Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/44



To be musing at the inn would do no good, thought Mahendra, and he left that place. He was going to town to make a search for his wife and child with the aid of the police there. He had not walked a long way, when he found a number of sepoys marching along in line with some bullock-carts. In 1176 B. S., Bengal had not yet come under British Rule. The English were then the Dewan of Bengal. They raised the revenue of the province but they had not yet then taken up the work of protecting the life and property of its people.

The work of collection then lay with the English and that of the protection of the life and property of the Bengalees lay with the wretched traitor, Mir Jaffer. Mir Jaffer was not able to protect himself, far less the people under his rule. He smoked opium and slept; the English made collections and wrote despatches; the Bengalee wept and wofully walked to ruin.

Thus the revenue was due to the English, but the administration lay with the Nawab. Now, at each place where the English raised the public dues they had employed a collector. But the revenue thus raised had to be sent to Calcutta. Men might starve and die, but the collections could not wait. Well, but the whole sum could not be got up anyhow. For, if mother earth refuses to yield wealth people cannot beget it.