CBSE Past Year Paper Session (Delhi set 2017) Set- 1, English Class 12 | English Class 12 PDF Download

 Page 1


1/1/1 1 [ P.T.O. 
                                                                                                                    
 
 
 
 
Roll No.  
 
 
ENGLISH (Core) 
 
Time allowed : 3 hours Maximum Marks : 100 
 
General Instructions :    
 (i) This paper is divided into three sections : A, B and C. All the sections are compulsory.  
 (ii) Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. 
Read these instructions very carefully and follow them faithfully.  
 (iii) Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.  
 
 
   SECTION – A 30 Marks 
   READING 
 
1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : 12 
 1. We sit in the last row, bumped about but free of stares. The bus rolls out of the 
dull crossroads of the city, and we are soon in open countryside, with fields of 
sunflowers as far as the eye can see, their heads all facing us. Where there is no 
water, the land reverts to desert. While still on level ground we see in the 
distance the tall range of the Mount Bogda, abrupt like a shining prism laid 
horizontally on the desert surface. It is over 5,000 metres high, and the peaks 
are under permanent snow, in powerful contrast to the flat desert all around. 
Heaven Lake lies part of the way up this range, about 2,000 metres above sea-
level, at the foot of one of the higher snow-peaks. 
 Series : GBM/1 
Code No.  
    
1/1/1
• Please check that this question paper contains 12 printed pages.  
• Code number given on the right hand side of the question paper should be written on the 
title page of the answer-book by the candidate. 
• Please check that this question paper contains 13 questions. 
• Please write down the Serial Number of the question before attempting it. 
• 15 minute time has been allotted to read this question paper. The question paper will be 
distributed at 10.15 a.m. From 10.15 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., the students will read the 
question paper only and will not write any answer on the answer-book during this 
period. 
 
Candidates must write the Code on 
the title page of the answer-book. 
 
SET – 1 
Page 2


1/1/1 1 [ P.T.O. 
                                                                                                                    
 
 
 
 
Roll No.  
 
 
ENGLISH (Core) 
 
Time allowed : 3 hours Maximum Marks : 100 
 
General Instructions :    
 (i) This paper is divided into three sections : A, B and C. All the sections are compulsory.  
 (ii) Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. 
Read these instructions very carefully and follow them faithfully.  
 (iii) Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.  
 
 
   SECTION – A 30 Marks 
   READING 
 
1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : 12 
 1. We sit in the last row, bumped about but free of stares. The bus rolls out of the 
dull crossroads of the city, and we are soon in open countryside, with fields of 
sunflowers as far as the eye can see, their heads all facing us. Where there is no 
water, the land reverts to desert. While still on level ground we see in the 
distance the tall range of the Mount Bogda, abrupt like a shining prism laid 
horizontally on the desert surface. It is over 5,000 metres high, and the peaks 
are under permanent snow, in powerful contrast to the flat desert all around. 
Heaven Lake lies part of the way up this range, about 2,000 metres above sea-
level, at the foot of one of the higher snow-peaks. 
 Series : GBM/1 
Code No.  
    
1/1/1
• Please check that this question paper contains 12 printed pages.  
• Code number given on the right hand side of the question paper should be written on the 
title page of the answer-book by the candidate. 
• Please check that this question paper contains 13 questions. 
• Please write down the Serial Number of the question before attempting it. 
• 15 minute time has been allotted to read this question paper. The question paper will be 
distributed at 10.15 a.m. From 10.15 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., the students will read the 
question paper only and will not write any answer on the answer-book during this 
period. 
 
Candidates must write the Code on 
the title page of the answer-book. 
 
SET – 1 
1/1/1 2  
 2. As the bus climbs, the sky, brilliant before, grows overcast. I have brought 
nothing warm to wear: it is all down at the hotel in Urumqi. Rain begins to fall. 
The man behind me is eating overpoweringly smelly goat’s cheese. The bus 
window leaks inhospitably but reveals a beautiful view. We have passed 
quickly from desert through arable land to pasture, and the ground is now green 
with grass, the slopes dark with pine. A few cattle drink at a clear stream 
flowing past moss-covered stones; it is a Constable landscape. The stream 
changes into a white torrent, and as we climb higher I wish more and more that 
I had brought with me something warmer than the pair of shorts that have 
served me so well in the desert. The stream (which, we are told, rises in Heaven 
Lake) disappears, and we continue our slow ascent. About noon, we arrive at 
Heaven Lake, and look for a place to stay at the foot, which is the resort area. 
We get a room in a small cottage, and I am happy to note that there are thick 
quilts on the beds. 
 3. Standing outside the cottage we survey our surroundings. Heaven Lake is   
long, sardine-shaped and fed by snowmelt from a stream at its head. The lake is 
an intense blue, surrounded on all sides by green mountain walls, dotted with 
distant sheep. At the head of the lake, beyond the delta of the inflowing stream, 
is a massive snow-capped peak which dominates the vista; it is part of a series 
of peaks that culminate, a little out of view, in Mount Bogda itself. 
 4. For those who live in the resort there is a small mess-hall by the shore. We eat 
here sometimes, and sometimes buy food from the vendors outside, who sell 
kabab and naan until the last buses leave. The kababs, cooked on skewers over 
charcoal braziers, are particularly good; highly spiced and well-done. Horse’s 
milk is available too from the local Kazakh herdsmen, but I decline this. I am so 
affected by the cold that Mr. Cao, the relaxed young man who runs the mess, 
lends me a spare pair of trousers, several sizes too large but more than 
comfortable. Once I am warm again, I feel a pre-dinner spurt of energy – dinner 
will be long in coming – and I ask him whether the lake is good for swimming 
in. 
 5. “Swimming?” Mr. Cao says. “You aren’t thinking of swimming, are you?” 
  6. “I thought I might,” I confess. “What’s the water like?” 
Page 3


1/1/1 1 [ P.T.O. 
                                                                                                                    
 
 
 
 
Roll No.  
 
 
ENGLISH (Core) 
 
Time allowed : 3 hours Maximum Marks : 100 
 
General Instructions :    
 (i) This paper is divided into three sections : A, B and C. All the sections are compulsory.  
 (ii) Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. 
Read these instructions very carefully and follow them faithfully.  
 (iii) Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.  
 
 
   SECTION – A 30 Marks 
   READING 
 
1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : 12 
 1. We sit in the last row, bumped about but free of stares. The bus rolls out of the 
dull crossroads of the city, and we are soon in open countryside, with fields of 
sunflowers as far as the eye can see, their heads all facing us. Where there is no 
water, the land reverts to desert. While still on level ground we see in the 
distance the tall range of the Mount Bogda, abrupt like a shining prism laid 
horizontally on the desert surface. It is over 5,000 metres high, and the peaks 
are under permanent snow, in powerful contrast to the flat desert all around. 
Heaven Lake lies part of the way up this range, about 2,000 metres above sea-
level, at the foot of one of the higher snow-peaks. 
 Series : GBM/1 
Code No.  
    
1/1/1
• Please check that this question paper contains 12 printed pages.  
• Code number given on the right hand side of the question paper should be written on the 
title page of the answer-book by the candidate. 
• Please check that this question paper contains 13 questions. 
• Please write down the Serial Number of the question before attempting it. 
• 15 minute time has been allotted to read this question paper. The question paper will be 
distributed at 10.15 a.m. From 10.15 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., the students will read the 
question paper only and will not write any answer on the answer-book during this 
period. 
 
Candidates must write the Code on 
the title page of the answer-book. 
 
SET – 1 
1/1/1 2  
 2. As the bus climbs, the sky, brilliant before, grows overcast. I have brought 
nothing warm to wear: it is all down at the hotel in Urumqi. Rain begins to fall. 
The man behind me is eating overpoweringly smelly goat’s cheese. The bus 
window leaks inhospitably but reveals a beautiful view. We have passed 
quickly from desert through arable land to pasture, and the ground is now green 
with grass, the slopes dark with pine. A few cattle drink at a clear stream 
flowing past moss-covered stones; it is a Constable landscape. The stream 
changes into a white torrent, and as we climb higher I wish more and more that 
I had brought with me something warmer than the pair of shorts that have 
served me so well in the desert. The stream (which, we are told, rises in Heaven 
Lake) disappears, and we continue our slow ascent. About noon, we arrive at 
Heaven Lake, and look for a place to stay at the foot, which is the resort area. 
We get a room in a small cottage, and I am happy to note that there are thick 
quilts on the beds. 
 3. Standing outside the cottage we survey our surroundings. Heaven Lake is   
long, sardine-shaped and fed by snowmelt from a stream at its head. The lake is 
an intense blue, surrounded on all sides by green mountain walls, dotted with 
distant sheep. At the head of the lake, beyond the delta of the inflowing stream, 
is a massive snow-capped peak which dominates the vista; it is part of a series 
of peaks that culminate, a little out of view, in Mount Bogda itself. 
 4. For those who live in the resort there is a small mess-hall by the shore. We eat 
here sometimes, and sometimes buy food from the vendors outside, who sell 
kabab and naan until the last buses leave. The kababs, cooked on skewers over 
charcoal braziers, are particularly good; highly spiced and well-done. Horse’s 
milk is available too from the local Kazakh herdsmen, but I decline this. I am so 
affected by the cold that Mr. Cao, the relaxed young man who runs the mess, 
lends me a spare pair of trousers, several sizes too large but more than 
comfortable. Once I am warm again, I feel a pre-dinner spurt of energy – dinner 
will be long in coming – and I ask him whether the lake is good for swimming 
in. 
 5. “Swimming?” Mr. Cao says. “You aren’t thinking of swimming, are you?” 
  6. “I thought I might,” I confess. “What’s the water like?” 
1/1/1 3 [ P.T.O. 
 7. He doesn’t answer me immediately, turning instead to examine some receipts 
with exaggerated interest. Mr. Cao, with great off-handedness, addresses the 
air. “People are often drowned here,” he says. After a pause, he continues. 
“When was the last one?” This question is directed at the cook, who is 
preparing a tray of mantou (squat white steamed bread rolls), and who now 
appears, wiping his doughy hand across his forehead. “Was it the Beijing 
athlete?” asks Mr. Cao. 
 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, complete the statements 
given below with the help of options that follow :  (1 × 4 = 4) 
 (a)    One benefit of sitting in the last row of the bus was that : 
  (i)      the narrator enjoyed the bumps. 
  (ii)  no one stared at him. 
  (iii)   he could see the sunflowers.  
  (iv)   he avoided the dullness of the city. 
 (b)   The narrator was travelling to : 
  (i) Mount Bogda 
  (ii)   Heaven Lake 
  (iii) a 2000 metre high snow peak 
  (iv)  Urumqi 
 (c)    On reaching the destination the narrator felt relieved because : 
  (i)  he had got away from the desert. 
  (ii)   a difficult journey had come to an end. 
  (iii) he could watch the snow peak. 
  (iv)  there were thick quilts on the bed. 
 (d)   Mount Bogda is compared to : 
  (i)   a horizontal desert surface 
  (ii) a shining prism  
  (iii)  a Constable landscape  
  (iv) the overcast sky  
Page 4


1/1/1 1 [ P.T.O. 
                                                                                                                    
 
 
 
 
Roll No.  
 
 
ENGLISH (Core) 
 
Time allowed : 3 hours Maximum Marks : 100 
 
General Instructions :    
 (i) This paper is divided into three sections : A, B and C. All the sections are compulsory.  
 (ii) Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. 
Read these instructions very carefully and follow them faithfully.  
 (iii) Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.  
 
 
   SECTION – A 30 Marks 
   READING 
 
1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : 12 
 1. We sit in the last row, bumped about but free of stares. The bus rolls out of the 
dull crossroads of the city, and we are soon in open countryside, with fields of 
sunflowers as far as the eye can see, their heads all facing us. Where there is no 
water, the land reverts to desert. While still on level ground we see in the 
distance the tall range of the Mount Bogda, abrupt like a shining prism laid 
horizontally on the desert surface. It is over 5,000 metres high, and the peaks 
are under permanent snow, in powerful contrast to the flat desert all around. 
Heaven Lake lies part of the way up this range, about 2,000 metres above sea-
level, at the foot of one of the higher snow-peaks. 
 Series : GBM/1 
Code No.  
    
1/1/1
• Please check that this question paper contains 12 printed pages.  
• Code number given on the right hand side of the question paper should be written on the 
title page of the answer-book by the candidate. 
• Please check that this question paper contains 13 questions. 
• Please write down the Serial Number of the question before attempting it. 
• 15 minute time has been allotted to read this question paper. The question paper will be 
distributed at 10.15 a.m. From 10.15 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., the students will read the 
question paper only and will not write any answer on the answer-book during this 
period. 
 
Candidates must write the Code on 
the title page of the answer-book. 
 
SET – 1 
1/1/1 2  
 2. As the bus climbs, the sky, brilliant before, grows overcast. I have brought 
nothing warm to wear: it is all down at the hotel in Urumqi. Rain begins to fall. 
The man behind me is eating overpoweringly smelly goat’s cheese. The bus 
window leaks inhospitably but reveals a beautiful view. We have passed 
quickly from desert through arable land to pasture, and the ground is now green 
with grass, the slopes dark with pine. A few cattle drink at a clear stream 
flowing past moss-covered stones; it is a Constable landscape. The stream 
changes into a white torrent, and as we climb higher I wish more and more that 
I had brought with me something warmer than the pair of shorts that have 
served me so well in the desert. The stream (which, we are told, rises in Heaven 
Lake) disappears, and we continue our slow ascent. About noon, we arrive at 
Heaven Lake, and look for a place to stay at the foot, which is the resort area. 
We get a room in a small cottage, and I am happy to note that there are thick 
quilts on the beds. 
 3. Standing outside the cottage we survey our surroundings. Heaven Lake is   
long, sardine-shaped and fed by snowmelt from a stream at its head. The lake is 
an intense blue, surrounded on all sides by green mountain walls, dotted with 
distant sheep. At the head of the lake, beyond the delta of the inflowing stream, 
is a massive snow-capped peak which dominates the vista; it is part of a series 
of peaks that culminate, a little out of view, in Mount Bogda itself. 
 4. For those who live in the resort there is a small mess-hall by the shore. We eat 
here sometimes, and sometimes buy food from the vendors outside, who sell 
kabab and naan until the last buses leave. The kababs, cooked on skewers over 
charcoal braziers, are particularly good; highly spiced and well-done. Horse’s 
milk is available too from the local Kazakh herdsmen, but I decline this. I am so 
affected by the cold that Mr. Cao, the relaxed young man who runs the mess, 
lends me a spare pair of trousers, several sizes too large but more than 
comfortable. Once I am warm again, I feel a pre-dinner spurt of energy – dinner 
will be long in coming – and I ask him whether the lake is good for swimming 
in. 
 5. “Swimming?” Mr. Cao says. “You aren’t thinking of swimming, are you?” 
  6. “I thought I might,” I confess. “What’s the water like?” 
1/1/1 3 [ P.T.O. 
 7. He doesn’t answer me immediately, turning instead to examine some receipts 
with exaggerated interest. Mr. Cao, with great off-handedness, addresses the 
air. “People are often drowned here,” he says. After a pause, he continues. 
“When was the last one?” This question is directed at the cook, who is 
preparing a tray of mantou (squat white steamed bread rolls), and who now 
appears, wiping his doughy hand across his forehead. “Was it the Beijing 
athlete?” asks Mr. Cao. 
 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, complete the statements 
given below with the help of options that follow :  (1 × 4 = 4) 
 (a)    One benefit of sitting in the last row of the bus was that : 
  (i)      the narrator enjoyed the bumps. 
  (ii)  no one stared at him. 
  (iii)   he could see the sunflowers.  
  (iv)   he avoided the dullness of the city. 
 (b)   The narrator was travelling to : 
  (i) Mount Bogda 
  (ii)   Heaven Lake 
  (iii) a 2000 metre high snow peak 
  (iv)  Urumqi 
 (c)    On reaching the destination the narrator felt relieved because : 
  (i)  he had got away from the desert. 
  (ii)   a difficult journey had come to an end. 
  (iii) he could watch the snow peak. 
  (iv)  there were thick quilts on the bed. 
 (d)   Mount Bogda is compared to : 
  (i)   a horizontal desert surface 
  (ii) a shining prism  
  (iii)  a Constable landscape  
  (iv) the overcast sky  
1/1/1 4  
 Answer the following questions briefly : (1 × 6 = 6) 
 (e)   Which two things in the bus made the narrator feel uncomfortable ? 
 (f)    What made the scene look like a Constable landscape ? 
 (g)    What did he regret as the bus climbed higher ? 
 (h)   Why did the narrator like to buy food from outside ?  
 (i)  What is ironic about the pair of trousers lent by Mr. Cao ? 
 (j)  Why did Mr. Cao not like the narrator to swim in the lake ? 
 (k)    Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following :          (1 × 2 = 2) 
  (i)  sellers (para 4) 
  (ii)  increased   (para 7) 
 
2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :   10 
 1.    Thackeray reached Kittur along with a small British army force and a few of his 
officers. He thought that the very presence of the British on the outskirts of 
Kittur would terrorise the rulers and people of Kittur and that they would lay 
down their arms. He was quite confident that he would be able to crush the 
revolt in no time. He ordered that tents be erected on the eastern side for the 
fighting forces and a little away on the western slopes tents be put up for the 
family members of the officers who had accompanied them. During the 
afternoon and evening of 20
th
 October, the British soldiers were busy making 
arrangements for these camps. 
 2.  On the 21
st
 morning, Thackeray sent his political assistants to Kittur fort to 
obtain a written assurance from all the important officers of Kittur rendering 
them answerable for the security of the treasury of Kittur. They, accordingly, 
met Sardar Gurusiddappa and other officers of Kittur and asked them to comply 
Page 5


1/1/1 1 [ P.T.O. 
                                                                                                                    
 
 
 
 
Roll No.  
 
 
ENGLISH (Core) 
 
Time allowed : 3 hours Maximum Marks : 100 
 
General Instructions :    
 (i) This paper is divided into three sections : A, B and C. All the sections are compulsory.  
 (ii) Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. 
Read these instructions very carefully and follow them faithfully.  
 (iii) Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.  
 
 
   SECTION – A 30 Marks 
   READING 
 
1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : 12 
 1. We sit in the last row, bumped about but free of stares. The bus rolls out of the 
dull crossroads of the city, and we are soon in open countryside, with fields of 
sunflowers as far as the eye can see, their heads all facing us. Where there is no 
water, the land reverts to desert. While still on level ground we see in the 
distance the tall range of the Mount Bogda, abrupt like a shining prism laid 
horizontally on the desert surface. It is over 5,000 metres high, and the peaks 
are under permanent snow, in powerful contrast to the flat desert all around. 
Heaven Lake lies part of the way up this range, about 2,000 metres above sea-
level, at the foot of one of the higher snow-peaks. 
 Series : GBM/1 
Code No.  
    
1/1/1
• Please check that this question paper contains 12 printed pages.  
• Code number given on the right hand side of the question paper should be written on the 
title page of the answer-book by the candidate. 
• Please check that this question paper contains 13 questions. 
• Please write down the Serial Number of the question before attempting it. 
• 15 minute time has been allotted to read this question paper. The question paper will be 
distributed at 10.15 a.m. From 10.15 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., the students will read the 
question paper only and will not write any answer on the answer-book during this 
period. 
 
Candidates must write the Code on 
the title page of the answer-book. 
 
SET – 1 
1/1/1 2  
 2. As the bus climbs, the sky, brilliant before, grows overcast. I have brought 
nothing warm to wear: it is all down at the hotel in Urumqi. Rain begins to fall. 
The man behind me is eating overpoweringly smelly goat’s cheese. The bus 
window leaks inhospitably but reveals a beautiful view. We have passed 
quickly from desert through arable land to pasture, and the ground is now green 
with grass, the slopes dark with pine. A few cattle drink at a clear stream 
flowing past moss-covered stones; it is a Constable landscape. The stream 
changes into a white torrent, and as we climb higher I wish more and more that 
I had brought with me something warmer than the pair of shorts that have 
served me so well in the desert. The stream (which, we are told, rises in Heaven 
Lake) disappears, and we continue our slow ascent. About noon, we arrive at 
Heaven Lake, and look for a place to stay at the foot, which is the resort area. 
We get a room in a small cottage, and I am happy to note that there are thick 
quilts on the beds. 
 3. Standing outside the cottage we survey our surroundings. Heaven Lake is   
long, sardine-shaped and fed by snowmelt from a stream at its head. The lake is 
an intense blue, surrounded on all sides by green mountain walls, dotted with 
distant sheep. At the head of the lake, beyond the delta of the inflowing stream, 
is a massive snow-capped peak which dominates the vista; it is part of a series 
of peaks that culminate, a little out of view, in Mount Bogda itself. 
 4. For those who live in the resort there is a small mess-hall by the shore. We eat 
here sometimes, and sometimes buy food from the vendors outside, who sell 
kabab and naan until the last buses leave. The kababs, cooked on skewers over 
charcoal braziers, are particularly good; highly spiced and well-done. Horse’s 
milk is available too from the local Kazakh herdsmen, but I decline this. I am so 
affected by the cold that Mr. Cao, the relaxed young man who runs the mess, 
lends me a spare pair of trousers, several sizes too large but more than 
comfortable. Once I am warm again, I feel a pre-dinner spurt of energy – dinner 
will be long in coming – and I ask him whether the lake is good for swimming 
in. 
 5. “Swimming?” Mr. Cao says. “You aren’t thinking of swimming, are you?” 
  6. “I thought I might,” I confess. “What’s the water like?” 
1/1/1 3 [ P.T.O. 
 7. He doesn’t answer me immediately, turning instead to examine some receipts 
with exaggerated interest. Mr. Cao, with great off-handedness, addresses the 
air. “People are often drowned here,” he says. After a pause, he continues. 
“When was the last one?” This question is directed at the cook, who is 
preparing a tray of mantou (squat white steamed bread rolls), and who now 
appears, wiping his doughy hand across his forehead. “Was it the Beijing 
athlete?” asks Mr. Cao. 
 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, complete the statements 
given below with the help of options that follow :  (1 × 4 = 4) 
 (a)    One benefit of sitting in the last row of the bus was that : 
  (i)      the narrator enjoyed the bumps. 
  (ii)  no one stared at him. 
  (iii)   he could see the sunflowers.  
  (iv)   he avoided the dullness of the city. 
 (b)   The narrator was travelling to : 
  (i) Mount Bogda 
  (ii)   Heaven Lake 
  (iii) a 2000 metre high snow peak 
  (iv)  Urumqi 
 (c)    On reaching the destination the narrator felt relieved because : 
  (i)  he had got away from the desert. 
  (ii)   a difficult journey had come to an end. 
  (iii) he could watch the snow peak. 
  (iv)  there were thick quilts on the bed. 
 (d)   Mount Bogda is compared to : 
  (i)   a horizontal desert surface 
  (ii) a shining prism  
  (iii)  a Constable landscape  
  (iv) the overcast sky  
1/1/1 4  
 Answer the following questions briefly : (1 × 6 = 6) 
 (e)   Which two things in the bus made the narrator feel uncomfortable ? 
 (f)    What made the scene look like a Constable landscape ? 
 (g)    What did he regret as the bus climbed higher ? 
 (h)   Why did the narrator like to buy food from outside ?  
 (i)  What is ironic about the pair of trousers lent by Mr. Cao ? 
 (j)  Why did Mr. Cao not like the narrator to swim in the lake ? 
 (k)    Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following :          (1 × 2 = 2) 
  (i)  sellers (para 4) 
  (ii)  increased   (para 7) 
 
2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :   10 
 1.    Thackeray reached Kittur along with a small British army force and a few of his 
officers. He thought that the very presence of the British on the outskirts of 
Kittur would terrorise the rulers and people of Kittur and that they would lay 
down their arms. He was quite confident that he would be able to crush the 
revolt in no time. He ordered that tents be erected on the eastern side for the 
fighting forces and a little away on the western slopes tents be put up for the 
family members of the officers who had accompanied them. During the 
afternoon and evening of 20
th
 October, the British soldiers were busy making 
arrangements for these camps. 
 2.  On the 21
st
 morning, Thackeray sent his political assistants to Kittur fort to 
obtain a written assurance from all the important officers of Kittur rendering 
them answerable for the security of the treasury of Kittur. They, accordingly, 
met Sardar Gurusiddappa and other officers of Kittur and asked them to comply 
1/1/1 5 [ P.T.O. 
with the orders of Thackeray. They did not know that the people were in a 
defiant mood. The commanders of Kittur dismissed the agent’s orders as no 
documents could be signed without sanction from Rani Chennamma.    
 3.   Thackeray was enraged and sent for his commander of the Horse Artillery, 
which was about 100 strong, ordered him to rush his artillery into the fort and 
capture the commanders of the Desai’s army. When the Horse Artillery stormed 
into the fort, Sardar Gurusiddappa, who had kept his men on full alert, promptly 
commanded his men to repel and chase them away. The Kittur forces made a 
bold front and overpowered the British soldiers.    
 4.  In the meanwhile, the Desai’s guards had shut the gates of the fort and the 
British Horse Artillery men, being completely overrun and routed, had to get 
out through the escape window. Rani’s soldiers chased them out of the fort, 
killing a few of them until they retreated to their camps on the outskirts.    
 5.    A few of the British had found refuge in some private residences, while some 
were hiding in their tents. The Kittur soldiers captured about forty persons and 
brought them to the palace. These included twelve children and a few women 
from the British officers’ camp. When they were brought in the presence of the 
Rani, she ordered the soldiers to be imprisoned. For the women and children 
she had only gentleness, and admonished her soldiers for taking them into 
custody. At her orders, these women and children were taken inside the palace 
and given food and shelter. Rani came down from her throne, patted the 
children lovingly and told them that no harm would come to them.   
 6.    She, then, sent word through a messenger to Thackeray that the British women 
and children were safe and could be taken back any time. Seeing this noble 
gesture of the Rani, he was moved. He wanted to meet this gracious lady and 
talk to her. He even thought of trying to persuade her to enter into an agreement 
with the British to stop all hostilities in lieu of an inam (prize) of eleven 
villages. His offer was dismissed with a gesture of contempt. She had no wish 
to meet Thackeray. That night she called Sardar Gurusiddappa and other 
leading Sardars and after discussing all the issues came to the conclusion that 
there was no point in meeting Thackeray who had come with an army to 
threaten Kittur into submission to British sovereignty.