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

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW
will see that, under this proclamation, no one, be he
guilty or innocent, can escape. Everything is written and
yet nothing is written. But one thing they have clearly
said, and that is that they shall let off no one who is
implicated ; and so, in whatever village or province our
army has halted, the inhabitants of that place cannot
escape. Deeply are we concerned for the condition of
our beloved people on reading this proclamation which
palpably teems with enmity. We now issue a distinct
order, and trustworthy, that all persons who may have
foolishly presented themselves as heads of villages to the
English shall, before the 1st of January, 1859, present
themselves in our camp. No doubt their faults shall be
forgiven. To believe in this Proclamation, it is only
necessary to remember that Hindusthanee rulers are al-
together kind and merciful. Thousands have seen this,
millions have heard this. No one has ever seen the Eng-
lish have forgiven an offence.
“ In this proclamation it is written that when peace is
restored, public works such as roads and canals, will be
made in order to improve the condition of the people !
It is worthy of a little reflection, that they have promised
no better employment for Hindusthanees than the mak-
ing of roads and the digging of canals !
“ If people cannot see clearly what this means, then, there
is no hope for them.
“ Let no subject be deceived by the proclamation ! ”
And therefore Oudh would not take advantage of the
unconditional amnesty granted therein. She was still
waving her sword, riding on horseback, fighting on the
field, bathing in blood, and leaping into the fire of sacri-
fice ! She wanted freedom or war to the end. She was
more used to jump at the neck than fall at the feet of
the enemy. She was still on the battle-fields of Shankar-
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pur, Dhundiakhera, Rai Bareilly, Sitapur. She was kill-
ing, she was dying, but still she fought on !
So fought Oudh from June to November of 1858, from
November to December, until April of 1859, when she
was pushed from all sides towards Nepal. When the
Revolutionaries entered Nepal, the English were still in
hot pursuit ; but still there was one hope—will the Hindu
Raja of Nepal protect them ?
At this time, the number of Revolutionaries who entered
Nepal was about sixty thousand ; they were led by Nana
Sahib, Bala Sahib, the Begum and her young son, and
others. Jung Bahadur of Nepal wrote at this time a
letter to them. The reply which Nana Sahib sent to him
is so pointed and sarcastic that we cannot help quoting
at least a part of it. It runs to this effect :—“ We have
received your letter. We have been hearing the reputa-
tion of Nepal at distant places, all along the country.
Indeed, in spite of my reading the history of many ancient
kings of India and seeing the character of many present
rulers, I believe that your Majesty’s deeds stand match-
less ! For you did not hesitate to render help even to the
British—the very people who have borne every sort of
ill-will towards your people. And yet, as soon as they
asked for help you have rushed to their assistance !
There is no limit to this your generosity ! Well then,
shall it be unnatural of me to expect that the descendant
of the Peshwas who had all along been friendly towards
your people will not be denied help from your Majesty,
especially when you have given it so freely to the British
who bore avowed enmity towards you ? He who admit-
ted the enemy inside will not at least turn his friend out!
It is utterly unnecessary to repeat here the well-known
story of the wrongs under which Hindusthan is groaning,
how the British people have broken treaties, trampled
down their promises, snatched away the crowns of the
Indian Rajas. It is equally unnecessary to describe how
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A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW
even the religion of the land is threatened as soon as the
kingdoms of the land are destroyed. It is too well known.
It is for this reason that this war is waged. We are send-
ing Shrimant Bala Sahib, our brother, to you, and he
will clear up other things personally."⁸
The letter was sealed with the royal seal of the Peshwas
and sent to Jung Bahadur. After this letter, many con-
sultations followed. Jung Bahadur sent one of his
noblemen, Colonel Balbhadra Singh, to see personally
the leaders of the Revolutionaries. The leaders told him
unanimously, "We have fought for the Dharma of
the Hindus. Maharaja Jung Bahadur too is a Hindu and
therefore should help us. If he gives his help, even if
he orders his officers to lead us, we shall again dash on
Calcutta. We shall feed ourselves, and shall obey his
orders. Whatever country we conquer in fight will be-
come the possession of the Gurkha Government. If this
is not possible, at least let him give us asylum in his
country and we will live under his orders." Colonel
Balbhadra Singh, the Gurkha representative, said : "The
English have opened wide the door of mercy. So, throw
down your arms before the British and go to their
asylum." They replied : "We have heard of the procla-
mation. But we have no wish that some of our brothers
should have their lives at the expense of others. Maha-
raja Jung is a Hindu and we do not want to fight against
the Gurkhas. If he wants, we shall throw down our
arms before him, and even if we are to be murdered, we
submit unresistingly. But how can we submit to the
British by risking some of our own brethren to their
vengeance ? "
Many such consultations took place, but at last Jung
Bahadur finally told the Revolutionaries that if he had
wanted to help them he would not have sent his men to
8. Charles Ball's Indian Mutiny, Vol. II.
519

TEMPORARY PACIFICATION
massacre them at Lucknow ! Nay, he did not stop merely
with sending this mean and cruel reply. He gave full
permission to the English to enter Nepal and hunt the
Revolutionaries within his territories !
Then the Revolutionaries lost all hope, hid their arms,
and quietly began to walk away to their homes. To
encourage them in doing so, the English did not give
them the slightest trouble for their past hostile attitude.
Still, some grand-souled heroes, unable to bear the sight
of the Britisher again treading the sacred soil of India,
instead of returning to their homes, escaped to the jungles,
knowing that it meant nothing short of dying by starva-
tion ! About that time, Nana Sahib wrote a letter to the
British commander, Hope Grant. What does he say in
that letter—any talk of surrender ? Oh, no ! After
condemning at great length the unjust rule of the British
in India, Nana asks : “ What right have you to occupy
India and declare me an outlaw ? Who gave you the
right to rule over India ? What ! You, Feringhis, are
the kings, and we, thieves, in this our own country ? ”
These are the last recorded words of Nana Sahib. No !
This is the last challenge of the Peshwa throne of Balaji
Viswanath ! It is strong, proud, just, and self-respecting,
worthy of the last descendant of Shivaji’s Peshwas. The
stain of effeminacy of the second Baji Rao was washed
away in streams of the blood of the foreign foe, and the
Gadi of the Peshwas passes away from the scene, like the
Chitore Rajputanees of old, struggling, fighting, and
burning amidst the leaping flames of the fire of sacrifice.
This was her last shriek—“ In India, foreigners are kings
and the sons of Hindusthan thieves ! ”
History does not know for certain what happened to Nana
Sahib after the episode of this letter. Bala Sahib died
in the forest in circumstances of self-imposed misery.
The Begum and her young son were, later on, given
shelter by Jung Bahadur. The great martyr Gujaran
Published by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 2014.
520

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW
Singh died in one of the numerous skirmishes in the last
stages of the war.
Thus ended the National Revolution of 1857, in Oudh.
Nowhere in the world has a country fought for its inde-
pendence with more stubborn bravery.
Malleson says : “ They (the people of Oudh) joined in
the revolt inaugurated by their brethren the Sepoys—
the majority of them Oudh men—and fought for inde-
pendence. How pertinaciously they waged the contest
has been told in these pages. No other part of India gave
an example of a resistance so determined, so prolonged,
as did Oudh. Throughout the struggle, the sense of the
injustice perpetrated in 1856 steeled the hearts of its
people and strengthened their resolution. If on some
occasion they too precipitately fled, it was in the hope of
renewing the struggle with some chances of success an-
other day. When, finally, the sweep made over Oudh by
Lord Clyde forced the remnant of the fighting class to
take refuge in the jungles of Nepal, the survivors often
preferred starvation to surrender. The agricultural popula-
tion, the talukdars, the landowners, the traders, accepted
the defeat when, after that long struggle, they felt that it
was final.” ⁹
9. Malleson’s Indian Mutiny, Vol. V, page. 207.
521

CHAPTER II
THE CULMINATING
OFFERING IN THE
SACRIFICIAL FIRE
ON the 20th of June, 1858, in the fierce fight on
the maidan at Gwalior, Ranee Lakshmi Bai of
Jhansi fell. But though one inveterate enemy
of the English was thus taken away from the
scene, the other, equally inveterate and, perhaps,
more skilful in the tactics of war, had effected
a clever retreat. He disappeared from Gwalior on the
20th, he disappeared, also, from the field of Jaura Alipur
on the 22nd, and away he went out of the reach of the
English—but where ?
In a few days, all over central India, forests, cities, caves,
522

OFFERING IN THE SACRIFICIAL FIRE
villages, mountains, and rivers reverberated with a terrible
war-cry, and jubilant shouts of “Tatia Topé, Tatia Topé!”
For the Mahratta tiger, chased by the lances of the
hunters, had now rushed into the forests of Central India.
He had, as it were, lost his right hand by the death of
Lakshmi Bai on the field of Gwalior. The Revolution
was almost crushed by numerous defeats. He was now
separated for ever from Nana Sahib. English power,
through Indian strength, had now almost become invin-
cible. He had now no army worth the name, no guns,
no provisions, and not even any hopes for getting
these anywhere! Still the undaunted Tatia Topé,
harassing the enemy, and maddening Defeat itself,
would not surrender the Jaripatka at the feet of
the foreigner. Bend it before the foreigner, never!
Such is the tree from which its staff is made that
it might be broken by foreigners but it would never
bend before them!
After the defeats of Gwalior and Jaura Alipur, Tatia Topé
and Rao Sahib Peshwa took the remnants of the army
and marched to a place called Sarmathura. They based
all their future operations on three important principles.
First, they were to try not to get entangled into any
battle whatsoever with the English army. Secondly, they
decided to make guerilla raids in the unguarded provinces.
But these two stratagems would be impossible unless some
means could be devised to insure a supply of provisions
and good arms. So, to obtain these, the third rule of
Tatia was to levy contributions of provisions, money, and
arms, wherever an Indian state was to be found. In
northern and central India, there are Indian states at
almost every step. They had accumulated, in the course
of years, huge stores of provisions and arms. And it was
the duty of the kings there to use these stores for the
protection of the country. But in 1857 these kings dis-
regarded the earnest requests and entreaties of the coun-
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try and their own subjects. They would not openly join
the Revolutionaries, because they were possessed by the
sinful motive of looking to their own personal and indi-
vidual gain. Was the Swadeshi army to starve while
these selfish states had hoarded provisions lying uselessly
in their stores ? To remedy such a tragic state of affairs,
Tatia Topé and Rao Sahib hit upon the marvellous and
just plan of snatching away from these unfaithful custo-
dians, the means that were necessary for the defence of
the country. This plan would give the Revolution suffi-
cient money, provisions, and arms. Thus, the cost of
maintaining the army of defence would not fall on the
poor people of the country alone. These weak princes
had generally only small armies, which were armies only
in name, and even these more often than not sympathised
with the Revolutionaries. Therefore, to levy contribu-
tions on these kings was not at all a hard task. Since
these states are at every step, the army need not be
hindered with too much baggage on its marches. The
army would have very little baggage to carry and, even
if the enemy looted the provisions sometimes, it would
not give rise to great inconvenience, as the Revolutionary
army could always find an Indian State on its way and
make use of the provisions in its stores. For all these
advantages, this plan was determined upon by Tatia Topé.
If the kings gave provisions, on demand, willingly to the
Swadeshi army—and many of them did give them—then,
well and good ; if they did not, they were forced to give
them, that was all.
On these three principles, therefore, the future operations
of Tatia Topé depended ; guerilla warfare, never to face
the enemy in the open field, and to levy contributions on
the Indian States and exact them if they refused. Tatia's
ultimate object was to keep up such marches and cross
the Narbada at the most favourable opportunity and
thus to bring the Mahratta tiger to its native forests.
The object of the English was not only to prevent him
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OFFERING IN THE SACRIFICIAL FIRE
from crossing the Narbada, but not even to let him
see it. And thus the race began.
First, Tatia had his eyes on Bharatpur. But, hearing
that a strong English army had come there, he suddenly
veered round to Jeypore. In the Jeypore Durbar, there
were many people belonging to 'Tatia's party, and the
army and the populace were also on his side. So, Tatia
sent his messengers to that Durbar and intimated to his
men to be ready. But the English got news of this
quickly and an English army immediately marched to
Jeypore from Nasirabad. When the Jeypore plan thus
fell through, Tatia descended towards the south. Here
Colonel Holmes and an army pursued him. Suddenly,
Tatia outwitted his pursuers and marched at once on the
state of Tonk. The Nabob of the place shut himself up
in the town and sent some select sepoys of his with four
guns to engage with Tatia outside the walls. Now the
battle would have begun, but suddenly the Tonk sepoys
began to embrace Tatia's men in brotherly affection.
They also handed over the four guns to Tatia, and in
this manner Tatia got new troops, new guns, and fresh
provisions, and continued his determined march to
the south !
Tatia came right up to Indragarh and made a halt there.
Behind him was Holmes, and on his flank was Roberts
coming from Rajputana. At that time, it was raining
tremendously and the Chambal was in front. The enemy
behind and the unfordable Chambal in front ! So, Tatia
turned north-east towards Bundi, and after brilliant and
strategic marches came up to the province of Neemuch-
Nasirabad which had risen in favour of the Revolution.
Tatia encamped for rest near a village called Bhilwada.
Hearing of this, Roberts came there hurriedly from Sar-
wargaon and fell on Tatia on the 7th of August, 1858.
After keeping him back all day, as soon as night fell,
Tatia took his army including his guns safely to Kotra,
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within the dominions of Udaipur. While the army was
resting there at night, Tatia went for worship in the
temple of Shri Krishna at the famous place of pilgrimage
near by, called Nathadwara. He returned to the camp
at midnight and heard that the English army had come
up close to them in pursuit. He at once gave orders to
the army to break the camp and march on. But the army
was so tired that the infantry replied bluntly, "We can-
not march a step till to-morrow morning. Let the cavalry
go in front." Under these circumstances Tatia was
obliged to give battle. As soon as it was dawn, Tatia
arranged his troops as well as he could under the cir-
cumstances. In that battle, on the 14th of August, after
some sharp fighting, Tatia's troops were routed and re-
treated about fifteen miles, leaving their guns behind.
Now again Tatia was without guns, without provisions,
and with an elated enemy in hot pursuit ! So, avoiding
the enemy at his back, he suddenly darted off, again, to-
wards the river Chambal. The English armies followed
him not only in his rear and flank but one English com-
mander stood in front at the very banks of the Chambal.
But Tatia put some on the wrong scent, eluded some,
pushed back some, and thus, by clever marches, he came
up to the Chambal and, almost under the nose of the
English army waiting there, crossed that river !
Now it is true that the Chambal was between Tatia and
the English pursuing forces. But then, he had no guns,
no provisions, no money—and Narbada, he could not
yet even think of it ! He was thus beset with tremendous
difficulties, and therefore he marched straight on Jhalra-
pattan. On seeing this, the loyal chief of the State took
his faithful troops and his big guns and fell upon Tatia.
But, as soon as Tatia was in sight the forces of the State
began to salaam him as their Malik! Immediately, Tatia
took these troops under his command. In Jhalrapattan,
he got cavalry horses, waggons, and plenty of provisions.
He went there without a single gun and he had now got
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OFFERING IN THE SACRIFICIAL FIRE
thirty-two guns! The Rao Sahib Peshwa ordered the
Raja to pay twenty-five lakhs of Rupees as fine. The
Raja pleaded for mercy and, at last, it was agreed that
he should pay fifteen lakhs. Tatia was in this place for
five days. He distributed pay to the army at the rate of
thirty Rupees a month to every cavalry-soldier and twelve
to every infantry-man. Afterwards Rao Sahib, Tatia,
and the Nabob of Bhanda began to deliberate upon their
future plan of action in the south. The chief aim of the
Peshwa army was to cross the Narbada and enter the
Deccan. To oppose this, the English had woven nets of
different armies and were guarding well nigh every outlet.
But Tatia had now acquired thirty-two guns, a new army,
new provisions and money, and was better prepared to
continue the struggle. So, he silently whispered to his
companions, "Now, the next move must be on Indore!"
This brilliant idea was quite in accordance with Tatia's
daring. With not so much as one regular regiment in
his hand, he had created new armies, new crowns, and
new kingdoms. To a man of such magical talent, the
plan of marching to Indore was not impossible to execute.
It is the duty of the chief, Holkar, to help his master,
the Peshwa. If he were not to do it willingly, service
should be exacted from him by the Peshwa. The Indore
army had secretly pledged itself to support Tatia. Even
the Indore Durbar was secretly sending invitations to
him! Therefore, Tatia decided to play his game. He
marched hastily from Pattan towards the south, rushed
into Malwa, and appeared suddenly at Raigarh!
Now, in pursuit of Tatia, there were marching, from dif-
ferent directions, the English commanders, Roberts,
Holmes, Parke, Mitchell, Hope and Lockhart. All of
them were thrown into consternation when they heard
that Tatia was marching upon Indore. One moved from
Mhow; one ran towards Nalkhera; one hesitated whether
he should go to Raigarh or not. General Mitchell had
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TEMPORARY PACIFICATION
just, with infinite difficulty, ascended a hill with his army,
when he saw Tatia just descending on the other side.
But the English army was so tired that it could hardly
go forth a step further. So it rested for a while ; Tatia
took advantage of it and continued his march. He was
not tired ! The next day, Mitchell recommenced the pur-
suit and at last came upon Tatia. The Revolutionaries
were in their turn tired of the marches and prepared to
give battle. They numbered at the time about five thou-
sand and had about thirty guns. But the most wonderful
thing is that, as soon as about one thousand of the English
fell upon them, before even much blood was shed, they
began to retreat, leaving their guns behind ! It is on
such occasions that we notice the difference between the
guerilla tactics of Kumar Singh and of Tatia Topé. The
latter’s army did not take advantage of the opportunities
that came in their way to deviate from the rule of not
fighting an open battle with the English.
Leaving the maidan at Raigarh behind, Tatia’s army
entered into the forest on the banks of the river Betwa
and came out on the other side, at a place called Siranj.
At Siranj, Tatia got four guns again. The English army
could not move for some time on account of an excessive
fall of rain. And so Tatia got some time to rest his
troops. He therefore let his army rest for a week. At
the end of the week, he marched again to the north. The
town of Isagarh, in the Scindia’s dominions, would not
give him any provisions ; so, it was taken by assault and
Tatia again got eight guns. This was all right, but the
Narbada was thus being left further behind. It appeared
that the Mahratta lion could not get into his mountain
cave on account of the numerous English lances blocking
his way. While so many English armies are after one
man, why talk of the Narbada ? ¹

1. An English writer says : “Then commenced that marvel-
   lous series of retreats which, continued for ten months, seemed to
   528

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SALAR JUNG,
Diwan of Hyderabad
Seeds of Revolution were
abundantly scattered all
over the State of Hyder-
abad and the condition was
almost ripe for a general
rising. But Salar Jung,
the Diwan of Hyderabad,
too loyal to the British,
played the same part there,
as Dinkar Rao, the Diwan
at Gwalior, in suppress-
ing the Revolution. The
British Residency at Hyd-
erabad was attacked by
the Revolutionaries on
July 17, 1857, but the Resi-
dent, Major Davidson, be-
ing already informed by
the Diwan, was fully pre-
pared and could repulse
them. The leaders of the
Revolution there were
captured and transported.
THE RESIDENCY,
HYDERABAD
The spot at Sureban, where Mr. Manson was killed.
THE VENKATESHWAR TEMPLE
the oath of revo

Nargund, a Mahratta State near Dharwar, was the most
prominent among the places in Southern India that flared up in 1857.
The chief, Baba Saheb, disaffected owing to the right of adoption
being refused to him, had entered into a secret alliance with Nana
Saheb and had vowed to rise at the right moment. That moment
having arrived at the appointment of Mr. Manson as the Political
Officer, he declared war against the British on May 27, 1858. Mr.
Manson was killed in a skirmish at Sureban, a nearby village, and
his head was taken in a triumphal procession to Nargund and kept
hanging on the main gate of the fort. But soon on June 2, the
town and fort of Nargund was attacked and captured by Capt.
Malcolm. Baba Saheb fled in disguise, but was captured the next
day. His wife and mother drowned themselves in the Malaprabha
river. Baba Saheb was tried and executed at Belgaum on June 12.
He was valiant, generous and a patron of learning. He is still
remembered with reverence and pride in the whole of Karnatak.
THE FORT,
NARGUND
ld fort where Baba Saheb took
he British.
THE CITY-GATE, NARGUND

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OFFERING IN THE SACRIFICIAL FIRE
Now, the Revolutionaries divided themselves into two
parts, one under Tatia and the other under Rao Sahib
Peshwa. The two armies marched separately. But they
did not give up their old tactics. They often eluded the
enemy cleverly, got guns and lost them, fought when it
was necessary as at Mangroli and Sindhwaha, retreated
in good order after skirmishes, were pursued for miles and
escaped successfully ; and again the two armies came to-
gether at Lalitpur. But, the Narbada was now no nearer.
Nay, Tatia and Rao were, now finally, almost in the grip
of the enemy. Mitchell from the south, Colonel Liddell
and Colonel Meade from the east and the north, Colonel
Parke from the west, Roberts from the Chambal—on all
mock at defeat, and made Tatia's name more familiar to Europe
than that of most of our Anglo-Indian generals. The problem be-
fore him was not an easy one. He had to keep together an army
of beaten Asiatics bound by no tie to his person and bound to
each other only by one common hate and one common fear—hate
of the Britisher's name and fear of the British gallows. He had
to keep this ill-assorted army in constant motion at a pace which
should baffle not only the enemies who pursued him but the enemies
who streamed down at right angles to his line of march. He had,
while thus urging his half-disciplined host to mad flight, to take
some dozen cities, obtain fresh stores, collect new cannon and, above
all, induce recruits to join voluntarily a service which promised
only incessant flight at sixty miles a day. That he accomplished
these ends with the means at his disposal indicates ability of no
mean kind. Slightly as we may hold the marauding leader, he
was of the class to which Haidar Ali belonged, and, had he carried
out the plan attributed to him and penetrated through Nagpur to
Madras, he might have been as formidable as his prototype. As
it was, the Narbada proved to him what the Channel was to
Napoleon. He could accomplish anything except cross the stream
......These columns, which moved at first as slowly as British
columns are accustomed to move, learnt to march, at last ; and
some of the later marches of Brigadier Parke and Colonel Napier
were equal to half of Tatia's average rate. Still, he escaped ; and
through the hot weather and the rains, and the cold weather and
the hot weather again, he was still flying, sometimes with two
thousand 'dispirited' followers and sometimes with fifteen thou-
sand men !”—From The Friend of India.
529
34

TEMPORARY PACIFICATION
sides of Tatia, the enemy was closing round and narrow-
ing the circle. Then, Rao and Tatia had a consultation
and came suddenly to Kajuri; but there, too, was an
English army. They entered the jungles again and
marched northwards up to Talbahat. So, the English
thought that at last Tatia had given up the idea of
marching to the south. But, from there, Tatia and Rao
Sahib suddenly dashed forth, crossed the Betwa, fought
a skirmish with the English at Kajuri, and again at Rai-
garh, and then marched straight to the south, now seen,
now unseen. The English were in utter confusion at the
audacity of the attempt; they ran in all directions to
stop him. But, brushing aside and eluding these armies
by extraordinary marches, this Mahratta with the speed
of lightning, crossed ghats, forded rivers, rushed right
through forests and pushed straight towards the south !
Parke rushed from the flank, Mitchell in the rear and
Becher from the front, but still Tatia persisted in his
wonderful southward march ! There, he has come to the
Narbada, he is on the river—and the astonished and
dumbfounded world clapped its hand in applause !—
Tatia, has, at last, crossed the Narbada ! Malleson says:
“ It is impossible to withhold admiration from the perti-
nacity with which this scheme was carried out.”²
2. “Our very remarkable friend, Tatia Tope, is too trouble-
some and clever an enemy to be admired. Since last June he has
kept Central India in a fervour. He has sacked stations, plundered
treasuries, emptied arsenals; collected armies, lost them; fought
battles, lost them; taken guns from native princes, lost them; taken
more, lost them; then, his motions were like forked lightning; and
for weeks, he has marched thirty and forty miles a day. He has
crossed the Narbada to and fro; he has marched between our
columns, behind them, and before them. Ariel was not more subtle,
aided by the best stage mechanism. Up mountains, over rivers,
through ravines and valleys, amid swamps, on he goes, backwards
and forwards, and sideways and zig-zag ways, now falling upon a
post-cart and carrying off the Bombay mails, now looting a village,
headed and burned, yet evasive as Proteus”—The Times, 17th Janu-
ary 1859.
530

OFFERING IN THE SACRIFICIAL FIRE
At last, a Mahratta prince had entered the Deccan with
an army ! When it became known that Tatia had crossed
the Narbada near Hoshangabad and had arrived near
Nagpur, not only in the three presidencies, not only all
over India, not only in England, but all over Europe even,
all men, including even his enemies, shouted out in
applause, “ Bravo, Tatia, Bravo ! ” The whole Revolu-
tion had changed its colour at once !³ In front of him
lay the Nizam’s dominions where he had a powerful party
in the Durbar supporting him, on the other side were
Poona, Bombay, and the whole of Maharashtra. The
Jaripatka in the land of the Mahrattas—who knew what
hidden powers might not rise from that Raigarh, from
that Pawankhindi, from that Wargaon ! The Nizam of
Hyderabad, Lord Harris at Madras, Lord Elphinstone at
Bombay, and Lord Canning at Calcutta—all were be-
wildered with astonishment ! Such an astonishing feat
did Tatia effect in this descent into Maharashtra ! But
it was only astonishing ; for the time had now gone by
when it would also have been useful ! A year before,
this crossing of the Narbada would have had a wonderful
effect. Now, in the October of 1858, this wonderful
strategy would excite admiration but would not lead to
success ! The Revolution had by now been crushed in
almost all places. And the terrible bloodshed caused in
the fierce struggle which was still fresh before its mind,
had made the nation weak and stupid. In spite of this
if the people of Nagpur had shown some perseverance,

3. “ It was accomplished. The nephew of the man recognised
   by the Mahrattas as the heir of the last reigning Peshwa was on
   the Mahratta soil with an army . . . . The Nizam was loyal. But
   the times were peculiar . . . . Instances had occurred before, as in the
   case of the Scindia, of a people revolting against their sovereign
   when that sovereign acted in the teeth of the national feeling. It was
   impossible not to fear lest the army of Tatia should rouse to arms the
   entire Mahratta population and that the spectacle of a people in arms
   against the foreigner might act with irresistible force on the people of
   the Deccan.”—Malleson’s Indian Mutiny, Vol. V, pages, 239, 240.
   531

TEMPORARY PACIFICATION

the aspect of the Revolution might have been changed.
In the north of India, in village after village, the peasants
would voluntarily and gladly give provisions to Tatia's
men and look upon him with the reverence due to a
patriotic hero—but such was the adverse fate, that, in
the country of the Mahrattas themselves, the people were
afraid to assist him in his noble mission ! What other
fruits would the loyalty of the infamous Queen Banka
bear ? Undaunted, however, by this adverse reception of
his marvellous efforts, Tatia stayed there for some time
and began to think out the future campaign.
Immediately, the English armies began to march thither
from all directions. The English were at Melghat, Asir-
garh was closed to him, and so were Gujarat, Khandesh,
and Nagpur. The whole south was closed from below,
while, from above, from the north, the pursuing armies
had now crossed the Narbada and come after him. Still
the invincible hero did not lose heart ; not only this, but
the unbeaten warrior effected more marvellous feats in
strategic marching. Keeping in check as far as possible
the armies that were now encircling him, looting mails,
breaking telegraphs, surprising outposts, Tatia marched
straight to the source of the Narbada. Why ? He had,
now, actually set his heart upon Baroda ! All the fords
of the Narbada were watched by English armies on both
sides of the river. Still, Tatia came to a village, called
Kargun, to cross the river there. There he came across
the English commandant Major Sunderland. The armies
approached and a battle began. In the heat of the battle,
Tatia ordered all his guns to be left behind, jumped into
the Narbada, and was soon on the other side with his
men. On this occasion, Tatia and his men, indeed, per-
formed one of the most wonderful feats ever recorded in
the history of warfare, in the rapid marches which they
effected. Malleson clearly says, “ Now that the guns
were lost, his men were able to display that capacity for
rapid marching in which the natives of India are un-

532