The unsung hero of Kotah

Today Kotah was captured by the British troops under Gen Roberts after a very heavy artillery bombardment. Fifty-seven brass guns fell into the British hands. The defenders had, however, fought to the last man with conspicuous bravery. But the one that will standout like a beacon in the memory of the nationalists is one nameless soldier who rode to the top of a fortification with great difficulty in order to get a clear view of the position of the British troops. To his consternation he found that the English were pressing into the town and that before he could descend, the enemy would be upon him.

He chose death rather than the disgrace of falling alive into the British hands. And this nameless hero, spurred his horse to the rampart and even as the enemy watched in awe, he took a mighty leap, the horse rose bravely and jumped to a fall of 120 feet. Both were smashed to smithereens in one mangled mass. But the tragedy is that there was no one to bury the corpse with the reverence such valour deserved. Instead, it was left to be desecrated by stray animals.