BAREILLY was the capital of the province of Rohilkhand. The English had wrested the kingdom away from the Rohilla Pathans who had been ruling the province. There was a population there of brave, strong, and spirited Mussulmans, biding their time to take revenge for this insult. Rohilkhand and its capital must also be counted among the places where the Revolutionary propaganda against English rule was spreading fast about the year 1857. In Bareilly, at this time, were stationed the 8th Irregular Cavalry, and 18th and 68th regiments of infantry, and a battery of Indian artillery. Over this force, the chief officer was Brigadier Sibbald. About the month of April, some Sepoys had expressed their doubt about the cartridges, but the Government did not pay any serious attention to them, and forced the Sepoys singly to accept them. Once or twice again there was some tumult and growing disaffection among the Sepoys, but the Government could not see its danger.
The news of the Meerut rising reached Bareilly on the 14th of May. Thereupon, the Englishmen sent all their families towards Naini Tal and ordered the cavalry to be in readiness. The cavalty was also Indian, but it had the Special and complete confidence of the English. All the Sepoys, including the cavalry, were called on parade on the 15th of May, and the chief English officer preached to them loyalty and good behaviour. He said that the new cartridges were thenceforth to be stopped, and that the Sepoys should use the old cartridges to which they had no objection. Nay more, he said he would himself trample into the dust any new cartridges which he saw on the field and thus tried to remove the Sepoy’s fear about the cartridges. As a matter of fact, to dilate upon cartridges now was superfluous. The Commander-ini-Chief had issued an order that throughout Hindusthan, the new cartridges were, thenceforth, to be stopped. When the Government thus drew back immediately after the Meerut rising, and stopped, of their own accord, the use of the cartridges upon which they insisted so much before
the month of May, the people and the Sepoys saw in the new order nothing but a sign of fear and weakness. The error of the theory that the Sepoys revolted solely on account of the cartridges, was now to be clearly proved at Bareilly. The Grigadier told the Sepoys that he would himself smash these cartridges, and tried to reassure them; but the days were gone when such words could pacify them. What was the use of giving orders about cartridges? Where the question at issue was whether the English should any longer have the power of giving any orders whatsoever in the land, to give further orders was to inflame the quarrel. To lecture now about good or bad cartridges was an unpardonable digression!
For the people of Rohilkhand had now received an urgent and pressing invitation from the Swadeshi throne of Delhi to hold aloft the flag of Indian freedom. Was this invitation one that could be lightly treated?
“From the commander of the army at Delhi to the commander of the army at Bareilly, hearty embrances. Brothers, there is a fight with the English proceeding at Delhi. By the grace of God, even the first defeat that they have received at our hands has demoralised them more than ten defeats would have done them at other times. Innumerable Swadeshi heroes are coming to Delhi. At such a time, if you are dining there, come here to wash your hands. The Padishah of Shahs and the Home Splendour, our Emperor of Delhi, will give you a great welcome and fitly reward your services. Our ears are anxious for the second of your cannon and our eyes are thirsting to see you. Come! Come at once! For, Brethren, how will the rose- tree flower without spring? How will a child live without milk?” Was this an invitation to be rejectede? While the invitation was on its way, Khan Bahadur
Khan, the descendant of Hafiz Rahmat, the last independent Rohilla chief, was weaving the nets of the secret society. Khan Bahadur Khan used to get two pensions from the English, one as the descendant of Hafiz Rahmat, and the other as a judicial officer under the English. He was known throughout the province as a great favourite of the English. The Government also
had great confidence in him. And he was the life and centre of all the secret societies of Bareilly! But, though this invitation asked the people of Bareilly to come at once, they decided to wait till the 31st of May, in accordance with the plans originally arranged. All the Sepoys were doing their duties without, in the least, disobeying the English officers. A few days before, a hundred of the revolted Meerut Sepoys came and lived secretly in the “lines” themselves, and stirred up the revolutionary spirit by the narrative of the events at Meerut, and then left. Still, the Sepoys kept the peace outwardly. The Subahdars of the regiments even went so far as to request the Europeans to bring their families! But before this request was fulfilled, a rumour arose on the 29th of May that the Sepoys had taken oath, at the time of the morning bath in the river, that they would massacre the English at two o’clock! Immediately the English got ready the loyal cavalry regiment. They, also, came together and formed without murmur. But the whole day passed and the Sepoys never rose. The English retired at night, saying that though the rumour was false, it at least incidentally proved that the cavalry could be relief upon. Just then, sure and certain information came that the cavalry had sworn, long before, never to lift their swords against their comrades or help the English! The English now could not make up their minds what to believe. Not only the 29th, but also the 30th passed away without any incident. And on the latter day the conduct of the Sepoys was so good - if anything, it was more loyal than ever - that the civil and military authorities made up their minds that the danger was surely past and that there was no longer any reason for fear!
The 31st of May dawned. Early in the morning, the house of Captain Brownlow was set on fire. But the English had not much reason to be particularly fearful of anything serious. The day was Sunday. The Sunday military parade passed off smoothly, as well as the reports of native officers. The English officers even observed that the Sepoys were more than usually quiet that day. The English prayed in their churches. There was not the least sign of trouble anywhere. The clock struck eleven. A gun was fired among the Sepoy lines. Hardly had the echo died out, when a noise of clanging rifles and shrill shouting rent the sky! The rising at Bareilly was so carefully planned, that it was arranged beforehand who was to
kill which Englishman. As soon as it was eleven, the 68th regiment attacked the Englishmen near their lines. Small detachments quickly went to the various bungalows, and the rest attended to the straggling Englishmen, to go to their houseds and burn them. On heaving this noise and trumult, the terror-stricken Englishmen ran towards the cavalry lines. All the civil and military officers
had decided to come together there for refuge. As soon as they arrived there, they ordered the cavalry regiment to march on the Revolutionaries. But the Indian head of that regiment was also a Revolutionary. Mahomed Shafi galloped towards the Revolutionaries and ordered the horsemen to follow him. They followed him, shouting, “Die for religion, come, the green flag is callling you!” Still the English tried to collect together a few that remained, and attempted to come near the parade ground, but finding it impossible to stand before the terrible onslaught of the Revolutionaries, they all turned their back and began flying towards Naini Tal. Brigadier Sibbald was killed in the first affray. Captain Kirby, Lieutenant Fraser, Sergeant Walton, Colonel Troup, Captain Robertson - all the Englishmen that fell into the hands of the Revolutionaries were killed. Only thirty- two officers escaped the massacre and safely reached Naini Tal. In this way, the English power at Bareilly was made to end in six hours!
When the English flag was hauled down and the flat of freedom began to fly at Bareilly, the Subahdar of the Sepoy artillery, Bakht Khan, accepted the commandership of all the Sepoy troops. We will hereafter have occasion to refer to him at the time of siege of Delhi. He delivered an enthusiastic oration to all the Sepoys as to their conduct after acquiring freedom and their duties in sustainingthe newly established Swaraj.20 And now, this Swadeshi brigadier went through the town in the carriage of the English brigadier. Behind him followed the new officers seated in the carriages of their English predecessors. Khan Bahadur Khan was accepted by acclamation as the ruller of Rohilkhand in the capacity of Subahdar of the Emperor. After all the houses of the Engliosh at Bareilly had been burnt down
20 Charles Ball’s Indian Mutiny, Vol. I.
and looted, Khan Bahadur Khan ordered the imprisoned Englishmen to be brought before him. Hew had acted as judge under the English administration and knew English justice thoroughly. So, he appointed a court for the trial of the English criminals. Among them were the Doctor, the son-in-law of the Lieutenant- Governor of the North-Western provinces, the principal of the Government college at Bareilly, and the District Judge of Bareilly. Only the day before, loyal Khan Bahadur Khan had been sitting beside them as a friend. Today, one was on the throne and the others in the prisoner’s dock! The jury took their oaths as usual, and took their seats on the bench. The prisoners were charged with various crimes involving treason and were all sentenced to be hanged, and the six Englishmen were forthwith executed. As the Commissioner of Rohilkhand has escaped with his life, Khan Bahadur Khan issued a proclamation that the Feringhi commissioner had absconded, and a reward of one thousand rupees was offered to anyone who would bring him, dead or alive. After having thus firmly cemented his authority with English blood, Khan Bahadur Khan sent word to Delhi that
Rahilkhand had become free. The Revolution began that morning at eleven, and, before sunset, the messenger announcing Rohilkhand’s freedom set out for Dselhi!
The announcement that the whole of Rohilkhand had become free was not a vain boast. While the artillery at Bareilly was shaking the English power to pieces, English blood had already begun to flow at Shahjahanpur. This latter town is about forty-sevel miles from Bareilly, and was the headquarters of the 28th infantry. The news of Meerut reached Shahjahanpur on the 15th of May. But since the Sepoys gave no indication whatever of their plans to the authorities, the 31st of May dawned there like other days, in peace and happiness.
It being Sunday, the English were in church; but before their prayer was half- finished, the Sepoys ran towards the church! When the chaplain came out to see what the matter was, his hand was cut off and the massacre began. The city magistrate, Ricketts, fall while running. Labadoor was killed in the churth itself. Only one batch of the Sepoys had come to the church while the other had been sent to the English cantonment. The latter had already started killing and burning. The assistant magistrate ran into the verandah for life, but was killed. Doctor Bowling began to address a few words to the Sepoys. The Sepoys, also, were listening to his words, but, unfortunately, he called them, in the course of his speech, “seditious.” In reply to this “charge,” a bullet came whizzing and he dropped dead. The Revolutionaries who had gone to the church had only swords and sticks with them; so, now, they returned to the lines to take their rifles. In the meanwhile, some Englishmen, together with the women and children, with the help of some Sikh Sepoys and the native cooks and servants, ran to the house of a neighbouring Raja for safety. But the Raja explained to them his helplessness and asked them to “move on.” The fugitives then went away towards Mahmadi. Thus, before the evening of the 31st of May, Shahjahanpur also became free.
To the north-west of Bareilly, at a distance of about forty-eight miles, is the district town of Moradabad. Here was stationed the 29th infantry regiment and half a battalion of native artillery. A fine opportunity came to test their loyalty, after the news from Meerut had gone there. TheEnglish authorities got information on the 18th of May that some of the Meerut Sepoys had camped near Moradabad. The 29th regiment was ordered to make a night attack on them. In obedience of that order, the Sepoys attacked the Meerut Revolutionaries while
they wee asleep in the woods, but, however, in some ways or other, in spite of the determined attack under these conditions, all but one of them succeeded in escaping. The night was so dark! The English officers also thought that the darkness helped the Meerut Sepoys to escape, though attacked under such odds. It has now transpired, however, that the attack was a mere sham; may more, some of the Meerut Sepoys, said to have escaped in the forest, actually slept that night in the Sepoy lines at Moradabad! However for the time being the English had entire confidence in the 29th regiment on account of the loyal night-attach which it made. And nothing in its conduct was calculated to dispel it till the end of May.
On the morning of the 31st, however, all the Sepoys began to form on the parade-ground. The English were about to ask the reason of their assembling thus without permission, when the Sepoys spoke authoritatively in the following
manner:- “The rule of the Company is at an end! Therefore, you should leave this country immediately and go away, or else you will be massacred! If you cannot go at once we will allow you two hours to prepare for departure. But you must vacate Moradabad as soon as the two hours are over.” The Moradabad police also announced that thenceforth they would not obey the orders of the English, and the citizens supported them! When these three simultaneous notices were given, the English people at Moradabad - the judge, the collector, the magistrate, the surgeon, and others - with their families, ran away from Moradabad without the least attempt at remonstrance. Any Englishmen who were found in Moradabad after the time limit had expired were killed. Commissioner Powell and others became Mohamedans and thus saved their lives. The Sepoys took possession of the treasury and all government property, and before sunset the green flag began to fly on Moradabad.21
There is also another district town, called Budaun, between Bareilly and Shahjahanpur. Mr. Edwardes was then collector and magistrate of the district. Since the English government came into Rohilkhand, the oldZemindars were being frightfully oppressed with heavy taxes and otherwise. Therefore, the big Zemindars and their tenants were very much disaffected. In fact, the land-tax in Budaun was so oppressive, that Edwardes himself knew that Budaun was prefectly ready, and only waiting for a chance to drive out the English; and for this reason he asked military help from Bareilly. But the situation in Bareilly, as has already been described, was not such that help could be sent to Budaun. However, a message from Bareilly came that troops under European officers would be despatched on the 1st of June. At this news Edwardes felt happy and on the 1st of June sat with his eyes towards the road from Bareilly. He soon saw a government man coming galloping on towards Budaun. In the hope that he
would be the forerunner of the succour which he expectred. Edwardes hastily interrogated him. But in reply, instead of an assurance of help from
21 Charles Ball’s Indian Mutiny.
Bareilly, he got the message that, at Bareilly itself, the English power was at an end! There were Sepoys kept at Budaun to guard the treasury, and Edwardes asked their head, “Bareilly was become independent; what about Budaun?” The head replied that the Sepoys under him were loyal and that there was no cause for anxiety. But in the evening, the town of Baudaun rose in revolt! The Sepoys at the treasury, the police, and the leading citizens announced, by beat of drum that the English rule was at an end. Thus, the whole district went willingly into the hands of Khan Bahadur Khan.
The Sepoys took the treasure and marched towards Delhi and all the English officers at Budaun began to run about in the forests at night. Under privations of food and clothing for weeks, hiding everywhere, sometimes in the stable of some villager, sometimes in deserted houses, English collectors, and magistrates, and English women, were running about to save their lives. Some of them were killed, some died, and some lived under the protection of kindly “natives!”
In this manner, the whole province of Rohilkhand rose in a day! In Bareilly, in Shahjahanpur, in Moradabad, in Budaun, and other district towns, the military, the police, and the citizens issued Proclamations and deported the British Power in the space of a few hours! The English power was smashed and the Swadeshi government was put in its stead; British flags were torn down, and green flags began to fly in the court-houses and police-stations and offices. India assumed the role of ruler and England was put in the prisoner’s dock! This extraordinary tranformation took place in a whole province in a few hours! What wonder that not a drop of Swadeshi blood was shed in freeing the whole of Rohilkhand? Instead of saying “Rohilkhand is dependent”, all said “Rohilkhand is free,” and the thing was done! On one day, unanimously, everywhere and at once, the police, the Sepoys, and citizens rose and drove away the few English officers in the district towns. No more pains than this were required to make the province free! A strong organisation of secret societies, and the swift and clever execution of the plan proposed, these were the two things which enabled Rohilkhand to free itself from the English and accept the rule of Khan Bahadur Khan.
All the Sepoys went away to Delhi to fight under the leadership of Bakht Khan, trhe head of the Bareilly artillery above-mentioned. Then, Khan Bahadur Khan formed a new force to keep order in the province and the capital. Almost all citizens were formed into a militia. The civil departments were also organised and almost all the previous holders of offices were confirmed in their posts. And the chief posts, occupied previously by Europeans, were now given to Indians. The government land-tax was assessed in the name of the Emperor of Delhi. Courts of justice were opened as before and the former officers were retained. In short, there was no break in any department or its work on account of the Revolution, except that instead of Englishmen, the chief officers were Indians. Khan Bahadur Khan personally wrote an account of the doings in his province to the Emperor, and the following Proclamation was posted throughout Rohilkhand. “Residents of Hindusthan! The long-looked-for festival of Swaraj has arrived! Are you going to accept or refuse it? Are you going to take advantage of this great opportunity or are you going to let it go out of your hands? Hindu and Mahomedan Brethren! Be it known to all of you that, if these English are permitted to remain in India, they will butcher all and put an end to your religion! The residents of Hindusthan have so long been deceived by Englishmen, and have cut their necks with their own swords. So, now we must repair this sin of treachery to our country! The Englishmen will try, now also, their old work of deception; they will try to incite the Hindus to rise against Mussalmans, and the Mahomedans to rise against the Hindus. But, Hindu Brethren! do not fall into their nets. It is hardly necessary to tell our clever Hindu brethren that the English never keep their promises. They are adepts in the art of trickery and deceitful imposture! They have all along been trying to root out all other religions on earth but their own! Have they not pushed aside the rights of adopted children? Have they not swallowed up the countries and kingdoms of our Kings! Who took away the kingdom of Nagpur? Who took away the kingdom of Lucknow? Who has trampled under foot both Hindus and Mahomedans? Mussulmans, if you revere the Koran, and Hindus, if you revere the caw-mother, forget now your minor differences and unite together in this sacred war! Jump into the battlefield fighting under one banner, and wash away the name
of the English from India in streams of blood! If the Hindus will join hands with the Mahomedans in this war, if they will, also, take the field for the freedom of our country, then, as a reward for their patriotism, the killing of cows will be put a stop to. In this holy war, he who fights himself, and he who helps another to fight, by means of money, will attain earthly and spiritual freedom! But, if anyone will oppose this Swadeshi war, then, he will strike at his own head and be guilty of the sin of suicide!” Leaving Rohilkhand for the present to make its preparations for defending the Swaraj which it has got back, we shall go toBenares and Allahabad to see what is taking place there.