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RACES AND RELIGIONS, UNITING AS IN THE SEPOY UPRISING w IN 1857, THREATEN SPREAD OF ANTI-BRITISH REVOLT IN INDIA Historic painting dealing with the great uprising of 1857?British blowing patriotic Sepoys from the guns. Crude Acts of Tyranny Fanning the Flames of With Their Fellow-Mires?Silkhs, Gurkhas, and Others Slowing Signs of Disaffection. General Unrest Is Making Soldiers Mo Rebels Against tie Ruling Power?Ammu nition and Anns in Plenty lave Been Made Ready for the InSial Stroke. By BASANTA KOOMAR ROT, Noted Hindu Writer, Lecturer and Recognized Authority on India and the Far East. ?)RE8S dispatches from India and England have already begun speaking of the mysterious move ments of British troops in India. General I/ord Raw linson, the commander-in-chief of the British military forces in India, has recently more than once gone on record to say that he most decidedly expects uprisings in India of rather serious character. Consequently he is vehemently opposed to the reduction of military expenditure in India that is daily growing more and more militant, especially after the imprisonment of Mahatma Gandhi, who did his utmost to keep .the movement absolutely peaceful, at least for the time being and until the opportune moment arrived. Gandhi is more admired and revered than followed in the land of his birth. His failure to keep India peaceful lands him into prison today. And the tide of militancy is rising so high that the British government is con sidering the suspension of civil authorities, and the placing of the entire country under strict and stringent martial law, so that every man, every woman and every child may be sum marily shot dead who dares to show the least patriotic feeling, and challenge, in thought, action or word the political and military supremacy of the British in In dia. SPIRIT OF REVOLT I)ERP. It Is dally becoming apparent that the spirit of revolt against British rule la so deep seated and widespread that an eruption can not be long delayed. The forces that developed India's war of Inde pendence of 1867 are active again, only In a more dynamically vital way. The secret revolutionary ac tivities which began lri Bengal and In Maharashtra havs spread all over India. The disloyalty of the Indian troops is dally becoming more evi dent. During the Sepoy war of II117 the Sikh princes and the Sikh ?oldiers sided with the British to avenge their wrath against the Mogul dynasty. But the Hindus and the Mahommedans were united as one In their opposition against the British. Hindu generals and Mohammedan generals, Hindu troops and Mohammedan troop* fought side by side against the British But the Liigbty Sikhs have at last awakened from an Ignoble dream It Is the Sikh soldiery that has formed the principal bulwark of British paramountry In India and the East. And the British Em pire in the East rests on the loy alty of the Sikh. But the Sikh has changed. By experience?by suffering, sor row w?cl Insult?the Sikh hasnt last discovered that he is nothing more than a willing slave to the Briton. With the dawnlrtg of this con sciousness he is showing signs of revolt, and the British are taking special care to preserve the loyal ty of the Sikh. The Briton has met with but little succea in this attempt of his. Peaceful per suasion has failed, and coercion has already begun against the Sikh, so much so, that even the Sikh temple at Nankhan Sahel has been outraged by the Briton. Latest papers from India relate stories how, about a month ago, Hindu temples. Mohammedan mosques and . the Sikh granth were subjected to British out rage. Crude acta of British tyranny are fanning the flames of revo lution In India. The Sikh regi ments are seriously affected. The Ourkhas are the worst, na tionally speaking. Wherever there Is to be a filthy piece of military work to be done, there the Gurkhas are sent. They are Mongolian In race and come from the fo?5t of the Himalayas. DEFY BRITISH . ORDE" When 'the valiant Moplalis rose last summer, the Hindu, Moslem and Sikh soldiers could not be trusted with the campaign against them. It was the Oukhas who fought against the Moplahs. And such are, indeed, the cur rents of thought in India today ? that even a few amongst the Gurkhas are showing signs of revolt. Recently the members of the outlawed National Volun teer* were marching through the streets of Calcutta In open defi ance of British ordinances, and these rebel* were Joined by a few mutinoua Gurkhas. The story of the greaaed cart ridge and the annexation of Oudh were not the real cauaea of the uprialng. The real cauae waa India's desire to win India's In dependence by ^throwing off the British yoke. Not only the Hindu and Mos lem soldiers In the British army of occupation mutlnod, but rose also In open revolution, Emper ors. Rajas. lUtnees. Ranua, landlords, merchants, priests, peasants and worklngmen. Writes Justin McCarthy in his "History of Our Own Times:" "The fact was that throughout the greater part of the northern and northwestern provinces of the Indian peninsula, there was a rebellion of the native races against English power. "It was not alone the Sepoys who rose In revolt?It was not by any means a merely military mutiny. ,? ? ? The quarrel about the greaasd cartridges was but tho chan * *pnrk flung in among all the combustible material. If that spark had not lighted it. some other would have done the work. The Mserut Sepoys found in a moment, a leader, a flag, and a cauae. and the mutiny was trans formed ?nto a revolutionary war." ; nnnlaed and exploited Lakithl Hal. Itann of Jhu?l, one of the royal women lender* of tlio 189? uprising. by the same British, the various wets and racea and province* of India today have become more united and Infinitely more resolved to throw off the galling yoke of British despotism. In 1867 the people of Indta were not disarmed. India used to manufacture can nons, runs, rifles, bullets and gun powder. India's soldiers were cap able of handling huge cannons. tl)ey wero supplied with the beat of rlflea, and they were trained Into being officers. MHARMKI) BY BRITISH. But ever since the war of 1867. Indians have been forcibly dis armed by the British. The manu facture of arms and ammunitions Is exclusively* controlled by tlio British. Bven the military forces of the Indian princes are under the direc t control of the British government. And Umi Indian soldiers la llut India's women have been ever warlike. Here bt presented Prin cess ( hand Ulbl, the defender of Aliinadnagar against All bar, the great Mogul emperur, in 109). British army are armed with in ferior arms, and their movements are vigilantly wa|ched by experts. I personally know of many soldiers who were and even today are severely punished for attending Indian patriotic meetings for the boycott of British goods. These ahd other disabilities, and ' the general unrest in India are making rebels of Indian soldiers in British employ. Consequently they and the Indian revolutionary leaders are now engaged In deriv ing the moral from the struggle of 1857. TWO HAVE JOINED HANDS. Today, as around the saintly personality of Mahatma Gandhi the Hindus and the Mohammedans have Joined hands, similarly In 1IB7 around the personality of the Mogul Emperor Bahadur-Shah the Hindus and the Mohammedans united and rent the sky with united war cry of Hara, Hara (Hindu war cry), Din, Din (Mo hammedan war cry)?Din, Din, Hara. Hara. In 1167 India pro duced only a few able generals. The paucity of their number In sured the failure of their fight Kmperor ttahad.^. Shah was old Kooman Singh, one of India's historic figures, who fought valiantly against the British in the Sepoy rebellion. I and feeble and lacking in cour age. Nana Sahib wan a brave ffiplomat, but not a great general. Moulavi Ahmed Shah, an expert loader in guerrilla warfare. Koo mar Singh, the lion of Jagadl sphur, wan an expert general and fearless fighter. At various encounters the Brit ish generals had occasion to know that, though his resources were limited, as a military commander he was more than a match for them. Tantia Tope was the ablest Indian military commander the revolution produced. He was a childhood friend of Nana Suhlb. His power of organisation, quick ness of decision and consummate generalship remind onp of Na poleon. Tantia, however, lacked the luck for success which at tended Napoleon's campaign. INSPIRATION A WOMAN. The unalloyed embodiment of the very aoul of this great revolution ary war.' kbwever, was a wonnn. Queen I^akshmi Hal of Jhansi. As the name of Joan of Arc la known in France, similarly the name of the Ilanee (queen) of Jhansi is known In India. Such Is. the in spiration of her example that shfr la canonised In the hearts of the people of India. During festive occasions numer ous songs are atill sung in her honor. Here are the first two linea of a song compoaad in 1158: "Khub lari mardpni, aray Jhan tiwali Ranee "Burjan burjan topain lagai dain, gold chalai agmanee." The aotig reads in transla tion : "Well fought the brave one, O the Rante of Jhansi! "Tha Gu.nt were placed in the tow err, the magic bails were fired. "O, the Ranee of Jhanei, well fought fie brave one. "Wi the eoldiera were fed with' sweets; she herself had mo lasses and rice. "O, the Ranee of Jhanei, well fought the brave one. "Leaving her palace, she fled to the army, where she senrcned and found no water. "0, the Ranee of Jhanei, well fovght the brave one." The Itanee of Jhansl was born In 1836. She was a cousin of Nana Sahib Beshwa. Both ware reared together In the same palace of Bhramavarta, and both were trained in the use of firearm* and swords and In military science under the same teachers. They played and rode together, and to gether they dreamed of a free India. Her pet name at home was Chabcll. She was married to Prince Oan ffadhar Kao of Jhansl. Her hus tiand suddenly died In 1861, and she adopted Damodar as her son. The British government arbitrarily de nied her the right of adoption, and forcibly announced the annexation of Jhans. The Kane*, however, denied the order of the British government and declarnl: "1 will not (rive up my Jhansi. Let him take who dares." After the fall of Delhi and Luck now things looked gloomy for the . revolutionists li^ the north. All the important strongholds were captured by the British only when helped by the renegade princes and their soldiers. So the revolution ary leaders of Ou^h and Bohllk hand decided to take, to guorlllu warfare and Issued the following proclamation: "Do not attempt to tn*?t the regular columns of the British In open battle, because they are su perior to you in discipline and they have big guns. But watch theiv movements, guard all the ghats on the livers, Intercept th.'lr cominu nlmtlons. stop their supplies, rut up tbair dint* and po*U and k?-< Another hUtorlc mm? from the stirring days of 1*57. Nana Sahib and hi* escort. constantly hangtng about their camp. SEAT OF WAR SHIFTED. While guerilla warfare was go ing on In the north the principal ?eat of war shifted further south The Queen of Jhansi wm prepar ing to declare ouen war on the British. Numerous revolutionists from the north rushed to Jhansi, and Jhansi, under the able leader . ship of her twenty-thres-year-old Queen and general, was well pre pared to strike a blow against the British for the Independence of the motherland. The Ranee her self looked after the fortifications and placement of guns on the ram parts of her forts. Both men and women worked together for the manufacture of gr?ns and ammuni tion, and both men and women were drilled to Join the ensulnc fight. . engagement begun. . At last on the 10th of March 1858, the British troops, under General Sir Hugh Rose, encamped fourteen miles away from Jhansi The engagement began on th* 24th Regular fight thickened the next day. The British were helpless before the Ranee s gun ners. like Oneam Kahn find Khuda Baksh. '"The Queen her self led the whole army. On every rampart and every gale, she was moving about actively, she was standing where guns were being planted and moved Into position; she was busy se lectlng clever gunners, and she was to be found everywhere. In spiring heroism even In the cold est hearts." sn.ENCED Ql'EEN'8 GUNS. Thus re-enforced, the British (vegan their assault again on April 3. and succeeded at last In silencing the guns of the Itanee. The southern gate fell first and the British entered Jhansi. The Ranee, with about 1.500 men. rushed toward .he Brlt^ lsh and with her sword mow*! down the British soldiers, and -at last escaped through the British lines by a clever ruse. One maid and about fifteen horse men formed her bodyguard. She galloped at full speed, and ths ? Mahratta Queen wan as much at ease galloping a horse as In the zenana listening to her fav ortte minstrel." KILTED MAID'S SLAVER. Her maid was killed by an Eng lish soldier, and quietly she killed the English soldier. At last, by sheer force of superhuman valor she broke through the British lines, and galloped her horse. Sh* was followed by several English soldiers. When she wan about to be out of the reach of the enerfiy soldiers her new horse refused 10 jump over a narrow rill. The Bng lsh soldiers soon attacked her. at"! single-handed, she fought again them all for a long time, killii several. At last a chivalrous Er llah soldier struck her from bshli . and the right side of her hi., i with the right eye was cut op. .? Another English sword struck l> > on the chest 'Thus the Ranee of Jhinsl. Th Illustrious Lakshi Bal, died flghtl" for ths Independence of her rw try. As Princess Chand RIM d feVided Ahmednanar against 1 mighty Mogul Ei?p*ro. Akhor w ths Ranes of Jhansi defended tl" honor of India against the BrlU-? Jhansi was anncied ahd the ft*' Vws killed. b?it her mewwy "'lit r . Mullioi'S of UUrtii u .a