JUST as the tremendous shock was shaking the whole of North- Western India, towards Umballa and the Panjab, so also in the South, another part of the country was trembling through another of its waves. In the town of Aligarh, below Delhi, there was the regiment called the “9th Native Infantry.” Some detachments of this regiment were stationed at Minpur, Itawa, and Boland. The Government had such confidence in this regiment, that they thought that it would never revolt even though all the Sepoys in India should rise against them. Though the officials heard rumours that, in the bazaars of Boland, secret revolutionary societies were rife, they believed that the 9th regiment was sure to stand aloof from them, and remained idle in this sense of false security.
About the month of May, the places about Boland selected from amongst them a revered, faithful, and fredom-loving Brahmin, and deputed him immediately to Boland town. The Brahmin walked away with quick steps, his heart overwhelmed with conflicting emotions of hope of success and fear of failure of the errand on which he want, towards the military station of Boland, which on the one hand was relied upon by the English for loyalty, and, on the other, was looked upon with hopeful eyes by the Mother-country. Will my compatriots listen to my pleadings for the freedom of the Mother-country and for the protection of religion? Or will they cling again to the dread and dark narcotic of slavery? And draw their swords against me for having disturbed their sleep, when I wanted to wake them and show them the brilliant vision ? With such feelings surging in his heart, but with his face beaming with a quiet light of peace, this Brahmin entered the station with his extraordinary message. He was well received and his message was welcomed. As to the plan of rising, the Brahmin said that they should all rise suddenly amidst the noisy jollity of a great of a great marriage procession, massacre the English, and proceed to Delhi. Of course there was nobody there against the principle of overthrowing English dominion, but a discussion began as
to the fitness of this mode of realising the principle at Boland. Just then the Brahmin was arrested on the information of three Sepoys of the regiment. He was immediately sent from Boland to Aligarh, the chief station of the regiment, and sentenced to be hanged in the presence of all the Sepoys. While this was happening at Aligarh, the three loyal Sepoys were being disgraced and spat upon at Boland. The whole camp of Boland heaped curses on them and went, without the permission of their officers, to Aligarh where the Revolutionary messenger had been taken. On the evening of the 20th May, the Brahmin was to be hanged. The whole regiment was made to attend at the execution. What was to be done now? If they were to wait till the 31st of May, the Brahmin would be hanged. As they whispered to each other. “He ios going!” , and looked up, they beheld that the Brahmin’s body was hanging on the scaffold, delivering a terrible oration of REVENGE! What an oration! Instead of strings of words, streaks of blood were flowing incessantly! The dead Brahmin could never in his life have delivered such an oration as he was delivering from the scaffold without uttering a single word! For, in an instant, a Sepoy broke forth from the ranks and, pointing his sword towards the body of the Brahmin, he exclaimed, “Friends! This martyr bathes in blood!” This shaft from the mouth of that brave Sepoy, entered the heart of the thousands of Sepoys quicker, even, than it takes for a spark to explode a powder- magazine! They, at once, drew out their swords; and these thousands of Sepoys, mad with rage, began to dance with delirium, thundering, “Death to the Feringhi rule!”
It is no wonder that the English officers were at their wits’ end after this scene. Not only did the “most loyal” 9th regiment rise, but it spoke out that, if the English wanted to save their lives, they should leave Aligarh at once! Taking advantage of this generosity, the officers at Aligarh with their wives and children, and all the other Englishmen and women there, including Lady Outram, left Aligarh quietly. Before midnight not a trace of English rule remained at Aligarh!
The news of the freedom of Aligarh arrived at Minpur on the evening of the 22nd May. It has been said above that a detachment of the 9th infantry was stationed here. Anybody can imagine from the account of their brethren’s doings at
Aligarh, what the thoughts of the Sepoys of this detachment wold have been. The officers at Minpur got information that a certain Raje Nath Singh, who had fought against the English at Meerut, had gone to a place called Jivanti. They, therefore, sent some Sepoys to arrest him. But these Sepoys of the 9th regiment, instead of arresting him, took him safely out of Jivanti and reported to the officers that no one of that name stayed there. A Sepoy called Ram Din Singh was sent by the officers under guard to Aligarh, for disobedience. When he was halfway, the Sepoys on guard released him, broke his chains and quitely returned to Minpur! This regiment, fired with patriotism, was only waiting for the signal to rise. But in order that the enemy might not cripple them before the simultaneous rising, they apparently kept such good behaviour that the 9th regiment was regarded as the “most loyal” regiment in the whole of India! But since the above-mentioned tour of the Brahmin, not only the Sepoys, but the whole mass of the people of the Aligarh district also, were in a rage. The Minpur detachment of the 9th regiment had been sent to the Aligarh district to quell the growing discontent, and, when it returned to Aligarh, the butchers, and even loafers in the bazaars, asked them questions like “When are you going to kill the Feringhis?” , “When are you going to rise for freedom?”, How would Sepoys have liked to postpone a work for which even butchers and loafers were impatient? Just then came the news of Aligarh. Seeing that their comrades had risen, they thought it disgraceful to wait any longer, and so they rose that same day. They, also, spared the life of all Englishmen who fell into their hands, took plenty of arms and ammunition from the arsenal, loaded it on camels, and started on the 23rd to Delhi.
At the same time, a similar movement was going on amongst the garrison of Itawa. The chief magistrate and collector at Itawa, Allen O.Hume, as soon as he heard the news from Meerut, formed a select corps to guard the roads round about Itawa, with thehelp of the assistant magistrate Daniell. On the 19th this corps met a handful of Sepoy coming from Meerut. The few Sepoys surrendered and were ordered to lay down their arms. The Meerut Sepoys pretended to obey the order, disarmed the enemy of his suspicion, and then suddenly took up their arms and massacred their captors! Before this news got about, the Sepoys entered a
Hindu temple near by, and his themselves there with all their arms. When the collector of Itawa, Mr.A.O.Hume, heard this, he and Baniell took some Indian soldiers and marched to attack the temple. At first, Mr.Hume was confident that the handful of Sepoys must have been killed by the populace even before his little corps attached them! But, when they came
near the temple, they discovered that the townsmen, instead of killing them, were singing their praises and giving them provisions. Though the villagers thus belied his expectations, Daniell thought that at least his Sepoys and police would stand by him. With immense confidence, he gave the order to attack the temple and himself rushed forward. But who followed him? Only a single Sepoy was inclined to obey his order! But this white commandant and his black slave were both despatched in an instant by bullets from the Sepoys in the temple, and Mr.Hume, who was proudly coming up, left the Sepoys in peace at the temple and took to his heels!
On this day, the 19th of May, a rumour was aflot that the army at Itawa was going to rise. But the head-quarters were at Aligarh, and, as the order to rise had not yet come, the Sepoys at Itawa remained quite. And it would have remained so till the 31st of May but for the fact that in the meantime the self-sacrifice of the Brahmin martyr set the Revolutionary flames glowing. When, on the 22nd, the news came that Aligarh had rise, Itawa rose also. On the 23r of May, the whole army rose, shouting, “Har! Har! Mahadeo!” , sword in one hand and a lighted torch in the other. The Sepoys then attacked the English camp. They looted the treasury, broke prisons, and told the English that, unless they left the place instantly, they would be indiscriminately massacred. In this terrible plight, the English took their wives and children with them and ran wherever they found a way! Mr. Hume himself, profiting by the magnanimity of the Sepoys, disguised himself as an Indian woman and ran away.19 When Hume ran away, it was proclaimed by beat of drum that Itawa was indedpendednt, and all the Sepoys went away to join the chief division of the regiment marching towards Delhi.
19 Red Pamphlet, part II, page 70.
Thus the regiment rose like one man. In places so far apart as Aligarh, Boland, Minpur, and Itawa, the programme was perfectly carried out- looting the treasury, announcing freedom, sparing the lift of the English when at the mercy of the sword, and after securing a good supply of provisions and ammunition, marching to Delhi. The regiment which the English thought would be the last to rise, thus rose sword in hand long before the others. The English, thereafter, could not feel themselves secure of anything!
There is a small town called Nasirabad about twelve miles from Ajmere. In this town there was a company of English soldiers and the 30th native infantry, besides the artillery. There were, alsol, the 1st Bombay Lancers and the 15th regiment which had been lately brought from Meerut. In the last regiment, the hatred of the English and the desire for driving them out were strongest. And it would have been a wonder, if the thousand political preachers from
Meerut would have let go this opportunity of explaining personally to the Nasirabad Sepoys the resolutions of the Secret Society at Meerut. Excepting some men of the Bombay Lancers, the whole Sepoy army was unanimous, and resolved only to wait a suitable opportunity. This came on the 28th of May, for, on that day, the discipline in the artillery was very lax. Thus, at the appointed signal, the 15th regiment from Meerut took possession of the artillery. To take it back the English officers together with the Bombay Lancers marched upon them. But, in a very short time, the Lancers retired with widsom, and the English officers fell dead on the ground. Newbury was not only killed but his body was blown to pieces! Colonel Penny and Captain Spottiswoode also fell in this skirmish. Then, leaving all hope of the city, the English ran away to Biau. The Revolutionaries took the treasury, and their unanimously elected commander gave presents to the Sepoys in the name of the Emperor of Delhi. The houses of the Englishmen were burnt. Then that army composed of thousands of Sepoys marched towards Delhi brandishing their arms to the tune of enthusiastic military airs!