31. The Queen: Riding in the Moonlight

We set out for Kalpi; five-six kos off the town, at a place called Kheda, we decided to stay the night. There is a tamarind grove to the east of the village, just outside the boundaries. We ate our supper there, and slept. In the first hour of dawn, suddenly horses galloped down the road, and the noise wakened us. We too started and followed them. I asked a fellow: whose army is this? where is it heading? He said: We are in the service of his highness Peshwe.  The lady of Jhansi is with us, there was a big battle at Charkhari. But the God did not grant us victory, we were beaten, and are now on the way back to Kalpi.

We followed after them in the moonlight. The army proceeded ahead of us. Two kos outside Kalpi, we came upon a well. I and uncle stopped there, to draw and drink some  water, and to catch breath. At that point four-five horsemen rode up there. The lady of Jhansi, dressed in a pathan's robe, was among them. She was very thirsty, so she asked without getting down from the horse: Who are you?

We recognised her and stood up quickly to say: we are brahmins. What may be your command? She too recognised us then, and got down from the horse, and came up and sat on the well's parapet. She spoke about what happened briefly, then said; I am thirsty.

So I got hold of the rope and the pitcher to draw the water. The lady said: you are a pundit, I would not drink water drawn by you, let me do it myself. Saying so, she took the rope from my hand, and drew the water, and drank from the pitcher.

Then she spoke: I am a lesser woman, a widow. But I was a proud Hindu, hence I was prompted to do the duty. But the God did not grant me success. We fought a big battle at Charkhari, but to no avail. Very soon Kalpi would be fought over. You are poor brahmins, you can not even ride a horse. Why do you go there?

We replied: Kalpi has a lot of southerners. We hope to earn some money there. Then we plan to cross the Jumna and head to Brahmavart for a bath in Ganges.

So be it, said the lady, and asked us to see her after reaching Kalpi. Then she rode off. 

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Here I am ending this serial excepting. Godse's book doesn't end at this point, he tells us about the battles that took place at Kalpi and Gwalior, and how the Queen died a heroic death.  His and his uncle's journey continued. They went to Brahmavart, Ayodhya, Kashi, Lucknow, and then looped back to Jhansi. Then they started on the return journey, and reached Nashik after crossing Narmada. Then back to Varsai.

Godse is no `skilled' writer, in the sense he is not good at being lucid. At many places, the narrative confuses you. (And the language he uses is ancient; it's pre-Raj Marathi. That''s a handicap for me. In the later generations, when writing flourished in Marathi, there must have been a great influence of English. But Godse had no English, and his wrote the language of the medieval Maharashtra.)

Still, he wrote a great book, thanks to one attribute: honesty. This is not to say that his account is always accurate. He was no historian, and when he writes about the war of 1857 and events in Jhansi, he essentially reproduces hearsay.  But when he is writing about the self,  his own persona shows through completely. In recounting personal experiences, there is no attempt to garnish, or to exaggerate. He may not be revealing everything; but whatever he reveals, he reveals with most effective candour.  One example should suffice: somewhere along the Ganges, he came to a place where, he tells us, women bathed in the holy river without a stitch of cloth on, without minding if men were around. Therefore, says the writer: "(We) could have an extraordinary pleasure of the eye". And this is written artlessly, with no style.  

Godse was someone who had had no idea of the western enlightenment, of how the world had changed. He was a man of the 18th century. 1857 marked the end of old India, it can be said.  In Godse, we have a narrator/witness of that end-period, a narrator who himself belonged to the era that was ending. The most interesting character in Godse's book is Godse himself.

One day I plan to translate the complete book; provided a publisher is found. For now, good-bye.

30. Jhansi: Hangings and Auctions

On the eighth day, the English government had it announced that that people may return home, without any fear. Let the corpses be taken away and disposed. Water tankers were brought to douse the fires. Bonfires were lit at the junctions of streets, and corpses were cremated. Pieces of furniture from the houses were taken out to make the bonfires.

After hearing the announcement, four-five of us stepped out to wander. Some stalls of food-stuffs, opium, tobacco, etc had been put up in front of the city governor's office. We bought some rice, tobacco-n-lime. Wind carried the stench of burning flesh around the city. It was very tiring (depressing).

The Queen had escaped, but those who were caught were brought back to the city and hanged. The lady's father, Moropant Tambe, had had his thigh slashed by the sword while fleeing. The thigh had been cut deep, still he ran off on horseback and reached Datiya town by the day-break. It was enemy's town, but he had nowhere else to go. 

His clothes blood-soaked, he reached the town-gate. A coppersmith took him home and later informed the (local) king. The king put Tambe in jail, and handed him over to the English.

He was brought to Jhansi and hanged in the afternoon. Searches were going on in the city, the culprits were hanged forthwith.

There were auctions (of the loot and the royal wealth) every day. Sinde (Scindias), Holkars, Gaiwads etc bought up elephants, horses, camels. Likewise, the royals picked up big pots and pans (from the palace kitchens).

I made a sense of all this: The men of Bundelkhand were impotent. Therefore, or by the virtue of this land, the women here were adulterous.Jhansi was the capital city, and looking at the history -- the affair of Bhangi woman, etc -- this city was awash with sin.

Now the God had willed it, on account of Laxmibai, purified.

I and uncle talked at night. We decided to go to Chitrakoot. 

29. Where Woman Be In Command, King But A Kid

The (English) government apprehended that white soldiers, being robust/bullies, would ravish the women. So every white soldier was accompanied by couple of Indian southerner. The Indians had orders to shoot the white if he so much as touched the women. Hence, there wasn't much rowdyism with women.

That day, after the sunset, we returned to our original quarters. A Karhad-origin Brahmin called Karkare, around 60-65 years old, and his 25 years old son had been shot down by the soldiers in the morning because the two took too long to get out of their house. Their respective wives -- mother-in-law and daughter-in-law -- sat by the dead bodies all day; but as the evening advanced, they were scared. They came to our place and recounted what had happened.  We seven-eight men from the neighbourhood gathered and went to the house. Pyre was set in the backyard -- where (the sacred) basil plant grows. There wasn't enough wood, so the furniture pieces in the house were broken up and added to the pyre. Thus we cremated the Brahmin and his son, and brought the women to our place. What pollution the death was to be for outsiders in that time in Jhansi. Nobody was untouchable.

Too many men died the next day. On being spotted by the English soldiers, they hid in a haystack. The English set it on fire, the men burned down. Several others jumped into wells, but the English watched from above, and fired down whenever a head bobbed up out of the water. The massacre and looting went on for three days.

Streets had turned into graveyards. But the killings ceased after the third day.

There was hardly anything to eat. On the seventh day, it being the summer, it was too hot.  So I had a bath with cold water and did my puja. We had famished, and I despaired, thinking, o God, with what intention we had set out from our homes, and what peril-to-life was visited upon us. Men's endeavour counts for nothing, fate always prevails. An old Sanskrit couplet kept coming back to me:

Where a woman be in command, the king but a kid, and minister an illiterate/ There hope of survival is scarce, no chance of holding onto money at any rate.

The couplet had come true in Jhansi.

28. Time of No Desire

We went to Mandavgane's place. We asked what was the arrangement to save oneself from the enemy's soldiers. He said there was a big deserted house nearby, its walls mostly collapsed, and overgrown with monsoon-time grass. Inside, he said, there were very big concealed recesses, where three-four people could hide at a time. The narrow entrance to the house was now built up, so there was no way to enter for an outsider. It would be safe.

We spent the night in Mandavgane's house. The city was burning. The scenes that I saw from the terrace made me indescribably desolate.

 Before the dawn, we rose and did our ablutions, to be ready to move into the deserted house. Suddenly there was a gunshot very close to the house,  Mandavganes hid inside, in the darkness of the house. My entire body from the throat down felt parched; legs, as if, dissolved. I and the uncle went forward, there were two English soldiers. We prostrated ourselves on the earth before them and said: we are not from Jhansi. We came from the South, to make some money. Spare our lives.

They figured out, from our speech, that we were not from this country. Then they asked for money and rifled our belongings. Rs 250 in coin were wrapped into a  kerchief bundle, it fell down and made noise. The soldiers took it and left us (alive), by our luck.

We went to the deserted house. The recesses were full of men and women. Outside, hundreds of muskets were going off.  It was very hot, it being the month of Vaishakh. Around noon, I was terribly thirsty.  There was a lull in the musket fire, so I ventured out to the well outside and drew a pitcher of water. As I downed it, there was a big explosion nearby. I dropped the pitcher and darted off, looking for the nearest recess with some room. Two women were hiding in one; I entered it, the women directed me. 

Three of us sat crammed in that place. Our breasts touched. The woman next to me must about 18-20, I was myself 30-33. But we both feared for life, and hence felt no desire. 

 

27. Queen Leaves Jhansi

Towers of the fort offerred panorama of a pathetic city. Houses were on fire. Cattle roamed the streets, crying out for water and feed. Hundreds of corpses were strewn around. 

At dusk, the Queen ordered that fort gates be opened; those who wanted to escape into the city, could go. I and uncle too left, and reached Mandavgane's place.

Around midnight, the Queen left the fort  with 1,500 troops. They ran into the English, and sword-fight started. Hundreds were killed, the Queen lost 400. The Queen rode a white horse. She was dressed in a men's attire and wore an armour of mesh and carried a sword under her arm. The 12-year-old adopted son was strapped to the back. 

As she passed along, the English chased after. The Queen broke through their ranks and galloped away. Most of the troops with her perished in the fight, she was left with only a handful of men and her maid (who too rode a horse). They set our for Kalpi. The English horsemen went after them a mile out, but turned around as nothing could be seen in the darkness of the night. 

The Queen reached Kalpi by the next nightfall. When she woke up in the morning, she had her period, which made her (momentarily) untouchable. What a condition she found herself in! Words fail me. She hadn't had a meal for three days. Apart from the sari and blouse she had on, she had no other feminine clothes. She had no money. No wonder she was in tears; those who saw her wept uncontrollably. 

26. Massacre of Jhansi

The English entered the city, and started shooting all the men at sight. Halwai Pura was set on fire; the killings began. The men between the ages of five and eighty began to be smoked out and killed. Some warriors of the Queen army returned downtown, found barber and shaved off beards, whiskers, etc, to take on non-soldier like guise. Those who could not find a barber, shaved themselves. Some disguised themselves as monks. Thousands of Englishmen entered the city from all directions and killed left, right and centre. The chaos could not be imagined. Bhide family kept a small park in central Jhansi. Around 20,000 men and women gathered there. When the English soldiers arrived to kill, those inside lay prostrate before them, and pleaded: we are subjects/civilians. There is no warrior among us, spare our lives. The English took pity on them, and left after putting guard at the entrance to the compound.

The invaders went from house to house. Men in the house would be beaten up, tortured, until they revealed the hidden money. If anything was found, the men would be spared. But then another gang of Englishmen would land, and killed the men of the house upon not finding anything to loot.

But the English didn't kill the women. Yet, some ladies from good families thought the enemy would convert/rape them: they jumped into backyard wells and killed themselves. In some houses women stood between their husbands and the barrel of enemy's gun; and were shot. The men, nevertheless, would be shot after the wife fell dead.

However, the English didn't kill women intentionally. Keeping a distance, they would ask the ladies to remove jewellery, and would ransack the house.  Walls would be tapped with sticks; sometimes a part would be broken, to find a hidden pitcher of money. Floors too were dug up.

Thirsty animals -- horses, elephants, camels, dogs -- roamed the streets, crying out.

  

25. The Breach

On the night of the eleventh day of the battle, a shell fell on a fully-grown elephant which was tethered at the front entrance. It singed his back. Some shells hit the menagerie, which housed some exotic birds, mynas, peacocks, other animals. The poor beasts cried out and cried out: all of them perished. It was a  disaster.

On the morning of the 12th day,  the English army had its men stack up countless piles of water-soaked hay against the southern city-wall. Using them as stairs, thousands of  English troops climbed the wall. Those guarding the southern side panicked, and fled. English now had no obstruction.

The Queen heard this, and descended from the fort at the head of a force of a thousand-and-half long-serving Muslim/Arab soldiers. Soon, they came face to face with the English.

A hand-to-hand battle broke out, blades flashed. The only right simile would be Mahabharatian war. The English lost heart, and ran off eastwards. They entered some houses, and started shooting at the Queen's Muslim force. The Muslims had no means of returning the fire. An old general, a septuagenarian, went to the Queen and said to her holding her hand: Your highness, if you were to advance, a bullet will kill you. There is no glory in dying a whore's death. The English are sheltering behind house walls. Let's return to the fort and lock ourselves in,  let the God then guide us on future course of action. 

24. Shell in the Mirror Palace

Tatya Tope and Raosaheb arrived on the south-east side of the city on the tenth day, and started bombarding the English. Tope fought at his hardest. Hand-to-hand fight started. It was accompanied by the racket of war-drums and pipes. Our forces were about to win the battle, but the fate intervened: the wind changed its direction and

the smoke (of guns) started blowing into Peshwa's army. The English advanced, with their guns. Their cavalry boldly charged, without fear of life. Peshwa's men panicked and took to heels. Tope and others too abandoned the guns and fled the battle field. The English returned to their camp triumphant the next morning. 

The English launched an all-out assault. The townsmen had spent the previous night sleepless. When the battle entered the eleventh day, spies brought news that the enemy is running out of ammunition, it won't last a day longer. The Queen, armed with sword, standing on the rampart, handed rewards to the gunners. She herself lighted the cannon-fuses sometimes. 

The English guns targeted the residential quarters in the fort. On the second-floor of the royal palace, there was a hall with a permanent decoration; for Ganesh, and for nav-ratr. It was a mirror hall, really: walls and the ceiling were lined with Lucknow-made mirrors. Also, there were chandeliers. A shell fell on the roof, smashed through the roof  and came down to explode with a big noise. Shrapnel flew around, four men died. Not a mirror was left un-shattered.  

However, though the shells fell on the roof, they did not damage the palace. Only, they burned through the ceilings in between to hit the lower floors. So the roof and the  ceilings became sieve-like.

But the shells kept coming, and we the inmates were scared.  Everybody gathered in a room which was felt to be safer. Sixty-four persons stood there in that small room; including the slave-maids. We sweated, due to the summer heat, and due to the fear for life. There wasn't room enough to breath. After a few hours, Queen's gunners hit the English position, and shut down their guns. Thus the fortune kept swinging.

That night, I prayed to Lord Vaijnath, our village deity. When I dropped off for a bit. I had a dream: We, a mass of some 200 men, were crossing the river. When in the middle, suddenly water gushed down, and we almost drowned.  Then a wrestler-like, fair complexioned  load-carrier, standing in the mid-current, said to us: Fear not, I have come to save you. Give me your hands, I would take you to the bank.

Then a gun boomed, and I woke up. I told the uncle about the dream. He said/we understood, that we would survive.  

23. Catcher of Shells

On the fifth day of the battle, British artillery shut down a gun on the western face of the fort. Their shells demolished the gun-platform too. It was necessary to rebuild it.  After the midnight, some masons were brought.  One of them lay down flat on the tower, so as not to be sighted by British gunners. A human assembly line was formed from the foot of the tower, to pass bricks, etc, up. They rebuilt the platform and put the gun back. This gun started shelling the enemy's position, and shut down two English guns.

The English barrage upon the fort peaked on the seventh day.  They targeted Shankar Fort at day-break.  The English have binoculars, one can see the whole fort through them, and whereabouts of men working inside. They cost a couple of thousand rupees, or more. Through one such binocular, the enemy saw that there was only one source of water in the fort. They started shelling it. Four Brahmin water-carriers died. There was a gun-powder factory inside the fort, at Tamarind ground. A shell fell there, and the gunpowder caught fire. There was smoke everywhere, even in the palace down below. Nothing could be seen. When the smoke cleared, it was found that some thirty men and seven-eight women had died of burns. Another forty were injured.

There was no water for bath in the fort that day. Queen's gunners then swung the guns to aim at British position, and shut down a couple of enemy's guns. Thus, reverses and triumphs continued.

The battle became too intense on the eighth day. At night, it was as if the skies had opened up; enemy's guns spewed red balls of fire over the city. People left the houses to save themselves.  On the morrow, the Queen was verily worried. Jhansi forces needed help from outside badly, Raosaheb Peshwa's troops were yet to arrive.

She consulted Dhekre, the priest, and Pandit Upasni, and had a hundred Brahmins perform anushthan at  Ganesh temple , so that Raosaheb may reach quickly.  While the anushthan  went on, the Queen dozed off awhile at night. In her dream, she saw a beautiful married woman, fair, with a straight nose and broad forehead, bejeweled, wearing a red sari and white silk blouse, standing on the ramparts. She was catching the shells with bare hands. While at it, she spoke to the Queen, showing her hands which were blackened by ash, "But for me, who would catch these shells?"

  

  

For those who read this blog: There is no update lately, because I am busy with something. Would restart updating from second/third week of June.

22. Shells Like Cricket Balls

The battle began on a moonless night. British guns began firing. Shells started landing in the city. It brought untold misery to the people. Many civilians were killed. Some houses caught fire, and tankers were brought to douse flames. 

British shells fell in great numbers on the fort too. A shell would hit the terrace of the palace, and explode. Splinters would kill four-five people. The same shell would then fall through the terrace on to the lower floor, blowing some more splinters and killing some more. It would further burn through and fall down on lower floor and blow up; shrapnels would kill many more.

Britishers spent a lot of these fort-buster shells. People estimated that they cost five hundred rupees apiece.  A couple of unexploded shells were weighed, they were at least 60-65 sher. Thus, the battle hotted up.

A community kitchen was opened for those who had come from the south.

On the third day of the battle, British gunners targeted the cannon on the southern tower of the fort.  No gunner from Queen's army could stand the enemy fire. But then the fort gunners from the west-side tower started firing, they hit the best gunner in the British army. The Queen rewarded him with a silver bracelet. 

At night, we would go to one of the towers to watch British shells flying into the city. The shells were heavy, but looked only red and small. During the day, because of the light, shells could not be spotted until they hit, so this caused very many deaths. But at night, the red shells, like cricket balls, could be seen clearly. One felt it would hit him, but it would fall several hundred paces off eventually. 

Thus the battle progressed day and night.  

 

21. Vaishakh

The British first secured Bundel-khand. Then they moved on Jhansi. Their army set up camps to the west of the city, and a horseman was sent with a letter for the Queen.

The letter said: The Queen herself should come out and meet the British officers. She shouldn't bring troops along. If she did not come within two days, she should be ready for the battle.

The Queen sent a reply: My delegation will meet you. But I being a lady, would not come out. Captain Gordon handed over this state to us, with papers. I maintain a small army for security of the province, and a few cannons. We never think of going to war with the British, whatever you may have been told.

The British then sent out dispatches everywhere, summoning forces. Some troops were sent towards Kalpi, so as to stop Peshwa and Tatya Topi, and not allow them to come to the Queen's aid.

The Queen too sent a few horsemen to Raosaheb at Kalpi with a message: We are going into war, we count on your help. You may attack the British from outside. 

Raosaheb agreed.

 The British had it announced in the villages surrounding Jhansi that there will be a slaughter in the city for three days once it fell. Everyone above the age of five will be put to death. So no one should venture into Jhansi in this period.

Then came the month of Chaitra. The Queen held a haldi-kunku . Married women of the gentry families were invited. It was a big affair.

Marwaris and other money-lenders in Jhansi sent their families to Gwalior, along with the cash. Then the month of Vaishakh was upon us. British forces gathered outside the city wall. Their camps dotted the area, fires were lit. British had about sixty thousand troops, plus some thirty thousand camp followers. The city was now encircled.

20. Beauty And Brahmin - 2

At night, the girl arrived as usual. The wife saw her, and let her sneak up the stairs. After a while, the wife too went up, and put her ear to the room's door. She heard sound of laughter. Enraged, she banged at the door and asked the Brahmin Narayan to open up.

The Brahmin said from inside: We won't open the door. This isn't your business. Go away.

The wife replied: You have always been a philanderer, but we haven't met (slept together) for the last six months. You expect me to be content only with food and clothing (that you provide) and carry on? Am I not young?

The Brahmin replied: You have a two-year-old son. I am no more indebted to you, I do not want to sleep with you.  Now scram, otherwise you would get a thrashing.

The wife was helpless, she stepped down and sat weeping under the stairs.

The news spread across the city. Within a short period, four-five other Brahmins were enamoured with the lass. She told this to her patron, and asked: what should I do? The Brahmin Narayan said: You don't need money. So tell each of those who desire you: I will sleep with you, but you must hand me your sacred thread (yadnyo-pa-vit).

The other suitors of the girls readily agreed to this bargain. She slept with them in return for the thread. This went on for two years.

The governor came to know about the plight of Narayan's wife. He sent a Kotwal (police chief) to his house. Kotwal and his men found the Brahmin with the lass. Both were arrested.

Next morning, they were brought to the court. When people started slandering Narayan, the Bhangi girl said: He alone isn't guilty. Many (other) Brahmins of the city visited me. I only took their threads, police may go to my house and check. A pot full of threads was indeed found, there were about 175 of them.

The Brahmin (Narayan) said to the governor: I had a son from my wife, my marital life is over. Now I may be allowed to leave the city with this girl. Governor gave them the permission; both of them bid adieu to Jhansi.

But now the governor was worried: (almost) the whole city had sinned. Then it was decided that expiation must be carried out. Cow's urine was brought, and all the brahmins underwent expiation. 

So it once happened in Jhansi.

 

19. Beauty And Brahmin - 1

Jhansi is in Bundelkhand; water here isn't good for men. It breeds too many impotent men. A quarter of the men are impotent. 

I saw some men: the wife lusts after a stranger, she asks the husband to invite him over. Then she befriends the stranger, meets him by herself, and makes love to him. There were many instances of this.

I heard and wrote down in my note-book a tale: It happened in Jhansi in the time of Madhavrao II. A Brahmin, one Narayan, once saw a woman of Bhangi caste (toilet cleaners' caste) with her 15-year-old daughter when he came out of latrine. The Brahmin had studied the tradition of love-making, he thought that the girl must be what scriptures define as "Padmin", an extremely beautiful lass.

The Brahmin said to the girl's mother: don't marry off this girl, instead, I will keep her. She won't lack for anything, nor would you. But don't tell anyone about this.

The Bhangi woman agreed. Then the girl started visiting Brahmin's place every midnight, they would make love, and she would depart before the day-break. The Brahmin's wife became suspicious; (she thought) never before he let eight months pass without sleeping with me, we made love (at least) once a week. He has got some whore now, she has possessed him. Then one day, Brahmin's wife stayed up to keep watch below the first-floor room (where the Bhangi girl used to meet the Brahmin). 

18. A Queen's Day

A few days later, the weather deteriorated; it rained heavily. Severe cold set in. The beggars in the city thought of seeking warm clothes from the Queen. One evening, when the Ladyship was visiting the Mahalaxmi temple, over a thousand beggars congregated near the southern entrance. When Lakshmibai came out, the beggars created a hullabaloo. The Queen asked, why these people have come here? Lakhmanrao, the secretary, said: These are destitute beggars, and presently it is very cold, so they demand clothing, sheets.

The Queen then directed that every poor person in the city be given a woolen cap, a jacket, and a blanket each, these things be distributed at a gathering of beggars four days hence. The tailors were summoned, and announcement was made across the city. On the fourth day, some four thousand beggars -- men, women and children -- gathered to collect warm clothing. There were a few ordinary poor among them, too.

A Queen's day

The Ladyship never hesitated to spend money. Her valour and generosity were priceless. The people in the Fort, as well as in the palace below were fed well. She wanted her protege to be happy, well-clothed. 

Lakshmibai wrote well; she drafted her own ordinances. She habitually dressed like a man: a pair of trousers, a tunic or a jacket, a topee. She always carried a sword. After her husband's demise, she stopped wearing jewelery; except a couple of bangles and a pearl around the neck. Hair would be tied in a bun.

In the morning, after the bath, she would do pooja, wearing a white sari and a white blouse. There was a basil plant, and a lingam. There would be a recital of Puran, and noblemen would come to offer respects. There were around a hundred and fifty who came to pay court daily; if one of them was absent, she would ask him the next day why you were not there. 

The Queen came to her office around noon. Dressed in man's outfit sometimes, sometimes in woman's. Secretary Lakshmanrao would be there, alongwith seven-eight clerks. This is how she went about her administration.

The Ladyship loved working out. She got up at dawn, to do malla-khamb, followed by an elephant ride, and a nutritious breakfast with milk, before the bath.    

She had her own ways, but never crossed the line. 

On Fridays and Tuesdays she visited the Mahalaxmi temple. 

War was in the offing, preparations were on. 

17. Queen Rules in Jhansi

 At night, Garden Sahib came to meet Her Highness Lakshmibai. He was taken to her chamber. The Lady offered him a chair to sit.

Garden Sahib said to her: I do not care what happens to us, but you must protect our women. My wife is a delicate lady; matchless in beauty and wit among the European women in this country. And, she is seven months pregnant. So please keep her at your house. She would wash pots, grind grain, whatever, but do save her life. I say nothing further.

Lakshmibai said: I would protect her as best as I can, worry not. Saying that, she left. Garden Sahib left the palace.

The next morning, English women in the city came to the palace, with the children. Lakshmibai put them up in a vacant quarters, under guard.

The native soldiers became restless around ten and started firing in air. The Jhansi cantonment was small, there were (relatively) fewer Englishmen. Natives killed all of them. They also seized the treasury and the ammunition. The buildings of cantonment were set on fire.

The soldiers then rushed to the palace, and called out to Lakshmibai. The Lady came out and met the native officers. She assured them that they were safe. The officers said to her: You are our mistress (from now on), we would obey your orders. Treasury has twenty-five thousand rupees, and we are battle-ready. 

Lakshmibai had it announced across the town that she was now the ruler. Foundries were started to make new guns, a factory to make gunpowder too was set up. After doing all this,  the Lady moved into the Fort on an auspicious day

16. Jhansi

Things had now settled down in Kalpi; the English had disappeared from North India. We then went to Jhansi. 

Jhansi is a densely populated city. Streets are flat, some of them are even paved. Many skilled people live here. Money-lending is conducted with honesty, financiers are a credible lot. It is often called Pune of the North.

There are several open spaces, and small gardens set therein. There is a big ground in front of the government house. Four check-posts stand in four directions. Some 200 southern Brahmin families live here. Houses have sloping roofs, and not flat mud-roofs (unlike elsewhere in the North) because it rains heavily due to proximity of Vindhya ranges. Groundwater is abundant, every house has its own well. 

Adoption issue

After the death of Jhansi's prince, Gangadhar, the English Resident took over. But he paid no attention to treasury or the royal estates, he only took care of security and order. Lakshmibai, the prince's widow, wanted to visit Prayag, for undergoing head-tonsure (as ordained by Hindu texts). But the Resident denied her permission to travel. 

Lakshmibai had adopted an 11-year-old boy. Around this time, mutiny broke out at the Jhansi cantonment. The Englishmen panicked. The Resident, and a few other Englishmen, called on the Lakshmibai and said to her that the Englishmen were now doomed, so she should take reigns of the state in her hands. Territories under Jhansi state yielded revenue of rupees 25 lakh. The Resident further said: The mutiny is about to start,   please protect our lives. Keep us within the fort.

Lakshmibai replied: When my late husband, ailing, wanted to adopt a son, so as to provide a successor, you said that adoptive son may not succeed to the throne. Later, when I sought permission to travel to Prayag, it wasn't granted. How would I protect you now? (If I did) the native soldiers would turn on me. 

 

15. Tantya Takes Kalpi

Lucknow 

(After the Muslim King's death) The Queen governed Lucknow. She was a frugal ruler.

Lucknow is an ancient city; once it was a part of Mughal empire. The city hadn't witnessed war or disorder in the last thousand years. But it had to pay tribute to the Sovereign. Never did it have dispute with neighbouring rulers.

It's a big city, river Gomati winds her course through it. There is a lot of greenery, gardens, bridges. The Nawab had got built a special garden for himself, it is said that it had silver cisterns.

When the strife in North India began, some companies of soldiers supported the Queen; she took over the rule.

The English assaulted the city with a big force. But there was this Nepali general, Jang-Bahadur, who sided with the Queen. He had a force of ten thousand; soon he ran off the English. 

The English approached Jang-Bahadur. He was offerred bribe to betray the Queen. Eventually he transferred the loyalty to them. A battle began, it went on for five-six days. The English took the city, the Queen fled. The victors looted the city for several days. Hundreds of men were massacred. It being a big city, some partisans of the royal side kept up the fight in their (respective) burrows. 

Tatntya Takes Kalpi

Kalpi is located on the banks of Yamuna. A fine fort stands there, at the riverbanks. Tantya was in this area about the time Lucknow fell. He ransacked many villages and then marched on Kalpi. Some of the troops joined him, and the English inside the fort were outnumbered. After a brief battle, they fled, but were captured by Topi's army and were put to death. Topi raised ochre flag at the fort.

The surrounding area -- which yielded annual revenue of rupees 54 lakh -- came under Topi's control. He began administering it in earnest, Kalpi was made the headquarters, revenue officers were appointed. 

14. Sack of Brahmavart

Nanasaheb left Brahmavart with Raosaheb, Balasaheb, and the women of the household. They took some family heirlooms with them. It included the ochre robe which Ramdas had given to King Shivaji, handed down to Peshwas by King Shahu later. Rest all was left, and they set out at sun-down. People saw them leaving, and cried. The scene could be only compared to that of Lord Ram leaving Ayodhya at the beginning of his 14-year exile.

On reaching the river bank, Nanasaheb paid obeisance to Ganga. Mother, you blessed us all these years, and now you have willed that we leave. Saying so, they boarded a barge. Nanasaheb said to the people who had gathered there: Do not follow us further. We have spent some good time together. I will never forget you. Go back home, we will meet again. 

Before the barge set off,  Nanasaheb asked the fishermen -- who were supposed to steer it --  to get down. We would steer it ourselves, he said. So fishermen got off. Barge sailed in the darkness, lit up only by candles. People had lined both the banks of the river. Upon reaching midstream, Nanasaheb had the candles put out. Then he threw the heirlooms into water. When people saw that candles were out, they thought Nanasaheb had sunk the barge, alongwith  its passengers. Wave of grief swept the onlookers.

(But it was only a camouflage. The barge took them to Lucknow, where the ruling Muslim Queen gave them shelter.)

The British attacked Brahmavart on the third day of Nanasaheb's departure.  They killed every native man in sight. British soldiers entered houses and dug up the floors to get buried treasures. Those who were fleeing were looted. The pillage went on for two full days. People became penniless.

It stopped on the third day, when the Government issued a fiat and reestablished order. Those who were involved in the mutiny were arrested and hanged. 

13. Defeat, Grief, Panic

As native soldiers started fleeing, Balasaheb himself took charge of one of the unmanned cannons. It's gunner had got killed. Balasaheb loosed off a few shots; but English shells soon picked off other gunners. Infantry and cavalry took to heels. 

Nanasaheb, Raosaheb and Balasaheb agreed that the battle was lost. There was no point in dying a dog's death. It was better to run away, regroup armies, and fight again for the victory.

The (surviving) native army then took the road to Brahmavart. The English commander ordered that victory trumpets be blown. The English army pressed on, and seized the place where mutineers had camped. 

Lot of men died on either side. Survivors (among natives) fled to Fatehpur, some went to Brahmavart.

Nanasaheb reached Brahmavart at sun-down. The news of defeat hadn't reached there. Some of the townsfolk met Nanasahib on the outskirts. Seeing the expression on his face, they realized that victory had eluded him. He was greeted, but nothing was spoken. Nanasaheb sighed. Then he said unto the crowd: We embarked on this venture for the sake of Hindus. It has failed. I do not hope to live through this. Goddess Ganges willed so.

 Then he retreated into his palace.

A great confusion ensued. People said: His Highness would soon leave with the army; where do we go? English would surely follow, and massacre us.

People buried the valuables in the earth. Some dumped it into wells. Everybody was now for himself; women and children were left in the lurch. Grief engulfed Brahmavart.