The saga of 1857 revolt, the First War of Independence is written with painstaking care, and much toil and tears. It is a historian's account of chain of events and their cascading effects, baring the truth lying buried deep under the official positions and unofficial assertions. Recounting the events, the author even risked stirring up of controversy.
John William Kaye had mountain of important papers in his possession related to Sepoy War, and to add, promises of further assistance from the surviving actors in the hot scene. The story of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 is, perhaps, the most signal illustration of our great national character ever yet recorded in the annals of our country. It was a vehement and inordinate self-assertion of the Englishman that produced the conflagration, it was the same vehement self-assertion of Indian people showed in the First War of Independence, the Indians cherish even to the date. It is an engrossing and heart-throbbing narration-a must read for the present day generation of Indians.
Sir John William Kaye (1814 July 24, 1876) was a British military historian.
The son of Charles Kaye, a solicitor, he was educated at Eton College and at the Royal Military College, Addiscombe. From 1832 to 1841 he was an officer in the Bengal Artillery, afterwards spending some years in literary pursuits both in India and in Britain. In 1856 he entered the civil service of the East India Company, and when the government of India was transferred to the British crown, he succeeded John Stuart Mill as secretary of the political and secret department of the India office. In 1871 he was made a KCSI. He died in London.
His some of edited works are History of the Sepoy War in India (London, 1864-1876), History of the War in Afghanistan (London, 1851), Administration of the East India Company (London, 1853), The Life and Correspondence of Charles, Lord Metcalfe (London, 1854), The Life and Correspondence of Henry St George Tucker (London, 1854), Life and Correspondence of Sir John Malcolm (London, 1856), Christianity in India (London, 1859), Lives of Indian Officers (London, 1867), Peregrine Pultney, a novel and Long engagements, also a novel etc.
He also edited several works dealing with Indian affairs; wrote Essays of an Optimist (London, 1870); and was a frequent contributor to periodicals.
IT was not without much hesitation that I under-took to write this narrative of the events, which have imparted so painful a celebrity to the years 1857-58, and left behind them such terrible remembrances. Publicly and privately I had been frequently urged to do so, before I could consent to take upon myself a responsibility, which could not sit lightly on any one capable of appreciating the magnitude of the events themselves and of the many grave questions which they suggested. If, indeed, it had not been that, in course of time, I found, either actually in my hands or within my reach, materials of history such as it was at least improbable that any other writer could obtain, I should not have ventured upon so difficult a task. But having many important collections of papers in my possession, and having received promises of further assistance from surviving actors in the scenes to be described, I felt that, though many might write a better history of the Sepoy War, no one could write a more truthful one.
So, relying on these external advantages to compensate all inherent deficiencies, I commenced what I knew must be a labour of years, but what I felt would be also a labour of love. My materials were too ample to be otherwise than most sparingly dis-played. The prodigal citation of authorities has its advantages; but it encumbers the text, it impedes the narrative, and swells to inordinate dimensions the record of historical events. On a former occasion, when I laid before the public an account of a series of important transactions, mainly derived from original documents, public and private, I quoted those documents freely both in the text and in the notes. As I was at that time wholly unknown to the public, it was necessary that I should cite chapter and verse to obtain credence for my statements. There was no ostensible reason why I should have known more about those transactions than any other writer (for it was merely the accident of private friendships and associations that placed such pro-fuse materials in my possession), and it seemed to be imperative upon me therefore to produce my credentials. But, believing that this necessity no longer exists, I have in the present work abstained from adducing my authorities, for the mere purpose of substantiating my statements. I have quoted the voluminous correspondence in my possession only where there is some dramatic force and propriety in the words cited, or when they appear calculated, without impeding the narrative, to give colour and vitality to the story.
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