The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-02

Msssrs scribner 4 Wexford. 1t Ia a remarkable
task which Col. Malleson has here acoom-
plished. that II COMPRISING within four hun.
dred paRcs the history OF u colossal insurrec.
ton which aboundel In scenes OF action so
many 80 varied. and 80 distant from each
other; an insurrectlon In which every station
occupied by English men and women was
either camp or n battle ground. and In the
OUTSET OF which the English dominators OF
India were In the position Of detached parties
OF garrison. unable to communicate with
headquarters or with ono another, suddenly
surprised aud set upon by men whom they had
implicitly trusted. We have no intention OF
following In detail the authors narrative OF
tho achievements whereby tbs most stupen.
dous mhtiny OF which history bears record.wns
In the course OF two years suppressed but
We shall for tho m ost part conflne ourselves to
hie authoritative explanation 81 tho causes OF
tue outbreak. and to his concluding comm nfs
and suggestions. BY way OF rtofaco we should
say word as to the spelling OF Indian proper
names adopted In this volume. The author
adheres to the photography followed In the
larger history written by himself in coninnc-
ti"n with Sir John Kaye. ami which has boon
made familiar by Murray's guide books for
India. There seems to be no doubt that this
suppose that tho nali, on OF india employ no
definite spelling + their proper names. On
the contrary, every name hns a dis met mean
ing. and for that very renson Is spelled cnrc-
fully. That meanin. IL disilgur.d. II not totally
altered. by tho barbaric method adonte1 CEN
tury and half ago Ivy EnRlleh,ncn
whom they were ignorant Of tho native
language. and wrote according to tho sound
which renchel ears unnccustomol 10 tho
precision OF An Or!en'a al people. Take for In.
stance. tho word Cawnporo. ,uEarlv applied In
English 10 II city whose proper name Is kdnh-
pur. The latter term has u definite signii!-
canoe. Kanh. or husband being ono O. the
fuvorlte names Of Kr.shna. and pur moaning
CITY," The combination o. tho two worls
signifies Krishna's city. Cawnro:e. or tho
other hand, ia destitute OF meaning. and docs
not even correspond 10 the native pronuucla-
ton o! the rau, nan Q. The same reasoning Is
applicable to evoiy proper name. nm only ia
thi gu cases has the author deomcd il more en-
pedient not to be governed by it. Calcutta.
Bombay. and tho GunGes are s, oiled IL tho
conventional way. because tho two cities md
tho river huNo long European record. and
Their names thus spelled nre so deeply en-
grated in history that It woull be redantry 10
alter them.
II ono would outline the causes OF the Indian
mutiny he would havc to so back to the first
invasion OF Afghanistau in 1899. The mem
orAble disasters which the English oncoun-
tered In that o. rcdition had an un6eniaGle Of
feet on tho feelings Of the slpabis. ~ Col
Mailsson prefers to call The sepuys. During he
war thoy had behaved with remarkable cour-
age. self-dcnial. and devotion. British officers
who ser, oil with them were convinced by their
personal experience that the sip0his would
follow their English commanders anywhere
and ear unconp!ainingly auy amount OF
hardsh.ns But the imagination exercises on
the mind OF On Oriental an influence b. no
means Understood BIZ tho natives Of colder
countries Notwithstanding the triumphs Of
British Generals in tho concluding phases OF
the war. the sipahis recognized that FOR the
first time the enterprises of his foreign master
against native power had failed. 1t was Inn
possible to disguise the fact that the English
troops had suffered greatly, had ul i'm ately re-
treated. and that the soldiers Of the Puniap. q
territory which they had ,ra,e rsel on suffer-
ance, had scofIed and jeered at then: whenever
they came In contact with thom. The sipahis
could not but realize that u heavy blow had
been Gealt to British prestige. and with The
tendency 10 exaggerntion characterizing imaR-
inative natures. they doubtless thought the
dow Gfeaker tp0n II actually was.
The retreat from AfEhanistan. however. was
but the first OF many circumstances tending
to estrange and embitter the native troops.
Within two years after the return OF the army
Lord Ellenborough annexed the province Of
Stud; the annexation was necessary. but tho
first step tnken In pursuance OF the purpose
shook the confidence OF the sipahis in the Gov
ernmenis promises. Up to TINT time certain
extra allowances for food hnd boon granted to
all sipnh regiments serving beyond what WAS
then the British frontier. Services In the hot
and arid regions Of Sind nal always boon dis
tasteful to the sipahis OF the Bengal Pre.i-
dency but they were reconc led to the discom-
fort by the promise that while employed in
that province they should receive II considera-
hIe addition to their pay. Now the Govern
ment OF India argued that the incorpora-
ton OF Sind within tho British terri
tor es had cancelled the previous regula-
tion relating 10 service beyond the Indus.
The result was 10 create SO great revulsion
In the minds OF the sipahis that the native
regiments under orders for Sind refused 10
march. Eventually the difficulty was got over.
but in a way not very creditabe to the Gov
ernment. Tho Bengal troops wsre relieved OF
the necessity OF RarrisonnR Sind. and their
place was taken by ,roops from bombay. One
commanding oflcer was dismissed from the
service because he had guarantee to his men
the allowances to which thoy considered them
selves entitled; ono regiment was disbanded.
and particuln. sIpahis in others were selected
for punishment. By these and kindred meas
urss the Government OF India believed that
thcy had stayed tho Infection OF revolt when
in reality they had shaken to the core tho con.
ndencs OF the sipahis In their justice. and laid
the foundations Of the evils which followed
thirteen yenrs later.
These OWLS wore procipitated bv tho conduct
OF the Commanders n- Chief sent out from
ENGLAND. often without the smallest en- sri-
enoe Of India to command an army OF sipahIs
outnunb boring In tho proportion OF i've to one
the European garrison. Tn to the clo.e OF tho
muttny those Commanders in Chief were mon
trained In the traditions Of tho Horse Guards.
and R1ar IN in rod II "a In To the guiding nj tina