depended upon. When, therefore, after the famous parade at Agra, described in a previous page, Mr Colvin, believing that the mutiny was a Muhammadan movement, in the repression of which those not imbued with the faith of Islám would aid, applied to the Mahárájá Sindhiá and to the Bhartpur regency for material assistance, that assistance was indeed immediately afforded by the despatch of native troops, alike from Gwáliár and Bhartpur. But, whilst responding to the call, Sindhiá expressed to the British Agent his grave doubts as to the consequence of his compliance.
The parade at Agra had been held on the morning of the 14th of May. On the 21st Mr Colvin heard of the mutiny at Alígarh, and two days later of the events at Bulandshahr, at Mainpurí, and at Itáwah. They were serious events for Agra, as they severed direct communications with the North-west, but they brought to the mind of the Lieutenant-Governor no solid conviction as to the cause of the general uprising.
Still mistaking the signs of the times, still beating the air, still hoping that an appeal to the reasoning powers of the sipáhís might induce them to reflect, Mr Colvin, at this period, issued a proclamation which, though well meant, was, to say the least, injudicious. The proclamation was based upon the possibility that the majority of the sipáhís had been, and were being, misled by turbulent ringleaders. It therefore offered a frank and free pardon to all sipáhís, irrespective of their offences. Naturally enough the proclamation produced no effect whatever, that is, it did not bring back a single penitent into the fold. But it had the result of convincing the sipáhís and their leaders that they might continue their treasonable work with impunity.
It is due to Lord Canning and his colleagues to add
