Chapter II. 182 JHANSI IS DECLARED A LAPSE. BOOK VIII. Dalhousie, therefore, in spite of the protestations of the widow of the deceased Rájá, declared the State of Jhánsí to have lapsed to the paramount 1857. Jhánsí is de The British power. This happened in 1854. The three years which had passed between that date and the period of which I am writing had in no way reconciled the Rání to a policy which she regarded as unjust to herself, and insulting to the family of her late husband. On the contrary, the year 1857 found her brooding over her griefs and panting for revenge. The British Government regarded her anger and her remonstrances with careless indifference. They did what was even worse, they added meanness to insult. On the confiscation of the State, they had granted to the widowed Rání a pension of £6000 a year. The Rání had first takes no pains refused, but had ultimately agreed to accept this to mollify her. pension. Her indignation may be imagined when she found herself called upon to pay, out of a sum which she regarded as a mere pittance, the debts of her late husband. Bitter as was her remonstrance against a course which she considered not less as an insult than as a fraud, it was unavailing. Uselessly she urged that the British had taken the debts of the late ruler with the kingdom of which they had despoiled her. Mr. Colvin insisted, and caused the amount to be deducted from her pension. Other grievances, such as the slaughter of kine amid a Hindú population, and the resumption of grants made by former rulers for the support of Hindú HATRED OF THE RA'NI TO THE BRITISH. 183 Chapter II. 1857. May. temples, whilst fomenting the discontent of the BOOK VIII. population with their change of masters, formed subjects for further remonstrance; but the personal indignity was that which rankled the most deeply in the breast of this high-spirited lady, and made her hail with gratitude the symptoms of disaffection, which, in the early part of 1857, began to appear amongst the native soldiers of the hated English. Jhánsí in The garrison of Jhánsí was composed entirely Garrison of of native troops. There was a detachment of 1857. Foot Artillery, the left wing of the 12th Regiment of Native Infantry, the head-quarters and right wing of the 14th Irregular Cavalry. Jhánsí is a walled town, overlooked by a stone fort surmounted by a round tower. The cantonments lay outside, and at a little distance from the town. Within their limits was comprehended a small fort, occupied by the artillery and containing the treasure-chest, called the Star Fort. The troops were commanded by Captain Dunlop, of the 12th Native Cavalry. The political and administrative officer was Captain Alexander Skene. encouraged The account of the events at Mírath on the 10th of May produced the effects which might have been expected on the mind of the Rání of Jhánsí. Her hopes at once revived. From the The Rání is doors of her palace there started at once con- by the Mirath fidential servants towards the sepoy lines. These revolt. returned with reports fully responding to her highest hopes. The time so eagerly longed for was approaching. Her task, then, was to lull the English into security. It would appear that in 1857. May. Throws dust into the eyes of the officials, BOOK VIII. the political officer, Captain Skenc, she had soft Chapter II. material to work upon. She succeeded so well in impressing the mind of this gentleman with a conviction of her loyalty, that she obtained from him permission to enlist a body of armed men for her own protection from any attack from the sepoys! This permission obtained, she rapidly invited the old soldiers of the State to rally round her, at the same time that she secretly caused to be unearthed heavy guns which had been buried at the time of her husband's death. who trust her, and the sepoys. Incendiarism at Jhánsí. Meanwhile, Captain Skene, utterly unconscious of the impending danger, was reporting to his Government his confidence in the state of affairs at Jhánsí. Neither from the native soldiers of the Company, from the levies of the Rání, nor from the nobles of Jhánsí, did he apprehend the smallest disturbance. Captain Dunlop and his brother officers were almost equally trustful. Reports were made to them from time to time regarding the difficulty felt by spies in their attempts to enter the lines of the men. The fact that difficulty should have been experienced was, in their eyes, a sufficient proof of the fidelity of the sepoys. Besides, Captain Dunlop trusted the irregular cavalry, and he felt satisfied that with their aid he could suppress in the bud any outbreak on the part of the other native soldiers. The burning of the bungalows occupied by the English officers at Jhánsí, the invariable precursor of a rising, did not disturb the serenity of Captains Skene and Dunlop. A fire, which occurred on the 1st of June, was attributed to accident. But THE SEPOYS AT JHA'NSI' MUTINY. 185 on the afternoon of the 5th of June an event occurred the bearings of which it was impossible to mistake. A company of the 12th Regiment of Native Infantry, led by one of its native sergeants, and cheered on by the native gunners of the battery, marched straight into the Star Fort, and announced their intention to hold it on their own account. Captain Dunlop rushed instantly to the parade-ground, accompanied by his officers. The remaining four companies of the regiment professed themselves highly indignant at the conduct of the rebellious company, and they and the cavalry declared they would stand by their officers. The following morning they were paraded. They repeated their protestations. Captain Dunlop was then proceeding to prepare measures to bring the revolted company to reason. Whilst engaged in these preparations at the quarter-guard of his regiment he was visited by Captain Skene, and by his assistant, Captain Gordon. After these had left him, Dunlop wrote some letters and posted them himself. But on his way back from the post office he was shot dead by his own men. In fact the preconcerted day had arrived. The capture of the Star Fort on the 5th had simply been a feeler to test the officers. Finding on the following morning that these were as credulous as they had been the preceding day the sepoys resolved to strike at once. The afternoon of the 6th, then, the Rání, escorted by her new levies, came from her palace, and went in procession towards the cantonment. As she issued from the town, a Múlla called all the true BOOK VIII. 1857. June 5. The sepoys seize the Star Fort. The affair de. velops into mutiny. 186 THE OFFICERS OCCUPY THE FORT, Chapter II. BOOK VIII. believers to prayers. This was the signal. The cavalry and infantry at once rose in revolt. 1857. June 6. The mutineers kill their officers. Some officers Occupy the larger fort, They met Captain Dunlop, as already stated, on his return from the post office, and shot him dead. With him, another officer, Ensign Taylor. The Irregular Cavalry scoured the plain with loaded carbines in pursuit of others. The sergeant-major, Newton, was their next victim. Then Lieutenant Turnbull, of the Survey, an officer of the highest promise, who, however, did not succumb until he had made his assailants pay dearly for their treachery. Lieutenant Campbell, the only officer with the irregular cavalry, was wounded, but being well mounted, he succeeded in reaching the larger fort in safety. Meanwhile, Captains Skene and Gordon had returned to that larger fort. There also were the wife and two children of the former; Lieutenant Burgess, of the Survey Department; Dr. McEgan, 12th Regiment of Native Infantry, and his wife; Lieutenant Powys, of the Canal Department, his wife and child; Mr. W. S. Carshore, collector of Customs, and his family; Mr. T. Andrews; Mr. R. Andrews and family; Mrs. Browne and her daughter; Mr. Scott and family; Messrs. Purcell, two brothers; two brothers Crawford; Mr. Elliot, Mr. Fleming, and others in the subordinate departments of the Government, chiefly Eurasians, and whose names I have been unable to ascertain. The total number, including women and children, was fifty-five. The sepoys having killed all the officers on whom they could lay hands marched with loud |