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