With the Náná Sáhib was associated the only military commander of any distinction on the rebel side. Tántia Topi had been brought up in the household of the deposed Peshwá, and regarded the Náná, the Peshwá's adopted son, as a master whose cause he was bound to champion. He had all the qualities of a general except daring; for although he led his troops well more than once, he was chiefly remarkable for his retreat after the capture of Gwalior, in June 1858, when for the space of nine months he eluded the vigilance of the forces sent to capture him, covering as much as 3000 miles in his flight.
It may be of interest to the general reader to call to mind certain views expressed by one of the most eminent contemporary authorities on the events of this period.
'The annexation of Oudh,' said Lord Lawrence, speaking at Glasgow in 1860, 'had nothing to do with the Mutiny in the first place, though that measure certainly did add to the number of our enemies after the Mutiny commenced. The old government of Oudh was extremely obnoxious to the mass of our native soldiers of the regular army, who came from Oudh and the adjacent province of Behar, and with whom the Mutiny originated. These men were the sons and kinsmen of the Hindu yeomen of the country, all of whom benefited more or less by annexation ; while Oudh was ruled by a Muhammadan
should, however, be corrected by Lord Lawrence's deliberate and authoritative decision, after considering the whole evidence.
