Tatya Tope's Operation Red Lotus The Tope Family Present the Story of Tatya and the Anglo-Indian War of 1857

Tatya Tope's Operation Red Lotus is a quest to understand the real History of the Anglo-Indian War of 1857. A quest by the contemporary members of the Tope family, which led to the Discovery of the dramatic Battle manoeuvres of their ancestor, the legendary Tatya Tope, as well as the true Import of the war.

Despite India's defeat, this war significantly reversed the course of events, and allowed the Survival of the world's oldest living civilisation. A war that has been wished away behind the smokescreen of euphemisms: rebellion, revolt, uprising and most famously 'the sepoy mutiny'.

Operation Red Lotus is the first detailed Account of Tatya Tope that covers his entire campaign from the planning of the war until his death; and offers a surprising answer to the generations-old question-was the man hanged on 18 April 1859, Tatya Tope ?'

It covers the detailed planning of the war and the logistical issues that were overcome to allow the Indian troops to march over a million man-miles in the early months of the war. Hundreds of Urdu letters written to Tatya during the war, which have never been published before, were translated to demonstrate Tatya's administrative acumen in running a full-fledged government in parallel.

Fascinating troop Movements and Battles are illustrated using several dozen Military Style Maps and schematics, offering the reader a near ringside experience of Tatya's chess-like moves and counter moves.

Yet, Operation Red Lotus is not just a military chronicle limited by the period it covers; it also addresses issues of modern relevance. It offers an Indie paradigm to what freedom really means. It provides a platform for the dream of a resurgent India and its charisma as the eternal nation.

Parag Tope Based in USA, Parag is the founder and part owner of Vistarus. A relentless passion for history, combined with a master's degree in Engineering and an Mba in strategy, makes Parag the chief Architect of the book. Parag applied his analytical skills to bring a refreshing perspective to the reconstruction of historical events.

Dr. Rajesh Tope An MD in Anesthesia, Rajesh is currently working as a senior consultant at the Apollo Hospital after a decade-long stay in Ireland for his FFARCS and practice. He has travelled across various Cities to re-unite the extended Tope family. His collection of photographs and nuggets of 'family titbits' is a treasured possession.

Rupa Tope-Joshi Rupa has a master's degree in Psychology. She left her Job and immersed herself into the making of this book. Her sharp Observations and ability to lend a balance to mounds of data and its interpretations are responsible for the book's tenor.

Nandita Saini-Tope A Software engineer by profession, Nandita has experimented with her passions and diverse mediums of expression-clay and photography. Adept at multi-tasking, she has used her skills for transforming the daunting data into information for this book.

Dhananjay Joshi From donning an Indian Naval peaked cap to assuming a teacher's role in Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai, Dhananjay has clubbed his passions together in a scintillating amalgam. A wordsmith at heart, he is equally adept with words as well as Warfare tactics. Cutting and stitching together several narratives is his contribution to the book.

Prabhakar Tope As the senior patriarch, his razor sharp Memory that spans more than eighty-Five years makes portions of this Narrative personal. From his Childhood in the trying Times of Yeola, to the run-up of the fateful days in 1946 and 1947, he has had a ringside seat to the events that shaped today's India.

Preface
Introduction

A. Prologue :
1. Fresh Air : Part 1
2. Departing Yeola-At a Crossroad

I. THE FLICKERING FLAME :
1. India and the
2. King Company of Vrijbuiters
3. A Spark of Light

II. PENUMBRA :
1. Bufo Cliveus and the English evolution-Amphibian Piracy
2. A Time Before 'Cali'
3. Mahadji's Mighty Marathas
4. Military Labour Market

III. THE RULE OF DARKNESS :
1. From the Cold Sink to Quicksand
2. Darkness Shines-The Bower
3. Boys Shadowy Charlatans and their 'Grand Work'
4. Weaving a Tragedy
5. England's Exports-Crony Capitalism

IV. THE FREEDOM FOUNDATION :
1. Vexatious Virtues
2. Nana Saheb's Kitchen-Recipe For Freedom
3. Foundations of a Grand Alignment

V. THE PLANNED War :
1. Travelling Chapatis and Flower Rituals
2. Tenses in Red-Maps, Blood or Flowers?
3. Travelling Stomachs-That Rlusive Supply Line

VI. THE PLANNED WAR : LOGICAL INFERENCES :
1. The Logic of Logistics
2. Marching on Stomachs
3. Reconnaissance Man
4. When Titans Shook Hands
5. Cock-and-Bull Stones
6. A Lubricated Pretext
7. The Invisible Lotus-The Puzzle of 1857
8. The Lotus Revealed

VI. THE OPERATION : TRAILS TO FREEDOM :
1. Indra Smiled-Liberation of Delhi
2. Awadh Tastes Freedom
3. Gwalior, Kanpur and Banda

VIII. THE FLAME OF LIBERTY :
1. Transitory Freedom
2. Letters to Tatya
3. 'Creative' Revolution

IX. THE FIGURE OF EIGHT :
1. Parameters for Defeat
2. The Indefensible Offensive-Death by Numbers
3. A Campaign of 'Acorns' and Numerical Forms
4. Burnt Villages and Starving Soldiers
5. Wall of Defence
6. The Method in that Madness-England's Quintessential Soul
7. Withered Lotuses and Burnt Chapattis

X. DECONSTRUCTING "CAWNPORE' :
1. Skirting Valour
2. For Want of Courage-Wheeler's Shield
3. The Mythical Melodrama
4. Offensive Defense

XI. THE UNWITHERED LOTUS :
1. Havelock's 'Retrograde Movements'
2. The 'Great Recrossing'
3. Abandonment of Advantages'
4. Coordinating the War
5. The Octogenarian's Campaign-The Invisible Shield

XII. A NEW WAR-A NEW Capital :
1. Operation Red Lotus-A Strategic Reassessment
2. A New Central Command-HQ Kalpi
3. Beyond the Chess Players-Lucknow Holds Out
4. Tatya's Kanpur Trap-Rescuing Lucknow

XIII. Nuclear Defence :
1. The Dagger's Deep Thrust
2. Chhatrasal's Pride
3. Chhabeli's Stand
4. Bundelkhand's Waffling Weasel
5. Ribbons, Rewards, Rape, Ravage and Rose

XIV. RECONSTRUCTING Jhansi :
1. Charkhari, Jhansi and the Rani's Head
2. Besieged
3. The Numbers' dame
4. 'Bundeli' Decoy, 'Vilayati' Delivery
5. Rose's Nose and Fort 'Etcetera'
6. Butchers and Scavengers
7. Tranquilized Bundelkhand

XV. REVERSAL OF FORTUNES :
1. Formidable Idleness
2. The Pragmatic Patriot
3. Fort Vincible
4. Retribution and Reward

XVI. REIGNITING FREEDOM :
1. Tales of Dogs, Elephants and Guerillas
2. Resilience in Rajputana
3. Malwa Manoeuvre
4. The Tortoise Trap
5. Jakhlon Juggernaut

XVII. FRACTIONAL FREEDOM :
1. The Great Crossing
2. The Paradox of Partial Liberty
3. Banyan or Sandalwood?
4. Wag the Dog

XVIII. FLICKER :
1. 'Uncordonable' Tatya
2. The People of the Forest
3. The Last March
4. Resurrection
5. Identity Crisis
6. Hanging a Metaphor
7. Beyond Tatya

B. Epilogue :
1. Fresh Air-Part 2 : Freedom Before Independence Day
2. Monday Remembered
3. Remonstration, Expropriation and the Fourth Colour

C. Conclusion : Hindsight Foresight :
1. Fruits, Whips and India's Defeat
2. Three Steps to Freedom