Page:Anecdotes of Indian Life.djvu/53

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40

A BRAVE WOMAN.

The unfortunate Nawab Seraj-ud-dowlah whose defeat on the field of Plassey laid the foundation of the British empire in India had created many enemies among his countrymen, Hindu and Mahomedan. They wanted to dethrone him. They conspired and plotted long, now in the house of one of them and now in that of another and finally decided to call in the aid of the English at Calcutta. This decision was not adopted without the strongest opposition from one of the conspirators. That one was a lady, Ranee Bhabanee of Natore, who, although she certainly wanted that the profligate Nawab should go, did not yet want that the powerful foreigners should be allowed to interfere in a domestic quarrel. When it had been argued against this that by themselves they were not strong enough for their purpose, she had spoken words of scorn and had left the cabal. The conspirators met once or twice again, but the Ranee was not with them. She only sent them a few suits of woman's clothes as much as to say that they were all women and ought to assume the woman's garb, if they had not courage and strength enough to fight for themselves and for their own liberation.