresaw soon came to pass. For the body
of the Panday party was soon instinct with life. While
thus, on the one hand, his countrymen were encouraged,
the English army, which just gave a sigh of relief, was,
on the other hand, again disheartened. It was for this
that the coronation was proclaimed loudly by Tatia and
other leaders of the Revolution. Their deep-laid game
was successful. For, by this very thunder of Tatia’s can-
non, Sir Hugh Rose’s idea of rest was rudely shattered
to pieces ! ⁸
8. Malleson, writing about the cleverness and diplomacy which
Tatia and Lakshmi Bai showed in taking Gwalior, says :—" How the
487

THE CONFLAGRATION
So far so good ; but once having shocked Sir Hugh Rose
and disheartened him, woe betide him who listened not
to the words of Ranee Lakshmi Bai ! All other functions
but the one great function of war must be stopped. But
it seemed that, as ill-luck would have it, the intoxication
of the Revolutionaries would make them blind to the
necessity of keeping the army in complete readiness.
They were all immersed in luxury, good dinners, and fatal
dilatoriness—they thought, perhaps, that this was the
sole end of Swaraj !
They were only losing Swaraj. For, the surprised Sir Hugh
Rose marched rapidly on Gwalior with his excellent army
under him. He brought with him the renegade Scindia
and proclaimed to all that the English were going to fight
only for the Scindia’s sake ! It was a trick to deceive the
simple men of Gwalior, who had the slavish and discredit-
able merit of blind loyalty, and it was calculated to pre-
vent these from fighting against the Scindia. But the
old world had changed, giving place to the new. Tatia,
so far successful in awakening the Revolutionaries, rushed
forward to meet the English. The English had already
defeated the Morar contingents. Now, with the shadow
of defeat on them, there began some excited movements
“ impossible ” happened has been told. . . . He (Sir Hugh Rose)
realised, moreover, the great danger which would inevitably be
caused by delay. No one could foresee the extent of evil possible
if Gwalior were not promptly wrested from rebel hands. Grant them
delay, and Tatia Tope, with the immense acquisition of political
and military strength secured by the possession of Gwalior, and
with all its resources in men, money and material at his disposal,
would be able to form a new army on the fragments of that beaten
at Kalpi, and to provoke a Mahratta rising throughout India. It
might be possible for him, using the dexterity of which he was a
master, to unfurl the Peshwa’s banner in the southern Mahratta
districts. Those districts were denuded of troops, and a striking
success in Central India would probably decide their inhabitants
to pronounce in favour of the cause for which their fathers had
fought and bled.”—Malleson’s Indian Mutiny, Vol. V, pages 149-150.
488

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Gwalior was the decisive turning
point in the history of 1857. The
twenty three-year old Maharaja
Jayaji Rao Scindia was then the ruler
of the State, and Dinkar Rao Raj-
wade the Prime Minister. A vast and
powerful army of the Revolutionaries
under Tatia Topé, Rao Saheb Peshwa
and Rani Lakshmi Bai, with the
considerable contingent force at
Gwalior joining them, was ready
for action before the place only
awaiting Scindia's reply. How grave
and alarming the situation was from
the British point of view will be
realised from the telegram despat-
ched by the then Governor General
Lord Canning. He says, "If the
Scindia joins the Mutiny, I shall

THE FORT, GWALIOR

DIWAN DINKAR RAO RAJWADE

MAHARAJA JAYAJI RAO SCINDIA
have to pack off tomorrow." But as an
official writes—"The real state of the case
was this: the Political Agent had full influ-
ence over Scindia's Diwan Dinkar Rao;
the minister in his turn influenced his
master; and thus Major Macpherson, from
the interior of the fort at Agra, ruled the
course of events at the Court of Gwalior."
The Scindia declined to join and the Revolu-
tionaries marched and captured Gwalior on
June 1, 1858. Dinkar Rao, with his master,
fled to Agra. The Revolutionaries ruled
at Gwalior for nearly eighteen days. The
British recaptured Gwalioron the 19th of
June and the Scindia was reinstated on the
throne. Later, Dinkar Rao much repented
his conduct, but that was too late.

This page is blank and contains no text to transcribe.

RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
among the Revolutionary leaders. Rao Sahib was has-
tening towards the house of the Nabob of Banda and the
Nabob of Banda was rushing towards the house of Rao
Sahib. But, in the midst of all this confusion, the Ranee
alone was calm and was ready. Her sword was out.
What need she fear now ? Hope as well as despair she
had trampled under foot ; she treated with contempt the
things on this earth ; she had one aspiration alone, namely,
that the flag of liberty should stand proudly erect until
she gave up her last breath ! Neither of them were to
be in the dust ; they were to lie in battle alone. So,
she gave Rao Sahib a word of courage, rearranged the
undisciplined troops as far as she could, and took upon
herself the task of guarding the eastern gate. She only
demanded, " I am ready with all my soul to do my duty ;
mind, you do yours ! "
She donned her usual military uniform, rode a noble
steed, took out her gem-bestudded sword from the sheath,
and ordered the army under her to march on. She made
ready all the posts near Kotaki Serai which had been
given to her care and, when the English army was in
sight, everywhere, trumpets and pipes, drums and nagaras
rent the air. If only she had an army, equal in courage
and daring to herself ! Even the insubordinate and hesi-
tating felt heroic under her influence and, with them and
her select band of horsemen, she charged hard the Eng-
lish army ! Her two female friends, Mandar and Kashi,
also fought bravely by her side. May the sweet memory
of these two patriotic girls—beautiful in appearance,
with male attire put on, taking pleasure in fight—
live in history along with that of their mistress as long
as history lives ! A general like Smith was charging the
Ranee's army, but to-day the Ranee's bravery and daring
were a sight to see. Like lightning, she moved about all
day. The English attacked the solid phalanx a number
of times. On every occasion she maintained her hold
firm. Her army occasionally felt enthusiastic and attack-
489

THE CONFLAGRATION
ed the British and cut down many of them. At last,
Smith was forced to retire ; he gave up the attempt of
breaking the mass and began to turn to another side,
leaving the nest of the cobra alone !
Thus closed the day and thus rose the 18th of the month!
This day, the English had resolved to make desperate
charges. From all directions, they advanced on the fort,
and tried their utmost. General Smith, forced to retire
the day before, was very determined to-day and, aided
by re-inforcements, he charged the same Jhansi side he
had gone for the day before. Sir Hugh Rose thought
that his presence was also absolutely necessary and so he
was personally present with the force attacking the Jhansi
side. The Ranee too was ready for him with all her
forces. “ She was ready with all her soul to do her duty.”
That day, she wore a Chanderi turban embroidered all
over, a tamamee cloak, and pyjamas. A pearl necklace
was round her neck. Her famous steed being tired that
day, a new, fresh-looking horse was made ready for her,
fully caparisoned. While her two beautiful maids were
taking sherbet, news came that the English were advanc-
ing. Lakshmi immediately darted forward from her tent.
The arrow flies not so rapidly, the lightning flashes not
forth with such force from the clouds, a lioness leaves
not her lair so quickly to fall upon the approaching ele-
phant ! She rode her horse, lifted her sword, and charged
the enemy with her army. An English writer says, “ Im-
mediately, the beautiful Ranee went over the field and
made a firm stand against the array of Sir Hugh Rose.
She led her troops to repeated and fierce attacks and,
though her ranks were pierced through and were gradual-
ly becoming thinner and thinner, the Ranee was seen in
the foremost rank, rallying her shattered troops and per-
forming prodigies of valour. But all was of no avail.
The camel corps, pushed up by Sir Hugh Rose in person,
broke her last line. Still the dauntless and heroic Ranee
held her own.”
490

RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
But while her side was fighting with such unexampled
bravery, she saw the English army advancing on her rear
—for they had broken through the ranks of Revolutiona-
ries who were holding the posts behind her !
The artillery dumb, the main army routed, the victorious
English army closing on her from all sides, with only
fifteen or twenty horsemen with her, Ranee Lakshmi,
accompanied by her maids, put her horse to a gallop,
in order to break through the enemy, and to join her
comrades on the other side. The Feringhi horsemen of
the Hussars, who knew not so far where she was, fired
shot after shot on her and pursued her like hounds. But
the Queen, with unexampled courage, cleared her way
with her sword and marched on. Suddenly was heard a
cry, “ I am dead, Bai Sahib, I am dead ! ” Alas, whose
is this cry ? Lakshmi turned round and found that it
was her maid Mandar whom a white soldier had shot
and killed ! Angered, she attacked the Feringhi, and her
blow felled him on the spot. She had avenged the death
of fair Mandar ! She then marched on. She came to a
small rill. Now, one jump and Jhansi would have been
out of the Feringhi’s clutches. But her horse would not
take that jump ! If only she had had her old horse ! As
if the fiery line of a magician was round him the horse
moved in circles, round and round, but would not cross.
Before you could say “one”, the English horsemen
closed on her ! Still not a word of surrender or fear !
One sword against their several swords,—yet she closed
on them. She crossed sword with sword with them all,
but one of them hit her on the head from behind. With
that blow, the right part of her head, and even her right
eye came out—just then, another blow hit her on the
chest. Oh Lakshmi, Lakshmi ! the last drop of thy
sacred blood is dripping and, therefore, now, Mother,
take this last sacrifice for thee ! Even at the point of
death, she killed the British foe who had attacked her,
and now the young Queen was breathing her last breath !
491

THE CONFLAGRATION
A faithful servant, Ramchandra Rao Deshmukh, was
near. He took her to a cottage near by. Ganga Das
Bawa gave her cold water to drink to quench her thirst
and a bed to lie down upon. Bathed in blood, this
goddess of war reclined on the bed, and then her soul
quietly fleeted from her body to heaven ! As soon as
she was dead, Ramchandra Rao, in accordance with her
dying instructions prepared a pile of grass unseen by the
enemy ; he put her on that pyre and, before the touch
of slavery could defile even her dead body, she was
cremated.
On the pyre, if not on the throne ! But Lakshmi is still
with her sweetheart Liberty ! She has forced open the
gates of death by falling in battle and has now entered
the other world. Pursuit can no longer harm her.
Wicked Pursuit must pass through those roaring flames
before it can do so.
Thus fought Lakshmi. She had achieved her purpose,
fulfilled her ambition, carried out her resolve ! One such
life vindicates the whole existence of a nation ! She was
the concentrated essence of all virtues. A mere woman,
hardly twenty-three yet, beautiful as rose, charming in
her manners, pure of conduct, she had a power of organi-
sation of her subjects, exhibited by very few, even
among men. The flame of patriotism was always burn-
ing in her heart. And she was proud of her country's
honour and pre-eminent in war ! It is very rarely that
a nation is so fortunate as to be able to claim such an
angelic person, as a daughter and a queen. That honour
has not yet fallen to the lot of England. In the Revolu-
tion of Italy, high ideals and heroism of the very highest
type are to be found ; yet, in all this period of glory,
Italy could not give birth to a Lakshmi !
But, even our land could hardly have given birth to such
a Queen but for this glorious War of Independence ! The
492

RANEE LAKSHMI BAI
precious pearls in the ocean are not to be found on its
surface. The Sûryakânta jewel does not give out flames
in the quiet of the night ; nor does the flint give up its
spark on soft cushions. They want resistance. Injustice
must make the mind restless ; really, not apparently,
every drop of blood must actually boil ; intense national
feeling is thus set aflame in such a furnace, the particles
of virtue begin to glow, the test goes on, the dross is
eliminated, then, the concentrated essence of virtues
begins to appear. In 1857, the heart of this our Mother-
land took fire ; then, a terrible explosion which would
deafen the world took place ;—A spark at Meerut, and
the whole country, which, under the roller of Dalhousie,
had been reduced to the monotony of a dead level and
seemed to be a heap of dust, proved to be a powder-
magazine filled with the most inflammable material. Just
as when a mighty rocket in a fireplay, fired in the air,
explodes, arrows and trees and various other picturesque
objects rise and rush and burn and die away, such was
the case of this gigantic Revolutionary Rocket ! Its length
is from Meerut to the Vindhyas ; its width from Pesha-
war to Dumdum ;—and it was fired ! Fire and flames
raged in all directions. Blood coming down like rain,
—sieges of Delhi, revenges of Plassey, massacres of Cawn-
pore, and the Sikandar Bagh of Lucknow ! Thousands
of heroes are fighting—and dying ; cities are burning.
Kumar Singh comes, struggles, falls ; the Moulvie comes,
struggles, and falls ; the throne of Cawnpore, the throne
of Lucknow, the throne of Delhi, the throne of Bareilly,
the throne of Jagadishpur, the throne of Jhansi, the
throne of Banda, the throne of Furrukabad, five thousand,
ten thousand, fifty thousand, a lakh of swords, flags,
banners, generals, horses, elephants—all are coming
out one after another, move about in the turmoil
of the raging fire ! Some are ascending one flame,
some another ; they poise themselves a while, reel,
fight, fall down unseen ! Everywhere battle and
thunder-storms ! A veritable volcanic conflagration this!
493

THE CONFLAGRATION
And the pyre, flaming near the cottage of Gangadas
Bawa, is the last and the most lustrous flame of this
raging volcanic conflagration of the War of Independence
of 1857!
END OF THE THIRD PART
494

PART IV
TEMPORARY
PACIFICATION
CHAPTER I
A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW
THE chief scenes in the War of 1857 being in
Northern India, we had so long to dilate upon
the warlike events in that region alone. But,
in order to grasp even the general tenor of the
War, it is necessary to see its manifestations in
other provinces also. Therefore, while the tongues
of fire of that tremendous conflagration are dancing
up to the skies there, we must also cast a passing glance
at the sparks in other regions.
We have already given a short description of the events
in the Punjab, during the course of the siege of Delhi.
495

TEMPORARY PACIFICATION
After that, the Punjab was quiet on the whole, except for
one or two spasmodic efforts at rising. The Hindu as
well as the Mahomedan communities thoroughly sympa-
thised at heart with the Revolutionaries and were full of
hatred towards the British. But they did not care to
help either party actively. The Sikh princes and people,
on the contrary, did not wish well to the Revolutionaries
even at heart ; nor did they remain neutral ; nay, more,
they did not hesitate to side openly with the English and
shed the blood of their own countrymen on the field
of battle.
It can be proved from many events that happened that
the sympathies of the masses of Rajputana were on the
side of the Revolutionaries. In towns like Jaipur, Jodh-
pur, and Udaipur, the curses that were heaped upon
Indian soldiers fighting on the English side, the shouts
of joy that went up in the bazaars, when a Revolutionary
victory was announced, and the grief with which they
were filled when the news of their defeat came—all these
showed from day to day that the Rajput masses were
praying for victory to the Revolutionaries in the great
national war. As regards the princes of Rajputana, most
of them remained neutral and would not openly help
either side, until a decisive conflict had taken place. But
whenever they were forced to send some troops to help
the English, these troops openly disobeyed the orders of
their rulers and refused to fight against their brethren
on behalf of the Feringhis !
The United Provinces, Oudh, Rohilkhand, Behar, Bundel-
khand and Central India were the field of Kurukshetra
of the War of Independence of 1857. There was a slight
rising at Rangoon, and in Burma, in general, but alas !
it was a day after the fair, and was in vain !
After this bird’s-eye view of the region north of the Vindhya
mountains, let us now turn our eyes to the south. There,
496

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW
we first of all see the Empire of the Mahrattas founded
by Shivaji. Their compatriots, who had migrated to the
north, were fighting fierce battles at Cawnpore, Kalpi,
and Jhansi. Thus, the Mahratta throne, ousted out of
Raigarh, reappeared again in an ocean of blood at Cawn-
pore. And Tatia Topé was again flying aloft on high
the banner once supported by heroes like Santaji and
Dhanaji. If the magnificent unanimity, dash, and deter-
mination that characterised the rising in the north had
also shown itself in the south, then, even if the whole of
England had gone to India to fight, the Jaripatka would
never have been lowered! 'Where, indeed, is a man of
pure Mahratta blood whose heart is not agitated by love
and pride when the Jaripatka flies on the field, whether
he shows it in his face or not? In 1857, also, the heroic
inspiration naturally took hold of the heart of all Mah-
rattas, but the diseases of indecision and indetermination
stifled it in embryo. While the plan of the Revolution
was being outlined in the north, its messengers were also
travelling in the south, visiting state after state and town
after town. Rango Bapuji of Satara was in correspond-
ence with Nana Sahib of Cawnpore. In the various
Sepoy regiments stationed at Poona, Satara, Dharwar,
Belgaum, Hyderabad and other places, Brahmins, Moul-
vies, and the deputies of the northern Sepoys were travel-
ling about secretly with the torch of Revolution in their
hand. And, from Mysore right up to the Vindhya
mountains, oaths were taken that a rising was to be made
as soon as the north arose. But, though the south did not
forget to rise, it forgot that it ought to arise as soon as
the north rose! The Rising in the north took place with
an inconceivable, lightning-like rapidity, and with the
determination to kill or die. Instead of starting up im-
mediately, the south waited for some time to watch the
fortune of war in the north. In times of crisis like a
Revolution, one moment decides the question of life or
death. There are disadvantages in both alternatives, in
haste as well as in delay. In such a dilemma, an able
497
32

TEMPORARY PACIFICATION
man fixes upon such a moment when boldness and spirit
will reap the greatest possible fruits. Revolutions do not
follow the rules of arithmetic. They succeed through
the enormous strength of the spirit in the heart of man.
They cool down by the sluggishness of inaction. They
are kept up only by the heat of action. Calmness, mathe-
matics, and the fixing of the day are all for the period
of preparation. But when once the bugle has sounded
and the drum been beaten, then there must be started at
once determined fighting without any regard of life. One
who hesitates then is certain to lose in the end. One
who only just then begins to think out whether it is
better to rise or not, is doomed for ever. Calmness in
preparation, but boldness in execution, this should be
the watchword. During preparation, one may and even
ought to proceed cautiously, step by step, even as on a
carpet ; but when the Revolution has once broken out,
one must dart forth like an arrow without faltering a
moment, even through living fire ! Then let there be
success or defeat, let there be life or death—there should
be stubborn war, men should be ready to “ die while
killing.” For when once the drum of war is beaten, the
best road to success in a Revolution lies in advancing
and never in waiting.
The south forgot this cardinal principle. It did not rise
as soon as the north rose. It proceeded slowly, stagger-
ing every now and then. Over-anxiety about success, and
only spasmodic, isolated risings that followed as its conse-
quence, necessarily led to nothing but certain failure.
How this came to pass .we shall review in brief.
There were three important regiments in the south, the
27th at Kolhapur, the 29th at Belgaum, and the 28th at
Dharwar. When the plans of the Rising were made by
means of correspondence, the 10th of August was fixed
upon as the day on which they were to rise. But an
English army was in the meanwhile being sent to Kolha-
498

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW
pur to keep the population and the Sepoys there in check.
This news was divulged to the Sepoys by an official of
the Telegraph Department. Thus the Sepoys who were
already infuriated, rose prematurely on the 31st of July,
1857. They killed some of their English officers, took
the treasury in their charge, had a skirmish with the
English troops that had just arrived, and went away to-
wards the Ghats. The various Revolutionary bands
united together under the leadership of Ramji Shirsal of
Sawantwadi and began to harass the English force in the
direction of the Kadi forest. They were defeated and
dispersed after some months by the English with the help
of the Portuguese of Goa. The new English officer, Jacob,
who had come to Kolhapur, disarmed the remaining
Sepoys there and had their leaders shot.
But on the day on which the Sepoys at Kolhapur had
risen, the town itself had not done so. In the meanwhile,
emissaries from Nana Sahib of Cawnpore had an audi-
ence with the young king of Kolhapur and persuaded
him to join the National Rising. He had also been pre-
sented with a sword by the Durbar of Lucknow. In the
same manner, he was carrying on secret correspondence
with the Rajas of Sangli, Jamkhindi, and other southern
states. But, more than the Maharaja, his younger
brother, Chimna Sahib, had in his veins the blood of
Shivaji. He secretly began machinations to put right
again the plans of the Revolution foiled by the recent
turn of events. He prepared the irregular army of
Kolhapur and many volunteers for a Rising, and in the
early morning of the 15th of December Kolhapur rose
again. The city gates were closed, guns were made ready,
and the drum of Revolution was beaten in the streets.
As soon as Jacob heard the news, he got the men under
him ready and led an attack on a Kachcha gate. From
that moment onward till the time that the English army
took possession of the palace, a fierce battle raged. After
defeat, the Raja, following the usual custom, declared
499

TEMPORARY PACIFICATION
that the Rising was organised by the army and the
populace in spite of his orders to the contrary. When
the names of the Revolutionary leaders were demanded,
he replied that he knew nothing about it ! Jacob tried
his utmost to get hold of the leaders. He put many
people, now and then, in prison, simply on suspicion ;
but he could get no scent of the vast and dangerous con-
spiracy. One of the leaders, even as he was being arrest-
ed, tore up an incriminating letter in his possession and
swallowed it in the presence of his captors ! Of the many
who were blown from the mouths of cannon, one was
only wounded at the first firing and was not killed. Still
he proudly stood forth erect waiting for the second round.
Just then, Jacob went up to him and said, “ I pity you
—you must have been betrayed into joining the Rebel-
lion. So, if you help the Sirkar by divulging the names
of some mutineers, your life will be spared ! ” But the
grand hero bore, without a murmur, the excruciating pain
of his mangled body manfully, and “ he looked at me
(Jacob) with a scowl and scorn mingled and answered
unhesitatingly ‘ What I have done, I have done.’ ” With-
out giving out a single name, he turned his face and
stood forth boldly in front of the death-spitting cannon !
Another Revolutionary, just before being blown up, mut-
tered the name of a leader ; at this, one of the Govern-
ment servants present there quietly slunk away and
warned that leader and others who were implicated in
the town. When the English authorities, inquiring the
whereabouts of the person named, came up to arrest him,
he was already out of Kolhapur and safe ! With such
fidelity to each other did the conspirators work, and the
organisation of the various circles and batches was effect-
ed without much hitch or confusion.¹

1. “ But it is difficult to describe the wonderful secrecy with
   which the whole conspiracy was conducted and the forethought
   supplying the schemes, and the caution with which each group
   of conspirators worked apart, concealing the connecting links, and
   instructing them with just sufficient information for the purpose in
   500

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW
While affairs were in this state at Kolhapur, there were
also signs of rising in Belgaum about the 10th of August.
But the Sepoy leader, Thakur Singh, and a bold Munshi,
the leader of the citizens, were arrested just at the last
moment. A new English army was soon on the scene
and Belgaum and Dharwar soon became silent and sub-
missive. The above-named Munshi was a Government
servant and incriminating letters from him were found
on the Sepoys at Poona and Kolhapur. So, on the evid-
ence of these, he was blown from the mouth of a cannon.
At Satara, Rango Bapuji was from the first, in the bad
books of the Government. Now, his son was hanged for
preaching the doctrine of the Rising at Kolhapur. At
the same time, two princes of the Satara royal family
were banished. Seeing the throne, in the devoted service
of which he had spent so many years, in such a plight,
the faithful Rango Bapuji disappeared from Satara. Re-
wards were offered but nobody helped to hand him over
to the English. And the fate of that patriot is not known
even to this day.
At this time, an able Englishman, called Lord Elphin-
stone, was appointed Governor of Bombay. He had not
only borne the strain—small though it was—in his own
presidency, but also sent troops to Rajputana. But, if
it was any one man whose cleverness prevented a rising
in the city of Bombay itself, it was Forrest, the chief
police officer. Bombay was a city full of easy-going,
happy-go-lucky, and traitorous cowards. Thus, the only
hearts susceptible to the flame of the national Revolution
there were amongst the ranks of the Sepoys stationed
there. And therefore it was that Forrest had kept a very
close watch upon them. The Dipavali holidays were fixed
Published by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 2014.
view. And all this was equalled only by the fidelity with which
they adhered to each other."—Western India by Sir George Le
Grand Jacob, K.C.S.I., C.B.
501

TEMPORARY PACIFICATION
upon as the opportune moment for rising and the Sepoys
began to hold secret meetings. Forrest tried his utmost
to send detectives into these meetings but did not succeed
on account of the extraordinary caution displayed by the
Sepoys. Therefore, he himself began to go about in
various disguises, now as a Brahmin, now as some one
else, and thus mixed with the people even in their exclu-
sive dinner parties. At last he found out that the secret
meetings were held in the house of a man called Ganga
Prasad. Then he entered the house of Ganga Prasad
after threatening to arrest him if he opposed, and saw what
happened at one of those secret meetings through an
aperture in the wall, unknown to the Revolutionaries who
met there. Not only this, but he also brought with him
later on some English officers of the regiment and let
them see the secret meetings for themselves. When the
latter saw there coming in to the meeting, one after an-
other, Sepoys who were reckoned as the most loyal, they
whispered in amazement, “ My God, my own men ! Is
it possible ? ” The general plan of the Sepoys was to
make a rising in Bombay at first, then to march towards
Poona, capture that city, raise the banner of Mahratta
Kingdom, and proclaim Nana Sahib as Peshwa.² But
before the plans could be put into operation, Forrest
broke up the conspiracy, hanged two of the ringleaders
as rebels, and banished six of the prominent and leading
military men ; and thus the rising in Bombay was nipped
in the bud.
At about the same time, the Revolutionary spark was
about to strike Nagpur and Jubbulpore. The Sepoys
near Nagpur had decided to rise on the 13th of June,
1857, and this plan was assented to by most of the pro-
minent citizens. It was agreed that on the night of the
13th the townspeople should send up in the air three
burning balloons, and at this signal the military were to
2. Forrest's Real Danger in India.
502