Anandamath

Chapter I

By the grace of God the ill-omened Bengalee year 1276 ended Having sent to the land of Yama six annas (three-eighth) of the people of Bengal — who knows how many crores — that cursed year itself was swallowed up in the gaping jaws of Time. In the year 1277 God was gracious. There was good rain. The earth became green with copious crops, those who had survived ate their fill. Many people were ill due to complete or semi-starvation. They could not bear the increased food. They died of this. The earth was full of vegetation but without men. In all the villages uninhabited houses became the dwelling place of animals and became the cause of the fear of ghosts. In many villages hundreds of fertile fields remained uncultivated and unfertile, or were filled with jungle. The country became full of jungles. Where the laughing green cornfields were to be seen, where numberless cows and buffaloes grazed, those gardens which were the pleasure resorts of the young men and women of the village, these gradually became dense forests. One, two, then three years passed. The jungles increased. Those places where human beings had lived happily now tigers hungry for human flesh came and pursued deer and other animals. In those places where bands of beautiful young women used to go with their companions joking and laughing making sweet music with the anklets which decked their painted crimson feet, bears now made their holes and nursed their young. In those places where children in their tender age in the evening like freshly bloomed jessamines used to laugh the frank laugh which satisfies the heart out of sheer exuberance, there today in bands the intoxicated elephants used to tear the trunks of the trees. Where the festival of Durga Puja would take place, the foxes made holes. On the platform constructed for Dol ceremony owls took refuge. In the theatre arena poisonous snakes even in the Jay time looked for frogs. In Bengal crops grew but there were no people to consume them. Market produce grew, but there was none to purchase them. The peasant ploughed the fields but did not get money in return and could not pay the rent of the landlord. The state confiscated the land of the landowner who thus having lost their all began to get poorer. The earth became fertile, still men did not become rich. None had money in their homes. People robbed and ate. Thieves and robbers became rampant. Good men in fear hid themselves in their houses.

On the other hand the Santans each day with the leaves of the Tulsi plant and with sandalwood-paste began to worship the feet of Vishnu. If any one possessed guns or pistols they would snatch them away. Bhavananda had said, “Brothers, if there is a choice between a room-full of diamonds, corals and precious stones and a broken gun, leave the diamonds, corals and precious stones and bring the broken gun.”

After that they sent spies to the villages. The spy went to the villages and to every Hindu they saw they said, “Brothers, will you worship Vishnu?” Thus gathering bands of twenty or twenty-five they came to the villages of the Mussulmans and burnt their houses. When the Mussulmans were busy in saving their lives the Santans used to plunder their all and distribute the plunder among the new initiates of Vishnu, then they would bring the villagers who were pleased with the plunder to the temple of Vishnu and initiate them as Santans. People saw that it was profitable to become Santan. Specially people were disgusted at the bad government and anarchy which prevailed under Muslim rule. Because of the disappearance of Hinduism, many Hindus were eager to establish Hinduism. As the days went by people in hundreds and thousands came and did obeisance at the feet of Jivananda and Bhavananda and in bands went on all sides to punish the Mussulmans. Wherever they got hold of government officials they would beat them or even kill them. Wherever they could get state money they would plunder the money and bring it home. Wherever they came across the villages of the Mussulman’s they would set fire to them and reduce them to ashes. The local officials in order to punish the Santans began to send large numbers of soldiers. But now the Santans were well organised, armed and proudly militant. The Mussulman soldiers could not advance against their powerful array. Where they did try to advance the Santans fell on them with great force and would scatter them entirely to the loud cries of “Haribol.” If at any time the Mussulman soldiers did overcome a band of Santans. immediately another band would fall on them, none knows from where, and cut off the heads of the Mussulmans and go away crying out, “Hari! Hari!” At this time Warren Hastings, the rising sun of the British community in India, was the Governor-General. At his residence at Calcutta he made an iron chain and thought to himself. “With this chain I shall bind India with her islands and her seas.” Some day God on his throne undoubtedly had said — “Be it so,” but that day was still distant. Today the terrible echoing cries of Hari shook even Warren Hastings.

At first Hastings tried to suppress the rebellion by soldiers of Fouzdar. But their soldiers were so demoralised that if they ever heard the name of Hari being uttered even by an old woman they would fly. So losing all hopes Hastings sent an astute soldier named Captain Thomas at the head of a regiment of the East India Company to quell the rebellion.

Captain Thomas having reached the place began to excellent arrangements for suppressing the rebellion. He mingled with the well armed and well trained really strong soldiers both British and Indian of the East India Company, soldiers belonging to Mussulman state and to the zamindars. Then taking these mixed companies of soldiers he divided them into suitable bands and appointed deserving commanders over them. Then he divided the country side among them and told each commander that he should, like a fisherman, cast his nets and drag the country clean. “Wherever you see rebels like ants you must crush them.” The soldiers of the Company taking either rum or ganja as it pleased them, fixing bayonets to their guns went to kill the Santans. But the Santans were now innumerable and unconquerable. The soldiers of Captain Thomas were cut like corn by the scythes of the peasants. His ears were deafened with the cries of Hari! Hari!