Publishers^ Preface
 

PUBLISHERS' PREFACE
 

This book on the history of 1857 was originally written in
an Indian vernacular. But owing to the nnique nature of the
book which, for the first time ever since the great War was
fought, proves from the English writers themselves that the
Rising of the Indian people in 1857 was in no way an insigni¬
ficant chapter in, or a tale unworthy of, a great people's
history, pressing requests were made from many quarters
to translate the work into the English language, so that, by
retranslations into the other vernaculars, the whole of the
Indian nation might be enabled to read the history of the
ever-memorable War of 1857. Realising the reasonableness and
importance of these requests and with the kind permission of the
author, the publishers undertook the translation of the original
into the English language. With the patriotic co-operation of
many of their countrymen, they are able to-day to place this
work in the hands of Indian readers.

The work of translating an Oriental work into a western
tongue has ever been a task of immense difficulty; even
when the translator has all the facilities which leisure and
training could afford. But when the translation had to be
done by divers hands and within a very short time, it was
clearly foreseen by the publishers that the translation would
be defective and unidiomatic. But the main point before the
publishers was not to teach the Indian people how to make
an elegant translation nor to show them how to write correct
English—points  to  which  they are supremely indifferent—but