First war of independence: 1857

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->the indian war of independence 1857

vinayak damodar savarkor

http://dli.iiit.ac.in/cgi-bin/Browse/scrip...e=2020050057563<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I have to agree with jayashastri, the 1857 rebellion was by no means a war for independence, obviously when Savarkar wrote this he was in his younger days of militant nationalism and wanted these events to serve as an inspiration for future freedom fighters (and they did so) but back then he wasn't so aware of Islam either and thought that Hindus and Muslims could forge a common bond (which was rejected by him later on if we take his later day speeches and writings as evidence), the 1857 rebellion had a lot of vested interests (jihadis) that had no other motive than to establish Mughal empire again and there were even Hindu-Muslim riots in places where the rebellion succeeded so it can't really be described as a movement for independence but it served as a catalyst for the beginnings of Indian nationalism and doubtless there were many noble souls who were genuine freedom fighters (they may not have had the conception of a Pan Indian nationhood yet) but they may have fought for local independence from the British. Sita Ram Goel also does not consider it as a movement for independence, here are his comments regarding 1857:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->This jihãd which was joined by Hindu rebellions on the fringes was named as The Indian War of Independence, 1857 (London, 1909) by V.D. Savarkar. He had yet to learn the history of Islam in India. It is significant that ‘secularists’ and Muslim who hate Savarkar, hail the book as well as its name.

http://www.voiceofdharma.com/books/tfst/appi1.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->