Class. 
 Book. 
 
 PRESENTI-:n BY 
 
^^ 
 
YOUNG FOLKS' HIST( 
 
 HISTOET OF INDIA. 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 RARLIEST TIMES TO 1880 
 
 vt 
 
 WILLIAM C. PEABCK 
 
 AUTHOB OF "analysis OF ENGLISH HISTORY," STC, 
 
 New YO'ak : 
 
 WILLIAM U ALLISON CO. 
 

PBEFAGS. 
 
 The present volume was undertaken with a view of 
 
 furnishing the youthful student with a brief but com- 
 prehensive history of the most ancient and interesting 
 portion of the British Empire. 
 
 The dominions of our sovereign beyond the seas — from 
 their vast extent, increasing population, and boundless 
 resources — are gaining so rapidly in importance, that a 
 knowledge of them is now scarcely less necessary than 
 an acquaintance with the history of our own country. 
 To this condition of things the supervisors of British 
 education have become alive; and a neglect of the sub- 
 ject cannot be long tolerated in our schools. 
 
 If so much importance attaches to the British depend- 
 encies in general, the portion under notice has special 
 claims upon our attention, inasmuch as its histoiy, 
 replete with interesting incidents, is, in a great measure, 
 a chronicle of the deeds of some of the foremost names 
 in English story. 
 
 Such considerations, it Is hoped, will be found to 
 justify the Publishers In adding this to their historical 
 series. 
 
 w. a p. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 Oeograpliical Description— Fart I. — Physical Features, • 9 
 
 CHAPTER n , 
 
 Geographical Description— Part IL—/*oZ*«»caZ i^'eflrfttfca, • 21 
 
 CHAPTER m. 
 The Inhabitants of India, • • • ,v • 81 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Early History, ^ • • • • • 42 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 The Mohammedan Conquest^ • • • t 48 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Early Intercourse of European Nations with India» • 66 
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 War in the Camatio, • • • • 68 
 
 CHAPTER Vm, 
 Events in Bengal, •••••• 74 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Straggles of the English and French, • • • §1 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Events in Bengal {continued), • • « • 88 
 
H OOHTKNnU 
 
 F40B 
 
 CHAPTER XI* 
 BventB in Madras, • • • • • M 
 
 VBAFTERXTL 
 Administration of Warren Hastings^ • • t • 100 
 
 CHAPTER XnL 
 First Mahratta War, • • • • • 106 
 
 CHAFfER XIV. 
 Second War with Hyder Ally, • • • .109 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Administration of Lord Comwallis, • « • 118 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Administration of Sir John Shore, and Early Years of the 
 
 Marquis Wellesley's £>eign, . • . . 124 
 
 CHAPTER XVIL 
 The Administration of the Marquis Wellesley {continued), 130 
 
 CHAPTER XVm. 
 Administration of Lord Minto, . • • • 1^ 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 Adminiatration of the Marqnis of Hasting!!^ • • 14S 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Lord Amherat^a Administration, • • • • 152 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 Admiaiitrayfln of Lord William Bentindt, • • 107 
 
vu 
 
 CHAPTER XXIL 
 Administration of Lord Aackkad, • • • 164 
 
 CHAFTBBXXm. 
 Administration of Lord Ellenborongh, • • • 170 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 Administration of Sir Henry Hardinge^ • • • 174 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 Administration of Lord Dalhousie, • • • 179 
 
 CHAPTER XXVL 
 Administration of Lord Canning, , , • • 18S 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 Administration of Lord Canning {continued), , • 195 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIIL 
 Administration of Lord Canning {continued), • 203 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Administration of Lord Canning (concluded) — Lord Elgin 
 
 — Sir Joiin Lawrer.ee — Lord Mayo — Lord Northbrook, 210 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 Progress of British Conqnesl^ • . « 213 
 
 CHAPTER XXXL 
 The Leading Inditm States^ • • • • 227 
 
HISTORY OF INDIA. 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 OBOOBAPHICAL DESCRIPTIOV. 
 
 Pcurt L— Physical Features, 
 
 General Description of the Country — ^Its great Physical Divisions 
 — The Himalayan Region — Its Western, Central, and 
 Eastern Portions — The Great Plain of the Ganges — Of the 
 Indus — The Highlands of Central India — Table-Land of 
 Malwar— The Deccan— The Vmdhya Hills— The Western 
 Ghauts — The Eastern Ghauts — ^The Neilgherries — Southern 
 India — Ceylon. 
 
 There are few countries in the universe, geograpMcally 
 speaking, more interesting than India.* An epitome of 
 the vast continent with which it is associated — that 
 portion of the globe which, perhaps, beyond any other, 
 mswers to the description of the poet: 
 
 •* A world of wonders, where creation seems 
 No more the works of nature, but her dreams." 
 
 It presents a diversity of surface, and a variety and 
 grandeur of aspect which could scarcely be surpassed by 
 the creations of the most fertile imagination. Here the 
 
 ♦ Or Hindustan, which term comes from the Persian, and signifies 
 the country of the Hindus. It is employed to denominate the 
 cis-Gangetic peninsula, or that ^art of India, or the East Indies, 
 which Ues upon the western side of the River Ganges. The 
 length of this peninsula from north to south is 1800 miles, and 
 its greatest breadth along the parallel of 25° north latitude, about 
 i500 miles. Its area is about 1,300,000 square flulM. 
 
10 BISTORT OF INDIA. 
 
 terraced heights of a gigantic mountain chain, towering 
 to the clouda, and shrouded in the mantle of eternal 
 snow, look down into hollows of unfathomable depth, 
 shelve gently into valleys traversed by the feeders of the 
 mighty rivers of the peninsula, or tower above thickly- 
 wooded glens of sublime and desolate grandeur. There 
 the expanse of a boundless plain — ^for the most part 
 covered with luxuriant vegetation, and crossed by the 
 waters of the most majestic streams of the continent- 
 sweeps across the land from its eastern to its western 
 boundary. Now, a stretch of country presenting the 
 appearance of a rough and broken table-land with an ex- 
 tensive plateau beyond it, in parts monotonously level and 
 treeless, in other quarters a pleasing alternation of hill 
 and valley. The whole of this latter district is bounded 
 by precipitous and well-wooded mountain chains — ^in some 
 places shelving to the sea, in others presenting a rocky 
 rampart to its waters. 
 
 Nor is the botanical aspect of the country less varied 
 and interesting than are its physical features. Possessing, 
 by reason of its extent and diversity of surface, a climate 
 varying from tropical heat to Arctic rigour, and a soil 
 watered by innumerable streams, and unusually fertile, 
 the vegetable productions of the entire world contribute 
 to clothe and beautify its surface. " Its vast plains 
 present the double harvests, the luxuriant foliage, and 
 even the burning deserts of the torrid zone; the lower 
 heights are enriched by the fruits and grains of the 
 temperate climates; the upper steppes are clothed with 
 vast pine-forests of the north; while the highest pinnacles 
 are buried beneath the perpetual snows of the Arctic zone. 
 We do not here, as in Africa and the polar regions, see 
 nature under one uniform aspect; on the contrary, we 
 have to trace gradual, yet complete transitions, between 
 the most opposite extremes that can exist on the surface 
 of the same planet." 
 
 The features above mentioned divide India physically 
 into five regions, namely — (1) the Himalayaoh Region; 
 (2) the Great Plain; (3) the Vmdhycm Region^ or the hill 
 
GEOGRAPHICAL DBSCRIPTIOK. 11 
 
 country of Central India; (4) the Decccm; anct (6) the 
 Southern Begion. Each region has its own peculiar 
 characteristic. 
 
 The most strongly-marked of these is the Himalayan 
 Region, embracing as it does a mountain system, unpar- 
 alleled in its extent and sublimity by any other range 
 of the Old World, and unequalled in many respects 
 - — as, for instance, in the loftiness of its peaks — ^by the 
 gigantic systems of the New. For the space of 1000 
 miles, there may be traced a continuous line 21,000 feet 
 above the sea, from which, as a base, detached peaks 
 ascend to the additional height of 5000 or 6000 feet, 
 and in all probability -9000. The inhabitants of the 
 Bengal plain must contemplate, with no little wonder, 
 this long an-ay of white pinnacles forming the boundary 
 of the distant horizon. The range in question passes 
 along the northern portion of the country from west to 
 east, a distance of some 1500 miles, its breadth varying 
 from 80 to 120 miles; while its mass embraces an area 
 of something like 15,000 superficial miles, or nearly twice 
 that of Great Britain. 
 
 For the sake of convenience, the range may be divided 
 into three portions — ^the Western, Central^ and Eastern, 
 The western portion may be said to commence with the 
 Gusie Mountains, a snow-capped ridge which, protruding 
 into the great south bend of the Indus, runs in a parallel 
 direction to its upper course. The Sutlej and other 
 tributaries of the Indus take their rise in this part of the 
 range; ^nd here the ridge is crossed by many and 
 important passes. These media of communication be- 
 tween Hindustan and the highlands of Thibet are, owing 
 to the structure of the mountains, perilous in the highest 
 degree; the roads, which in some places are carried over 
 the tops of the hills 20,000 feet above the sea-level, skirt 
 the brink of awful precipices, pass in dangerous proximity 
 to seething torrents, or thread a tortuous course through 
 gloomy ravines, bordered by eminences which seem to 
 reach the very skies. 
 
 Connected with this portion of the range, and enclosed 
 
13 HISTORY OF INDIA, 
 
 by its ridges, is the Vale of Cashmere, so long and tmiver 
 sallj celebrated as a terrestrial paradise. It was in this 
 delightful region, upon the shore of a lake formed hy the 
 waters brought down by the numerous mountain rills, 
 that the Mogul sovereigns built a city of palaces; and 
 hither they were wont to withdraw to enjoy what leisure 
 they <jould snatch from the turmoils of government. 
 Poets have never wearied of singing the delights of this 
 region, of extolling the verdure of its hill sides, and 
 praising the roses of its vales; while Cashmerean beauty 
 has become a proverb. The fairy-like descriptions of 
 this land have received considerable modification from 
 the reports of modem travellers; still it would be difficult 
 to find a spot which nature has more richly endowed with 
 her gifts than this Himalayan vale. 
 
 The central portion of the Himalayas extends from the 
 Sutlej valley, eastward, to Bootan. It is in the western 
 part of this district that the sublimity of the range cul- 
 minates; for, along the heads of the Jumna, Ganges, and 
 Gogra, are massed some of the highest pinnacles in the 
 universe. Nearly thirty peaks exceed the altitude of 
 Chimborazo, and some attain the unparalleled height of 
 nearly 30,000 feet, or about 5 J miles. Among these may 
 be mentioned Dhawalagiri and Ghora Cotee. Here, too, 
 the ridge is exceedingly broad, being composed of enor- 
 mous masses protruding as spui"S from the main chain. 
 These offsets branch in every direction, and are separated 
 from each other by long narrow valleys, or ravines. 
 They are clothed in summer with luxuriant vegetation, 
 but during the greater part of the winter they are buried 
 in deep snow. 
 
 The aspect of the higher portion of the range has been 
 thus described : " Generally speaking, the character of 
 this moimtain chain is rugged and stem; its ridges rise 
 behind each other in awful array ; but they enclose no 
 rural scenes, nor present any gentle undulations. Their 
 steep sides, sometimes wooded, sometimes presenting vast 
 faces of naked rock, dip down abruptly, forming dark 
 chasms and ravinesi at the bottom of which there is 
 
THE HIMALAYAS. 
 
 la 
 
14 BISTOBT OF INDIA* 
 
 only room for the torrent to force its way tlirough rada 
 fragments fallen from the cliffs above." By far th» 
 greatest span of this central region is composed of the 
 British province of Kumaon and the dominions of the 
 rajah of Nepaul. 
 
 The eastern stretch of the Himalayas extends from the 
 western frontier of Bootan to the Brahmapootra. The 
 slopes of this portion of the range, which form a descent 
 from the table-land of Thibet, are occupied by the province 
 of Bootan, Upon the northern frontier of Bootan, where 
 it abuts on the dominion of Sikkim, the highest summit 
 of the Kunchinjunga Mountains about here, comprises 
 the loftiest pinnacle of the world; while Chumilari, 
 scarcely less lofty, attains the sublime altitude of some 
 28,000 feet. The pass of Soomoonang connected, with 
 this district, about 15,000 feet above the level of the 
 sea, is one of the loftiest highways of the Himalayas. 
 
 Descending the slopes of this enormous mountain range 
 we come upon our second territorial division, namely, the 
 Plain Country of the Ganges and Indus. " The Himaleh 
 range, where it touches on the champaign country, is 
 almost everywhere girt with a peculiar belt or border 
 called the Tarryani This term is applied to a plain 
 about 20 miles broad, upon which the waters from the 
 higher regions are poured down in such profusion, that 
 the river beds are unable to contain them. They accord- 
 ingly overflow, and convert the ground into a species of 
 swamp, which, acted on by the burning rays of a tropical 
 sun, throws up an excessively rank vegetation, whereby 
 the earth is choked rather than covered. The soil is con- 
 cealed beneath a mass of dark and dismal foliage; while 
 long grass and prickly shrubs shoot up so densely and so 
 close, as to form an almost impenetrable barrier. It is 
 still more awfully guarded by the pestilential vapours 
 exhaling from those dark recesses, which make it at 
 certain seasons a region of death." 
 
 The Gangetic plain may be considered the most impor- 
 tant portion of the country, iuasmuch as it is the most 
 thoroughly cultivated, the most industrious, and by far 
 
osooBAPHicAL descriptiom; 15 
 
 the most thickly peopled. Sweeping tlie entire breadth 
 of the country from west to east, it constitutes a territory 
 some 1500 miles in length, with a breadth vaiying from 
 800 to 400 nules. Its vast importance arises from its 
 extreme fertility. Watered by the copious streams which 
 have their birth in the Himalayas, and enriched by their 
 deposits, it possesses a soil which, in its productiveness, 
 is scarcely equalled by any other region of the known 
 world. 
 
 The easternmost portion of this plain, which is occupied 
 by the old province of Bengal, exhibits a tract of country 
 whose monotonous level is scarcely interrupted by a 
 single hillock. Connected with this portion of the plain 
 are the celebrated Sunderbunds — ^an uncultivated belt of 
 salt marsh lying between the outlets of the Ganges and 
 Brahmapootra. Some excellent timber, however, is found 
 in places; and the rhinoceros, the tiger, and other denizens 
 of the forest find shelter in the woods, or lurk among 
 the tall rank grass, which supplies the place of useful 
 vegetation in this swampy tract. To the north of the 
 Sunderbunds lies a district marvellously enriched by the 
 periodical inundations to which it is subject; and here 
 rice is produced in great abundance. This is especially 
 the case with the trans-Gangetic region of Tirhoot. To 
 the west lies a drier country, in which grain, cotton, and 
 indigo are extensively cultivated. 
 
 Westward of Bengal, in the province of Bahar, the 
 country is somewhat more diversified; but the same 
 unbroken level presents itself in the adjoining province 
 of Allahabad. The monotony of the plain throughout is, 
 however, well relieved by the matchless mantle of vegeta- 
 tion wherewith it is clothed. To the north of the river 
 lie the provinces of Oude and Rohilcund; and here the 
 country slopes gently upwards towards the great moun- 
 tain chain, the intense heat which characterises the low 
 regions just described gradually relaxes to the temperature 
 of an European spring, and the vegetation is consequently 
 of a most varied character. Between the Ganges and 
 Jumna lies the district known as the Doab, which possessei 
 
16 BI8T0BT OF QIPU* 
 
 a soil Bcaroely so fertile as the Bengal plain in general; 
 though it is extremely well wooded, and of an agreeable 
 temperature. Farther southward, ike country is broken 
 by offsets from the Vindhya range, which belongs, how- 
 ever, to another territorial division. 
 
 Quitting the valleys of the Ganges and Jumna, and 
 advancing westward, we come upon the plain of the 
 Indus. The northern part of this level is known as the 
 Punjaub, or country of the five rivers. This extensive 
 tract greatly resembles in productions and general aspect 
 the plain of Bengal. The Punjaub is of the highest 
 interest to us, as Englishmen of the ninteenth century, 
 inasmuch as here, in its inhabitants, the Sikhs, our 
 countrymen encountered the most determined foes with 
 whom they ever crossed swords; and upon its soil, con- 
 sequently, a series of the stoutest fights scarcely proclaimed 
 the superiority of British arms over this warlike race. 
 
 This province, however, together with the contiguous 
 provinces of Lahore and Moultan, now form part of 
 British territory. To the south of Moultan, and between 
 the basins of the Indus and Ganges, lies an extensive 
 tract of sand, covered with saline incrustations and 
 marine deposits, which form a wilderness equalling 
 in its dreariness the most desert tracts of the African 
 continent. This desert is more elevated than the plains 
 on each side of it, and is bordered towards the south-east 
 by the Aravelli chain, which forms the watershed between 
 the Ganges and Indus. Farther on, and bordering upon 
 the Sea of Arabia, is situated the province of Sinde, a 
 thinly-peopled district, well watered by the inundations 
 of the Indus, and in the highest degree productive. 
 
 As we advance southward, we approach the third 
 territorial division, namely, the Highlands of Central 
 India. The undulations of this part of the country are 
 connected with the Vindhya range, and the principal 
 feature of it is the table-land of Malwar. This table-land 
 comprises an area of some 14,000 square miles, and 
 attains a maximum elevation of 2000 feet. Its surface 
 Is exceedingly level, a few hills only occurring hero and 
 
aBOGRAPHICAL DESCBIPTIOIT. ^ 17 
 
 tnere, and rone of them with an elevation over 200 feet. 
 The soil of this table-land is productive — ^tropical crops 
 and the vegetation of the temperate zones being produced 
 in abundance. 
 
 The next division in order is known as the Deccan. 
 Properly speaking, the Deccan includes all the country 
 to the south of the Vindhya Hills; in modem practice, 
 however, the term is often limited to the country lying 
 between that chain and the river Kistna. This region, 
 which may be said to lie between the 21st and 12th 
 parallels, is" triangular in shape, with the Vindhya 
 Hills and the East and West Ghauts as its three 
 sides, its apex being rounded off by the bold sweep of 
 the Neilgherry HUls. By far the greater part of this 
 extensive tract is occupied by a table-land, whose boun- 
 daries to the east and west are flanked by low-lying 
 plains that stretch to the ocean. Its most eWated 
 portion is found in the south, where, under the name of 
 the table-land of Mysore, it attains an elevation of 3000 
 feet. Further north the plain dips; and here is found 
 the bed of its chief river — the Kistna. Rising again, 
 farther northward, it attains to an elevation ranging 
 from 1000 to 2500 feet." As a whole, the Deccan may be 
 described as an extensive plateau, bordered by mountain 
 chains. Its central portions ar^ usually level, with low 
 hills of conical shape scattered about its surface. Those 
 parts, liowever, which lie in the vicinity of the border 
 chains are well diversified by the spurs which they every- 
 where send forth. Such is the character of the Mahratta 
 country in the south-west, whence a brave and hardy race 
 once issued to harass their neighbours, to baffle English 
 skill and valour, and to disconcert the plans of many an 
 astute governor. Upon this table-land originate some of 
 the mightiest rivers of the peninsula^as the Mahanuddy, 
 Godavery, and Kistnsi. 
 
 The deep rich valley of the Nerbudda lying between 
 the Vindhya range and the Satpoora Mountains is worthy 
 of special notice. Its most imposing features, however, 
 are the mountain ranges which support it. The Vindhya 
 
18 HISTOBT OF INDU. 
 
 Hills on the north begin about the 74th meridian; anc^ 
 stretching eastward, run in a parallel line with the 
 Nerbudda, in some places approaching its northern bank 
 and skirting it as a monster wall. Upon the north side 
 of the river the slope is everywhere rapid; and, as the 
 range is intersected by numerous gorges, a series of 
 natural bastions is thereby formed, of which, in times 
 gone by, advantage has often been tal^en for purposes 
 of defence. Towards the north the slope is exceedingly 
 gentle; and upon this side — the range being widely ex- 
 tended and of moderate height — ^it presents rather the 
 aspect of a rough, unbroken table-land than a mountain 
 range. The Vindhya Hills, properly so called, terminate 
 near Bhopal. Their undulations are, however, observed 
 farther eastward, nearing the valley of the Ganges. This 
 part of the range is called by the natives the Kimoor 
 Mountains. 
 
 The Western Ghauts, which bound the Deccan to the 
 west, begin in the neighbourhood of the Tapty, and, 
 running southward, follow the line of the Indian Ocean 
 some thirty miles from its shore; in places, however, 
 approaching so close as to form a rock-bound coast. The 
 range terminates about 11° north latitude. It is well 
 wooded and fertile, the summit being crowned by th* 
 stately areca, sago, and other palms, and the valuabLe 
 teak, sandal, and other woods. Except towards th*j 
 south, the point at which the Neilgherries take theiir 
 departure, they are only moderately elevated and of in 
 considerable width. The slope on the ocean side in 
 exceedingly rapid, a circumstance which interferes con- 
 siderably with commercial enterprise in this quarter. 
 The narrow district lying between the ridge and the 
 ocean is usually known as Malabar, though the more 
 northern stretch is often termed Concan and Canara. 
 
 The Eastern Ghauts, which interpose between the 
 Deccan and the Bay of Bengal, occupy a larger area than 
 the Western, though they are not so lofty, and are far 
 less striking in their general aspect — having, in the place 
 of stately forest trees, a dry, stony soil, monotonous in 
 
•lOORAPHICAL DESCBIPnOV. 1 9 
 
 the extreme. The only exceptions to this aridity are the 
 valleys, or rather clefts, through which the great rivers, 
 originating upon the table-land, find their way to the 
 ocean. The nearest approach made by these Ghauts to 
 the sea is towards the north in Orissa and the Circars. 
 To the south of the Kistna, the plain enclosed by this 
 ridge and the ocean is known as the Coromandel. It ia 
 much wider than that of Malabar. 
 
 The short chain of the Neilgherries completes the boun- 
 daries of this extensive plateau. This ridge issues from 
 the Western Ghauts somewhere towards their southern 
 extremity, and runs eastward for about sixty miles, form- 
 ing the southern boundary of the province of Mysore. 
 The aspect of these mountains is rather pleasing than 
 romantic, as, throughout their extent, they present a 
 surface of broad vales and gentle uplands, with consider- 
 able stretches of level ground intervening. The region 
 is, however, considerably elevated, and one lofty ridge 
 crosses it containing a peak that attains a height of 
 nearly 9000 feet. The soil of the region is fertile, the 
 surface being usually covered with rich verdure, and the 
 climate extremely delightful. Advantage has been taken 
 of this circumstance to establish upon its grounds sanitary 
 stations, in which Europeans may re-establish their health 
 when impaired by the enervating climate of the country. 
 
 The fifth and last territorial division comprises the 
 extreme southern corner of the peninsula; and may con- 
 sequently be denominated Southern India. It consists 
 of a triangular piece of country having the Gap of Coim- 
 batore — a deep valley uniting the lowlands of the eastern 
 and western coasts, and flanked by the Neilgherries— and 
 the southern sweep of the Eastern Ghauts as its base, with 
 Cape Comorin as its apex. The coast of the Carnatic— 
 which province forms by far the largest portion of this 
 region — is low and sandy, especially between Capes 
 Calimere and Comorin. Proceeding inland, salt swamps 
 and lagoons^ alternating with sand-dunes, make up an un- 
 interesting region; but, farther on, the country gradually 
 ascends to the mountainsj which strike from the Wester^ 
 
20 HISTOEY OF INDIA. 
 
 Ghauts southward to Cape Oomorin, and form the highest 
 ground in the entire peninsula, unconnected with the 
 Himalayas. The country to the west of this ridge, unlike 
 the Carnatic region, is somewhat diversified. 
 
 To this southern region may perhaps be added Ceylon, 
 an island about 25,000 miles in superficial extent, and 
 separated from the mainland by the Gulf of Manaar and 
 Palk's Strait. The channel between the island and the 
 mainland is nearly filled up by a series of sandbanks, 
 which, under the name of Adam's Bridge, extend from 
 the island of E-ameseram, off" Cape Torritorio, to the island 
 of Manaar, ofi'the coast of Ceylon. The interior consists of 
 highlands interspersed with numerous lakes. The nucleus 
 of its highlands is formed towards the southern and broader 
 part of the island, where the mountains rise — as in Adam's 
 Peak, and in the still greater elevation of Pedrotallagalla — 
 to upwards of seven and eight thousand feet respectively. 
 
 The principal range takes a latitudinal direction; but, 
 from the nucleus whence the ridge issues, other ofisets 
 are detached towards the southern coast, which form 
 numerous and well-watered valleys. The highlands 
 stand a considerable distance from the coast, and a 
 broad belt of low land of extreme fertility thus sur- 
 rounds the island. The coast of Ceylon is therefore 
 generally flat and abounds in salt lagoons. This is 
 especially the case with its western and north-western 
 sides, where the coast is often broken into majestic bays. 
 The eastern side is in many parts bold and rocky. The 
 son of Ceylon varies. In the west it is sandy and un-' 
 fruitful; in other parts it is highly fertile, producing rice 
 and other crops in abundance. The cinnamon-laurel is 
 indigenous to Ceylon, and the cocoa-nut is cultivated in 
 great abundance. The climate, affected as it is by the 
 monsoons, is not less varied than its soil. The gems of 
 the island are very celebrated. - 
 
 Ceylon is the Tuperbane and Salice of the Greeks and 
 Komans. In the Cingalese annals it is called Sinha-su- 
 Duipa (the island of lions); the Arabs named it Serendib| 
 and tjie Portuguese, Selai*. 
 
CHAPTER IL 
 
 iBOORAPHICAL DBSCBIPTIOXi 
 
 Part Il.—PolUical Features. 
 
 The Three Presidencies— The Sub-Presidencies— The Central 
 Provinces — Island of Ceylon — Governments — Presidency ol 
 Bengal — of Bombay — of Madras — The North- West Provinces 
 — Central Provinces — Punjaub-^Oude — ^British Burmah— 
 Ceylon— Native States and their Chief Towns— Foreign 
 Possessions. 
 
 Such are the physical divisions of Hindostan. Politically, 
 t{he country is divided (1) into three presidencies, namely, 
 Bengali Bombay, and Madras; (2) four sub-presidencies, 
 or lieutenant-governorships, namely, Agra or the North- 
 West Provinces, as it is sometimes called, the Punjauby 
 Oude, and British Btmnahf or the Straits Settlements; 
 (3) the Central Provinces, which are under the control 
 of a chief commissioner; and (4) the Island of Ceylon, 
 under a governor appointed by the British sovereign. 
 In these divisions are included the British possessions, 
 or the territories under the direct rule of the British 
 government, and the native states which are either 
 independent, or connected with us by treaty. These 
 latter are either tributary, subsidiary, allied, or protected; 
 and all of them more or less under British supervision 
 or control. 
 
 These several divisions are under the superintendence 
 of governors appointed by the ministry. The viceroy 
 or governor-general supervises the concerns of the country 
 as a whole. His authority extends specially over the 
 north of India; the provinces there being periodically 
 visited and inspected by him in person. 
 
22 filStORY 01- INDIA. 
 
 The presidency of Bengal includes tlie old province of 
 Bengal, consisting of the divisions of Moorshedabad, 
 Dacca, and Jessore; Bahar, comprised of Patna and 
 Bhwagulpore; Assam, with the North-east Frontier; 
 Chittagong, the Kuttack Mehals, and a collection of small 
 states known as^lhe South-west Frontier, altogether 
 amounting to an area of 265,000 square miles. 
 
 This presidency comprises the lower basins of the 
 Ganges and Mahanuddy. Its chief towns are Calcuttaf 
 on the Hooghly, an arm of the Ganges, the capital of 
 India, its seat of government, and the residence of the 
 governor-general; Moorshedabad, the ancient capital of 
 the nabobs of Bengal; Burdioan, the capital of the fertile 
 district of that name; Cossimhazar, Dacca, a manufactur- 
 ing town of celebrity, and sometime a place of great 
 splendour, and the capital of Bengal; Jessore, Dinagepore, 
 Patna, in the centre of a rice-growing district, and the 
 modem capital of Bahar; Monghier, noted for its iron 
 manufactures; Gaya^ with a celebrated temple to Vishnu; 
 Serarrvpore, once in possession of the Danes; and the 
 French settlement of Ghandernagore. 
 
 The presidency of Bombay consists of the once famous 
 and extensive Mahratta dominions, together with the 
 province of Sinde, arid embraces the territory bounded 
 westward by the Nizam's dominions, and northward by 
 the Tungabudra river. Among its divisions occur the 
 familiar names of Surat, North and South Concan, North 
 Canara, Kandeish, Ahmednuggur, Poonah, Satara, Dar- 
 war, and the Deccan. 
 
 This presidency is watered by the lower course of the 
 Indus, the Loonee, the Chumbul, a tributary of the 
 Ganges, the Nerbudda, the Tapty, and the lower course 
 of the Kistna. 
 
 Among its principal towns are Bombay, the capital 
 of the presidency, and residence of the governor; Surat, 
 a considerable seaport, trading largely in cotton, and the 
 earliest English settlement upon the Indian coast ; 
 Ahmedabad, in Guzerat, a city of great antiquity; 
 B^apore, a strong fortrofis not far irom the left bank of 
 
CnOGKAPBICAL DEscttipnos; 23 
 
 the Kistna, and formerly a city of great magnificence; 
 ScUara^ the ancient capital of the Mahratta rajahs; 
 Poonahf in the Deccan, the former seat of the Peshwa's 
 government; Ahmednuggur; Hyderabad in Siiide, on 
 the Indus^ and Kurraahee, a seaport in the same dis- 
 trict. 
 
 The presidency oi Madras embraces nearly the whole 
 of the peninsula south of the Kistna, together with a 
 strip of country lying along the coast of the Bay of 
 Bengal, and known as the Circars. It embraces a por- 
 tion of the district of the Circars, already mentioned, 
 the Camatic, the ceded districts of Mysore, or the Bala 
 Ghauts, Nangore, Coimbatore, Coorg, Canara, and Mala- 
 bar, Travancore, and Cochin. Madras is watered by 
 the Godavery and the feeders upon its right bank, the 
 Kistna, and its tributary the Toongabudra, the Pennair, 
 Cauvery, and several other streams of lesser volume and 
 importance. 
 
 Its principal towns are Madras, the capital of the 
 presidency; Tamjore, on the Cauvery, the capital city of 
 the rajah of the province; Trichinopolyy on the same 
 liver, and not far from Tanjore, a fortress, and a place of 
 some trade; MasuUpatam, one of the earliest of the 
 British settlements in India; NeUorey a populous com- 
 mercial town; Gonjeveramy a Brahminical city containing 
 celebrated pagodas to Siva and Vishnu; Velhrey a fortress 
 and military station; Mangalore, Calicut^ and Cochiny 
 seaports on the Malabai* coast; Madwra; Seringapatamy 
 the capital of the province of Mysore; and Bellary and 
 Gooty-droogy fortresses in the ceded districts. 
 
 The territory known as the North-west Provinces 
 includes the district lying around Oude, and stretching 
 along the Ganges, from the confluence of the Gogra with 
 that river to the upper course of the Jumna. Among 
 its divisions are Benares, Agra, Meerut, Kohilcund, Jansi, 
 Ajmeer, and Kumaon. This district, which has an area 
 of 86,000 square miles, is well watered by the main stream 
 of the Ganges, and the Jumna, Goomtee, (Jogra, and other 
 feeders of that river. Its chief towns are Allahabad, at 
 
24 BISTORT OF INDIA. 
 
 the junction of the Ganges and Jumna, the capital, an 
 important fortress, and a holy city and place of pilgrim- 
 age; Cawnpore, an important military station, and cele- 
 brated historically as the scene of an atrocious massacre 
 of our countrymen during the Sepoy rebellion of 1857 ; 
 Benares, an ancient Brahminical city on the Ganges, and 
 the resort of Hindu pilgrims from all parts; Mirza/pore; 
 Gorackpore; Agra, the capital of the province of that 
 name, an ancient city containing the magnificent Taze 
 Mahal, wherein is the tomb of the Emperor Shah 
 Jehangire. Agra is venerated by Hindus as the place 
 of the incarnation of Vishnu; Fv/rruckabadj a place of 
 some trade; Muti/ra, a large town, and a sacred city; 
 Meerut, the chief city of the division of Meerut; AUeyghur; 
 Bwreilly, in Rohilcund, a place of great trade; and 
 Ha/mpoor, 
 
 The division known as the Central Provinces comprises 
 the northern portion of the Deccan, being situated to the 
 north of the Godavery, and to the west of Orissa. This 
 district, which is under the jurisdiction of a chief com- 
 missioner, has an area of 120,000 square miles. It 
 consists mainly of the province of Nagpore, and certain 
 districts to the north-west of it, known as the Nerbudda 
 and Sanger territory. The country here is watered by 
 the Godavery, and the upper courses of the Nerbudda 
 and Tapty. It contains but one town of importance, 
 namely, Nagpore, near the capital of the dominions of the 
 rajah of Berar, and the present capital of the district of 
 Gundwayna. 
 
 The Punjaub, or country of the Five Rivers, includes, 
 besides the old province known by that name, and 
 watered by the affluents of the Indus, the British 
 territory lying to the east of it, and forming the upper 
 basin of the Sutlej and Jumna. Its divisions are Moultan, 
 Lahore,Umritsir, Jhelum, JuUundalijLeiro, and Peshawar, 
 to the west of the Sutlej; and Delhi, Hissar, and the ois- 
 Sutlej States to the east of that river. 
 
 The chief towns in the vice-presidency are: Lahore, on 
 the Bavee, the seat of Government; Mouliaai^ near the 
 
eSOGtlAPHTCAti t)ESCFTPT10!7. §5 
 
 left bank of the Chenab, a large and popnlotis town; 
 Umritsir; Delhi, the former capital of the Moguls, and 
 one of the most ancient and splendid cities of India; 
 J^erozepore, on the Sutlej, a considerable military station; 
 and Peshawar, near the right bank of the Cabool river, 
 and upon the frontier of Afghanistan; Paniput, Loodiana, 
 Sohraon, Aliwal, Goojerat, Ferozeshah, and Moodkee — all 
 within the Punjaub territory-— are historically celebrated 
 as great battle-fields. 
 
 The lieutenant-governorship of Oude comprises the 
 newly-annexed state of that name; and is bounded upon 
 the north by Nepaul, upon the south by the Ganges, and 
 upon the east and west by the territory of the North- 
 west Provinces. The country, which is well watered by 
 the Goomtee, and other tributaries of the Ganges, has an 
 area of 28,000 square miles. 
 
 The chief towns within the province are Luchnow, the 
 capital, a populous place, and memorable from its associa- 
 tion with the chief events of the Indian Mutiny ; Oude, 
 and Fyzahad. The aflfairs of the dominion are adminis- 
 tered by a lieutenant-governor. 
 
 British Burmah comprises all the Indian territory 
 belonging to Britain situated without the bounds of the 
 peninsula. It consists of the provinces of Arracan, 
 Pegu, Martaban, the Tenasserim Provinces, and the 
 Straits Settlements. These provinces stretch along the 
 eastern shores of the Bay of Bengal for 700 miles, and 
 are valuable chiefly as rice-growing districts — abundant 
 crops of which cereal are produced upon the rich alluvial 
 soil of the country — and for the timber-trees which clothe 
 the hills upon its eastern boundary. The Tenasserim 
 Provinces are four in number, namely, Amherst, Yeh, 
 Tavoy, and Mergui. The Straits Settlements lie beyond 
 the bounds of Tenasserim, the most southern of the pro- 
 vinces, and consist of the islands of Penang and Singapore, 
 the town of Singapore, Wellesley Province, and the town 
 of M!a,lacca. 
 
 The chief towns of British Burmah are Bassdn^ 
 Rangoon^ and Prorne, in Pegu; MoiUmdn in the Teuaa- 
 
S6 HIStORlr of INDIA. 
 
 serim Provinces; and Singapcyre, upoii the island of that 
 name. 
 
 Ceylon consists mainly of the island of that name. Its 
 affairs are administered by a governor appointed by the 
 crown; and it is therefore a separate presidency. Its 
 chief towns are: GolombOf the capital, and the seat of 
 the government, situated upon the western coast of the 
 island. It is a place of great trade, and is strongly 
 fortified. Besides trading largely in spices and other 
 Indian produce, cocoa-nut oil is largely supplied by its 
 numerous crushing-mills; Point de Galle, upon the south- 
 west coast, the chief seaport of the island; Kandy, in the 
 centre of the island, the old capital of the dominions of 
 the King of Kandy; Trincomalee, upon the neck of a 
 peninsula on the north-west coast, possesses the finest 
 harbour in the island, and is a place of great trade; 
 Newera Elliay situated in a healthy and picturesque 
 neighbourhood, the principal government sanitarium of 
 the island. 
 
 Ceylon, which has an area of 25,000 square miles, has 
 long been wholly or partially connected with Britain. 
 
 In addition to the British possessions there are the 
 Native and Foreign States. The former are more or less 
 connected with the governments of the presidencies — the 
 native rulers being retained, some as subsidiary, some 
 tributary, some protected, and others only nominally 
 independent, but all of them under British supervision 
 and control. The names of some of these, it will be seen, 
 occur in connection with the presidencies with which they 
 are physically associated. This repetition arises from the 
 fact that the provinces bearing their several names have 
 been broken up and divided amongst the British and 
 native princes. 
 
 Among the states of the first denomination may be 
 mentioned Guzerat, or the Guicowar's dominions, Cam bay, . 
 Cutch, Kolapore, Satara, connected with Bombay; Cochin, 
 Mysore, Travancore, and Jeypore, connected with Madras; 
 and Hyderabad or the Nizam's dominions, Nagpore or 
 Berar. Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Bundelcund, Bajpootana, 
 
©fiOGRAPSlCAli DESC&IPTIOJr. 27 
 
 or the Bajpoot States, Eohilcimd, Bhwalpore, the Sikb 
 States, Cashmere, Nepaul,Sikkim, Kuttack, Tipperah,eta, 
 connected with the northern presidencies and govern- 
 ments. 
 
 Guzerat, or the Gnicowar's dominions, embraces an 
 extensive territory lying to the south of Rajpootana, and 
 to the west of Malwah. A large portion of it is a penin- 
 sula lying between the Gulfs of Cutch and Cambay. The 
 Guicowar is the representative of a line of Mahratta 
 .jhieftainsj whose patronymic — like tbat of our Scottish 
 nnd Irish chiefs — have come to be employed as a title. 
 f^he dominion is divided among a number of petty sove- 
 I eigns who are subject either to the Guicowar or to the 
 ] British. The Guicowar himself is in subsidiary alliance 
 with the British. The capital is Baroda, one of the 
 ■vrealthiest cities in India. 
 
 Cutch is a territory lying between Guzerat and Sinde, 
 from which latter it is separated by an extensive salt- 
 marsh called the Hunn. It is governed by a prince 
 named the Ras, who is under British protection. £hooj 
 is the modern capital of the principality, and Mandavee 
 its chief port. 
 
 Cambay, an insignificant district situated at the head 
 of the gulf of that name, governed by a nabob who is 
 tributary to the British. 
 
 Kolapore, a small Mahratta state in the "Western 
 Ghauts, and within the province of Bejapore, is under 
 a rajah. The affairs of the state, however, are adminis- 
 tered by a deputy appointed by the British government. 
 The capital bears the name of the state. 
 
 Sattara, a district occupying a portion of the Western 
 Ghauts, and of the iiblela^nd of the Deccan, is under 
 British management. Among its towns are Sattaray the 
 ancient Mahratta capital, and Bejapore. 
 
 Cochin, to the north of TravancOre, is now included in 
 the district of Malabar. Its capital is Trichoor, 
 
 Mysore, the ancient dominion of Hyder Ali and Tippoo 
 Sahib, is governed by a Hindu rajah. The capital is 
 Mysore^ which contains the rajah's palaca Swinga^atam, 
 
28 filSTOKY OF limiA. 
 
 the former capital, stands on an islet in the Cauvery, and 
 is well fortified. Bednore and Bcmgalore are among the 
 commercial towns of the province. 
 
 Travancore lies along the Malabar coast at the southern 
 extremity of the peninsula. Its capital is Trivandrumy 
 a large and populous place not far from the coast. 
 
 Jeypore, a consideiuble principality lying between the 
 Circars and Nagpore upon the northern side of the Goda- 
 very. Its chief town is Jeypjire, on a tributary of the 
 Godavery, which river forms the southern boundary of 
 the province. 
 
 Hyderabad, or the Nizam's dominions, comprises an 
 extensive territory, and is the largest of all the protected 
 states. It occupies the centre of the northern portion of 
 the Deccan, being surrounded by the dominion of Mysore. 
 Jeypore, the central provinces, Berar, and the Ceded Dis- 
 tricts. The capital is Hyderahadj a. populous town largely 
 engaged in diamond cutting, and situated on a small 
 tributary of the Kistiia. Near it is Golconda, a fortified 
 place, and 'of world-wide celebrity from its supply ot 
 diamonds. Other towns are Berar, Dowlatabad, Aurung- 
 ahad, and Flora. 
 
 Berar, or as it is sometimes termed, Nagpore, is attached 
 to the Central Provinces; and is, in effect, under the entire 
 control of the British. The rajah is a merely nominal 
 sovereign, as the management of the province is in the 
 hands of a political agent of the British government, who 
 resides at Nagpore. The boundaries of the province, 
 owing to its divided condition, are not easily definable. 
 Nagpore, in the province of Gundwayna, is the capital. 
 
 Bhopal, a small principality of some 6000 or 7000 miles 
 in area, situated between the Mahratta states and the 
 ceded districts of the Nerbudda. It is under British pro- 
 tection. Its capital is a town of the^me name, standing 
 near the river Bere, at the foot of the Vindhya Hills. 
 
 Q-walior, or Scindia's territory, is made up of several 
 detached districts between the Yindhya Hills and the 
 Chumbul river. Its capital is Gwalwr^ a town not for 
 from the Chumbul. 
 
OBOOKAPHIOAL DESCRIFTIOH; 2d 
 
 Indore, or Holkar's territory, is situated in the Vindhya 
 country. It consists of several detaclied districts of Mal- 
 wah, its principal- portions being watered by the Ner- 
 budda. The capital is Indore^ the residence of Holkar. 
 Other towns are Oujein, once the residence of Scindia, 
 Perluhghur^ and Bhampoor. 
 
 Bundelcund or Bundela lies to the south of the Jumna, 
 between the provinces of Rewah, Malwah, and Gwalior. 
 Bundelcund consists of a number of states, a few of which 
 are protected and tributary. British connection with the 
 Bundelcund States dates from the beginning of the present 
 century. The representative of the ancient rulers is a 
 pensioner of the British government. The chief towns 
 are Bundaj the capital, and the seat of government of the 
 old nabobs of Bunda; Jeitpore, Jhansi, Chittapore, etc. 
 
 The Rajpoot States embrace an extensive territory on 
 the western side of the Chumbul. The Aravelli Moun- 
 tains run through them from south-west to north-east, to 
 the west of which range the country is extremely desert. 
 Ajmeer, and the district around it, situated in the centre 
 of the states, is British territory. The remainder of them 
 are under E-ajpoot princes. Among the stalies are 
 Ajmeer, already mentioned, Jeypore, with a capital bear- 
 ing the same name; Marwar, capital Jhodpore; Mewar, 
 capital Oodipore, and Chitot'e, an ancient and flourishing 
 town. 
 
 Rohilcund lies ^to the north-west of the province of 
 Oude, and occupies the upper basin of the Ganges and 
 Jumna. Its capital is Bareilly, situated within the dis- 
 trict of Bareilly, one of the British possessions in this 
 quarter. 
 
 The Khannate of Bhawulpore lies to the north of the 
 desert of Scinde, upon the left side of the Jumna. 
 
 The Sikh States, which are under British protection, 
 lie between the Pmijaub and the states of the north-west 
 provinces. This territory is virtually British. 
 
 Cashmere, or Gholab Singh's territory, is in the Hima- 
 layan district to the north-east of the Punjaub. This dis- 
 trict, which was once British territory, passed by payment 
 
30 BISTOBT OF INDIA. 
 
 to Gholab Singh upon the conclusion of the first Sikh 
 war. Its capital is Sirinagur on the Jhelum; and among 
 its other towns are Islamabad and Sainpre. 
 
 Nepaul, an extensive principality, also in the Hima- 
 layan region, is bounded northward by Thibet, and towards 
 the south by Oude and other provinces of the Gan- 
 getic plain; on the east it has Sikkim, and on the west 
 Kumaon. The capital is Katmandoo, situated in a plain 
 country surrounded by mountains, upon the line of com- 
 munication between Hindustan and Thibet. Among its 
 other towns are Lalita, Fatan, and Neacote. It is under 
 a rajah, between whom and the British there exists a 
 treaty of government. 
 
 Sikkim is likewise in the Himalayas, and lies between 
 Nepaul and Bhotan. The rajah of Sikkim, an ally of 
 the English, is tributary and protected. 
 
 The territory known as the Kuttack Mehals is situated 
 in the province of Orissa. 
 
 Tipperah is a trans-Gangetic district, situated among 
 the mountains of that name. The province is entirely- 
 independent. 
 
 The French and Portuguese Possessions, which, terri- 
 torially considered, are exceedingly unimportant, complete 
 the area of the Indian peninsula. To the French belong 
 Pondicherry, a considerable town on the Carnatic coast-, 
 and the chief seat of French authority; Chandanagort^ 
 on the Hooghley, about 16 miles from Calcutta; GaricaL\ 
 on the Carnatic coast, towards the "feouth; Make, upon 
 the coast of Malabar; and Y'anaon, on a branch of thu 
 Godavery. These possessions — and especially the two 
 former — have many times changed hands. They wer(3 
 finally restored to French ownership at the peace of 1816. 
 
 To the Portuguese belong the district of Goa, on the 
 western coa^t of Canara; Damans a fortress near Surat ; 
 and Diu, another fortress upon the south coast of the 
 peninsula of Kattywar (Guzerat). 
 
 TranquebaTf to the north of Carical, formerly belonged 
 to the Danes, of whom it was purchased ia 1846 by th© 
 British government. 
 
CHAPTER in. 
 
 THE INHABITANTS OP INDIA. 
 
 The Aryan Race — Their Appearance in Hindustan— Contrast 
 between them and the Aborigines— Early Peopling of India 
 
 The Aborigines— Early Condition of India — The Kings— 
 
 The Government— Religion of Hindus— Sacred Writings— 
 Brahm, the First Cause — The Hindu Trinity— Devotion 
 among Hindus— Sects in India— Superstitious Practices- 
 Caste— Its Reputed Origin— Strict Observance of its Duties 
 — Buddhism — The Mohammedans— Religion of the ruder 
 Tribes— The Sikhs— Parsees— Christianity in India. 
 
 By far the greater portion of the inhabitants of India 
 belong to that race whose many branches, bearing the 
 generic name of Aryan, Caucasian, and Indo-European, 
 have filled Europe, peopled a considerable portion of the 
 areas of the continents of Asia, Africa, and America, and 
 are fast superseding the aboriginal inhabitants of the 
 Australian continent and the islands thereabouts. 
 
 There are many reasons for supposing that the parti- 
 cular branch of this mighty stock, whose teeming millions, 
 under the name of Hindus or Hindoos, have peopled this 
 Asiatic peniasula, were not the earliest occupants of its 
 soil; but that, at so'jae very remote period, they descended 
 at successive intervals from the highlands of Central Asia, 
 bringing with them civilization and the sword, displacing 
 the aboriginal dwellers, and furnishing the land with a 
 new race and all its concomitants^a new language, a new 
 religion, new manners and customs, and a new com- 
 plexion of things in general 
 
 Their arrival^ consequently, wrought a mighty change in 
 the Indian peninsula — a change which, in its way, proved 
 as advantageous to the land as the displacement of the 
 
S3 HIBTOBT OF INDIA. 
 
 Red men of the Columbian Continent by tbe more civil- 
 ised and enterprising types of tbe Old World. The 
 physical qualities of the new comers were as far superior 
 to the race they superseded as were those of the Hellenes 
 to the "Children of the Black Earth." The exquisite 
 beauty of their Sanskrit muse as greatly transcended that 
 of the aborigines as do the rich and melodious Greek- 
 Latin tongues the copious, but withal unharmonious, 
 Teutonic. Their religion was, in its poetic fancies, as far 
 exalted above their crude systems of worship as the 
 sublime teachings of Christianity soar above the doctrines 
 of the code of Menu; and the condition of their society 
 was as much superior as was that of the Sabines and 
 Etruscans to the rude followers of Romulus. 
 
 To suppose, however, that the Aryans were the only 
 invaders of Indian soil were to accredit the race with a 
 monopoly of migratory and predatory habits. The accept- 
 ance of such a theory is forbidden by the existence of 
 Cushite and Turanian or Scythian remains, which are 
 found more especially in the southern half of the penin- 
 sula, where monuments that bear a close resemblance to 
 the Druidical structures of Western Europe abound; 
 while warlike implements and domestic utensils, corres- 
 ponding with the antique remains of our own country, 
 point to an unmistakable brotherhood. These various 
 immigrations, however, occurred at a period anterior to 
 the dawn of historic record; and to trace their progress 
 is therefore impossible. In treating of the early popula- 
 tion of Greece the great historian of that country bids us 
 forego speculation, and contentedly accept the Hellenic 
 aggregate as a primary fact from which to start; and in 
 this spirit- it is that we must, perforce, contemplate the 
 primitive population of India. 
 
 In looking back, therefore, to primitive times we 
 behold, as would be supposed, the land occupied by a 
 scattered population of extremely rude habits, but withal 
 one of the most ancient peoples of the earth. The tide 
 of emigration progressing westward has already over- 
 whelmed Greece and Italy; and now^ bearing southward. 
 
THE INHABITANTS OP INDIA. ^ 83 
 
 Its irresistible tide passes the Indian Alps, breaks upon 
 the Punjaub, and spreads itself over the plains of Hin- 
 dustan proper. The advance, of successive waves force 
 the earlier comers southwards, who, swarming over the 
 Vindhya chain, cover in time the Deccan, the more south- 
 em table-lands, and Ceylon. The ancient races, mean- 
 while, retreat before it to the more inaccessible regions 
 of its hills and forests, much after the manner inwhich 
 BO many of the Celtic inhabitants of this island withdrew, 
 before the onward pressure of the Saxon invaders, to the 
 mountain fastnesses of the western part of our island. 
 
 The process, we repeat, is shrouded in impenetr?ble 
 darkness; and the veil will probably never be uplifted 
 therefrom. Nevertheless, its operations are confirmed 
 not le^s by analogy than by the present composition of 
 the Indian people; for, while the blood of the Aryan stock 
 remains in the great bulk of the inhabitants, the primi- 
 tive, indigenous races are represented by certain alien 
 tribes, whose condition is one of pristine rudeness. They 
 are diminutive in stature, extremely dark, and have the 
 high cheek-bones, small eyes, and flat noses characteristic 
 of the Mongols; and thus they differ from the Hindus, 
 who are tall and lithe, with handsome oval features, large 
 eyes and eyebrows, and have a skin which, in the cooler 
 regions, is not darker than that of the inhabitants of 
 southern Europe. In all instances they preserve the 
 practices of their ancestors, and cling with the most 
 remarkable tenacity to their superstitions. They are 
 foimd at the foot of the Himalayas, amid the unhealthy 
 forests of the Terai; in the wooded country of the Ganges 
 valley; further south in the region of Kuttack; in Cen- 
 tral India; amid the Yindhya, Aravelli, and Satpura 
 Mountains; further west in Guzerat; and in the table- 
 lands of the Deccan and Mysore, and among the Neilgher- 
 ries. Their various tribes, though differing in many 
 respects, nevertheless preserve the general characteristica 
 of kindred race, language, and habits. 
 
 Among these aboriginal tribes may be mentioned the 
 CknoDs, Lepchas, and Loshau, who dwell beneath the 
 
Si BI8T0BY OF INDIA. 
 
 shadow of the Himalayas; the Korewahs and Koles — ^tho 
 latter a comparatively docile race, who are found in Kut- 
 tack and Western Bengal; the Santals who, in 1855, 
 rose in rebellion against the British government; the 
 Khonds, inhabiting the hill-country to the west of Orissa, 
 whose name is associated with the barbarous practice oi 
 kidnapping; the Bheels and Kholus, found in the hill- 
 districts of the old Mahratta country; the robber-bands 
 known as Waghems, living to the west of them; and 
 many others. 
 
 The condition of early Hindu society was that of an 
 advanced civilization. Its government took the form of 
 an absolute monarchy. The executive powers were in 
 the hands of a being who was supposed to be endued with 
 divine attributes, and exercised an authority against 
 which there was no earthly appeal. His actions, how- 
 ever, were limited in some degree by the influence of the 
 Brahmins, the laws which bore the seal of divinity, and 
 the usual dread of revolt. The Hindu sovereign appears, 
 like all monarchs of primitive times, to have been com- 
 mander-in-chief, diplomatist, chief magistrate, and mana- 
 ger of the national finances. These duties he was at 
 liberty to perform by deputy; and such deputy could 
 further delegate his powers to a third. This method was 
 frequently adopted. 
 
 Further, he was supposed to be an example of industry, 
 self-denial, self-restraint, and every other virtue under 
 the sun. The succession was generally hereditary; but 
 the sovereign appears to have had the privilege of choos- 
 ing his successor. Kingship was, however, more often 
 than otherwise confined to the family, and the worthiest 
 member of it was usually chosen. 
 
 His revenue was derived chiefly from the produce of 
 the earth, of the mines, from certain imposts upon mer- 
 chandise, and from other sources. The tax upon grain 
 varied according to the character of the soil, and the 
 amount of labour required for its cultivation. 
 
 The internal administration of the country was in the 
 handa of dvil oSao&n appointed by the kinjg, who were 
 
THE INHABITANTS OF INDIA* 85 
 
 immediately responsible to a superintendent — a man of 
 high rank and authority — one of whom resided in every 
 large town or city. The land was, for convenience, 
 divided into military districts, each under a duly appointed 
 resident officer of tried qualifications. The rules of war- 
 fare, as drawn up by the Brahmins, were exceedingly 
 crude and impracticable, and quite unworthy of the high 
 degree of civilization and general intelligence to which 
 this people had attained. This much may, however, be 
 said of them, that they enjoined a regard for humanity 
 which would put to the blush the boasted-civilization and 
 progress of the nineteenth century. Every means were 
 adopted to mitigate the horrors of the battle-field, and to 
 relieve a conquered people from the usual consequences 
 of defeat. 
 
 The vast majority of the Hindu people belong to the 
 religion known as Brahaminism or Hinduism — ^its votaries 
 numbering some 150 millions of souls. The doctrines of 
 this ancient system of worship are set forth in the Vedas, 
 the Shastras, Puranas, and other sacred books, whose 
 possession and right of research belong exclusively to the 
 Brahminical order. The Yedas — the Bible of the Hindus 
 — are written -in the Sanskrit, a language held by the 
 Hindus to belong exclusively to the gods. They are four 
 in number, namely— the " Rig- Veda," the " Yugur-Yeda," 
 the "Sama-Yeda," and the " Atharva-Yeda," of which the 
 *' Big-Yeda " is the most ancient. They comprise a col- 
 lection of sacred poems and prayers, with which legends, 
 religious rites, philosophical reasoning, and moral teaching, 
 are largely mingled. The sacred books, which are sup- 
 posed to have been compiled so early as the fourteenth 
 century before Christ, contain the earliest authentic 
 record of the people who profess the creed it teaches. Its 
 doctrines were considerably modified and improved six 
 centuries later by the code of Menu, which affords the 
 earliest complete picture of the state of Hindu society- 
 It is a remarkable, yet well-authenticated truth, that 
 nowhere in the universe is the phenomenon presented of 
 
S6 BTSTOBT OF nn>iA. 
 
 a nation of Atheists. The same thirst afber divine know- 
 ledge which led the Athenians of old to erect in their 
 city an altar to the Unknown God has ever led the con- 
 templative mind of man from nature up to nature's God; 
 and hence it is that mankind in all ages, whether 
 elevated by the influences of civilization or sunk in the 
 depths of barbarism, will acknowledge the existence of 
 a first and all-pervading cause. The South-Sea Islander 
 beholds it in his deified ancestors, and the Red Indian in 
 the Great Spirit. The ancient Greek adored it in the 
 Helen ic Zeus, and pagan Rome in Jove his counterpart. 
 The Hindu, possessing a theocracy of older date, speaks 
 of an equally imaginative being; and, under the name of 
 Brahm, its votaries adore him as the uncreated author 
 of all 1;hings. 
 
 Ere the era of creation had begun, this moving principle 
 is represented as having been wholly quiescent, existing 
 in a condition of unbroken sleep. After a numberless 
 succession of ages this slumber is disturbed; and Brahm, 
 heretofore a mere abstraction, begins to exhibit active 
 qualities, and calls the universe into existence. The 
 human mind, however, unequal to the grasp of the in- 
 finite, must needs endow its ideal author with a tangible, 
 comprehensive form, without which the energy necessary 
 to the process of creation must be wanting. Accordingly, 
 from the bosom of Brahm comes forth the Trimurti or 
 Hindu Triad, consisting of Brahma, Yishnu, and Shiva. 
 The first person of this trinity is regarded as the creator 
 — not of the universe alone, but even of the two other 
 persons of the trinity, who are supposed to have sprung 
 from his essence. To this ofispring is entrusted the 
 arrangement and government of th© universe; while 
 Brahm himself relapses into his former condition of 
 profound slumber and unconsciousness. 
 
 The various attempts of finite man to unravel the 
 secrets of the Eternal have at all times been fruitful of 
 confusion; and various interpretations exist among the 
 IFindus of the process of creation. The most widely- 
 adopted theory is that of the Mundane Egg, occuiTing in 
 
«HE INHABITANTS OP INDIA. 37 
 
 the Hindu Shastras. This egg, from whence the universe 
 is alleged to have sprung, was created by Brahm, who, 
 for its production, assumed the twofold form of a male 
 and female. In this egg lay the germ of future worlds, 
 together with the embryo of Brahm himself. After the 
 lapse of countless ages, during which the wondrous first 
 cause lay floating upon the dark waters of chaos, the 
 supreme being therein inclosed burst the stupendous shell, 
 and issued forth in the form of a monster with myriad 
 heads and horns, ready to commence the mighty work of 
 educing order from chaos. 
 
 Such was Brahma, the first person of the Hindu 
 trinity, the creator of the universe. The second person, 
 Vishnu, is a personification of the process of preservation. 
 He was long regarded as holding an inferior position to 
 that of Brahma; but by-and-bye he attained a more 
 exalted place; and the worshippers of this deity under 
 the form of Krishna, his incarnation, now far outnumber 
 the votaries of Brahma. Shiva, the third person of the 
 Hindu Triad, is the tutelary god of the Brahmins. The 
 worship of this deity is comparatively recent, not earlier 
 than three centuries before the Christian era. In con- 
 sequence of the counter influence of the Brahmins, it 
 was long confined to the hill tribes; but the Brahmins 
 in time having relaxed their opposition, Shiva -worship 
 quickly spread through the plains; and that deity now 
 shares with Vishnu the adoration of the greater portion 
 of the Hindu people. 
 
 The Hindus believe in the transmigration of souls; 
 which process they regard as progressive to the end of 
 time. The rewards and punishments of the next world 
 are of three kinds, the highest of which is that of absorp. 
 tion into the essence of Brahm, 
 
 ^ It is the desire of every devout Hindu to attain to a 
 higher rank in the new existence. Hence the amazing 
 display of devotion, and the minute pharisaical, and even 
 ludicrous attention paid to form and ceremony so observ- 
 ably among this people. " There is not a Hindu farmer, 
 artizan, or even common labourer," says Colonel Meadows 
 
9$ "HIBTORT of INDIA. 
 
 Taylor, " wlio does not possess houseliold gods, wlio does 
 not worship them in his house, and thus purify himself 
 before he or his famify can eat, or he goes to his daily 
 labour, whatever it may be. During the day a devout 
 Hindu will repeat the name of his tutelary divinity upon 
 liis rosary; no one gets up, sits down, enters, or leaves a 
 room, yawns, sneezes, or coughs, without invoking his 
 protection. No Brahmin opens his book for study, no 
 merchant or trader his day-book or ledger, no blacksmith, 
 carpenter, weaver, or other artizan or lalDOurer, uses his 
 tools without the same form. . . . Betrothals, mar- 
 riages, birth of children, purification after child-birth, 
 birthdays, performance of vows made on any special * 
 occasion, sacrifices, oblations, penances, pilgrimages, cre- 
 mations, or burials, and rites for the repose of the souls 
 of relations — all, and many more events of life which it 
 is needless to detail, involve the performance of religious 
 ceremonies." 
 
 The Hindu Pantheon presents a numberless array; and . 
 the variety of sects in India are necessarily numerous. 
 At the head of these deities stand the members of the 
 Hindu Trimurti already mentioned, whose worshippers 
 consequently far outnumber the votaries of the rest. Of 
 these Brahma receives but little adoration, except from 
 the Brahmins themselves, who at sunrise every morning 
 repeat an incantation containing a description of the 
 deity, and present him with a flower. Vishnu and Shiva, 
 on the other hand, under the names of Krishna and 
 Bama, have ever attracted, and continue to attract, the 
 greatest amount of homage. 
 
 Gross superstition follows upon the skirts of Hiaduism. 
 Evil spirits, demons, and monsters of all kinds, whose 
 avocation it is to afflict the world with every species ot 
 evil, are believed to be everywhere present, and are pro- 
 pitiated by sacrifice. The service rendered to these, how- 
 ever, forms no part of the professed religion, and are 
 supposed to be a remnant of the aboriginal worship. The 
 existence of these superstitious practices is exhibited by 
 the prevalence of horrid rites: some of which, as the pro- 
 
9HB INHABITANTS OF INDIA. 39 
 
 cession of tlie car of Juggernaut, the practice of the 
 suttee, infanticide, etc., have been recently abolished by 
 the firm hand of the British government. 
 
 Perhaps the most remarkable feature of Brahminism 
 is an institution well-nigh peculiar to Hindustan, and 
 known as caste. By this institution, which has the 
 authority of the code of Menu, the Hindus were origin- 
 ally divided into four distinct and separate orders. Fore- 
 most among them were the priesthood, whose highest 
 class are termed Brahmins. The next in order is that of 
 the Kshattryas or military. Lower down in the social 
 scale were the Vaishyas, who embraced the professions, 
 as physicians, bankers, lawyers, merchants, and the higher 
 degrees of those not engaged in handiwork of any kind; 
 and lowest of all were the Soudras, including the lowest 
 class of traders, husbandmen, artizans, and labourers. 
 
 The obligations of caste are set forth, and its rules 
 enforced by duly recognised potentates and their agents. 
 Ets leading principle is that of thorough exclusiveness. 
 Intermarriages are strictly forbidden — a breach of the 
 rule being visited by the highest earthly punishment in 
 the eyes of a Hindu — namely, degradation, or loss of 
 caste. Such mesalliances have frequently taken place; 
 and their occurrence has originated the multitudinous 
 classes to be found in Hindu society. Nevertheless, the 
 strict Hindu will regard the obligations of caste with 
 much greater care and exactitude than the services of his 
 religion even. Perhaps this may be accounted for by the 
 summary visitation attending a breach of its rules. Be 
 that as it may, the overseers of the concerns of caste are 
 far more eflQ.cacious in upholding morality among the 
 population than even the Brahminical teachers. 
 
 Some centuries previous to the Christian era, another 
 and a purer religion was introduced into India by Gotama 
 Buddha, who, rejecting the teachings of the Vedas and 
 kindred writings, taught the almost Christian truth of 
 the equality of mankind in the sight of a Supreme Being. 
 His teachings took deep root, and the creed flourished in 
 India, till the jealousy of the Brahmins was aroused^ 
 
40 RISTOBT OF INDIA. 
 
 whOf having gained the aid of the temporal powers, com- 
 menced a persecution of its votaries. The struggle between 
 the old and new faiths was long and severe; and, as in 
 the days of imperial Kome, Christianity was by turns 
 encouraged and discountenanced by the successors of 
 Csesar, so Buddhism was, for seven or eight centuries 
 after the Christian era patronised, neglected, and for- 
 bidden by the kings of India. The enemies of the new 
 faith ultimately triumphed, and it was in consequence 
 suppressed. 
 
 The Mohammedans form likewise a respectable portion 
 of the Indian community, numbering some 15 millions. 
 The establishment of this religion was the result of a 
 succession of conquests which, beginning with the inva- 
 sion of the renowned Mahmoud " was never turned back 
 towards the setting sun till that memorable campaign in 
 which the cross of St. George was planted on the walls of 
 Ghuznee." The professors of the Mohammedan creed are 
 the descendants of those Afghan, Persian, and Arab in- 
 vaders whose warrior kings once lorded it over the 
 greater portion of the peninsula. Proselytism was not, 
 however, the practice of these Mussulman invaders; and 
 the number of Hindu converts to their faith has thus 
 been comparatively small. The Mohammedans are most 
 numerous in Oude and the Deccan. There is but little sym- 
 pathy between them and their Hindu fellow-countrymen. 
 
 The supposed aboriginal tribes profess neither Brahm- 
 inism. Buddhism, nor Mohammedanism. Thus, the 
 Khonds, who are found in Orissa, worship an earth-god, 
 whom they call Bura-Penu, and to him they offer, sacri- 
 fices for the purpose of securing his blessing upon their 
 agricultural operations. The rude tribes south of the 
 Deccan exercise a system of demonolatry, into the prac- 
 tice of which the most revolting and degrading rites are 
 introduced. In addition to these are the Jains, a Hindu 
 sect found scattered throughout the peninsula, and more 
 especially in South Canara. They are supposed to be 
 the successors of the Buddhists, whom ia many points 
 they greatly resemble. 
 
vox INHABITANTS OF VXtOA, i\ 
 
 The Sikhs, who inhabit the Punjaub and the territory 
 lying to the east of the Sutlej, practise the religion of 
 the i\3former Narrak, who flourished in the fifteenth cen- 
 tury. The doctrines of the Brahminical books and of 
 the K.-jran were alike abrogated by the creed which he 
 taught. Caste was abjured^ Hinduism, and^ every sem- 
 blance of superstition abandoned, the Brahmins ignored, 
 and faith in the Supreme Being regarded as sufficient 
 in itself to secure eternal bliss. 
 
 The Parsees, found chiefly in Bombay, are the remnant 
 of the ancient Persians who, in the middle of the seventh 
 century, fled from the persecutions of the Mohammedans 
 under Kaliph Omar, and found an asylum, first amid the 
 fastnesses of Khorassin, and eventually in Hindustan. 
 They profess the faith of Zoroaster or fire-worship, which 
 is the ancient religion of Persia; and are the representa- 
 tives of those who, when the wave of Islamism swept 
 over the plains of Shiraz, chose rather to endure perse- 
 cution and exile than abandon the religion of their 
 fathers. The Parsees are generally engaged in mercan- 
 tile pursuits, and their industry and enterprise have 
 given them an importance which, numerically speaking, 
 they do not possess. 
 
 Christianity has been introduced of late years into the 
 peninsula, and, through the exertions of the missionary 
 societies, has made great progress. The country is divided 
 into three dioceses, corresponding with the three great 
 presidencies. The island of Ceylon forms a separate see, 
 known as the diocese of Colombo. The number of the 
 Christians in India is reckoned at soi3»<ithing less than a 
 quarter of & million. 
 
■5^ 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 EARLY HISTORY. 
 
 Characteristics of Early History — Of the Brahminical Stories- 
 Comparison of the Theocracy of India with those of Greece 
 and Scandinavia — Uses of Early Legend — Dawn of Commer- 
 cial Intercourse — Invasion of India by Sesostris — By Semir- 
 amis — Her Defeat by Strabobates — Conquest by Darius 
 Hystaspes — by Alexander — Expedition of Nearchus — India 
 after the Death of Alexander. 
 
 The early history of India is involved in the obscurity 
 surrounding the annals of every nation whose existence 
 is traceable to that far-off era denominated pre-historic; 
 when letters were as yet unknown; when tradition was 
 of necessity the only channel whereby the transactions 
 of one generation were transmitted to the people of 
 another; and when an absurd and pompous mythology, 
 added to extravagant legend, was made to supply the 
 place of simple, historic narrative. 
 
 It is with such-like materials that the chronicles of all 
 ancient communities begin; and, could we place depend- 
 ence upon such records, the early history of the Hindus 
 would yield to none in copiousness of incident and fulness 
 of detail. Unfortunately, however, for the cause of his- 
 toric truth the Brahminical poems which affect 'to relate 
 the transactions of early times teem with extravagant 
 and unnatural occurrences. No attempt is ever made to 
 establish a chronological sequence; and when chronology 
 is at all employed, it is to impart to the lives of men a 
 more than antediluvian longevity, and to transient events 
 the duration of a cycle. 
 
 Moreover, the actions of men and of the deities are 
 absurdly mingled in the production of legends so irra- 
 tional, and so utterly antagonistic to the human reason 
 as to tax the patience and disgust the understanding. It 
 
SAKLT BISTOBY. 4S 
 
 may be true that the myths of Greece and Scandinavia 
 are not more trustworthy than the stories of the Hindu 
 mythology. They possess, nevertheless, the advantage 
 of being m6re in conformity with what is reasonable and 
 natural, and far more delightful in the general purity of 
 their conceptions; and as a consequence, they are more 
 grateful to the tastes of the cultivated student. In short, 
 one cannot contemplate their charming stories without 
 coming to the conclusion that, however little dependence 
 we may place upon them as exponents of historic fact, 
 they are certainly no artfully woven fictions created for 
 the purpose of imposing upon the credulity of mankind, 
 but objects of genuine belief with those who published 
 them ; while their Hindu counterparts, on the other hand, 
 in their absurd extravagance, bear the unmistakable 
 stamp of falsehood, such as has gained for their authors, 
 from a great authority upon Indian mattera, the epithet 
 of the most deliberate fabricators with whom the annals 
 of fable have yet made us acquainted. 
 
 This, then, being the character of these early Hindu 
 chronicles, it would scarcely be prudent, considering the 
 circumscribed space at our command, to give them the 
 same prominence as historic fact. We cannot, however, 
 pass them over without remarking, that these semi-sacred 
 poems which passed for history, though extravagant in 
 their scope, and utterly untrustworthy as records of actual 
 transactions, are nevertheless of priceless value ; because 
 they help to cast a light upon the condition of Hindu 
 society in pre-historic times, such as we should never have 
 obtained had their authors remained silent. " We can- 
 not," says Mill, " describe the lives of their kings, or the 
 circumstances and results of a train of battles. But we 
 can show how they lived together as members of the 
 community and of families ^ how they were arrayed in 
 society} what arts they practised; what tenets they 
 believed; what manners they displayed; under what 
 species of government they existed; and what charaotei 
 as human beings they possessed. This is by £» the most 
 useful and important part of histoij." 
 
44 filStORY OF INDIA. [CHAP. lY. 
 
 Although it is necessary to bear in mind the fact that 
 DO date of a public event can be traced further back than 
 the invasion of Alexander; and no consecutive chronicle 
 of the national transactions till the Mohammedan con- 
 quest of the country, it is difficult to believe that a nation 
 claiming a civilization older than that of Greece or Egypt, 
 should remain so long unknown to the inhabitants of the 
 outer world. We may have nothing to substantiate it, 
 but we may well suppose that the extensive and valuable 
 productions of India were not hidden from the knowledge 
 of contemporary nations. Providence in its wisdom has 
 ordained that the treasures of His universe shall not 
 remain for ever the monopoly of those whose privilege it 
 is to be placed directly in their midst. There would 
 indeed appear to be some undefinable principle which 
 ever operates in spreading a knowledge of their existence 
 to mankind, and no surer do the sweets of nature attract 
 the winged plunderer, than do the riches of the earth 
 invite the cupidity of the merchant, or excite the ambi- 
 tion of the conqueror. 
 
 There appears to be but little doubt that those early 
 pioneers of commercial enterprise, the Phoenicians, carried 
 on a lucrative trade with India by way of the Euphrates 
 and Arabia Petrsea; and, if this be so, although no direct 
 allusion is made to this country in the pages of Holy 
 Writ, the Jews must have profited from Indian industry 
 and ingenuity. The luxuries of Solomon's household were 
 probably derived from this favoured region of the earth. 
 
 The earliest recorded invasion of India is that of Sesos- 
 tris the great Egyptian conqueror. This monarch, the 
 self-styled king of kings, is said to have fitted out a fleet 
 of four hundred vessels in the Arabian Gulf, with which 
 he subdued all the lands along the Erythrian Sea to India, 
 which country he then overran as far as the Ganges. No 
 trsuces of this conquest, however, exist; and no authentic 
 record details the progress of his victorious march, so that 
 Qie occurrence is an extremely doubtful one. A more 
 probable event — though perhaps not mora trustworthy 
 m poiiit of detail— is the invasion of the country by th» 
 
B.a 9ia] BARLT HISTOBT. 45 
 
 Assyrian Queen Semiramis. We learn from the Mstorfan, 
 Diodorus, who writes mainly upon the authority of 
 Ctesias, that this celebrated sovereign, after having car- 
 ried her arms victoriously over Media, Persia, Egypt, and 
 Ethiopia, was induced, by the reports which reached her 
 concerning the wealth and natural resources of the land, 
 to bring it also within the compass of her vast empire. 
 The account of her expedition reads like a romance. 
 , Two great obstacles appear to have stood in the way of 
 her advance, namely — the broad and rapid current of the 
 Indus, and the employment of elephants by the natives. 
 The first difficulty was met by the construction of vessels 
 suited to the necessities of the occasion; the second by 
 employing sham elephants of ox-hides in which men and 
 camels were placed. An army of a million of fighting- 
 men, with the necessary supplies, was collected, and 
 marched to the bank of the great river. Upon the oppo- 
 site side the Indian king, Strabobates, had posted himself 
 with an equally formidable host to oppose her advance. 
 In mid-stream the combatants met. The rudely-con- 
 structed boats of the Indian commander were no match 
 for the more substantial craft of Semiramis, with whom, 
 therefore, after a gallant struggle, the victory remained. 
 Her immense host now crossed into the enemy's country, 
 and a battle began in which the tide of fortune was 
 turned in favour of the Indian monarch, who, by means 
 of his elephants, overthrew his adversary with great 
 slaughter. Semiramis fled with an army diminished to one- 
 fourth its original force; and neither she nor any of her 
 successors again attempted an expedition in this direction. 
 The next undertaking of the kind on record was that 
 of Scylax of Caryandra in the employ of Darius Hystas- 
 pes, monarch of Persia, and the most distinguished naval 
 commander of the age. This expedition, although par- 
 taking rather the character of an exploration than a con- 
 quest, was, nevertheless, the prelude to the subjugation 
 of the country, and its reduction to the condition of a 
 satrapy of the Persian empire. Although the account 
 of the expedition, as given by Herodotus, u extremely 
 
4$ HISTORY OF INDIA, [cHAP. IT, 
 
 meagre, we contemplate it witli greater interest and satis- 
 faction; inasmuch as, for tlie first time, we feel we are 
 treading upon the solid ground of historic narrative. 
 
 According to the great father of history, Scylax sailed 
 from Caspatyrus, near the source of the Indus, down the 
 river; and then, turning westward, after an absence of 
 two or three years, arrived in Egypt. The expedition of 
 conquest followed; and that Darius achieved his end is 
 evident from the words of the historian; who, however, 
 while stating the result, gives no details of the con- 
 queror's progress. It does not appear that the territory 
 thus acquired extended far beyond the basin of the Indus; 
 yet, small as it may have been, it was one of the most im- 
 portant of the Persian satrapies ; inasmuch as, by reason 
 of its wonderful resources, Darius was able to extract from 
 it a far heavier tribute than that which passed into the 
 Persian treasury from any other portion of his dominions. 
 It is uncertain how long the territory, known by the 
 ancients as India, remained under the dominion of the 
 Persians; but, in the year 330 B.C., Alexander the Great 
 overran and subdued the Persian empire, led his armies 
 southwards with a view to the conquest of India, which 
 country he affected to consider a dependency of Persia. 
 With some difficulty he crossed the Himalayas; and, 
 being joined by Taxiles an Indian chieftain, advanced to 
 the Hydaspes. Here he was met by Porus, who man- 
 fully disputed his passage of the river. The bravery of 
 his soldiers, however, was no match for the skill of Alex- 
 ander. The stream was crossed, Porus was defeated and 
 taken prisoner, and the victor pressed forward unopposed 
 to the Hyphasis (Sutlej). This stream was the limit of 
 his progress; for, alarmed at the desert character of the 
 country beyond, the troops mutinied and refused to 
 advance. Alexander, grievously disappointed, resolved 
 on leading his forces back to Babylon; but, impelled 
 either by curiosity, or by a genuine desire to augment his 
 geographical knowledge, he determined to explore the 
 Indus. Hence he dispatched Nearchus, his naval com- 
 mander, for that purpose. The researches of Nearchus, 
 
&a O18<60.] EARLY HISTOBT. 47 
 
 unsatisfactory as they were, redeemed this expedilipn of 
 Alexander's from the epithet of fruitless; for they added 
 considerably to the geographical knowledge of the times; 
 and, by means of them, we have been made acquainted 
 with the interesting fact that the condition of Hindu 
 society in these early days was precisely the same as when 
 intercourse with the west first began. 
 
 The history of the country after the retreat of Alex- 
 ander is obscure, perplexing, and of little interest. The 
 records, very scanty in themselves, and untrustworthy in 
 the highest degree, affect to give a copious and detailed 
 chronicle of a number of dynasties which severally ruled in 
 divers parts of the peninsula. The successor of Alexander 
 in his eastern dominions, Seleucus, appears to have retained 
 a hold upon the country; indeed, Plutarch and Pliny assert 
 that the area of India owning his sway was greater than 
 that ruled by his great predecessor. His ambassador to 
 the Indian prince's capital, Megasthenes, gives a report of 
 his observations in the country; but his accounts are so 
 largely mingled with fable that they are of little value. 
 
 A blank, therefore, occurs in the history of the country 
 between the period of this embassy and the reign of 
 Antiochus the Great. We know, however, but little of 
 this monarch's connection with India; and it is probable 
 that the dominions shortly after passed out of Syrian 
 hands. The kingdom of Bactria, having thrown off the 
 yoke of the Greeks seventy years after the death of the 
 Macedonian conqueror, kept up an intercourse with 
 India; but it appears to have been of a commercial kind. 
 The Scythian hordes who overran Bactria in the year 
 126 B.C. took possession of the greater part of the north- 
 western provinces of the peninsula. They retained pos- 
 session tni 66 B.C., when they were driven out by Vier- 
 amaditya. After the break-up of the Macedonian empire 
 we hear of no European attempt at domination here. 
 The only object of western nations henceforth was to 
 obtain a share of the benefits accruing from commercial 
 intercourse with so rich a country. "We therefore pass 
 on to the era of Mohammedan conquest 
 
CHAPTER V, 
 
 THB MOHAMMEDAN CONQUEST. 
 
 First Mohammedan Invasion of India — Sultan Malimond's Cam- 
 paigns — The Ghuznevy Dynasty Established — The Gaurian 
 Dynasty — The Patan Sovereigns — The Slave-kings — The 
 Khilghees — TheToghlucks — TheMoguls— Tamerlane — Baber 
 — Hoomayoon — Akbar — Shah Jehangier — Sir Thomas Roe 
 Ambassador at the Delhi Court — Shah Jehan — Aurungzebe 
 —State of the Empire under him — Shah AUum — Nizam-ul- 
 Mulk — Nadir Shah's Invasion — Collapse ol the Mogul 
 EmpirOi 
 
 In the year 1001, Mahmoud, the Mohaminedan snifcan 
 of Ghuznee set out from his capital, entered India by 
 way of the Punjaub, defeated the forces of the Hindus 
 under the rajah of Lahore; and, making himself master 
 of the Punjaub, placed it under tribute. He had no 
 sooner turned his back upon his newly acquired dominion 
 than his Hindu subjects revolted, and 'refused to pay the 
 tribute he had imposed. At one time, indeed, it appeared 
 as though it would have slipped from his grasp; for his 
 Hindu opponents, conscious that they were struggling 
 not less for their religion than for national liberty, fought 
 with a determination which augured well for the success 
 of their efforts. In the fight of Peshawar, however, 
 (1009), the Hindus and their confederates the Goorkas, 
 a tribe inhabiting the hills that bound the Punjaub 
 towards the north-west, were defeated with great slaugh- 
 ter. After this victory Mahmoud was enabled to retire 
 once more to Ghuznee. He carried with him an immense 
 spoil, and captives innumerable. 
 
 The transactions of Mahmoud with India may be re- 
 garded rather in the light of a series of successful inva> 
 
▲.D. 1001-1205.] HOHAMMEDAN CONQUEST. 49 
 
 fiions than the permanent acquisition of territory. Indeed, 
 he appears rather in the light of a religious zealot than 
 a warrior bent on conquest for conquest's own sake. 
 Twelve different raids upon the country are recorded of 
 Sultan Mahmoud, each of which was marked by the 
 wholesale demolition of native temples, the ruthless dese- 
 cration of most sacred things, and the confiscation of the 
 treasures collected in the holy cities. Such a policy, 
 while it has marred the character of an otherwise gene- 
 rous prince, was unfortunately destined to bring forth 
 more bitter fruits than the military triumphs of the most 
 arrogant of conquerors led on by mere ambition; inas- 
 much as it engendered such a hatred of the Moham- 
 medan as the lapse of centuries has failed to eradicate. 
 
 Mahmoud died in the year 1028, leaving a dominion 
 
 which stretched from Ispahan eastward to the Ganges 
 
 an extensive territory; but, excepting the Indian portion" 
 of it, thinly peopled, and altogether, from the diversity 
 of its elements, difficult to handle. He therefore left to 
 his successors a troublesome heritage; and the Ghuznevy 
 dynasty, as it is termed, which ended in 1186, with 
 Sultan Kusru Mulik, presents a series of revolt, sedition, 
 intrigue, assassination, and violence which is scarcely 
 surpassed in the annals of any other people. The Hindus 
 during this period made but one serious effort to rid 
 themselves of their oppressors; but, being defeated by 
 Sultan Modud before the walls of Lahore, the seat of 
 government in this quarter, they were constrained to 
 remain in quiet subjection to their Mohammedan con- 
 querors. 
 
 The Ghuznevy dynasty was deposed by an Afghan 
 named Mohammed Gaury, who invaded the Punjaub and 
 took Lahore and Benares, and reduced Ajmere and the 
 country south of the Jumna. Finally, having dethroned 
 the unfortunate Kusru, he proclaimed himself sultan at 
 Ghuznee. Mohammed Gaury did more to prepare for 
 the establishment of Moslem dominion in. India than any 
 other of her conquerors. 
 
 Ill 1305^ Mohammed Gaury fell by the daggers of 
 
 P 
 
50 BisTO&Y OF iin>iA. [chap. t. 
 
 Goorka assMi^B. The founder of the Ganrlaa dynasty, 
 he may be considered also the last sovereign of the race; 
 for, although the succession was for a time continued in 
 his family, all real authority in India ceased with hia 
 death, and his virtual successor was his viceroy. 
 
 In Kuttub-ud-Deen, therefore, a new dynasty, known 
 as the Patau, may be said to have begim. The first ten 
 sovereigns of the race are called the Delhian slave-kings, 
 from the fact that the first, Kuttub, was originally a slave 
 in the house of Mohammed Gaury. Altumish, the suc- 
 cessor of Kuttub, had like^t'ise been a slave. He proved 
 to be a good and able prince; and he greatly extended 
 the territory of his predecessors. While Kuttub and 
 Altumish were the greatest of these slave -kings, the 
 most remarkable was the Sultana Begum Ruzeea, as 
 standing alone among Mohammedans as a reigning queen. 
 The most exemplary was Nasir-ud-Deen, or Mohammed 
 the Second; and the most worthless, Keikobad. 
 
 With Keikobad the slave dynasty of Delhi ceased. 
 It was followed by that of the Kliilghees, a race of war- 
 like chiefbians, who, settling in the mountains of the 
 Punjaub, had, by their military genius, raised themselves 
 into importance under the Gaurian sovereigns. Julal-ud- 
 Deen was the first and best of the race, and Alla-ud-Deen 
 the greatest, though the most wayward and overbearing. 
 The genius of this able monarch was serviceable in check- 
 ing the invasions of the Mongol Tartars, who, in the 
 thirteenth century, under their great chieftain Zenghis 
 Khan, had ravaged the continent from the Pacific to the 
 Danube, and now appeared in great force upon the soil of 
 India. Mubarick, a profligate of the cast of the Roman, 
 Nero, was the last of the Khilghee race. 
 
 The short-lived dynasty of the Toghlucks followed 
 (1321). It was founded by Ghazy Beg Toghluck, a good 
 man and an able monarch. Under the Toghluck dynasty 
 the Mohammedan dominion of India attained a high 
 degree of splendour. It embraced all northern India, 
 from the Suliman Mountains to the Hooghley, and from 
 th« Himalayaa to the Yindhya Hills, with the ezcep- 
 
1205-1526.] THE MOHAMMEDAN CONQUEST, 51 
 
 tion of Rajpootana, which was merely tributary. This 
 dominion was possessed of an organised system of govern- 
 ment which, considering the numerous changes that had 
 taken place in the matter of its rulers, the difficulties 
 they had to combat, and the dangers they were called 
 upon to meet, speaks well for the eneigy and ability of 
 its sultans as a whole. 
 
 The dynasty which had supplanted that of the Khil- 
 ghees was now destined to fall before the resistless onsets 
 of the Moguls. Taking advantage of the disorders which 
 followed at Delhi upon the death of Homayoon, Timour, 
 or Tamerlane, a successor of Zenghis Khan, having over- 
 run the Turkish Empire and Persia without the slightest 
 pretext beyond that which success had given him, set 
 out in 1397 from Samarcand, his capital, and arrived in 
 due time in the Punjaub, defeated Sultan Mahmoud, and 
 took possession of Delhi. Tamerlane did not tarry long 
 at Delhi, as employment was provided him elsewhere; 
 for, recrossing the Indus, he hastened upon his famous 
 expedition against the Ottoman ruler Bajazet. During 
 his absence, however, his lieutenant for a time upheld 
 his authority, though with difficulty; but the empire, so 
 compact under the Toghlucks, was fast approaching total 
 dismemberment — a process which the invasion of Tamer- 
 lane served rather to accelerate than otherwise. 
 
 After the death of Tamerlane his vast dominions col- 
 lapsed; and the affiiirs of India fell, as did the rest of his 
 possessions, into sad confusion. The governors of pro- 
 vinces began to assert their independence; and the splen- 
 did empire founded by Sultan Mahmoud, and developed 
 by the genius of subsequent sovereigns, broke into frag- 
 ments. Fortunately, a master hand was near with the 
 ability to collect its atoms, and administer that welding 
 process which alone could restore the empire to its former 
 grandeur and importance. 
 
 This was none other than the illustrious Baber, a lineal 
 descendant of the Tartar conqueror, and in every way 
 one of the most remarkable men of the age. To trace 
 the vicissitudes of his romantio eaaceeiv were mmecessaxy 
 
52 BIST9AT OF INDIA. [OBAK T. 
 
 and out of place. Suffice it to say that this bold and 
 able man, after firmly establishing himself upon the 
 throne of his ancestors in Transoxiana, carried his arms 
 into India, and, in the year 1526, seized the throne of 
 Delhi. He met here with no little oppositioa &:om the 
 Indian inhabitants, and especially from the Ivajpoots. 
 They were, however, one by one overcome in a series of 
 the most brilliant campaigns on record; and when at 
 length this powerful monarch paid the debt of nature, he 
 left to Hoomayoon, his son, a majestic though a some- 
 what troublesome heritage. 
 
 Hoomayoon proved a worthy son of a worthy sire, 
 though his tastes were rather those of the student than 
 the military leader; and, had he been permitted to follow 
 his own bent, the empire might have been at peace. 
 This, though, was not to be. A formidable insurrection 
 was organised against his rule; and for a while he was 
 forced to seek safety in exile. Meanwhile, his successful 
 antagonist. Sheer Shah Soor, mounted the throne, and 
 founded another Afghan dynasty. It fell after an exist- 
 ence of fifteen years; and Hoomayoon again obtained 
 possession of the throne from which he had been driven. 
 This second reign of Hoomayoon was but a short one, as 
 an accident put an end to his career. 
 
 Fortunately for the sway of the Moguls, a vigorous 
 successor was at hand in his youthful son Akbar. Not- 
 withstanding the exertions of Baber and Hoomayoon the 
 empire was still in an unsettled condition; and Akbar 
 was thus surrounded by dangers of no mean order, Re- 
 bellion followed rebellion in rapid sequence; while the 
 depredations of invaders taxed his utmost resources. Pie, 
 however, proved himself equal to every emergency; and 
 when, after a long reign of fifty years, he died (1606), he 
 left an empire greatly extended, if not consolidated. His 
 son, Shah Jehangier, succeeded him. The reign of this 
 sovereign, like that of his sire, was full of revolt. It is 
 otherwise remarkable from the fact that the first English 
 ambassador to the East was accredited to his court. He 
 was sent in the inte^rests of commerce. Sir Thomaa Boe 
 
1526.1717.] THE MOfiAMMEDAlT COifQUfiSf, 53 
 
 was the envoy selected. During a three years* sojourn 
 here he lived on terms of the closest intimacy with the 
 Mogul; and he was by this circumstance enabled to 
 make such a minute observation of things, as an indi- 
 vidual otheir-wise situated could never have done. His 
 account of the Mogul court speaks of a splendour and 
 magnificence beyond conception. 
 
 Shah Jehan, his son and successor, was a worthy repre- 
 sentative of his grandfather Akbar. He pushed the 
 conquests of his illustrious ancestor southwards, warred 
 successfully with the Portuguese, who by this time pos- 
 sessed settlements upon the- coasts, and drove them from 
 the Hooghley. Shah Jehan, was deposed, 1 660, by his son 
 Aurungzebe, wha, with his uncles Morud and Dara, had 
 troubled the latter years of his reign by their turbulence. 
 This was a fate he in justice merited, inasmuch as he 
 himself had wrested the throne from his father — ^an act 
 which the splendour of his reign and the wisdom of his 
 administration could not condone. Although a usurper, 
 Aurungzebe was no parricide. He treated his progenitor 
 with great consideration and tenderness till his death, 
 which occui-red six years afterwards. 
 
 The Mogul sceptre was now in able hands. Indeed, 
 in Aurungzebe, it may be said to have attained the 
 summit of its power and magnificence; for, at his death 
 in 1717, he had so far widened the area of former con- 
 quests, that the influence of the Mogul emperors was felt 
 from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin. The most trouble- 
 some portion was the hill-country of Malwar, Kandeish, 
 and Berar. Here dwelt that hardy race known as the 
 Mahrattas, who, under a chief named Sivajee, proved 
 such formidable adversaries that, although often defeated 
 in battle, so far from being subdued, they seemed to re- 
 ceive fresh vigour from defeat; and these sturdy opponents 
 of Aurungzebe and his dynasty remained a power in the 
 Indian peninsula when the dominion of the Moguls was 
 but a shadow and a mockery. In addition to the Mah- 
 rattas,- the Rajpoots and the Jats proved likewise trouble 
 some neighbourife 
 
64 HISTORY OF INDIA. [cHAP. V, 
 
 The death of Auriingzebe heralded an era of complete 
 confusion. He left several sons, between whom a deadly- 
 conflict was carried on for the honour of succession. One 
 of these, Muazzim, having overcome and slain his brother 
 Azim, in a decisive action near Agra, ascended the throne; 
 and, under the title of Bahadur Shah, or Shah Allum, 
 enjoyed a short but vigorous reign of five years — ^his chief 
 exploit being the prosecution of successful campaigns 
 against the Sikhs. A stormy period followed, during 
 which several of the race of Aurungzebe succeeded, and 
 wielded the sceptre for a brief space indeed, and that 
 subject to the dictation of two prophet brothers, Hussein 
 and Abdallah. In the year 1719, Mahommed Shah, a 
 grandson of Bahadur was placed by them upon the 
 throne. It was during his reign that Nizam-ul-Mulk, 
 viceroy of the Deccan, among other governors of the 
 Mogul dominions, taking advantage of the feeble condi- 
 tion of the government, asserted his independence of the 
 court of Delhi. He was assisted by the famous Nadir 
 Shah (known also as Thamus Kuli Khan), king of Pei-sia, 
 who, bent on his own rather than the Nizam's aggrandise- 
 ment, seized and plundered Delhi, and made himself 
 master of the provinces west cf the Indus. Nizam-ul- 
 Mulk, however, became independent; and his name la 
 one of the most conspicuous, if not among the greatest, 
 in the history of the Mogul period. 
 
 The representatives of Tamerlane still continued to 
 reign in Delhi; but their authority was henceforth of a 
 very nominal kind. The Deccan was, as has been said, 
 in the hands of Nizam-ul-Mulk. The Punjaub, overrun 
 by the Sikhs, and Scinde by the Belochees, were virtually 
 severed from the Mogul dominions. Further on, the 
 country was incorporated in the Persian province of 
 Candahar. The Kohillas seized another portion of the . 
 empire, and formed an independent kingdom within a 
 few days' march of Delhi itself. The Mahrattas, as we 
 have seen — never subdued, and now exercising undisputed 
 possession of the whole of Central Indian—could, with 
 greater ease than eVer^ defy dictation from the Mogu] 
 
1717-1748.) THE MOHAMMEDAN CONQUESl^ M 
 
 capital; while the more distant provinces, fis Bengal and 
 the OarnatiCi ceasing to regard the mandates of the 
 emperor, set up nabobs or rajahs of their own at pleasure. 
 The reign of Ahmed Shah, the son of Mohammed, may 
 be said to have virtually put an end to the authority of 
 the court of Delhi; and thus the once powerful Mogul 
 emperors, whose dominions had in times gone by reached 
 from the Himalayas to the extreme south of the peninsula, 
 was now represented by a few miles of tflrritcny aroimd 
 DelhL 
 
OHABTER VL 
 
 SABLT INTERCOURSE OP EUROPEAN NATIONS WITH INDIA. 
 
 European IntercoTirse •with India — ^Early Maritime Expeditions 
 — The Portuguese — ^Diego Cam — Emanuel — Alvarez Cabral 
 — Alphonse Albuquerque— The Dutch— The English Ex- 
 plorers — Lancaster's Expedition — Establishment of the East 
 India Company^— Factory at Surat — Similar Establishments 
 at other Places — Action of Aurungzebe — The new Englis>i 
 Policy, 
 
 The great Mogul empire, then, had collapsed^ but upon 
 its ruins an empire was about to arise stronger, happier, 
 and destined to be more enduring, namely — ^the mighty 
 dominion of British India. It will be well, therefore, at 
 this stage to pause for the purpose of tracing British con- 
 nection with the country from its beginning. 
 
 European intercourse with India is, beyond all ques- 
 tion, of great antiquity. From time immemorial the 
 products of this wealthy portion of the earth had found 
 their way westward into Europe; and the increased know- 
 ledge gained concerning the resources of the country from 
 the Macedonian expedition assisted materially in develop- 
 ing commercial entei-prise in this quarter. That appetite 
 of the Romans for every kind of luxury which furnished 
 themes for the eloquence of Cato, created a rare demand for 
 the products of the East; and it is mainly to this cause 
 that the princely cities of the Middle Ages, as Genoa and 
 Venice, owed their wealth and importance. 
 
 Hitherto the commodities of the East had been to a 
 great extent carried overland; and Egypt, Arabia, and 
 Syria, with the Bed Sea and the Euphrates river, were 
 the main channels for their transit. A new era was 
 about to open, and the complexion of mercantile ooncerna 
 
1892-1662.] Et7tlOPEAN INTEHCOUBSE Wltfi I|n>Il. 5? 
 
 was destined to undergo a total change. The passion for 
 maritime adventure which appears to have possessed the 
 soul of the fifteenth century led to the discovery of new 
 regions and ocean tracks. The Spaniards led the way; 
 and, by-and-bye, their discoveries beyond the Atlantic may 
 be said to have initiated that course of ocean exploration 
 so promptly followed, first by their neighbours the Portu- 
 guese, and then by the Dutch and English. 
 
 The Portuguese were the first of the nations of western 
 Europe to open intercourse with India. To reach this 
 favoured quarter had been the endeavour of this little 
 nation ever since they had possessed a navy; and the 
 success which attended their exertions in this direction 
 was no more than a meet reward for their perseverance 
 and enterprise. Long before Columbus had trod the deck 
 of a vessel, her kings had despatched exploring expeditions 
 to Africa with the view of reaching the much-desired 
 goal; and, ere the great Florentine navigator had esta- 
 blished his immortal reputation by discovering the 
 hitherto unknown land of the West, the Portuguese 
 mariner, Bartholomew Diaz, had rounded the Cape of 
 Good Hope, and thereby struck out a path by which 
 eastern produce was in future to find its way into Europe, 
 It was reserved for Vasco de Gama, a mariner in the 
 employ of Emanuel, to utilise the discovery of Diaz. He 
 reached India in 1598, landed on the Malabar coast, and 
 obtained an audience of the Zamorin of Calicut; but, 
 through the jealousy of his Mussulmen, he was unable 
 to secure the advantages for which he had sought the 
 monarch's' presence. 
 
 Vasco therefore returned to Lisbon; and another expe- 
 dition was shortly after fitted out, which carried with it 
 the papal benediction. The command was given to Al- 
 varez Cabral, who, as his predecessor had done, made for 
 Calicut. After much negotiation, a trading-factory was 
 established here, which, however, through the intrigues 
 of the Mohammedans, was subsequently destroyed, and 
 its Portuguese garrison put to the sword. After taking 
 some ret^iatory measures, Cabral returned to Portu^^al. 
 
08 BI8T0BT or INDIA. r<^AP. TI. 
 
 Other and more fortunate expeditions of the kind fol- 
 lowed those of Vasco and Alvarez; and in such manner 
 was the development of western European intercourse 
 with India gradually effected. 
 
 In these expeditions, then, the name of De Grama 
 stands pre-eminent among the pioneers of commercial 
 dealings with this part of the world; but to Alphonso 
 Albuquerque belongs the honour of having established 
 Portuguese influence 5n a stable basis. Fixing upon 
 Goa as a viceregal residence, he declared it the capital of 
 the Portuguese dominions in India; and from thence 
 gave laws to the whole Malabar coast, commanded the 
 entire Indian seas, and forced the very cities that once 
 had monopolised the Indian trade in Europe to seek 
 eastern commodities in Lisbon. It is painful to leam 
 that the exertions of this great man should have been 
 rewarded with the basest ingratitude at the hands of 
 those for whom he had done so much; for, after having 
 made his nation masters of the Indian seas, he was 
 recalled, and a personal enemy sent to fill his place. 
 Portuguese dominion may be said to have attained its 
 climax during his ministration. A few unimportant 
 places were added by his successors; and their fleets, 
 stronger than those of other nations, enabled them to 
 maintain a decided superiority upon the ocean. They were 
 not quite so fortunate on land; and they were shortly to 
 be outdistanced in the race for superiority by other 
 European states. 
 
 First the Dutch, and then the English began to ques- 
 tion their title to a monopoly of the commerce of these 
 parts. The Portuguese at this time claimed dominion 
 over Eastern waters from the Cape of Good Hope as far 
 as China; and this comprehended a line of coast some 
 thousands of miles in extent. Such a line they might 
 maintain against the fleets of the nations in whose terri- 
 tories their several factories stood; but a hopeless task 
 was theirs when European seamanship was thrown into 
 the balance against theuL A long and bitter conflict in 
 time occurred between them and &e Dutch. First thsj 
 
1502-1536.] EUBOPSAN INT&BCOtJBSE WITH IKDIA. 59 
 
 were deprived of the spice trade of Sumatra and Java; 
 and then, in endeavouring to recover it, they met with so 
 dispiriting a check in a sea-fight off the Cape de Verde 
 Islands that they were induced to try another method. 
 Accordingly they essayed to cripple their trade; and to 
 this end they gave encouragement to piracy. Neverthe- 
 less, the more energetic character of their adversaries 
 prevailed; and the supremacy of the Dutch in the Indian 
 seas was soon beyond question established. 
 
 In 1605, the Dutch formed a settlement in Ceylon; 
 and, after a long and bloody struggle, expelled their 
 j:ivals from the island. Subsequently, Malacca fell into 
 their hands; and gradually the Portuguese, once so 
 powerful in this quarter of the world, sank into compara- 
 tive insignificance — their possessions being represented 
 by a few factories on the coast of Hindustan. 
 
 Meanwhile, English influence had been fast gaining 
 ground. The expeditions of the illustrious navigators of 
 the Tudor age, the Cabots, Willoughby, Chancellor, Hud- 
 son, Drake, Erobisher, and others, had raised our country 
 to an honcurable position among the maritime nations of 
 the times; and though the exploits of these mariners had 
 no connection with India itself, India was their great 
 aim; and their exertions indirectly led to that intercourse 
 •with the country which was destined by-and-bye to 
 produce such magnificent results. 
 
 The earliest efforts of our mariners were directed to 
 the discovery of an Arctic passage. Such was the aim 
 of the expeditions of Willoughby, Davis, and Hudson; 
 and when the discoveries attending these enterprises had 
 served to convince the community that no such channel 
 was practicable, attention was drawn to the route of 
 Magellan, and Sir Francis Drake's celebrated voyage 
 of discovery (1577), and that of Cavendish in 1586, were 
 undertaken as a consequence. Such expeditions greatly 
 enhanced our knowledge of these parts; and the desire 
 to trade with them became a stronger passion with pur 
 countrymen than ever. No attempt had as yet been 
 made to round the Cape of Good Hope eastwards; for, 
 
60 mSTORT OF INDtA. [OflAP, TL 
 
 aooording to the custom of nations in tibese limes, tlie 
 Portuguese, as the discoverers, claimed exclusive right of 
 navigating this route. 
 
 The first English attempt to reach India by way of the 
 Cape was that of Captain Lancaster in 1592. Although, 
 however, that feat was successfully accomplished, and 
 Lancaster got as far eastward as Malacca, the expedition 
 met with little ultimate success; and this failure served 
 to damp the ardour of the nation for a time; while the 
 Dutch, having established their supremacy over the Por- 
 tuguese, were left to pursue, under the leadership of the 
 celebrated Houtmann, an uninterrupted commercial policy 
 in Indian waters. 
 
 The earliest trading expeditions to the East were indi- 
 vidual and private enterprises; and it is to this circum- 
 stance, no doubt, that they so frequently ended in failure. 
 The necessity for collective effort, however, soon became 
 apparent; and, following the example of the Dutch, the 
 English merchants resolved to combine. By this means 
 only could an adequate number of vessels, with necessary 
 supplies, be provided. Queen Elizabeth patronised their 
 earliest association, and despatched in their behalf an 
 ambassador to the court of the Mogul. In 1600, this 
 association merged into a chartered company of a larger 
 scope, wich took the title of " The Company of Merchants 
 trading to the East Indies." We here behold the germ 
 of the most princely and powerful association ever esta- 
 blished in this or any other country — ^namely, the famous 
 East India Company. 
 
 The earlier enterprises were placed under Lancaster, 
 whose talent, as displayed in the conduct of his ill-fated 
 expedition, had won him confidence. His object was to 
 reach the Indian Archipelago; and, having gained the 
 coast of Sumatra, he brought thence a cargo of spices, a 
 commodity at that time in gi-eat demand. The profits 
 accruing from this Eastern trade were so enormous that 
 the company, by-and-bye, sought to extend their opera- 
 tions; and, having obtained a new charter from James I. 
 (1609), they sent out. expeditions strong enough to 
 
1501.] EUROPEAN INTERCOUESB WITH UI9LL 61 
 
 encounter the opposition whicli the Dutch and Portu- 
 guese, in their jealousy, had been wont to offer. 
 
 Notwithstanding the exertions of Sir Heniy Middle- 
 ton, to whom the newly -organised Company entrusted 
 their first expedition (1610), it was three years ere any 
 material advance was made. It was then that the first 
 permanent factory was established, by permission of the 
 Mogul, at Surat, on the Indian coast; and, for the fur- 
 therance of English interests, James despatched Si* 
 Thomas Roe as ambassador to the Mogul court. Forts 
 and colonies were likewise planted in Java and the 
 Moluccas; not without considerable opposition, however, 
 from the Dutch, who, after many and unwearied attempts 
 to make the English name odious to the natives, at 
 length managed to cover themselves with eternal dis- 
 grace by a cold-blooded massacre of English residents at 
 Amboyna. 
 
 In order to put an end to the differences arising from 
 these commercial jealousies, various treaties had been 
 entered into between the two rival nations, but with 
 little result. Frequent disputes were still the order of 
 the day; and eventually English trade with the islands 
 was all but abandoned to the Dutch. This was, of course, 
 humiliatmg; but the Dutch had at this time shown 
 themselves in European waters a fair match for our coun- 
 trymen ; and, having had the advantage of a good start 
 in the Indian seas, there is little wonder they were able 
 to hold their own, and finally to acquire preponderance 
 there. Nevertheless, the Company's Indian -trade gained 
 by the circumstance, and Surat now rose into greater 
 importance. In 1662, the company acquired Bombay, 
 the dower of Charles the Second's Portuguese bride, from 
 the crown; and, harassed at Surat by the exactions of 
 the Moguls and the depredations of the Mahrattas, the 
 presidency was removed to this new and superior station. 
 
 Meantime, settlements had been made upon the oppo- 
 site coast at Madras, Fort St. David, Masulipatam, Viza 
 gapatam,at Hooghley, and Calcutta. The arrogance of ou 
 couutiymeop at oue time, placed En|;li8h i&terest in cqq 
 
63 HISTORY OP INDIA. [CHAP. TL 
 
 ■iderable jeopardy j for the great Auningzel)0, enraged at 
 the seizure of some pilgrim ships, ordered the English to 
 be expelled from India. The Company was stripped of 
 its principal factories; and it was only by tendering a 
 humble apology, with promises of good behaviour, that 
 these stations, together with their former privileges, were 
 restored. Not that even now the Company had all its 
 own way. Kival associations at home, the unwearied 
 enmity of the Dutch, Portuguese, and French, who also 
 possessed settlements upon the Indian coasts, and the 
 anger and mistrust of native princes, gave its servants 
 ample employment; and it was with great difficulty that 
 they succeeded in maintaining a position in this penin- 
 sula. 
 
 That position, however, was maintained. From the 
 time of the restoration of the Mogul's firman, the com- 
 pany began to aspire to unrestrained authority; and, for 
 the first time, perhaps, the idea of territorial acquisition 
 became a part of their policy. The disturbed condition of 
 the empire, which followed upon the death of Aurungzebe, 
 rendered a fortification of the settlements an absolute 
 necessity; and thus these spots, which had been originally 
 selected for trading purposes merely, became in time 
 military stations likewise, whence British arms issued to 
 spread the Company's influence over th^ peninsula. The 
 process of development will appear as the liistoij pro- 
 
CHAPTER VXL 
 
 WAB IN THB CABNATIO. 
 
 Belative Positions of Europeans in India — ^Encroacliments of th« 
 French — ^Labourdonnais — Dupleix — Fort St. David and Pon- 
 dicherry besieged — Projects of Dupleix — Cession of Devicotta 
 to the English — Chunda Sahib — The Deccan — Arcot — Nasir 
 Jung and Mozuffur Jung — Mahomed Ally — Triumph of the 
 French — M. Bussy — Salabat Jung — Appearance of Clive— 
 Lawrence — Siege of Trichinopoly— Views of the French 
 Government — Native Disputes — Clive returns to India. 
 
 There were now, it has been seen, something' like half 
 a dozen European nations in the commercial field of 
 India. Of these, the French and English were the most 
 powerful; for the Portuguese had long been outdistanced 
 in the race; and the Dutch, absorbed in the prosecution 
 of their spice trade in the Indian Archipelago, were, like 
 them, gradually losing ground. The race was therefore 
 virtually between the French and English, who, rivals in 
 every other quarter of the globe, were destined ere long 
 to close in deadly strife on the soil of this eastern land. 
 The French factories were not so numerous as the English; 
 but in Pondicherry, which they obtained in 1672 of the 
 rajah of Bejapore, they possessed an important key to 
 the peninsula, a strong fortress, commanding a consider- 
 able territory, inhabited by a well-disposed population, 
 and in every way a prosperous colony. In addition to 
 Pondicherry, they had likewise established a settlement 
 at Chandemagore on the Hooghley, and another at Carical 
 on the Coromandel coast. 
 
 The confusion that accompanied the break up of the 
 Mogul empire but little affected the interests of thff 
 
64 HISTORY OF INDIA, [OHAT. VIX 
 
 Europeans in India. Intent upon tlie pursuit of business, 
 they were careful to observe a strict neutrality ; and while 
 a tempest of strife was raging around them, and the war- 
 sliout reached the very walls of their settlements, commer- 
 cial enterprise was making sure though steady progress. 
 This happy condition of afiairs might have continued, but 
 for the jealousies and hates which circumstances had en- 
 gendered between the European nations themselves. The 
 presence of these evil passions, howe\er, led to the adop- 
 tion of another policy, and to the initiation of a career of 
 territorial conquest and spoliation, which^ till now, had 
 never been so much as dreamed of. 
 
 In 1744, the Silesian war broke out in Europe; and the 
 rival nations were not long in availing themselves of the 
 opportunity the circumstance gave them, of giving play 
 to their passions by turning their arms against each other 
 here as nearer home. In anticipation of events, indeed, 
 the French had despatched M. Labourdonnais, a man of 
 considerable naval genius, with a powerful squadron to 
 the Indian coast; and the English had been equally care- 
 ftJ to prepare for emergencies. 
 
 Operations were commenced by Labourdonnais, who, 
 after beating off an English fleet under Commodore 
 Barnet, laid siege to Madras. This fortress, being feebly 
 garrisoned, was obliged to capitulate. The surrender of 
 the place was accompanied by certain terms favourable 
 to the vanquished; but Dupleix, the governor of Pondi- 
 cherry, refused to ratify them, and, in violation of the 
 treaty, transferred the garrison to Pondicherry. The 
 English had previously appealed to the nabob of the 
 Carnatic, but without result; and now, irritated beyond 
 measure at the haughty bearing of the French, he was 
 determined upon taking up arms against them. 
 
 It was, however, too late. Without the support ot 
 English allies, his army of natives was no match for the 
 skill of Dupleix, and the superior discipline of his men. 
 He was consequently defeated with considerable loss, and 
 forced to withdraw to Arcot. Dupleix next laid siege 
 to Fort SL Pavid, a station a few miles to the south oi 
 
I(J72-1749.] WAR IN THE CARNATIC. 65 
 
 Pondicherry. This place was strongly fortified; and, 
 being reinforced by arrivals from England, successfully 
 withstood every assault. So strong had the English 
 garrison become, that an attack on Pondicherry itself 
 was organised. The siege was unskilfully conducted; 
 and, in view of the approaching monsoon, the assailants 
 retired, having lost one thousand men, dhiefly from the 
 effects of climate. Dupleix was elated beyond measure 
 at this failure, and it is difficult to conjecture what might 
 have been the result of it, had not the peace of Aix-la- 
 Chapelle (1749) put an end to hostilities. By this treaty 
 Madras was restored to the English, 
 
 The two nations had now no pretext for warfare, and 
 there was consequently nothing to interupt the develop- 
 ment of commerce by both nations. Unfortunately for 
 the cause of peace and good will, the mind of the French 
 governor had been filled with ambitious projects of 
 empire; and the late campaign had taught him the most 
 likely way of accomplishing his ends. He had observed 
 the vast superiority of well-disciplined Europeans over 
 native troops; and the idea occurred to him, that if by 
 any reasonable pretext he could bring himself mto anta- 
 gonism with the native princes, the right of might and 
 victory would give him a footing in the country such as 
 the most advantageous treaties and promises could never 
 secure. Moreover, the success which had attended Euro- 
 pean arms in the recent conflict had created in the minds 
 of the natives a salutary respect for European prowess, 
 and the effect soon appeared in the applications made to 
 them for support in their intestine feuds. It was, then, 
 in this silent recognition of European valour and worth, 
 that Dupleix beheld m path which, judiciously followed, 
 would lead him to the goal of his ambition. 
 
 The same idea would seem to have possessed the minds 
 of his rivals also; and, indeed, it was but a natural con- 
 sequence of things at the time; but as yet their aspirations 
 appear to have been extremely moderate; for, having 
 assisted the rajah Sanbajee in his attempt to gain the 
 soveroignty of Taigore, they were qoutent to accept the 
 
66 HISTORY OF INDIA. [CHAP. VII. 
 
 cession of Devicotta, on the Coleroon river, as compensa- 
 tion for their services. This transaction gains prominence 
 from the fact that Clive, then a mere lieutenant in the 
 company's service, gave the earliest proof of that genins 
 which was to raise him by-and-bye to the very loftiest 
 place among military leaders. 
 
 Dupleix was now about to play for a far higher stake. 
 His rivals had been content to accept as tribute to their 
 superiority an insignificant town — a valuable acquisition, 
 no doubt, in a commercial sense, but a mere bagatelle 
 when compared with the vast scope of his aspirations. 
 
 The disorders before alluded to had at length provided 
 ample opportunity for the carrying out of the French- 
 man's designs. A few years previously, the rajah of 
 Trichinopoly, a small principality in the Carnatic, died, 
 leaving three wives, two of whom burned themselves on 
 the funeral pile of their husband; while the third sur- 
 vived, and claimed the honour of government. Her 
 claim was opposed by Safdur Ally, and supported by 
 Chunda Sahib, son-in-law of Dost Ally, governor of the 
 Carnatic, and a crafty man. By treachery he got posses- 
 sion of Trichinopoly; but he was speedily deprived of his 
 authority, and sent a prisoner to Sattara. Meanwhile, 
 his wife took refuge at Pondicherry, where, having 
 gained the good will of Madame Dupleix, the French 
 governor espoused their cause, and bribed the Mahratta 
 jailors of Chunda Sahib to set him at liberty. The gates 
 of Trichinopoly were, however, closed against him; and 
 it seemed as though he were about to drop out of view, 
 when an event happened which brought his name still 
 more prominently into notice. 
 
 For, at this juncture, Nizam-nl-Mulk, soubadah of the 
 Deccan died, and the inevitable dispute arose as to the 
 succession. The claimants were Kazir Jung, his son, and 
 Mozuffur Jung, his grandson. The latter had, at first, 
 but slight chance of success; but, by-and-bye, Chunda 
 Sahib joined him, and in that prince he found an astute 
 counsellor. He pointed out to him the advantage that 
 might be gained hy an alliance with the governor of Pondi- 
 
1749-1760.] WAR IN THE OABXATia 67 
 
 cherry, and from that time his prospects began to brighten. 
 The earliest operations of these allies were carried on in 
 the Carnatic. Here they defeated and slew the nabob 
 Anwur-ud-Deen, and took Arcot. They then proclaimed 
 Mozuflfur Jung soubadah of the Deccan, and Chunda Sahib 
 nabob of Arcot — an honour to which he had long aspired. 
 He now laid siege to Tanjore, and extracted from its 
 rajah a large sum as the price of peace. Meanwhile, 
 Nazir Jung had arrived unexpectedly from the Deccan; 
 and having recaptured Arcot> Chunda and his allies were 
 constrained to seek safety within the walls of Pondi- 
 cherry. 
 
 When Arcot fell into the hands of Chunda Sahib, 
 Mahomed Ally, son of the slain nabob, had fled to Trich- 
 inopoly, and here began to court the alliance of the Eng- 
 lish. The authorities of Madras were at first reluctant 
 to enter the arena; but, fearful of the gi-owing influence of 
 the French, they eventually sent him a handful of Euro- 
 peans. The Carnatic being a dependency of the Deccan, 
 the cause of Mahomed Ally was identical with that of 
 Nazir Jung; and a contingent was consequently despatched 
 under Major Lawrence to join that prince's native army, '^ 
 which was then advancing to the attack of Pondicherry. 
 
 The struggle opened favourably for the English and their 
 allies; but the superior diplomacy of Dupleix more than 
 compensated for the success of his rival's arms, and the 
 tables were quickly turned in favour of his party. He 
 reduced Masulipatam and Gingee, and then taking advan- 
 tage of the discontent prevailing in Nazir's camp, advanced 
 to meet his forces in the field. Aided by the treachery 
 of certain Patau chiefs, he gained an easy victory. Nazir 
 Jung was put to death, and Mozuffur Jung was forth- 
 with proclaimed soubadah of the Deccan. 
 
 No triumph could be more complete than that of 
 Dupleix. The soubadah of the Deccan and the nabob of 
 Arcot, both owed their advancement to his support; and 
 henceforth they must be bound to him by the twofold tie 
 of gratitude and awe. He was appointed governor of ali 
 the district south of the Krishna. The coin in circulation 
 
68 HISTORY OP INDIA. [OHAP. VIL 
 
 throughout the province was to be struck at Pondicheriy; 
 and to him was accorded the important privilege of col- 
 lecting the tribute due to the Mogul. As a private recog- 
 nition of his services, he was rewarded with a handsome 
 grant from the treasury of the deceased Nazir. 
 
 The position of the new soubadah, however, was, not- 
 withstanding the support of Dupleix, a difficult one. 
 The Patau chiefs promised to give trouble, and he was 
 obliged further to entreat the good offices of the French 
 governor, who gave him a body-guard to protect him 
 against treachery. This precaution was, nevertheless, of 
 no avail; for, having fallen into an ambuscade of the 
 followers of the chief of Kurnul, he was slain by the 
 same hand that so lately had lain his rival low. 
 
 This untoward event might have been attended with 
 serious consequences; but M. Bussy, the French com- 
 mander, was equal to the emergency. Sending for Salabat 
 Jung, another son of Nizam-ul-Mulk, he caused him to 
 be proclaimed -in his dead brother's stead. The newly- 
 chosen soubadah willingly confirmed all the promises of 
 his predecessor; and the prompt action of Bussy conse- 
 quently received the approval of the governor. 
 
 France was now, through the ability of her leaders, 
 fast becoming a power in India. She had outdistanced 
 her rival in the race for superiority here; and the advan- 
 tage she had thus acquired, enhanced by British indiffer- 
 ence, had placed her far upon the road to the attainment 
 of a position whence she might by-and-bye thrust her 
 rivals into the sea. Such an event was not only a possi- 
 bility, it seemed upon the point of consummation. The 
 home governments abstained at present from interference 
 in the warlike proceedings of their merchant subjects; for 
 a peaceful relationship existed between the two countries. 
 Hence tliis Indian struggle was a curious phenomenon. 
 
 It was at this juncture that the transcendent talent of 
 Clive began to force itself into notice. This man, to 
 whom the British nation is chiefly indebted for its splen- 
 tliil eastern empire, was the son of a gentleman of Shrop- 
 slure. He had gone out to India as a clerk in the 
 
1760-1751.] WAE IN THE CARNATia 69 
 
 company's service. Of a restless and stirring spirit, the 
 monotonj of a life at the desk was irksome; and he soon 
 threw down the pen to take up the sword. The earliest 
 incident of his warrior life on record has already been 
 noticed. Subsequent events served to give his talents 
 greater prominence; but what established his reputation 
 as a skilful soldier was the accomplishment of a bold and 
 well-designed attack on Arcot, undertaken to draw Chunda 
 Sahib from before Trichinopoly, to which he had laid siege. 
 
 His defence of the place was no less masterly than 
 its capture. With a mere handful of men, and these 
 reduced by failure of supplies to starvation point, for 
 seven long weeks he defended a shambling fortress against 
 the assaults of 10,000 troops, till relieved by some friendly 
 Mahrattas, under a chieftain named Morai E-ow; when, 
 as if to make up for his forced inactivity, he sallied from 
 his stronghold, and attacking his enemies, defeated them 
 in several engagements. These exploits of Olive exer- 
 cised a powerful moral effect both on natives and English- 
 men. It taught the one the worth of English alliance, 
 and roused the other from the dangerous lethargy which 
 seemed to have fastened upon them. 
 
 A most sublime episode occurred in connection with 
 this memorable siege. The garrison, composed of a mixed 
 company of natives and Europeans, were considerably 
 straitened from the exhaustion of food supplies; and in 
 this condition it was supposed ths^ the native portion 
 would break into rebellion, or at least evince a spirit 
 of discontent. So far from this, they came to Olive 
 and magnanimously proposed that the grain should be 
 given to the Europeans, and the gruel, or water it was 
 boiled in, to themselves. "History," says Macaulay, 
 " contains no more touching instance of military fidelity, 
 or of the influence of a commanding mind. . . . The 
 devotion of the little band to its chief surpassed anything 
 that is related of the Tenth Legion of Osesar, or of the 
 Old Guard of Napeleon." 
 
 Olive's exploits, however, for the present ended here. 
 Chunda Sahib was still before Tridunopoly; and Major 
 
70 HISTOBY OF INDIA. [cHAP. VII. 
 
 Lawrence, who was now in supreme oomraand, hastened 
 to carry out the policy of Clive, and attack him there. 
 In conjunction with Mahomed Ally, who had been rein- 
 forced by contingents from Mysore, Tanjore, and the 
 Mahrattas, Lawrence, taking Clive with him, set out 
 from Madras on this errand; though strongly supported 
 by Dupleix, the perseverance, courage, and skill of Law- 
 rence and his lieutenant prevailed. The siege was raised, 
 and Chunda was obliged to take refuge in an islet of the 
 Cauvery, on which stood the pagoda of Seringham. His 
 new position invested, he was by-and-bye compelled to 
 surrender. Chunda was allowed to go at liberty; but 
 shortly after, falling into the hands of the Mahrattas, he 
 was by them summarily beheaded. The surrender of this 
 fortress gave the English an abundance of military stores. 
 
 The war, however, still continued. The conduct oi 
 Mahomed Ally having displeased his Mysorean and Mah- 
 ratta allies, they deserted to the enemy. Dupleix, there- 
 fore, at the head of a respectable force, took the field; 
 but in one action, fought near Fort St. David, be was 
 overthrown with great loss, and the campaign of 1752 
 closed with the capture by Clive of Covelong and Chingle- 
 put. As soon as the season would permit the struggle 
 was renewed, and Trichinopoly once more became the 
 centre of military operations. This important fortress, 
 now in the hands of the English, was besieged by the 
 Miuhrattas and Tanjoreans, who were assisted by the 
 French; but for a year and a half the garrison defied 
 every effort of its assailants to capture it, till the recall 
 of M. Dupleix, and the appointment of M. Godeheu 
 brought about a suspension of hostilities. 
 
 This truce was mainly occasioned by the interference 
 of the home governments, who had wisely determined 
 upon putting a stop to such conflicts, as mutually embar- 
 rassing, and thoroughly inconsistent with the spirit of 
 friendly relations then existing between them. The 
 French had never, as a nation, taken any deep interest 
 in the afiairs of India; and, while the brain of her great 
 politician was filled with schemes for establishing French 
 
1751-1755.] WAR IN THE CARNJLTia 71 
 
 dominion in this peninsula, his countiymen were disposed 
 to listen to the remonstrances of the English, whose 
 determination to put an end to French encroachments in 
 this quarter was judiciously backed by the preparation of 
 a formidable armament. The course taken by his govern- 
 ment must have been galling in the extreme to Dupleix, 
 who, however, had no alternative but to submit. He 
 returned to France, and received, as the reward of his 
 exertions, the basest ingratitude from all conditions of 
 his fellow-countrymen. 
 
 The terms of the treaty of Pondicherry (1755), drawn 
 up by M. Godeheu, and Mr. Saunders the English gover- 
 nor, were, as a whole, advantageous to the English; but 
 the treaty was operative only in closing hostilities between 
 the two subscribing powers. No arrangement their 
 European allies might choose to make could settle the 
 differences of the principals, and the struggle therefore 
 continued. By the advice of M. Bussy, the Peshwar, 
 the chief officer of state among the Mahrattas, who had 
 taken up arms against Salabafc Jung, the French nominee, 
 was induced to withdraw his support from Ghazee-ud- 
 Deen, JSTizam-ul-Mulk's eldest son; and this prince, having 
 met with an untimely end, Salabat was now without a 
 rival in the Deccan. The soubadahship of Salabat was 
 certainly not confirmed at Delhi; but, all-powerful in the 
 support of M. Bussy, this was no material consideration. 
 The new soubadah exhibited his gratitude to his Euro- 
 pean allies by ceding to them the maritime province 
 known as the Northern Circars. 
 
 Disputes, however, still remained to trouble the Car- 
 natic. None of the native combatants, excepting per> 
 haps Salabat Jung, were as yet satisfied. The Mysorean 
 regent, Nunjeras, was bent on the possession of Trichino- 
 poly, which, it appears, had once been promised him by 
 Mahomed Ally as the price of his support; and Mahomed 
 Ally himself, at the same time, laid claim to certain 
 tribute as nabob of the Carnatic, and called upon the 
 English to assist him iti its collection, which they obeyed. 
 The French, following this example, lent similar aid to 
 
73 HISTOBT OF nrDXA. [OBAP. Til. 
 
 Salabat Jung, and thus the spirit, if not the letter of the 
 treaty of Pondicherry, was violated by both parties. The 
 only redeeming feature of the transaction seems to have 
 been the check it placed upon the depredations of the 
 Peshwar. 
 
 In the year 1755, Mr., now Colonel, Clive, appointed to 
 the command of Fort St. David, returned to India. He 
 had been absent in England for two years; but, though 
 his hands had been idle all this time, his mind had been 
 fully occupied; and he now returned, with a head filled 
 with schemes for the aggrandizement of his nation in the 
 East. He had given it as his opinion that, so long as 
 there was a Frenchman in arms in the Deccan, there 
 could be no peace for India; and, in his desire to try con- 
 clusions with M. Bussy, he exhibited a spirit similar to 
 that which aforetime had possessed Dupleix when he was 
 heard to declare that he would reduce Madras to the 
 insignificance of a fishing-village. "While, however, the 
 design of the one was never accomplished, the object of 
 the other was destined speedily to be realised. 
 
 The treaty of Pondicherry prevented Clivo from com- 
 mencing operations against the French; but work was 
 meantime found him in the Mahratta country. The 
 Peshwar was at this time engaged in reducing a refrac- 
 tory vassal named Toolajee Angria, who held possession 
 of a portion of the Malabar coast, in the neighbourhood 
 of Bombay. The encouragement given to piracy by this 
 chieftain was matter of great moment to all, but more 
 especially to the English, whose trade suffered from the 
 depredations of his fleets. With Olive's assistance, Sev- 
 erndroog, one of his strongholds, was reduced; and Ban- 
 coote, the first territorial acquisition after Bombay, was 
 ceded to the English by way of reward. Gheria, another 
 piratic nest, on the other hand, defied the Peshwar's 
 effort. It fell, however, to a combined attack of the 
 English by land and sea, and the struggle ended. 
 
 Olive now was destined for a time to remain a passive 
 spectator of a peculiar contest Mutual interest had 
 led to an alliance between the Peshwar and Salabat 
 
1755.1788.] iTAft IN THE OARNAWa f J 
 
 Jung; and the French, as allies of the latter, of course 
 took paii; in the operations that followed. The Peshwar, 
 jealous of the advantage such support gave to Salabat, 
 resolved to deprive him of it. To this end he bribed 
 Salabat's minister; and when the war was terminated 
 by the capture of Savanoor, Bussy, to his extreme sur- 
 prise, was ordered to retire. He feigned obedience, for 
 his troops had been tampered with. He knew, however, 
 the disadvantage which would arise from such a step, and 
 so he was resolved to fight for the maintenance of his 
 hold upon the Deccan. He might easily have secured it 
 by an alliance with the Peshwar; but, declining all his 
 overtures, he made for Hyderabad ; and there, taking up 
 a position in a building called the Char Minar, bade the 
 nizam defiance. 
 
 In this position he was besieged by Salabat; but, being 
 reinforced from Pondicherry and Masulipatam by con- 
 tingents under de Leyrit and Mr. Law, and aided by the 
 treachery of some of the Mahratta allies of his adversary, 
 he presented so formidable a front that Salabat deemed 
 it prudent to come to terms. The conduct of Bussy was 
 highly praiseworthy and dignified. He imposed no new 
 conditions upon his faithless protege, and frankly forgave 
 him his treachery. The French might have secured 
 important advantages from this conduct of Salabat; for 
 no one knew better than the nizam how little he was 
 able to withstand alone the might of Bussy; and the 
 Council of Madras, in view of other employment for their 
 forces, strenuously refused to lend him any assistance. 
 The government of Bombay had, notwithstanding the 
 representations of Clive, lUiewise determined upon a 
 neutral position; and, for the present at least, Bussy was 
 master of the situation* 
 
CHAPTER VIIL 
 
 j BVENTS IN BENGAL. 
 
 The Mftlinnicaa — Alivorrli Klian dofende Bengal against theii 
 Doj>ro<lutionH — I*»c(;oiiioh Nabob of the Provinco — ►Suraj-ud- 
 Dowlal), liiH iSuccoHHor, Bonio^os Calcutta — Capture of the 
 CaniHon -Tho " I '.lack Hole" — C/amimigu against Sourai- 
 ud- Dow hill — I'laHHoy — Death of ISuraj-ud-Dowlah — Ormi- 
 ohuud tlio Baukor. 
 
 It will 1)0 viTidorMliOod, from tbo frcqnoncy with wliich the 
 Malinil-l.a unino occiirH, that tin's ])(H)[)1(3 had bocomo a 
 j)ow(u- of no iii(5!Ui oi(l(^r in tlio conntry. And so it was. 
 EH(.M,l)liHli(Ml UH a nation tbron^li tlio prowess of Sivajee, 
 thoy, by tbe wisdom of subs(Hjnont hinders, as liajee Kao, 
 for inslanco, ho rjij)idly dovolopod in strength and re- 
 Bourcos tluit tl>e miglit of their inflnonco had come to be 
 recognised throughout Central India and the Deccan ; 
 and tluur alliiinco was consequently engerly sought by the 
 contending )>}uties in the incessant conilicts of the period. 
 For some time they had been making inroads upon the 
 dominions of the nabob of Bengal; and, but for the 
 genius of Alivetdi Khan, the Afghan commander of the 
 nabob's forces, tlie provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa, 
 woidd doubtless have been bix)uglit, like tlie neighbouring 
 territory, beneath their sway. 
 
 So important was this service of Aliverdi Khan con- 
 sidered tiuit, on tho d(Mith of Sluijah-ud-deen, he had little 
 dilliculty in setting aside the deceased sovereign's son, 
 and securing the throne of these pi-ovinoes for himself. 
 Like most usuiiiei-s he was a woi-thy ruler; and, in the 
 present state of things, a boon to the provinces whose 
 aflaira he administered. His wars with tho Mahratta 
 
1740-1766.] BVBNT8 m BBNOAlk T5 
 
 invaders were many, and marked by great vicissitude; 
 and, if he was unable to stop their depredations, he at 
 least saved the dominions from conquest. In other 
 respects he gained the gratitude of his subjects, and 
 exhibited a friendly spirit towards the English, to whom 
 he granted the privilege of strengthening Calcutta by 
 fortifications, a portion of which is known to this day as 
 the Mahratta Ditch. Had this monarch's successor been 
 a man of his mould the important events about to be 
 enacted in this part of India would probably never have 
 occuiTed, and the genius of their great hero, Clive, never 
 probably have found a field for its development. 
 
 Suraj-ud-Dowlah, however, while possessing much of 
 his grandsire's energy, lacked his wisdom and govern- 
 mental talent, and was, withal, a man of great depravity 
 and intense cruelty. He greatly oppressed his Hindu 
 subjects; and, irritated at the protection afforded by the 
 authorities of Calcutta to a fugitive subject, Kishen Das, 
 whose immense wealth had rendered him an object of 
 envy to the new nabob, he began to show his displeasure 
 towards his English neighbours in an unmistakable 
 manner. First he demanded the surrender of Kishen 
 Das with his treasures; and then ordered the demolition 
 of the fortifications of Calcutta, taking care to supple- 
 ment his demands by marching a large army towards the 
 city. 
 
 The city was reckoned to be unprepared for a siege; 
 and, at a council of war, it was determined to abandon 
 the place, and take refuge on board the vessels in the 
 river. Some of the residents were already embarked, 
 when thefii-ing of some guns occasioned a panic; and the 
 ships, weighing anclior, (Iropj)ed down the stream, aban- 
 doning the residue to their own resources. The attack 
 was made, and the garrison, totally unable to resist the 
 assaults of the nabob, capitulated. 
 
 The sequel is a sad and well-known story. One hun- 
 dred and forty-six persons, of every age and condition, 
 were thrust into the Black Hole, an abominable prison- 
 house, which in its dimensions scarcely exceeded those of 
 
76 HIBTORT OP INDIA. [CHAP. VIII. 
 
 «n ordinary bed-chamber. A scorching clime and absence 
 of ventilation combined to produce suffocation. Water 
 was mercilessly denied the prisoners, and the sick and 
 wounded, dropping one by one, increased, by putrefaction, 
 the horrors of the cell, whose atmosphere soon came to re- 
 semble that of a charnel-house. To the many, death came, 
 a merciful deliverer; to the few, he appeared in the 
 light of a heartless mocker, able but unwilling to end their 
 sufferings. The tortures of heat and thirst quickly trans- 
 formed the survivors from reasonable creatures to raving 
 maniacs. To their frantic cries for relief they received 
 only the jibes of their jailers; and a heart-rending appeal 
 to the soldiers to fire upon them met with a like success. 
 Of the hundred and forty-six persons imprisoned, not 
 more than twenty-three survived this night of horrors; 
 and when, in the morning, their prison doors were 
 opened, the daylight fell upon a ghastly group indeed. 
 
 The confiscation of all the English property in Calcutta 
 of course followed upon the capture of the place; and the 
 English were now left without a possession in Bengal. 
 Great was the indignation at Madras when tidings of this 
 diabolical drama reached the city. Vengeance, however, 
 was neither swift nor severe. After wasting some time 
 in deliberation, Clive was despatched to the scene with a 
 force of 2000 men and some artillery; and a fleet of ten 
 vessels under Admiral "Watson received orders to co- 
 operate with the land forces. 
 
 Owing to the monsoon, it was December before the 
 expedition reached the Ganges. With that celerity, how- 
 ever, which characterises all its distinguished leader's 
 movements, the operations were at once commenced; and 
 Buj-buj, the first fortress attacked^ quickly surrendered. 
 On reaching Calcutta the fleet commenced the bombard- 
 ment. The nabob's garrison fled with precipitation, and 
 the English flag once more waved above its ramparts. 
 
 The recovery of Calcutta was deemed sufficient to 
 satisfy the claims of justice merely; and. Clive now con- 
 templated retribution. Asceilding the river he attacked 
 and took the town of Hooghley; but, being somewhat 
 
1756-1757.] BTENTS IS BENGAL. 77 
 
 alarmed at the advance of tlie nabob with a formidable 
 force, and having heard rumours of the outbreak of war 
 between England and France, he thought it prudent to 
 pause. His action, too, was crippled by the oonduct of 
 the council, who were irritated because he had presumed 
 to act independently of them. 
 
 Suraj-ud-Dowlah had been vainly appealing to the 
 French, who had a garrison of 600 Europeans at Chan- 
 dernagore. Disappointed in his hopes of support in this 
 quarter, he determined to trust to his own resources; 
 and, with this resolve, he marched from Moorshedabad, 
 and again took up a position near Calcutta. His army 
 of 40,000 men was met by Olive's little band of 2000 
 Europeans and Sepoys. Being worsted in the field, he 
 entered into negotiations with the council, and terms of 
 peace were speedily agreed upon. This treaty was most 
 advantageous to the interests of the company; but, inas- 
 much as no compensation was sought for the sufferers of 
 the Calcutta tragedy, it was considered anything but 
 satisfactory. 
 
 The Seven Years' "War had now broken out; and, in 
 Europe, England and France were engaged in deadly strife. 
 There was, consequently, nothing to prevent the recur- 
 rence of hostilities between these nations in this quarter 
 of the world; and Clive promptly commenced operations 
 by marching to the attack of Chandernagore. The French 
 claimed the nabob's protection; and Suraj-ud-Dowlah, in 
 his own, rather than in their interests, sent a body of 
 troops to the place. Clive and his colleague, Admiral 
 Watson, were at first disposed to respect the authority of 
 the nabob, and to retire; for M. Bussy was in the North- 
 ern Circars with a strong force ; and the garrison of 
 Chandernagore was by no means despicable. Perceiving, 
 however, that delay would endanger their interests, the 
 English commanders broke off the negotiations into which 
 they had entered with that prince, and commenced an 
 advance upon the French settlement. In anticipation of 
 events the fortifications of the place had been strength- 
 ened; but the besiegers, reinforced from Bombay, wero 
 
78 HISTORY OP INDIA. [OHAP. VIII. 
 
 now in overwhelming might ; and, after a gallant defence 
 of nine days, Chandemagore surrendered. , ; 
 
 Highly indignant, but utterly powerless to administeife 
 retribution, Suraj-ud-Dowlah withdrew to Plassey — Clive, 
 meanwhile, taking his station at Hooghley. The position 
 of the nabob was anything but an enviable one. The 
 Mahrattas under Ahmed Shah Abdally had invaded the 
 empire, and, after plundering Delhi, were advancing upon 
 Bengal. Before him were the English, flushed with vic- 
 tory ; while, to add to his perplexity, his own subjects, 
 disgusted with his tyranny and treachery, were plotting 
 itgainst him in all directions. This spirit of rebellion was, 
 of course, encouraged by the English commanders ; and, 
 imder the flimsy plea of the nabob's own perfidy. English- 
 men were not ashamed to take part in the conspiracies 
 set on foot for his deposition. 
 
 The chief plotters were Meer Jaffier, the brother-in-law 
 of Aliverdy Khan and commander of the nabob's forces, 
 and a wealthy banker named Ormichund, whom Suraj- 
 nd-Dowlah, to the annoyance of his subjects, had taken 
 into his secret counsels. The nabob was to be dethroned, 
 and his honours vested in Meer Jaffier. Had the English 
 known their own strength, or rather their enemy's weak- 
 ness, they might have held aloof from such base proceed- 
 ings ; and one of the darkest chapters in the history ol 
 the Anglo -Indian empire would thus have remained 
 unwritten. 
 
 Emboldened by the knowledge he possessed concerning 
 the spirit that animated the nabob's people, Clive now- 
 commenced proceedings. He had been profiered the 
 support of a Mahratta force of 100,000 men, a tempting 
 ofier indeed, when it is remembered that, with an army 
 not exceeding 3000 men of all arms, he had bidden defi- 
 ance to a nation. While, however, his courage at one 
 time well-nigh forsook him, so that he thought of retreat, 
 he, for certain reasons, declined this assistance ; and, on 
 the very morrow of his misgivings, his little band was 
 crossing the Ganges on their way towards the nabob's 
 position at Plassey. 
 
17fi7.] EVENTS IN BENOAIte; 79 
 
 ^ By midniglit they had advanced so near to the enemy's 
 lines that the challenges of the sentries could almost be 
 heard in either camp ; and a collision next day was there- 
 fore inevitable. The action was opened by the troops of 
 the nabob, who, at daybreak, commenced a heavy can- 
 nonade on the English position, which, fortunately, was 
 well defended by mud-banks. The English gunners re- 
 plied, and at noon the enemy retired to their fortified 
 camp. Clive now ordered that this position should be 
 stormed. The order was unhesitatingly obeyed ; and so 
 vigorous was the onset, that the enemy quickly aban- 
 doned their works and fled. Meer Muhdun, the com- 
 mander of the nabob's army, was killed ; and Suraj-ud- 
 Dowlah himself, who had taken no part in the action, fled 
 at a gallop towards Moorshedabad. 
 
 The defeat of Suraj-ud-Dowlah at Plassey was instru- 
 mental in ridding India of this most tyrannical of gover- 
 nors. For, unwilling to trust himself in Moorshedabad, 
 he fled into the open country, and took refuge in the cave 
 of a dervish. It was an unfortunate move ; for it hap- 
 pened to be the abode of a man who had sufiered con- 
 siderably from his cruelty. The dervish treated him with 
 apparent respect; but, meanwhile, sent information con- 
 cerning his presence to a son of Meer Jaffier. By this 
 prince he was brought back to the capital, and put to 
 death without ceremony. 
 
 Meanwhile, Clive passed on in triumph to Moorsheda- 
 bad, where he proclaimed Meer Jaffier soubadah of Ben- 
 gal, Bahar, and Orissa. To the English alone did Meer 
 Jaffier owe this dignity; and it will be readily under- 
 stood that he would act liberally towards the nation that 
 had so advanced him. Accordingly, the treasures col- 
 lected by means of the late nabob's tyranny and violence 
 were lavishly employed to compensate those who had in 
 any way suffered from the acts of Suraj-ud-Dowlah. There 
 was no parsimony; and all claims, real or imaginary, 
 were readily admitted. The army and navy received an 
 enormous grant, and the valuable services of Clive were 
 rewarded by a gift of something like half a million ster- 
 
80 BISTOBT OF INDU. [OHAP. VOL 
 
 ling. This was the first of those princely grants which 
 went to create him one of the most wealthy men of the 
 time. 
 
 Ormichund the banker, however, of whom incidental 
 mention has been made, was treated in a very different 
 manner. He had, it appeared, agreed to accept as the 
 value of his share in the late conspiracy, thirty lacs of 
 rupees, or £300,000. Much had depended upon the co- 
 operation of this man ; and, if his nefarious conduct is 
 not to be justified, it was not worse than that of others ; 
 and he had, at least, earned his reward by fidelity to the 
 cause of his English employers. When, however, after 
 the revolution had proved a success, he called upon them 
 to redeem their promise, his share was in the first place 
 reduced to twenty lacs, and then, to his intense amaze- 
 ment, he was flatly told that none would be forthcoming. 
 This exhibition of perfidy so affected him that his reason 
 forsook him, and he died about a year after — a hopeless 
 idiot. The only plea that Olive and the other parties to 
 this perfidious transaction could bring forward in extenu- 
 ation was, the necessity of meeting fraud with fraud. 
 The transaction, nevertheless, was none the less infamous 
 for that ; and it must ever remain a blot upon the memory 
 of those who were parties to it. 
 
CHAPTER DC 
 
 8TBUG0LES OF THE ENGLISH AND FBENCOi 
 
 Bvents in the Camatio — Campaign of M. Lally — Investment ol 
 Madras — Events in the Deccan and Northern Circars — Fall 
 of Masulipatam — The French driven from the Deccan — 
 Events in Bengal — Clive receives the Quit-rents of the Com- 
 pany's Lands — High-handed Proceedings of the Dutch — M. 
 Bussy and Colonel Coote — Fall of Pondicherry — Lally's fate. 
 
 Meanwhile, events of moment were going forward in 
 that ancient theatre the Carnatic. In 1757, Captain 
 Calliaud attacked Madura; and the French, by way of 
 retalliation, invested Trichinopoly. This movement had 
 tke effect of drawing off the besiegers from Madura for a 
 time. It subsequently fell into English hands, as did also 
 the fortress of Wandiwash. Several other unimportant 
 trials of strength between the European rivals occurred 
 in this region, and formed a fitting prelude to the import- 
 ant events which were about to transpire. 
 
 On the outbreak of hostilities between France and Eng- 
 land, the French despatched Count de Lally with a con- 
 siderable armament to uphold the interests of their nation 
 in India. His landing, which took place in the spring of 
 1768, was the signal for vigorous action. He imme- 
 diately laid siege to Fort St. David; and, during the pro- 
 gress of operations, an English squadron attacked the 
 French fleet, with a view to preventing the landing of 
 men and stores at Pondicherry. It failed, and the in- 
 vestment of Fort St David proceeded ; its garrison sur- 
 rendering after a few weeks' investment. 
 
 It was now fully expected that Madras, the seat of 
 government, would be the next object of Lally's attack ; 
 and, accordingly, every exertion was made in anticipation 
 of the movementi For the present, however, it seemed 
 
 f 
 
82 BI8T0ST OF IMDU. [CSU?. U^ 
 
 this important place was to remain nnmolested. It 
 appealed that the French commander was in want of 
 necessary funds, to obtain which he now made attaclss 
 on Tanjore and Arcot These expeditions, although they 
 did little towards^ replenishing his treasury, served to 
 establish his reputation as one of the most tyrannical of 
 European goyemors. At length the threatened attack 
 on Madras was nigh ; and, in the middle of December, 
 Lally sat down before its walls with a force of 10,000 
 men. At first his efforts were successful; for the garri- 
 son, hard pressed, seemed upon the point of surrender; 
 but, an English fleet arriving in the Beads, all hopes of 
 reducing the place disappeared; and, retreating with pre- 
 cipitation, he left his artillery and ammunition as spoils 
 to the garrison (1759). 
 
 The ill success attending French arms was not confined 
 to the Camatic. Either with a view of strengthening 
 his own position, or jealous because of the success of 
 Bussy, M. Lally proceeded to recall that general, and to 
 give the command to the Marquise de Conflans. Bussy, 
 it will be remembered, had, after his quarrel with Sala- 
 bat Jung, taken possession of Hyderabad, whence ha 
 removed into the Northern Circars. Here he was called 
 upon to render assistance to Salabat in his struggles with 
 his rebel brothers, Nizam Ally and Basalat Jung. His 
 efforts in his protege's behalf were everywhere successful. 
 He had got possession of Dowlatabad, one of the strongest 
 fortresses in India, and had therefore secured a vantage- 
 ground whence he might disseminate French influence. 
 It was at this juncture that he was recalled. He had no 
 sooner obeyed than the unwisdom of the step became 
 evident. The rajah of Vizagapatam first made insurrec- 
 tion against the French, and then applied to Clive to 
 assist him in driving them from the Northern Circars. 
 Clive, nothing loth, as quickly as possible sent forward 
 Colonel Forde, who overthrew Conflans at Rajahmundry, 
 He signally defeated him, and then set out to besiego 
 MasuUpatam. 
 
 W 
 
1758.] CAMPAIGN OF H. LALLT, 83 
 
 Here his success seemed likely to end, for the French 
 commander had communicated with SaJabat Jung ; and 
 that prince was known to be on the march with a con 
 siderable force. And, to add to his perplexity, a spirit 
 of insubordination had shown itself in his camp. Nothing 
 daunted, however, he quickly allayed all discontent ; and, 
 having completed his arrangements, stormed and carried 
 the place in a most gallant manner. Salabat Jung lost 
 all confidence in his French allies after this occurrence, 
 and began to make overtures to the English. A treaty 
 was concluded between him and Forde,by which Masulipa- 
 tam was ceded to the English, and the French forbidden to 
 possess any settlement to the north of the Kistna. Thus the 
 power of France in the Deccan was broken beyond repair. 
 
 The defeat of Suraj-ud-Dowlah at Plassey, it will be 
 remembered, had occasioned a revolution in Bengal; 
 Meer Jaffier, having been by reason of it elevated to the 
 throne of that province. Had this prince exhibited quali- 
 ties which could have justified the change, all might have 
 been well. Unfortunately, however, for the peace of the 
 land, Meer Jaffier was of a weak and wavering character. 
 His imprudence soon drove his subjects into rebellion ; 
 and the good offices of Clive were solicited to save him 
 from the consequences of his own foolish government. 
 To add to his embarrassment, an attack by the nabob of 
 Allahabad, aided by a French contingent, seemed immi- 
 nent; while the Mahrattas were pressing him for certain 
 grants which had been promised them. 
 
 Clive advanced to Moorshedabad, effected a reconcilia- 
 tion between the soubadah and his rebellious subjects, 
 and prepared to try conclusions with his foreign enemies, 
 who, having by this time advanced to Patna, had laid 
 siege to it. The confederates, however, withdrew upon 
 the approach of a relieving force ; and Meer Jaffier was 
 thus delivered from the dangers that had surrounded 
 him. The soubadah showed his gratitude to his bene- 
 factor by endowing him with the quit-rents of the territory 
 occupied by the English within his dominion -, and em« 
 
Bi BI8T0BT OF INDIA. [CHAP, IX. 
 
 ployed Ids interest with the Mogul to procure for him the 
 title of an omrah or noble of the empire, with three lacs 
 of rupees yeai-ly for the support of the dignity. 
 
 But Olive's occupation was not yet gone ; for a danger 
 now threatened English interests in Bengal. The French 
 had been driven from the province; but the English had 
 other rivals there in the Dutch, who possessed a settle- 
 ment at Chinsura on the Hooghley, not far from Calcutta. 
 A powerful fleet of theirs had entered the river; and 
 there was every reason to believe that an understanding 
 existed between them and Meer Jaffier inimical to 
 English interests. Fearing a surprise, Clive began to 
 make preparations ; carefully abstaining from any act of 
 unfriendliness. Although, however, there was peace at 
 the time between the two countries, the Dutch threw 
 down the gauntlet of war by seizing some of the com- 
 pany's vessels, and burning their depot at Fulta. Clive 
 was equal to the emergency. He despatched thither Com- 
 modore Wilson, who captured their fleet; while their 
 land-force, attacked by Colonel Forde, was entirely over- 
 thrown. This two-fold victory induced the Dutch to 
 consent to a treaty by which a very limited number of 
 Europeans was allowed within the province,and this merely 
 for the purpose of protecting their commercial interests. 
 
 After his repulse from before Madras, Lally retired to 
 Arcot, there to await those reinforcements from home 
 of which he had been in daily expectation. The French 
 fleet sustained a defeat ofi" Trincomalee by Admiral Po- 
 cocke, who, however, could not prevent the escape of 
 Bome of his enemy's vessels ; and Lally thereby received 
 reinforcements to the extent of 600 Europeans, together 
 with a considerable sum of money. Even this addition 
 to his treasury was not sufficient to meet his necessities. 
 His men were clamorous for pay ; and when, finally, M. 
 Bussy quitted the camp upon an errand to the Deccan, 
 they broke out into open mutiny. This circumstance 
 determined him to divide his forces^ one half of which he 
 
tiBS-neh} «. lally's fate. 85 
 
 Bent southward. It was a false move, and advantage waa 
 at once taken of it ; for Colonel Coote, who was then at 
 Madras, advanced to attack it. After some desultory- 
 movements, the rival armies met near Wandiwash, an 
 important position, for the possession of which many a 
 gallant struggle had already taken place. The action was 
 a severe one, for the combatants were pretty equally bal- 
 anced. The fortunes of the day, however, remained with 
 the English, who slew 600 of their enemy, and took M. 
 Bussy prisoner. 
 
 This victory opened for Coote the road to Arcot, 
 whither he now advanced to try conclusions with Lally 
 himself. Arcot quickly fell ; and soon Pondicherry was 
 the only French possession on the Carnatic coast. This 
 important station was now invested. Lally was by this 
 time reduced to the most desperate straits. He stood 
 greatly in need of reinforcements, and had little hope of 
 receiving any by reason of the presence of a powerful 
 British squadron. In this dilemma he was constrained 
 to look for native help. He thought of Hyder Ally of 
 Mysore, and commenced negotiations with him. They, 
 however, came to nothing ; and, as the English had com- 
 menced the siege, he had no alternative but to rely upon 
 his own garrison. 
 
 His first measure was to rid himself of the useless 
 mouths within the city; and, accordingly, 1400 of the 
 natives were driven into the open country to shift for 
 themselves. Lally held out so long as the supplies lasted; 
 but at length, when all was ready for the assault, a flag 
 of truce was sent into the English camp. The envoys 
 had been despatched to propose terms of surrender. Coote 
 would agree to no conditions whatever ; and the garrison 
 of Pondicherry, with its vast stores of artillery and ammu- 
 nition, capitulated. The walls were quickly demolished ; 
 and the last vestige of French dominion in India was thus 
 obliterated. Lally's fate was a stem one. Hooted out of 
 the fort by his own men, he was carried back to France, 
 where he was tried, condemned, and guillotined, in obedi- 
 ence to the demands of his exasperated fellow-oountiymen. 
 
CHAMER X. 
 
 UVENTS IN BENGAL. — {contintied,) 
 
 Movements of Shah Allum — Deposition of Meer Jaffier, and 
 Elevation of Meer Cossim — Treaty with Shah Allum — Inimi- 
 cal Proceedings of Meer Cossim — Meer Jaffier Reinstated— 
 Battle of Buxar — "Eeturn of the Nabobs" — Nujum-ud- 
 Dowlah succeeds Meer Jaffier — Clive's Third Visit to India — 
 His Mission — The English become virtual Eulers of Bengal, 
 Bahar, and Orissa — Mutinous Spirit among English Troops 
 — Outcry in England Against the Company's Government-— 
 Clive accused — His End — Character. 
 
 In 1760, Clive, whose constitution had suffered consider^ 
 ably from the effects of climate, labour, and anxiety, 
 returned to England. His place was filled for a time by 
 Mr. Holwell ; and he in turn was succeeded by Mr. Yan- 
 sittart, a gentleman who had received instructions to 
 pursue a policy now for some time in contemplation, 
 namely — the deposition of Meer Jaffier, and the appoint- 
 ment of Meer Cossim, his son-in-law, iq his stead. Their 
 schemes, however, were for a time interrupted by the 
 proceedings of Shah Allum, who, upon the murder of his 
 father, Alumgeer, had succeeded to the now phantom 
 throne of Delhi. This prince was at the time marching 
 on Bengal, with a view to its recovery as a dependency 
 of the court of Delhi; and in this expedition he was 
 aided by the viceroy of Oude. He first advanced to 
 attack Patna; but in this design he was thwarted by 
 Captain Calliaud, and the nabob's son, and chief counsellor, 
 Meerun. He therefore withdrew into Bengal, and made 
 for Moorshedabad ; but the city was too strong to fear 
 him, and, as Calliaud still hung closely on his rear, he 
 returned to Patna once morej and, in concert with a 
 
l?Mi] STxam m mtamMt, 
 
 Freneh oolnmn, attempted its reduction. Tiinmgli the 
 celerity of Captain Kno^B moyements he was again 
 foiled; and he retreated with precipitalion from before 
 
 its walls. 
 
 Shah Allum being thns disposed of^the scheme for the 
 deposition of Meer Jaffier proceeded. The condition of 
 the nabob's affairs favoured the furtherance of it. Dis- 
 affection was rife throughout the province; and when, by 
 the untimely death of Meerum, he was deprived of his 
 right hand, the troops mutinied ; and, but for the exer- 
 tions of Meer Cossim, would have put hinr to death. A 
 fate such at this, perhaps, would have been more welcome 
 than that which was to follow ; for Meer Jaffier, with all 
 his failings, was of an extremely proud and sensitive 
 nature ; and the indignity to which he was about to be 
 subjected must have been gall and wormwood to him. 
 Having arranged their plans, the nabob, to his surprise, 
 was ordered to place the management of his exchequer in 
 the hands of Meer Cossim. This he indignantly refused 
 to do, choosing rather to renounce his royal authority, 
 and to withdraw to the retirement of private life. 
 
 This treatment of Meer Jaffier has ever been regarded 
 as a shameful piece of business. His administration, it 
 is true, had been anything but satisfactory; and the com- 
 pany had ample reason to regret the share they had had 
 in his elevation to the nabobship ; neither is there any 
 room to doubt that the interests of the Company were 
 jeopardized by his bad government ; but subsequent pro- 
 ceedings render it difficult to believe that the parties 
 concerned in the plot were animated by these considera- 
 tions alone. The Company, indeed, was rewarded by a 
 cession of the districts of Burdwan, Midnapore, and Chit- 
 tagong, together with a pecuniary grant towards the 
 expenses incurred during the war in the Camatic. Un- 
 fortunately, however, for the plea of duty and disinter- 
 estedness, Mr. Holwell, Mr. Yansittart, and other officers, 
 received ample shares from the treasury of the deposed 
 ruler; and the entire affiiir is surrounded by an atmo> 
 sphere of selfishness which has never yet been dispelled. 
 
8S toSTORt OF INDIA. [cOkf, X. 
 
 In the words of a writer of the present day, ** it seems 
 only surprising, if the council desired a change, that they 
 did not espouse the just cause of the emperor, with whom 
 they might have made their own terms, and obtained 
 more favourable and more extensive grants than they 
 exacted from Meer Cossim." 
 
 Shah Allum had not yet abandoned his design upon 
 Bengal and its neighbouring provinces ; and, encouraged 
 by the condition of affairs there, he shunned his capital, 
 and hung upon the skirts of the provinces in order to be 
 ready to take advantage of any circumstance which might 
 afford him a prospect of success. That opportunity by- 
 and-bye presented itself; but not till after he had received 
 a smart check at the hands of Major Carnac in an action 
 wherein his French allies were made prisoners. Having 
 gained this advantage over Shah Allum, the Company 
 were in a position to treat with him; and Carnac was 
 accordingly despatched on this errand. The emperor was 
 invited to Patna, and there treated with imperial respect; 
 a.nd the result of the negotiation was, that he was to 
 receive annually a nominal tribute — the company being 
 invested with the command of the financial concerns of 
 the province. 
 
 It was not long before the company had cause to regret 
 the removal of Meer Jaffier; for, contrary to their expec- 
 tations, Meer Cossim proved a far more formidable ob- 
 stacle to their progress than ever his predecessor had 
 been. The treasury of the province was exhausted, the 
 demands upon it were pressing; and there was no alter- 
 native left the new nabob but to have recourse to exac- 
 tions from his wealthy subjects. Among these was one 
 Ram Narrain, the Hindu governor of Patna, a faithful 
 friend of the English, and one whom the company were 
 bound to protect. Prom some cause or other they neglec- 
 ted to fulfil this obligation, and the man was despoiled in 
 a most shameful manner. 
 
 The circumstance was of considerable moment, inas- 
 much as it caused the English to lose in the estimation 
 of the natives, and to encourage the nabob to the further 
 
I761-1764.J EVENTS TN BlNaAL. 89 
 
 exeitsise of his own authority. He went so far, indeed, 
 as to contemplate a severance from his English patrons ; 
 and to this end he removed from Moorshedabad to Mon- 
 gheer, where he might in secret make preparations ; for 
 he knew that his scheme would necessitate a struggle. 
 He took some skilful men into his employ, and by their 
 aid he presently found himself in possession of a consider- 
 able quantity of military stores. In due time he opened 
 the question by depriving the English of certain trading 
 privileges, and seized some boats laden with English 
 goods; and when remonstrances were made, he forthwith 
 gave orders for the apprehension of all Englishmen within 
 his dominions. 
 
 The quarrel had now commenced in earnest. The 
 English at once recalled the deposed Meer Jaffier from 
 the obscurity to which he had been relegated; and, rein- 
 vesting him with the title of nabob, set out with him for 
 Moorshedabad. The forces of Meer Cossim were well 
 disciplined and well armed; but they were worsted in 
 several actions; and, enraged at his failure, he gave orders 
 for the slaughter of his English prisoners. His forces, 
 meanwhile, had again rallied, and once more he decided 
 upon trying the fortunes of battle with his enemy. He 
 was, however, overthrown, and his new capital fell into 
 the hands of the English. An attempt was subsequently 
 made upon Patna, in conjunction with the vizier of Oude. 
 It failed, and the hostile forces met soon after in deadly 
 conflict upon the field of Bnxar. !Not withstanding a 
 serious mutiny of Sepoy troops, which threatened at one 
 time to disconcert the English plans. Sir Hector Munro 
 was able to administer to his adversary a defeat so con- 
 clusive that the whole of Bengal fell into the hands of 
 the company. The pride of the vizier of Oude was hum- 
 bled; and the emperor was forced to crave the protection 
 of the English. The hero of the campaign, Sir Hector 
 Munro, resigned his command soon after the victory of 
 Buxar. 
 
 The parties in authority were determined to make the 
 best of the advantage theii' troops had gained for them ^ 
 
tl* BI8T0BT OP INDIA. {gSAP. t. 
 
 and -Lev . -. ^ ^ was accordingly compelled to scatter gold 
 broadcast— i»o less than sixty millions being received in 
 payment of individual claims. Many of the recipients, 
 enriched be/ond measure, relinquished their offices, and 
 returned to England to enjoy the fruits of their shameful 
 extortions. The "return of the nabobs," as it is termed, is 
 one of the greatest scandals of the age. The company, 
 be it remembered, gained but little by these transactions; 
 and, while the conduct of their officials must ever remain 
 a lasting reproach to them, it was rather the result of a 
 lax supervision than a wilful disregard of the calls of 
 justice. Indeed they themselves were sufferers ; for, not 
 only were they powerless to curb the excesses of their 
 servants, but they had likewise the mortification of seeing 
 their trade crippled by the private ventures of their un- 
 ruly employes. 
 
 Meer Jaffier was now dead; and his imbecile son, 
 Nujum-ud-Dowlah, placed upon the throne, was a mere 
 puppet in the hands of his English supporters. The 
 affairs of Bengal were in a most unsatisfactory condition; 
 and Clive, having made his mark as a man of far-seeing 
 policy and inflexible purpose, despite the bitter opposi- 
 tion of many and powerful enemies, was sent (1765) 
 to effect a reformation in the company's affairs in this 
 province. He was specially instructed to curb the insol- 
 ence of their servants, who were fast becoming a power 
 in Bengal. He came provided with the draft of a new 
 covenant to be subscribed by them ; and he now insisted 
 that every individual concerned should consent to obey 
 its clauses under pain of instant dismissal. Private 
 trading was at once abolished — a monopoly being granted 
 to the company of the most important items of Indian 
 commerce; while the revenues derived from customs con- 
 tributed by the natives were henceforth to find their way 
 into the company's treasury at Calcutta. 
 
 The political affairs of the province received similar 
 attention at his hands. The vizier, notwithstanding his 
 defeat at Buxar, managed for a time to give trouble; but 
 having, with his allies the Rohillas, sustained a severe 
 
1764-1767.1 IVENTS IN BENGAL, 91 
 
 defeat at the hands of General Camac, his submission was 
 now complete. Kelieved of all fear from this quarter, 
 Olive was at liberty to enter into negotiations with the 
 court of Delhi. The emperor was induced to resign the 
 management of the revenues to the English— a privilege 
 which made them virtual rulers of Bengal, Bahar, and 
 Orissa; for the poor imbecile nabob, Nujum-ud-Dowlah, 
 had no power to raise a voice against this interference 
 with his authority. This concession, together with a 
 grant of certain rights over the Northern Circars, enabled 
 the company to carry out their new commercial regula- 
 tions with greater facility. 
 
 Clive now turned his attention to the army; and if the 
 adjustmpjit of the commercial affairs was difficult, this 
 reform in military matters was a still more perplexing 
 business, inasmuch as the position of the English in India 
 might easily be endangered by any false movement. But 
 Clive was equal to the accomplishment of this as of every 
 other task he set his hand to. He began by issuing 
 regulations with regard to pay — a step which had the 
 effect of sensibly curtailing the salaries both of officers 
 and men. The scheme trenched upon a privilege which 
 had been granted by Meer Jaffier, and a mutinous spirit 
 was at once engendered. The officers memorialised the 
 author of it, and appeared in arms to support their appli- 
 cation. It was only by Olive's marvellous firmness, and 
 the fidelity of the Sepoy regiments that serious conse- 
 quences were averted. The suppression of this outbreak 
 without bloodshed, and with such apparently inadequate 
 means, has been regarded as the most brilliant transac- 
 tion of his career. 
 
 Olive would fain have lingered upon the theatre of his 
 great military and civil exploits; but the climate was too 
 much for his constitution; and, with regret, he set sail 
 for England within a year of his landing in India. The 
 pecuniary affaii^s of the Company, notwithstanding their 
 privileges and their territorial acquisitions, were in a 
 most unsatisfactory condition. The revenues of the pro- 
 vinces ought to have been sufficient to secure them ample 
 
99 mnnonr of imdia* [chap. x. 
 
 means; the imposts, howerer, were so badly collected, 
 and peculation was carried on to so enormous an extent, 
 that a deficit stood always in the place of a dividend. 
 In this dilemma an appeal was made to government for 
 a loan; and Parliament was convened unusually early to 
 consider the application. The matter was referred to a 
 select committee; and the gross mismanagement of the 
 company's concerns was so patent that the ministry of 
 Lord North determined to legislate on the subject; and 
 a new bill was introduced which was to create a thorough 
 revolution in Indian affairs. The company protested 
 against the proceedings as an infraction of the terms of 
 their charter; but public opinion was so strongly in 
 favour of reform, that they had no alternative but to 
 submit. A royal court was established by Act of Pa.*'- 
 ment for the Bengal province, with a governor-general, 
 who was to be subject to the ministry, at its head. The 
 bill became law in 1773. It was about the same time, 
 too, that Colonel Burgoyne brought forward his accusation 
 against Olive touching the matter of the deposition and 
 death of Suraj-ud-Dowlah. 
 
 From the time of his setting foot in England this great, 
 though sometimes erring man, had had to encounter the 
 unrelenting enmity of his enemies ; but this was the first 
 specific accusation made against him. The gist of the 
 charge was that he had " abused the powers with which 
 he was entrusted, to the evil example of servants of the 
 company, and to the dishonour and detriment of the state;" 
 and this celebrated man, whose wisdom had done so much 
 to make his country great, was forced to defend his acts 
 in the most public assembly in the world, and against 
 some of the most eloquent declaimers of the age. Under 
 the many and varied temptations with which his position 
 was surrounded, he may not quite have forgotten self; but 
 while, in seaman's parlance, he had given 07ie hand to 
 his employers, it is questionable whether, in view of the 
 enormous wealth that lay within his grasp, his own shai-e, 
 magnificent as it undoubtedly was, could be represented , 
 by more than a Jmger ; and posterity, iiurrounded by a 
 
1767-1774.] EVENTS nr bengal. 99 
 
 calmer atmosphere, lias been inclined to condone his 
 faults in the magnitude of his services, and, with him, 
 " to wonder at his moderation." He was acquitted : but 
 the treatment to which he had been subjected proved too 
 much for a system already enfeebled by disease; and he 
 perished, Nov. 1774, by his own hand. With his death, 
 one of the greatest names — indeed the greatest name — ^in 
 Indian history, vanishes from the scene. 
 
 " In the awful close of so much prosperity and glory," 
 says Macaulay, " the vulgar saw only a confirmation of 
 all their prejudices; and some men of real piety and 
 genius so far forgot the maxims both of religion and of 
 philosophy as confidently to ascribe the mournful event 
 to the just vengeance of God, and to the horrors of an 
 evil conscience. It is with very different feelings that 
 we contemplate the spectacle of a great mind ruined by 
 the weariness of satiety, by the pangs of wounded honour^ 
 hy fatal diseases, and more fatal remedl^'S.'' 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 EVENTS IN MADRAS. 
 
 Nuam Ally — Hyder Ally — Hyder becomes Soubadah or Nizam 
 of the Deccan — Struggles for Possession of the Northern 
 Circars — Nizam Ally refuses to give up the Province to the 
 English—Alliance between Nizam Ally and Hyder — The 
 Confederates worsted— The British obtain Possession of the 
 Circars — Hyder's Indignation— His Success— Overtures to 
 the French — Further Successes of Hyder — Treaty with 
 Hyder — Hyder forsaken by his new Allies. 
 
 Whil* events were thus progressing in Bengal, circum- 
 stances of equally momentous character were enacting in 
 other parts of the peninsula. Two characters at this time 
 come prominently into notice, namely^ Nizam Ally and 
 Hyder Ally, of whom it is necessary here, to the proper 
 understanding of the position of affairs, to say a few 
 words. 
 
 The name of Nizam Ally occurs in a former chapter. 
 Led on by an overweening ambition this prince had, in 
 conjunction with his brother, Basalat Jung, wrested all 
 authority from Salabat Jung, soubadah or nizam of the 
 Deccan; and the good oflfices of M. Bussy, it will be 
 remembered, had been solicited for the purpose of setting 
 matters right. On this occasion the usurper was induced 
 to resign the great seal, and to accept the government of 
 Hyderabad. Here, having devised a plot for the assas- 
 sination of the soubadah, he was compelled, upon its 
 discovery, to flee for his life. By-and-bye, he became 
 powerful enough to renew his seditious schemes. Defeat- 
 ing the soubadah's forces under Janoojee Bhoslay, he 
 regained possession of Hyderabad, and from this vantage 
 ground he forced the soubadah to replace him in the 
 
17^] WnSSTB IN UADRAI. 95 
 
 position he had before occupied. He subsequently took 
 part in the nizam's wars with the Mahrattas, and was so 
 successful as to recover the territories which this people 
 had captured. Flushed with this success he now pro- 
 ceeded to put into practice the scheme which he had so 
 long contemplated; so, dethroning his brother, he put 
 him to death, and declared himself soubadah of the 
 Deccan. ^ 
 
 Hyder Ally, one of the most remarkable men India 
 ever produced, was the son of a chieftain of low position, 
 and a Mohammedan. His great talent and conspicuous 
 bravery had brought him under the notice of the My- 
 Borean court; and, notwithstanding the disadvantage 
 under which he laboured by reason of his religion, he 
 had been invested with the proud title of general-in-chief 
 of the Mysorean forces. In 1753, the 'Mahrattas invaded 
 the country for the purpose of enforcing the payment of 
 chouth, as it was termed, that is, one-fourth of the pro- 
 duce of the land, which had been granted them in times 
 gone by; and Hyder took the field against them. He 
 was eminently successful; and when he had rid the 
 country of these invaders, he employed his military 
 talents in reducing and plundering various small states, 
 thereby considerably extending the territory of his sove- 
 reign the rajah. These successes gained him immense 
 advantage; and he was able shortly to remove the first 
 minister, and to take his place. This was an ungrateful 
 act; for he had been his greatest friend at court; and it 
 was his influence alone that had secured him the due 
 reward of his talent; for the rajah, a weak-minded prince, 
 had surrendered himself completely to his will. But 
 gratitude seldom bars the way of ambition; and this, the 
 ruling passion of Hyder, was further to betray itself iu 
 the deposition of the rajah himself, and his seizure of the 
 vacant throne. 
 
 At the period wo are considering, then, Hyder Ally 
 was rajah of Mysore, and Nizam Ally soubadah or nizam 
 of the Deccan. Events were now about to happen 
 which were to bring these sovereigns into collision with 
 
96 HI8T0BT OF IKDIA. [CHAP. XI. 
 
 our countrymen, and to initiate in the one case a stmggle, 
 whicli, considering its arduous character, its length, and 
 its many vicissitudes, has scarcely a parallel in the annals 
 of the country. 
 
 The struggle was occasioned, in the first place, by a 
 Jispute respecting the Northern Circars, a province lying 
 between Orissa and the sea. The value of this territory 
 to the Bengal council had long been apparent; and the 
 authorities there had done their utmost to get possession 
 of it. This province had originally been granted by Sala- 
 bat Jung to M. Bussy by way of reward for services per- 
 formed in his behalf. It had more recently been made 
 over to the English by the emperor; but, as at the time 
 of transfer it was in the possession of the nizam, who was 
 independent of the court of Delhi, the gift was little more 
 than nominal 
 
 Nizam Ally, now called upon to execute the imperial 
 will, gave an u* -compromising refusal. An accommoda- 
 tion was, however, effected, and for a time the matter 
 dropped. It was, by-and-bye, discovered that the nizam 
 was carrying on an intrigue with Hyder Ally; and their 
 forces were by agreement united for the purpose of 
 coercing the English. Together they mustered a formid- 
 able array ; and, when eventually they encountered 
 Colonel Smith, who had been sent with a force of 7000 
 men to operate agaiii«t them, the advantage of the con- 
 test lay with them. The English commander, however, 
 having rallied under .he walls of Trincomalee, the tide 
 of success was turned, and they were overthrown with 
 considerable loss. TLis victory was so decisive that 
 Hyder's son, Tippoo, immediately retreated from before 
 Madras, to which town he had laid siege; and the con- 
 federates, being subsequently defeated in several minor 
 engagements, Nizam Ally soon became weary of the con- 
 test, and entered into negotiations with the English 
 commander. 
 
 Altogether, he had good reason for taking this step; 
 for, to increase his embarrassment, an army had entered 
 tb© Peccai> from Bengal, and was already within » short 
 
1761-1769.] XYBNT8 nr ICADRAt. 
 
 distance of Hyderabad, his capital. The terms of 
 treaty were less favourable to the English than mign 
 have been expected, considering their success in the field. 
 Possession of the Circars, with the exception of the dis- 
 trict of Guntoor, was guaranteed to the English; and an 
 offensive alliance between the contracting parties was 
 entered into against Hyder Ally, who was forthwith pro- 
 claimed a usurper, and his dominions declared forfeited. 
 
 Now, it was a very easy matter to denounce their 
 enemy; it was, however, quite another to depose him; 
 and this the new allies soon found to their cost. The 
 court of directors, whose views were adverse to an exten- 
 sion of territory, were by no means pleased with the 
 ofiensive alliance their servants had contracted with the 
 nizam. But it was too late to recede. The proud spirit 
 of Hyder had been thoroughly roused by the indignity; 
 and he was as anxious as he was prepared to resent it. 
 He commenced proceedings by advancing against Banga- 
 lore; and, having captured it, he raised funds by means 
 of the ransom demanded for the release of his numerous 
 prisoners. The conduct of the war against Hyder was 
 committed to Colonels Smith and Wood, who commenced 
 operations in June 1768. The campaign opened favour- 
 ably for the English; and Hyder, fearing lest the Mah- 
 rattas should join his enemies, made overtures for peace. 
 But the Madras council would not be satisfied with 
 Hyder's proposals. Negotiations were therefore broken 
 off, and the contest reopened in earnest. 
 
 The progress of the war showed that the Madras 
 authorities had most seriously underrated the ability and 
 resources of their adversary, who, after having defeated 
 Colonel "Wood at Oossoor, and recovered the fortresses o* 
 which he had been earlier deprived, was on his way to 
 Madras itself. So little prepared was the garrison for 
 defence, that the council had no alternative but to treat 
 with their triumphant enemy. There was, fortunately, 
 little difficulty in opening negotiations; for the Mahrattaa 
 seemed upon the point of casting in their lot with Hyder's 
 enemies; and Hyder, as skilful a politiciaa as soldier- 
 
 « 
 
98 BISTORT OF INDIA. [CHAP. XI. 
 
 was not 80 presumptuous as tc hope for success against 
 saxh a combination. If Hyder hated the English, he 
 thoroughly despised the Mahrattas, and this he made no 
 attempt to conceal. The business, however, was badly 
 managed; and Hyder, annoyed at certain unfair treat- 
 ment to which he had been subjected, struck southward 
 — his head filled with another and a grander scheme. 
 
 CHEPAiSTK VALA«5K. MADRAS. 
 
 The peace of Fontainebleau, which, in 1763, closed the 
 Seven Years* War in Europe, had restored to tho French 
 their lost possessions in India. They had, accordingly^ 
 notwithstanding the. protests of Clive and others, once 
 more gained a footingan the peninsula; and Pondicheny, 
 as of yore, was their head settlement. To M. Law, the 
 French governor, Hyder now began to make overtures. 
 Hyder, however, was not the man to place too firm a 
 reliance upon allies; and he sought, therefore, to antici- 
 pate the advantages of a French alliance by giving his 
 enemies no rest. By skilful manoeuvring he drew Colonel 
 Smith from the neighbourhood of Madras; and, after 
 leading him a perplexing chase, arrived at St. Thome, a 
 few miles from that city. The consternation within its 
 walls was great^ for the garrison had been despatched to 
 
1769-1771.] BYENTB IIT 1CADBA8. 99 
 
 operate against Hyder in the open country. The place, 
 however, was spared the humiliation of surrender; for 
 Hyder, contrary to all expectations, once more offered to 
 negotiate. 
 
 A treaty was concluded upon the basis of a mutual 
 restitution of conquests, and an alliance, offensive and 
 defensive, between the covenanting parties. The entire 
 affair had been most disastrous to the English; who, in 
 addition to a considerable pecuniary loss, had fallen 
 materially in the estimation of the natives. And thus 
 ended the second conflict with Hyder Ally. The treaty, 
 in one of its provisions, was violated by the English 
 shortly afterwards. No sooner were the terms of it rati- 
 fied than Hyder, flushed with success, commenced war 
 on the Mahrattas; and in this undertaking he was so 
 thoroughly unfortunate that he was constrained to call 
 upon the English to fulfil their engagement by sending 
 him an English brigade. The Madras authorities were 
 willing enough to do this; but their hands were now tied 
 by the presence of an envoy from England, who forbade 
 further hostilities. Hyder, thus abandoned by the Eng- 
 lish, was miserably despoiled by his enemy. He never 
 forgave the perfidy, and, as he termed it, cowardice of hk 
 English alliefii 
 
CHAPTER Xn. 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OP WARREN HASTINGS. 
 
 Conspiracies — Disappointment of the Emperor — Departure of th« 
 Mahrattas from the Doab — Betrayal of the Rohillas by the 
 English — Withdrawal of the Emperor's Pension — Arrival of 
 the Members of Council — Rearrangement with the Viziw~- 
 Accusations against Hastings — Execution of Nuncomar. 
 
 Warren Hastings entered upon his office as governor- 
 general of Bengal in 1772. Events of great moment had 
 of iate transpired in different corners of the peninsula, 
 which furnished him with abundant employment. The 
 great interest of this period seemed to centre upon 
 Oude, where the game of plot and counterplot was pro- 
 ceeding with unflagging zeal; the emperor, the vizier, the 
 English, the Mahrattas, and E-ohillas, vieing with each 
 other in the exhibition of their skill at chicanery and 
 double-dealing. 
 
 The Mahrattas, as was previously stated, had become 
 a formidable power in Northern India; and the estima- 
 tion in which they were held is exhibited in the overtures 
 so often made by neighbouring states for their alliance. 
 After the defeat of the confederates at Buxar in 1764, it 
 will be remembered, Shah Allum, the titular emperor of 
 Delhi, had ceded to the English the dewany or collector- 
 ship of the revenues of Bengal and the neighbouring pro- 
 vinces; and had received in return two small districts in 
 the province of Oude. He had hoped that the English, 
 to whom he had behaved so liberally, would have aided 
 him, when opportunity should serve, in securing for Mm 
 the substance as well as the shadow of dominion by plac- 
 ing him upon the throne of Delhi. By-and-bye, disap- 
 
1771-1772.] ADMINISTRATION OP WARREN HASTINGS. 101 
 
 pointed % his hopes of English support, he turned to the 
 Mak».attMS, who, obedient to the call, overran. Rohilcund, 
 took possession of Delhi, and, inviting him thither, esta- 
 blished him upon the throne of his ancestors with all 'due 
 ceremony. He soon, however, grew weary of the exac- 
 tions of his benefactors, and was not slow in attempting 
 to rid himself of their presence. In this he failed, and 
 was compelled to purchase their forbearance by a present 
 of the districts of Allahabad and Corah; of which, how- 
 ever, they were unable to gain possession, inasmuch as 
 they were held by an English army. 
 
 Meanwhile, the Mahrattas were carrying on an intrigue 
 with the vizier of Oude and his Afghan neighbours the 
 Rohillas. ^ These latter, having gained possession of the 
 Doab, a district situated between the Ganges and Jumna, 
 suffered materially from the presence of the Mahrattas. 
 Anxious to get rid of such undesirable neighbours, they 
 determined to ally themselves with the vizier, Now, the 
 vizier was ready to give his support to either party; for 
 he envied the one, and hated both. This alliance, to- 
 gether with the death of the peshwa, Mahdoo Eao, 
 brought the Mahrattas to terms, and they shortly after 
 withdrew. 
 
 The Rohillas, however, were no gainers by their depar- 
 ture; for the vizier had long had an eye upon their terri- 
 tory; and there was nothing now to prevent his effecting 
 its annexation beyond the opposition of the English. Even 
 this difficulty was eventually removed; for Hastings, in 
 consideration of the promise of forty lacs, both sanctioned 
 the undertaking, and assisted in it. Rohilcund was 
 invaded, and its defenders, after a brave resistance, over- 
 powered, and treated with the utmost barbarity. In the 
 words of Macaulay : " The horrors of Indian war were let 
 loose on the fair valleys and cities of Eohilcund. The 
 whole country was in a blaze. More than a himdred 
 thousand people fled from their homes to pestilential 
 jungles, preferring famine and fever, and the haunts of 
 tigers, to the tyranny of him to whom an English and a 
 Christian government had, for shameful lucre, sold theii' 
 
102 HISTORY OP INDIA. [CHAP. XII. 
 
 substance, and their blood, and the honour of their wivei 
 and daughters. 
 
 "The finest population in India was subjected to a 
 greedy, cowardly, cruel tyrant. Comm^erce and agricul- 
 ture languished. The rich province which had tempted 
 the cupidity of Sujah Dowlah became the most miserable 
 part even of his miserable dominions. Yet is the injured 
 nation not extinct. At long intervals gleams of its 
 ancient spirit have flashed forth; and, even at this day, 
 valour, and self-respect, and a chivalrous feeling rare 
 among Asiatics, and a bitter remembrance of the great 
 crime of England, distinguish that noble Afghan race." 
 It is regarded on all hands as a treacherous and shameful 
 deed; for the Rohillas had ever been well disposed 
 towards the English; and it was, in the sequel, produc- 
 tive of most unpleasant consequences. 
 
 The alliance into which the emperor had entered with 
 the Mahrattas at this time gave Hastings the pretext for 
 witholding the pension which Clive had~^granted him in 
 lieu of the revenues of Bengal. Both proceedings have 
 been much commented upon. The only excuse to be 
 offered is that of expediency. Hastings feared, or affected 
 to fear, it seems, an offensive alliance with the Mahrattas 
 against English influence in these quarters ; and he there- 
 fore considered himself bound, in the interest of his 
 employers, to adopt the best means at his command to 
 secure the integrity of British territory. Whether these 
 means were absolutely necessary or not must, notwith- 
 standing the verdict of the highest tribunal of the land, 
 remain a matter of opinion. 
 
 Whatever we may think of the political honesty of 
 Hastings, we cannot but admire his genius, neither can 
 we withhold from him credit for the service he rendered 
 his employers. The finances of the company had materi- 
 ally improved under the vigorous administration of the 
 governor. When he entered upon the duties of office 
 the company was miserably in arrears, and its credit 
 endangered. He had not been at the head of affairs 
 more than a couple of years before its debts were liqui- 
 
1772-1776.] ADMINISTRATION OF WARREN- HASTINGS. 10^ 
 
 dated, and its credit restored. However, therefore, we 
 may deplore the means adopted, we cannot but pay 
 tribute to his zeal as a public servant, and his ability as 
 an administrator. 
 
 Hitherto, Hastings had carried on the affairs of India 
 unfettered. In the year 1774, the appointed members 
 of council arrived from England. Their landing upon 
 Indian soil portended troublous times. It would appear, 
 indeed, as if the members of it had been selected on 
 account of their enmity to the governor; for of the four 
 councillors chosen, one only, Mr. Barwell, sided with 
 him, the three others being invariably inimical. Dis- 
 putes at the council board were of almost daily occur- 
 rence; and so violent and persistent was the opposition 
 to the governor that he is said to have tendered his resig- 
 nation to the company. The Company, however, knowing 
 his value, refused to accept it; and as Hastings had 
 reason to regret the rashness which led him to take the 
 step, he retained his position. 
 
 The earliest measure of importance enacted by the new 
 council was an alteration of the treaty made between the 
 English and the vizier. Siijah-iid-Dowlah, with whom 
 the bond had been formed, was dead; and the reins of 
 government were in the hands of his son, Asof-ud-Dowlah. 
 Him they caused to abrogate the treaty, by which it had 
 been agreed to cede the provinces of Allahabad and Corah 
 to the Mahrattas ; to make over the sacred city of Benares, 
 with the district around it belonging to Cheyte Singh, to 
 the English: and to promise an increase of the subsidy to 
 their troops. The new vizier, however, through the sub- 
 sequent action of the council, was deprived of the power 
 to fulfil these new obligations; for they had supported 
 the claims of the Begums (the mother and wife of the late 
 nabob, the latter being the present nabob's moiAier) to 
 the treasures of the deceased vizier, whereby his exchequer 
 was seriously impoverished. His inability to meet his 
 pecuniary engagements gave rise to a dangerous mutiny 
 among the troops, the effects of which were felt in Oude 
 and Bahar; and the life of Hastings was at one time m 
 
104 HISTORY OF INDIA. [CBAP. ZIl. 
 
 imminent periL Petitions innumerable were presented 
 against him, and he was accused of accepting bribes from 
 the Begums. The accusation was not substantiated; and 
 his accuser, Kuncomar, had to stand a trial for forger/. 
 He was found guilty, and condemned to death. 
 
 The accusations of Nuncomar, whether false or true, 
 were preferred rather in a spirit of malevolence than of 
 honest desire to compass the ends of justice. He had, 
 during the time of Clive, been disappointed of the native 
 government of Bengal, for which high office he had com- 
 peted with Mahomet Keza Khan. An intriguing and 
 unscrupulous man, he had endeavoured, by every possible 
 means, to blacken the character of his rival, and thus 
 procure his overthrow. He was so far successful that the 
 Mussulman administrator was arrested and placed in con- 
 finement. The accusations of Nuncomar were not con- 
 sidered sufficient by Hastings to establish the imprisoned 
 governor's guilt j and, to the chagrin of his enemy, he 
 was acquitted. 
 
 JTi'om that time forward Hastings had no more invete- 
 rate enemy than Nuncomar; and when, at length, the 
 unpopularity of the governor presented him with a 
 favourable opportunity for gratifying his malignant 
 passion, he came forward with a string of the most 
 serious charges against him. At first his triumph ap- 
 peared complete. The majority of the council were in 
 his favour; the- outcry in London was loud against his 
 enemy; and some of the wealthiest men of the province 
 not only supported his accusations, but brought forward 
 charges of a similar nature. 
 
 The great administrator, though astounded at the array 
 his enemies had marshalled against him, was by no 
 means disconcerted. With characteristic boldness he 
 procured the arrest of Nuncomar, who, to the surprise 
 of every one, was brought to trial upon a charge of 
 forgery. He was condemned; and sentence of death was 
 passed upon him by the chief-justice. Sir Elijah Impey. 
 
 The most strenuous exertions were of course made by 
 Kuncomar's supporters to bring about a respite; but the 
 
1776. ADMi^ISTRATION OF VAERSN HASTINGS. 105 
 
 oMef-justioe was inexorable; and Nuncomar, the head of 
 the Brahminical race and religion, was brought out to 
 die a felon's death upon the scaffold. His conduct, mag- 
 nanimous in the highest degree, redeems in a measure hia 
 sinful life. "Not a muscle of his face moved," saya 
 Macaulay. "Not a sigh broke from him. He put his finger 
 to his forehead, and calmly said that fate would have its 
 way, and that there was no resisting the pleasure of God. 
 • . . The moment that the drop fell a howl of sorrow 
 and despair rose from the innumerable spectators. Hun- 
 dreds turned their faces from the polluting sight, fled 
 with loud wailings towards the Hooghley, and plunged 
 into its holy waters, as if to purify themselves from the 
 guilt of having looked on such a crime." It had been in 
 the power of Hastings to rescue this man from the con- 
 sequences of his condemnation. He made no attempt to 
 do so ; and the odium attaches to him of having employed 
 the judge — his fast friend — in furthering his malicious 
 ends. / His connection with this transaction fori^ed on© 
 of the articles of bis jwemorable impeachment. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 FIRST MAHRATTA WAR. 
 
 Ambitious Scliemes of Ruglioba — Forms an Alliance with tlie 
 Englisli — Capture of Bassein by tlie English — Negotiations 
 with the Mahratta Ministry — Conclusion of a Treaty — The 
 Treaty abrogated by the Bombay Council — Colonel God- 
 dard's Famous March — Successes of the English — Treaty 
 of Bassein, and Termination of the War. 
 
 It will be remembered that, during the Mahratta occu- 
 pation of the Doab, the peshwa, Mahdoo Rao, died. The 
 event caused much confusion in the Mahratta state; and 
 the newly appointed peshwa fell a victim to the arts of 
 Rughoba, his uncle. This man now assumed the duties 
 of government; but he considered his tenure to be so 
 insecure that he entered into negotiation with Hyder 
 Ally with the view of securing his support. So far, how- 
 ever, from gaining by this step, his influence at once 
 began to wane; and the posthumous infant of Mahdoo 
 Rao received the due homage of his people. He now 
 sought new alliances, and made overtures first to Holkar 
 and Sindia, two Mahratta chieftains famous in Indian 
 story, and then to the English government at Bombay. 
 
 The advances of Rughoba were highly acceptable to 
 the English, for they were then contemplating a scheme 
 which the good will of Rughoba, as head of the Mahratta 
 state, would materially assist them to accomplish. Sal- 
 sette, in the harbour of Bombay, the island on which the 
 town is situated, was at the time in the hands of the 
 Mahrattas; and it was known to the authorities of Bom- 
 bay that the Portuguese, to whom it had originally 
 belonged, were bent on attempting its recovery. The 
 
FIRST MAHRATTA WAR. lOT 
 
 now requii'ed, as the price of their aid, the 
 the island to them, together with Bassein and 
 places in its vicinity. E-ughoba refused at first to 
 make any such grant; but, at length, alarmed at the 
 defection of Sindia and Holkar, he ultimately agreed to 
 the terms proposed. The aid of the English was there- 
 ibre promised. In the meantime Rughoba's assent had 
 been forestalled.; for, in spite of the protests of the Por- 
 tuguese, the forts had been stormed and taken. Thia 
 alliance with Rughoba originated the long and arduous 
 conflict known as the First Mahratta War (1772.) 
 
 The Mahratta state ministers of course viewed this 
 treaty with Rughoba in the light of a declaration of 
 hostilities, and forthwith moved to attack their combined 
 forces. Thej^, however, -met with no success; and the 
 cause of Rughoba, supported as it was by British 
 bayonets, looked hopeful enough, when his enemies found 
 an unexpected ally in the Council of Bengal, who, entirely 
 disapproving of the convention, sent an envoy to Poonah, 
 the ministerial capital, to order a suspension of hostilities. 
 The haughtiness of the Mahratta ministers, who de- 
 manded the surrender of Rughoba's person, imperilled 
 the success of the negotiations; and their conduct finally, 
 in treating with a French envoy, caused the entire matter 
 to fall through. The negotiations were broken off, and 
 the alliance with Rughoba continued. 
 
 The step thus taken by the Mahratta ministry had, of 
 course, given equal ofience to the authorities of Calcutta; 
 and the governor at once determined to support the Bom- 
 bay forces. An expedition was despatched thence to the 
 seat of war under Colonel Leslie; but, owing to the luke- 
 warmness of Rughoba's Mahratta partisans, little progress 
 was made. Meanwhile, the Bombay government itself, 
 which hitherto had been exceedingly dilatory, had be- 
 stirred itself, and troops were already on their way 
 towards Poonah. The Mahrattas, however, were in strong 
 force; and their progress was, therefore, necessarily slow. 
 Arrived at Tullegaon, their situation appeared so critical 
 that it was proposed to retreat It was too late; for, 
 
108 fllSTORT OP INDIA. [CHAP. XIII» 
 
 completely hemmed in by the troops oi the enemy eA 
 Wurgaom, there was no course left them but to nego- 
 tiate. The terms were, under the circumstances, highly 
 favourable to the English, who, however, by their failure, 
 lost much of that prestige which was so valuable in these 
 struggles. 
 
 The authors of this convention of Wurgaom were dis- 
 missed, and the treaty itself ignored by the Bombay 
 council; while the Bengal government were more than 
 ever determined to push forward their scheme of co-opera- 
 tion with their brethren of Bombay. Colonel Leslie was 
 superseded by Colonel Goddard, who now undertook the 
 most interesting march that had as yet been accomplished 
 upon the soil of India. His road lay through a hostile 
 territory; and with great difficulty it was that he made 
 his way, at one time fighting, at another negotiating, 
 until he arrived safely at Surat, three months after his 
 departure from the banks of the Jumna. Hastings had 
 joined with the Bombay council in rejecting the conven- 
 tion of Wurgaom, and a new one was now set on foot; 
 but Nana Furnawees, the Mahratta chief minister, in- 
 sisted upon the surrender of Bughoba, and the restoration 
 of Salsette to the Portuguese. 
 
 Such terms were, of course, inadmissible. Negotia- 
 tions were consequently discontinued, and preparations 
 made for a renewal of the war. Operations began with 
 the capture of Ahmedabad, when the district of Guzerat 
 was occupied by English troops. The Mahratta leaders, 
 Holkar and Sindia, on their part, took the field with 
 20,000 men— the latter reluctantly, for he had ever been 
 favourably inclined towards the English. Goddard, the 
 general opposed to them, could make but little impression 
 upon his enemy. Indeed, so hardly pressed were the 
 English troops by the overwhelming numbers of the 
 Mahratta horse, that it was found necessary to open a 
 campaign elsewhere. Captain Popham was accordingly 
 despatched with an army to operate in Bundelcund. G^e 
 strong fortress of Gwalior fell into his hands; and the 
 campaign, which terminated with its capture, was siogu- 
 
1779-1782.] FIRST MAHRATle WAB. 109 
 
 larly effective, inasmuch as it caused tlie withdrawal of 
 the forces of the Mahratta chieftains from Guzerat. 
 
 Next year, 1780, Basseia was besieged by the Bom- 
 bay army; and, after a long investment, this almost im- 
 pregnable fortress fell. A considerable Mahratta force 
 was about the same time defeated by Colonel Hartley; 
 and the Bengal and Bombay forces, at last united, were 
 ready either for an active prosecution of the war, or to 
 negotiate an advantageous treaty. They rather inclined 
 to the latter course, because war had again broken out 
 between the Madras government and Hyder Ally; and a 
 league between him, Nizam Ally, and the Mahrattas, was 
 an extremely probable event. 
 
 Nevertheless the war progressed; for the Bengal gov- 
 ernment did not care to make advances in the directiou 
 of peace, but rather to force their opponents to do so. 
 The contest was marked by many vicissitudes, and the 
 British forces were often so hardly pressed, by reason of 
 the numbers of their enemy, that it required the most 
 Bkilful generalship to enable them to maintain a position 
 in the field. At length, the action of Sindia relieved the 
 governor from further apprehension of disaster, and at 
 the same time spared him what he would have considered 
 the disgrace of initiating a peace, by entering into nego- 
 tiations with his opponent. Colonel Muir. Through the 
 good offices of Moodajee Bhoslay, nabob of Berar, whose 
 neutrality had been secured by the payment of thirteen 
 lacs of rupees, a treaty was concluded at Saibye between 
 the English and Sindia, and, through him, with the Mah- 
 ratta nation. May 1782. This treaty provided a pension 
 for Bughoba, who was permitted to reside where he 
 pleased; while he on his part restored to the English the 
 conquests of Hyder Ally from them and the nabob of 
 Arcot. Altogether this first Mahratta war, though an 
 unfruitful, was a brilliant and honourable one. 
 
.CHAPTER XIV 
 
 (BECOND WAR WITH HYDER ALLY. 
 
 larations of Hyder Ally — His Forces — His Succf^.sses- Dp»^ 
 rations of Colonei» Ooote — Hyder joined by the Fr ^ch — 
 Sudden death of Hyder; he is succeeded by his son T'ppoo — • 
 Tippoo deserved by the French makes Peace with the English 
 ^Genius displayed by Hastings — Cheyte Singh — Impeach- 
 ment of Hastings — His Trial and Acquittal — Macaulay'a 
 Peroration. 
 
 Xt was intimated in the last chapter that an apprehended 
 alliance between Hyder, the nizam, and the Mahratta?:^ 
 was among the considerations that induced Hastings to 
 come bo terms with his enemies. Hyder had never for- 
 given the English the evasion of the treaty of Madras. 
 He had, indeed, amply recouped himself for the losses 
 their defection had caused him; for, by a successful war- 
 fare with the Mahrattas, he had recovered all he had 
 previously been compelled to cede to them, and had 
 pushed his northern boundary to the banks of the Kistna; 
 whilst the action of the emperor, who, it was believed 
 had made over to him the whole of the Deccan, had driven 
 the nizam to seek alliance with his Mahratta neighbours^ 
 and to court the forbearance of Hyd^. 
 
 To the remembrance of past wrongs was now added the 
 sting of a recent insult. The English had, notwithstand- 
 ing his remonstrances, wrested Nangore from the Dutch, 
 who held the settlement by a guarantee from him, and 
 had likewise attacked and taken Mahe, the only posses- 
 sion of the Erench in India. This measure they followed 
 up by assigning, against his will, a body-guard of British 
 ioldiers to Basalat Jnng, the unruly brother of the nizam. 
 
1780-1781.] SECOND WAR WITH HYDER ALLY. Ill 
 
 This latter act drove Hyder and the nizam into alliance, 
 and induced the former to listen to the overtures of the 
 Mahrattas. 
 
 But Hyder had done more than contract alliances: he 
 had zealously prepared for war; and he was consequenjjly 
 able to pour 100,000 well provided and well disciplined 
 troops into the field (1780). And now the pet project of 
 years, namely, the destruction of the English power in 
 the Carnatic, the humbling the pride of the Mahrattas, 
 and the extension of the Mysorean dominions to the 
 Vindhya Hills, which must of necessity follow, appeared 
 to him upon the eve of accomplishment. 
 
 The Madras government, meanwhile, seemed to be 
 smitten with judicial blindness. Hyder was left totally 
 unopposed; and, amid the smoke of burning villages, he 
 made his way towards the presidency. By-and-bye, the 
 forces at their command were despatched against their for- 
 midable adversary; but they were so few, and so badly 
 supported, that they experienced nothing but disaster; aij-' 
 a miserable remnant, indeed, eventual Y found safety lE 
 retreat to St, Thomas's Mount. In this campaign, Sir 
 Hector Munro forfeited the high reputation he had pre- 
 viously gained as a military leader. The Western Car- 
 natic was for the present lost to the English; and Hyder, 
 intoxicated with success, commemorated his achievements 
 by appropriate paintings, which he caused to be placed 
 upon the walls of his palace at Seringapatam. 
 
 Hastings, as soon as he heard of the disasters that had 
 befallen the Madras forces, notwithstanding his engage- 
 ment with the Mahrattas, despatched Colonel Coote with 
 what troops he could spare to co-operate with his coun- 
 trymen in the Carnatic. Arcot had fallen; but Wandi- 
 wash, which had sustained a long and trying siege, still 
 held out, and Coote hastened to its relief. In order to 
 secure sufficient supplies, he had taken up a position upon 
 the coast at Cuddalore; and hither Hyder now marched to 
 attack him. Colonel Coote, on his return to headquarters, 
 attacked Hyder's position, and after an obstinate struggle 
 «»ucceeeded in carrying it. Several minor engagement* 
 
lis BIBTOSr OF IHDIA. {OHa? . XIV; 
 
 subsequently took place, notably at Tripasore and Sbolin- 
 ghur, of which Coote, though victorious, was, however 
 unable to reap any advantage, and the campaign of 178^ 
 closed. 
 
 "War had broken out anew between England and 
 France (1778); and this was the signal for renewed war- 
 fare between these nations in Iiiri'<*,. By the treaty of 
 Fontainebleau, it will be remei&i- I'ed, the French were 
 admitted to Pondicherry and the other settlements of 
 which they had been deprived. They retained possession 
 of them only so long as peace existed between the two 
 countries; for the dissolution of friendly bonds was no 
 sooner kno^rn in India than they were quickly deprivec^ 
 of them ag'.In. Reinforced from Europe, they now made 
 common o,-va39 with Hyder, whose army, under his gallant 
 son Tippc ;, had lately gained some advantages over the 
 English. The outlook was now somewhat gloomy iof 
 our countrymen; and the horizoi* was further dimmed by 
 the retir3ment of the gallant Coote through ill health, 
 and by the ill success of the fleet which had been sent to 
 bar the landing of reinforcements for the French, com- 
 manded by the veteran Biissy. 
 
 In December 1782, Hyder Ally died somewhat sud- 
 denly in camp. He had reached the utmost span allotted 
 to morjals, and now succumbed to the united effects 
 of age, over-exertion, and an enervating malady. The 
 mantle of this, in every way, perhaps, the most remark- 
 able man that India has produced, descended upon his 
 son Tippoo, who ably endeavoured to carry out his 
 father's designs, and pursued an energetic and uncom- 
 promising warfare with Hyder's enemies for a weary 
 seventeen years. 
 
 The English had now, therefore, to face the army of 
 Mysore and the French forces under M. Biissy; and it 
 was really nothing but their superiority at sea and the 
 brilliant talent of Hastings, that enabled them to with- 
 stand such a combination. Tippoo had withdrawn to 
 the Camatio to be able better to defend his dominions 
 «gainst the Mahratt'«s, who had now made peace with tha 
 
1780-1781.] SECOND WAR WITH HYDEB ALLY. IIS 
 
 English; and Bussy, receiving no reinforcements teak 
 ward, was unable to form a junction with his Mysorean 
 ally. He had taken possession of Cuddalore, of which 
 Hyder had previously deprived the English; and beneath 
 its walls a sanguinary engagement took place between the 
 French forces and those of the English general, Stuart. 
 It is difficult to see what might have been the upshot of 
 the struggle, had not the conclusion of a peace put a 
 summary end to it. 
 
 The treaty of Yersailles deprived Tippoo of French 
 aid, and the Europeans in his service > «^ 3L3 with- 
 drawn. He had, however, sufficient self-ccnfi "nee to in- 
 duce him to continue the contest single-Landea He had 
 been operating in the west against the Bombay general, 
 Matthews, and with some success, recapturing the fortress 
 of Bednore previously taken by the gallantry of a regi- 
 ment of Highlanders, and reducing the fortress of Man- 
 galore. He had, notwithstanding, experienced some losses; 
 and, a formidable English army having advanced to the 
 confines of his dominions, he was, by these untoward 
 circumstances, induced to listen to the overtures of Lord 
 Macartney for a truce. 
 
 This truce proved to be the preliminary to a peace humi- 
 liating to the English, and reflecting the very greatest dis- 
 credit upon the Ma ^ras authorities, who were the managers 
 of it. Every advantage their generals had gained theu" 
 was foolishly cast to tlie winds, and they chose to appear 
 •as supplicants when they might have negotiated on at 
 least equal terms. The wily Tippoo was not backward 
 in taking advantage of his enemy's pusilanimity. He 
 blazed abroad the triumphant success of his arms, treated 
 the envoys with the utmost disdain, and, ai^ecting to yield 
 to the entreaties of his friends, haughtily p.'anted tenng 
 which secured to the English nothing more than the 
 ^ and of Salsette, and the release of their imprisoned 
 countrymen. 
 
 The wars with Hyder Ally and Tippoo had therefore 
 leen anything but creditable to British arms. Yet, when 
 ire come to consider the varied combinations against mm, 
 
 H 
 
114 BISTORT or INDU. [CHAP. ZIV. 
 
 and the character of the enemies with whom our country- 
 men had had to deal, we shall have to wonder that a 
 single British soldier was left alive upon the soil of India. 
 To the far-seeing policy and undaunted energy of Hast- 
 ings, more than to any other cause, the immunity from 
 such a national calamity is attributable; and we who, as 
 Englishmen, make it our proud boast that the sun never 
 sets upon the empire of our sovereign, will do well to 
 remember the man to whose genius we owe the preserva- 
 tion of this, the brightest jewel in the diadem of England. 
 
 The career of this great man was now about to close. 
 He had, previously to the conclusion of the Mysorean war, 
 tendered his resignation; for certain of his acts had been 
 80 mercilessly criticised at home, that he was in danger 
 of incurring the disgrace of dismissal. Some of these 
 acts — as the betrayal of the Kohillas, and the judicial 
 murder of Nuncomar, have received special mention; his 
 dealings with Cheyte Singh, and the affair of the Begums, 
 remain to be noticed. 
 
 The heavy expenses attending tho late wars were ex- 
 tremely embarrassing to the Indian Exchequer; and 
 jriLastings had begun to cast about him for means of 
 supply. His eyes turned towards Cheyte Singh, the 
 //ealthy Rajah of Benares, and this prince was his first 
 victim. Benares was at this time one of the wealthiest, 
 most populous, and, withal, most sacred of the cities of 
 India. This prosperous place had long been under the 
 rule of a rajah, who, in times gone by, had rendered 
 homage, like the other Hindu princes of the Mohammedan 
 empire, to the Great Mogul. The collapse of the Moham- 
 medan empire left the lords of Benares independent; and, 
 to escape the domination of the Vizier of Oude, they had 
 placed themselves under the protection of the English. 
 The Rajah of Benares henceforth became a vassal of the 
 Bengal government, and engaged to pay an annual tribute 
 of twenty-two lacs into the treasury of Calcutta. 
 
 So matters proceeded till the year 1778, when Hastings, 
 having an eye to the excessive wealth of the rajah, called 
 upon him for an additional contribution. Further do* 
 
1780-1781.] SECOND WAB WITH HTDER ALLY, 115 
 
 mands of a similar nature continued to be made, which 
 the rajah paid, though with reluctance. Tl^e sums thus 
 demanded, however, were utterly inadequate to meet the 
 needs of the governor, who soon contemplated the confis- 
 cation of his entire treasure. To procure the surrender 
 of this, Hastings made such a demand upon the rajah aq 
 he could not in honour grant; and, when he refused to 
 comply, the governor ordered him to be arrested and 
 placed in the custody of his sepoys. 
 
 These high-handed proceedings roused the hardy sub- 
 jects of Cheyte Singh to the highest pitch of indignation. 
 A tumult occurred in the streets of Benares, in which 
 the handful of sepoys attendant upon the governor were 
 butchered, and^he life of Hastings — who had come to 
 Benares to treat with the rajah — placed in the greatest 
 jeopardy. The insurrection spread for miles round, and 
 the hopes of Cheyte Singh, who during the tumult had 
 escaped confinement, rose so high that he began to talk 
 mighty things. Both he and his supporters, however, 
 had miscalculated the resources of Hastings, whose 
 genius was never more brilliantly displayed than when 
 surrounded by perplexities. With consummate skill he 
 managed to fill the province with troops. The rajah's 
 supporters were put to route, his strongholds taken, and 
 he himself in despair fled from the city. Benares now 
 passed into the hands of the British. The treasure found 
 in the coffers of the deposed rajah did not equal Hastings' 
 expectations; and as, by mistake, a great portion of this 
 was distributed as prize-money, little immediate gain 
 accrued from the proceeding; but Hastings secured 
 thereby an ill name, which, justly or not, will cleave to 
 him for ever. 
 
 Hastings' next transaction was with the Begums of 
 Oude, as certain princesses of the vizier's house were 
 named. It has already been remarked that, by the deci- 
 sion of the council, a large portion of the state treasure 
 had been reserved for their independent use; and Hasting* 
 now, actuated by the same motive that had led him to 
 despoil the Bajah of Benares, entered into a compact 
 
lit BISTORT OP INDIA. [CfEAP. SIT. 
 
 -with Asuf-ud-Dowlah, the nabob-vizier, to extort laci 
 from the princesses. 
 
 The vizier, upon reflection, regretted the step he had 
 taken; and it was only under pressure that he could b< 
 brought to execute his part of the '' treaty of Chunar" as it 
 was called. The lands of the Begums were, however, 
 seized; and, as the private treasure could not be obtained 
 without force, the princesses were held in durance in their 
 stately prison at Fyzabad. They and their attendants 
 were treated with great severity — more especially two 
 eunuchs who had held high place under the late vizier 
 Sujah Dowlah, and who, after his death superintended the 
 aftairs of the household of his widow. These poor crea- 
 tures were imprisoned, placed in irons, starved, and cruelly 
 tortured, till the hearts of the Begums were melted to 
 pity by the tales of their afflictions^ and they were at 
 length induced to purchase a mitigation of theii- sufferings, 
 and by-and-bye their liberty, by the surrender of one and 
 a quarter millions sterling, or nearly half their reputed 
 wealth. Such transactions as these furnished fresh themes 
 for the animadversions of his enemies both at home and 
 in India. 
 
 The outcry against him had, indeed, become so general 
 that he at length gave way to the pressure and resigned. 
 His successor, Mr. Macpherson, having arrived, he em- 
 barked for England, where he was received with a spirit 
 that seemed to be a protest against the action of his foes. 
 He was, however, impeached (Feb. 1788) at the bar of 
 the House of Lords on various charges of injustice, 
 cruelty, and oppression towards the natives of India. 
 The tria.1 began in 1788. The case for the Commons was 
 sustained by the most brilliant orators of the time — 
 Burke, Fox, Sheridan, and others; while the accused was 
 defended by Mr. Law — afterwards the famous Lord 
 EUenborough. The case which, at the outset, was the 
 principal feature of the times, dragged on a weary length 
 of nine years. The public had long grown tired of it; 
 *nd the accused — whether rightly or wrongly, had come 
 to be regarded as the martyr of a factious coterie. Other 
 
1780-1781.] 8B0QND WAB WITH RTDEB AU.T. 11/ 
 
 events, too, bad transpired to engross the public attention; 
 and it was considered a manifest relief to all parties when, 
 on the 23rd April 1795, the trial terminated with a 
 verdict of acquittal. 
 
 In taking leave of this illustrious man, we cannot 
 refrain from quoting the eloquent panegyiic with which 
 his great essayist closes the chapter of his history : — "With 
 all his faults — ^and they were neither few nor small — only 
 one cemetery was worthy to contain his remains. In that 
 temple of silence and reconciliation where the enmities 
 of twenty generations lie buried, in the great abbey which 
 has during many ages afforded a quiet resting-place to 
 those whose minds and bodies have been shattered by the 
 contentions of the great hall, the dust of the illustrious 
 accused should have mingled with the dust of the illus- 
 trious accusers. This was not to be. Yet the place of 
 interment was not ill chosen. Behind the chancel of the 
 parish church of Baylesford, in earth which already held 
 the bones of many chiefs of the house of Hastings, was 
 laid the coffin of the greatest man who has ever borne 
 that ancient and widely-extended name. On that very 
 spot probably, fourscore years before, the little Warren, 
 meanly clad and scantily fed, had played with the children 
 of ploughmen. Even then his young mind had resolved 
 plans which might be called romantic. Yet, however 
 romantic, it is not likely that they had been so strange as 
 the truth. Not only had the poor orphan retrieved the 
 fallen fortunes of his line. Not only had he repurchased 
 the old lands, and rebuilt the old dwelling. He had pre- 
 served and extended an empire. He had founded a 
 polity. He had administered government and war with 
 more than the capacity of Hichelieu. He had patronised 
 learning with the judicious liberality of Cosmo. He had 
 been attacked by the most formidable combination of 
 enemies that ever sought the destruction of a victim; and 
 over that combination, after a struggle of ten years, he 
 had triumphed. He had at length gone down to his grave 
 in the fulness of age, in peace, after so many troubles; in 
 honoiuv after so mueh obloqu/.* 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF LORD CORNWALLIS. 
 
 Changes in the Company's Government — Mr. Fox's Proposal- 
 Pitt's India Bill — The Marquis Cornwallis the First Governor- 
 general — His Reforms — Hostility of Tippoo — Campaign of 
 General Medows — Cornwallis' Campaign — Battle of Arikera 
 — Treaty with Tippoo — Reform of the Land-tenure — ^The 
 Revenue. 
 
 Previous to the retirement of Hastings from the head 
 of affairs at Calcutta, certain important changes had taken 
 place in the machinery of the Company's governilaent. 
 The concerns of India had begun to assume such collossal 
 proportions, and had become so mixed up with the honour 
 and welfare of the nation, that the prosperity of their 
 administration by a single company, although controlled 
 in a measure by the operation of the Act of 1772^ was a 
 subject of grave consideration. The corruption z.^a. greed 
 of the officials had long been matter for criticism; and 
 fio'm a consideration of the subordinate, the public mind 
 had been naturall}'- 'arawn to a contemplation of the 
 principals; so that the status of the Company was liow 
 prettv freely discussed. It was the opinion of many, 
 that for a private institution, the Company was becoming 
 too powerful. 
 
 It is true that, owing to peculation, extravagance, mis- 
 management, and the opposition of powerful princes, their 
 finances were not in a satisfactory condition; but a vast 
 field was, nevertheless, open to them; and they were in a 
 fair way of becoming possessed of a dominion, which, in 
 its extent and resources, found no equal in the foreign 
 possessions of their own or any other sovereign. The 
 Court of Directors had certainly taken steps, from time 
 to time, to limit the area of their dominion, and had 
 issued orders to the coiiiwils forbidding an axtension of 
 
1781-1792.] LOUD OOBNWALLTfi^ ADMINISTftATtOK lit 
 
 the territory; but this was too often interpreted to signify 
 nothing more than a desire that no further burdens should 
 be added to an exhausted exchequer; and that no new un- 
 dertaking should be set on foot that did not promise imme' 
 diate profit; and so the process of territorial enlargement 
 went forward. 
 
 On the renewal of the Company's charter in 1781, 
 they were required to pay an annual sum of £400,000 
 to the natiouy^ and to be content with a dividend of eight 
 per cent. This alteration in the Company's tenure was 
 followed up by a course of vigorous legislation. Down 
 to this time, the affairs of India had been conducted by a 
 Court of Directors, who were responsible to a Court of 
 Proprietors of India stock alone. The imperial govern- 
 ment had no hand in their concerns, except such as the 
 Act of 1772 had secured them. The first to undertake a 
 reform, was Mr. Fox, who, in 1783, proposed that the 
 government of India should be administered by the Com- 
 pany. The courts above mentioned were to be abolished, 
 and in their stead a board of seven commissioners fornjied, 
 who were to have the appointment of the Company's 
 servants, they themselves being removable only by the 
 sovereign in an address from either house. The scheme wag 
 considered revolutionary, and was rejected by the Lords. 
 
 Mr. Pitt now brought in the famous bill which bears 
 his name. This measure, though differing materially in 
 form from that of his rival, closely resembled it in essence. 
 The present courts, with some modifications of their 
 machinery, were to be retained with nearly their ancient 
 authority; but, in addition to these, a third was estab- 
 lished, consisting of a chief commissioner appointed by 
 the crown, the chancellor of the exchequer, and others. 
 This was known as the Board of Control The duty of 
 the board was to supervise and sanction the entire Com- 
 pany's proceedings. Its establishment is the chief feature 
 of Pitt's measure. 
 
 The first governor-general appointed under the new 
 system was tb«» Marquis Cornwallis, a name celebrated in 
 ike annals of the western world as one of the chief oom^ 
 
120 BISTORT OF nn>u« [chap. XV. 
 
 manders in the American War of Independence (1786). 
 He may be regarded as the successor to Warren Hastings, 
 as Mr. Macpherson's administration was merely a tem- 
 porary arrangement. His administration, which altogether 
 lasted six years, embraces one of the most eventful periods 
 of the history. 
 
 The policy of Lord Comwallis was decidedly pacific; 
 indeed, he had gone out with strict injunctions from his 
 employers to avoid further contests. This policy he was 
 able to follow for three years of his administration only; 
 for, unfortunately for the maintenance of peace, he had 
 fallen upon stirring times; and the ever restless Tippoo, 
 a man of war from his youth, ambitious beyond measure, 
 owning a vast and well-disciplined army, and flushed with 
 recent triumphs, had every incentive to disturb the peace 
 of the peninsula. 
 
 During the era of quiet above referred to, the energies 
 of the new governor had been seriously directed towards 
 the correction of abuses — in the course of which he dis- 
 played a generous anxiety to do justice to the natives, 
 and to defend the weak against the tyranny of the strong. 
 His political wisdom, however, though of a high order, was 
 not faultless; and he committed one grave error which 
 rendered the latter portion of his administration a turbulent 
 contrast to its earlier years. In settling the afiairs of the 
 nizam, he managed to give offence to Tippoo; and this 
 restless prince, burning, as his father had done, to humble 
 the English, and so clear the way for the furtherance of 
 his schemes of conquest and aggrandisement, was not 
 slow in exhibiting his resentment. H*^ %und a pretext 
 for hostilities in the action of the ^^ah of Travancore. 
 This prince had lately purchased the coast towns of Cran- 
 ganore and Ayacotta from the Dutch. Tippoo, however, 
 claimed them as the property of his ally, the E-ajah of 
 Cochin, and demanded their surrender. Travancore was 
 at this time under the protection of the English ; and the 
 Madras government was bound to oppose his demand. 
 As, however, it hesitated to act, Lord Cornwallis, seeing 
 tbe danger of delay, resolved to take the matter up him- 
 
17814701] I«OED COBNWALLIS* ADMIKISTBATIOIT. 121 
 
 aelf ; for Tippoo, bent on war, was already in the field. 
 Comwallis at once accepted an offer of alliance made to 
 him by Nana Furnawees, the Mahratta chieftain, who 
 had equal cause with the nizam to dread the ambition of 
 their restless neighbour. 
 
 Operations were commenced in the summer of 1790, 
 but the campaign has little interest. The allies under 
 General Medows, at first successful, were smartly checked 
 by their antagonist in their attempt to force the passes of 
 the Ghauts. The territory of Tra,vancore, however, was 
 secured from invasion, and a few other trifling ud vantages 
 were gained by the English. 
 
 Dissatisfied at the general results, however, Lord Com- 
 wallis himself now took the command, and the campaign 
 of 1791 opened favourably indeed for the allies. Thfc 
 passes were captured, and the army of the governor now 
 upon the plateau of Mysore had no natural obstacle to 
 impede their progress. Bangalore was stormed and carried 
 with great gallantry; and Cornwallis being joined by the 
 nizam's army, turned westward towards Tippoo's capital 
 of Seringapatam, in which neighbourhood Tippoo, having, 
 as was his wont, studiously avoided general engagements, 
 had concentrated his forces. The hostile, armies met at 
 Arikera. Tippoo was defeated; but the British general, 
 unable from failure of supr'*^, to continue operations, 
 withdrew to Bangalore. 
 
 The reduction of some mountain fortresses kept the 
 troops employed for a while; and by-and-bye (1792) Com- 
 wallis, having completed his preparations, moved once 
 more towards Seringapatam. This stronghold was literally 
 surrounded by the allies; and Tippoo, perceiving his 
 danger, decided upon opening negotiations with the 
 English governor. With great difficulty a treaty was 
 concluded by which Tippoo surrendered half his territory 
 to the allies, and consented to pay a large sum towards 
 the expenses of the war. The maritime province of 
 Malabar was, by this treaty, made over to the English. 
 
 Relieved at length from all anxiety with regard to the 
 ambition of Tippoo, Lord Comwallis was at liberty to 
 
W filStORt Of INDIA. [CHAF. Xt, 
 
 carry out those changes in the administration for wbicb, 
 rather than his military undertakings, he is especially 
 selebrated. Of these, the reform of the land-tenure in 
 Bengal holds the foremost place. The change was as 
 follows. The revenues of the various provinces of the 
 dominions of the Moguls, their details and method of 
 collection, had been settled before the Company had 
 initiated that policy of conquest which by-and-bye was to 
 transfer them to their management. Up to the year 
 1761, the Company had had no hand in this; when, 
 however, at the present date, the dewany or financial 
 management of Bengal was surrendered to the English 
 by the Emperor of Delhi, the duties of adjustment and 
 collection naturally passed into their hands. 
 
 No change was then effected either in their incidents or 
 method of collection — the tenures remaining as previously 
 fixed, and the taxes being collected and paid in the 
 usual manner by ofiicials termed zemindars. Many and 
 great changes had necessarily taken place since at the com- 
 mand of Akbar, the survey and valuation of lands had 
 been made; and the new proprietors were not blind to 
 the necessity of a readjustment. It was, however, 
 deemed inexpedient to make any alterations, and so 
 matters went on as they had been wont to do, till the 
 period of Lord Cornwall is' appointment to the governor- 
 generalship, when the directors drew attention to the 
 irregularities of the system, and Cornwallis was instructed 
 to deal with the subject. 
 
 His plan was to vest the property of the soil in the 
 zemindars. It was a question as to whom the lands 
 belonged. Some contended that they were the property 
 of the state; others, of the people. Cornwallis and his 
 council inclined to the latter opinion. Their measure, 
 however, was a compromise, inasmuch as, instead of be- 
 stowing them upon the cultivators, they made them over 
 in perpetuity to the zemindars, to whom they had ever 
 been accustomed to look for the revenues accruing there- 
 from. The zemindars were to be responsible still for the 
 payments; and the cultivation of the land was provided 
 
1^81-1792.] LORD CORNWALT-IS* ADMINISTRATION. 1^ 
 
 for by a system of leases whereby the ryots or cultivators 
 were secured in their tenures; and thus, a never-failing 
 revenue was ensured. 
 
 The change was considered advisable, and no doubt was 
 well intended; but unfortunately the reform was made 
 without due regard to the feelings, habits, and prejudices 
 of the people whom it so greatly concerned. Hence, 
 although it was productive of certain advantages, its 
 drawbacks were greater. It secured a permanent revenue 
 to the Company; but it unfortunately barred all provision 
 for emergencies, and took no account of a prospective 
 advance in value; and, while it tended to create a local 
 aristocracy of wealth, it brought ruin to the door of many 
 a substantial yeoman. 
 
 Among the judicial reforms of Lord Comwallis, was 
 the separation of the offices of tax-collector and judge, 
 hitherto vested in one man. The evils attending such 
 an arrangement were so glaring, that no statesmen, endued 
 with the slightest sense of justice, could withhold reform 
 in this direction. 
 
 To further the administration of justice. Lord Com- 
 wallis established certain courts, in some measure analo- 
 gous to our county-courts, over which a judge holding 
 high rank was appointed. Provision was made for appeal 
 from the decisions of these judges; but unfortunately, 
 through its restrictions, the natives were, as a rule, ex- 
 cluded from its benefits. The injustice of this was so 
 palpable, that the government was constrained to modify 
 the system. The area of exclusion was accordingly 
 narrowed; and four tribunals of appeal in place of one, 
 namely at Calcutta, Patna, Dacca, and Moorshedabad, 
 were at the same time established. 
 
 He likewise abolished judges' fees, and rendered easier 
 the process of pleading in the coui*ts. He reformed the 
 penal laws, and established courts of circuit, rendering it 
 incumbent upon the judges to report, on their return, the 
 condition of the country whose judicial aflairs they ad- 
 ministered, and to give an account concerning the general 
 Mrorking of the law. 
 
CHAPTm xvt 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OP SIR JOHN SHORE AND EARLY ^'£AR| 
 OP THE MARQUIS WELLESLEY's REIGN. 
 
 Mahratta Struggles — Defeat of Holkar by Scindia at Dukhairee^ 
 Eej action of the Nizam's Appeal — Settlement of th^ Succes- 
 sion of Oude — Resignation of Sir John Shore — Arrival of 
 Lord Momington — Contracts Alliances — Outbreak of War 
 Vifith Tippoo — Tippoo, beaten, retires to Seringapatam — 
 Siege of Seringapatam and Death of Tippoo — Advancement 
 of Lord Momington — Position of Tippoo's Dominions — Set- 
 tlement of Affairs in the Camatic — Of Oude. 
 
 The administration of Sir John Shore followed that of 
 Lord Cornwallis in 1793. His efforts were mainly de- 
 voted to the development of the measures of his prede- 
 cessor, in the enactment of which he had taken no 
 unimportant part. His term of office was a short and 
 eminently peaceful one. Had he been anxious to gain 
 military distinction, current events would have given him 
 ample opportunity to make trial of his skill in this direc- 
 tion; but, rightly or wrongly, he chose to observe a rigid 
 neutrality. 
 
 The chief interest of the times immediately preceding 
 and following the defeat of Tippoo at Arikera, was cen- 
 tered in the Mahratta country, where a continuous struggle 
 for supremacy was going on between the great chieftains 
 Mahadajee Scindia, Mulhar Eao Holkar, and Nana Fur- 
 nawees. The former had grown exceedingly powerful; 
 and, throughr the services he had rendered the emperor, 
 had been entrusted with the manageme.tit of the affairs 
 of the court of Delhi. Holkar had gilned for himself 
 great military renown; and Nana, who was the ministerial 
 head of the Mahraota nation, jealous of the abilities and 
 *X)wer of these ct>«ftains, endeavoured to play them otf! 
 
w 93-1801.] LORD hobnington's administbatiok* 125 
 
 against each other, thinking that their mutual enmity 
 might remove the danger their ambition threatened. A 
 b&,ttle took place between these rivals at Dukhairee, in 
 which Holkar was signally defeated. The victor's death, 
 which occurred soon after the engagement, removed the 
 chief cause of anxiety from Nana, and he now felt at 
 liberty to settle an old score with the nizam. 
 
 The nizam did not consider himself strong enough to 
 •withstand the Mahratta force unaided, and so he appealed 
 for protection to the English. That protection was re- 
 fused; and in this, Sir John Shore's policy has been 
 condemned ; because it left open a way for French intrigue, 
 and led, by-and-bye, to complications of a most serious 
 character. Disappointed by the English, he began to 
 make preparations upon his own account ; and such were 
 his exertions, that when he took the field it was at the 
 head of an army of 100,000 men. The forces of hi* 
 antagonist were slightly superior in regard tc> numbers. 
 The action which ensued at Khurdlah, though almost a 
 bloodless, was a decisive one. It ended in favour of the 
 Mahrattas; and after the action a treaty was concluded, 
 in every way advantageous to the victors. 
 
 Sir John Shore resigned his authority in 1798, after a 
 reign of three years, and was succeeded by Lord' Morn- 
 ington. The period of his sway, though far from brilliant, 
 had not been altogether uneventful. An attempt on the 
 part of the home government to alter the constitution of 
 the Indian army occasioned a serious mutiny, which was 
 only quelled with the greatest difficulty. His most 
 memorable transaction was that in connection with the 
 succession in Oude; and in the settlement of this difficulty 
 he displayed a firmness of purpose worthy of Hastings 
 himself. His administration, however, had been pro- 
 nounced on the whole weak, and his recall had long been 
 determined upon. That his administration had been con- 
 ducted with some credit is evident by his advancement; 
 for, ere he had quitted the land of his labours, he was 
 rewarded by a peerage. He henceforth took his seat in 
 the upper house as Lord Teignmoutb. 
 
126 HISTOBT OF INDIA. [OHAP. XYL 
 
 When Lord Momington entered upon his duties as 
 governor-general, in May 1798, the whole peninsula was 
 in a condition of ferment. In the Maliratta country, one 
 of the most remarkable exhibitions of the game of plot 
 and counterplot had for some time been going forward, 
 and threatened grave complications. In the Deccan, the 
 nizam was inclined to be mischievous; while further, 
 foiled though not subdued, was the restless Tippoo, 
 cherishing all the bitterness of a vengeful spirit, and in- 
 triguing to bring about a combination which should be 
 powerful enough to carry out the favourite scheme of his 
 ambitious sire, and drive the English into the sea. To 
 add to the dangers which such a state of things portended, 
 a war was at the time raging between the English and 
 their old enemy in Europe; and the French had taken 
 the opportunity this circumstance afforded them, of enter- 
 ing the arena and swelling the volume of difficulties with 
 which the new governor-general had to grapple. 
 
 In fact, Tippoo had entered into an alliance with the 
 French ; and there was every reason for supposing that 
 he would obtain the services of a contingent of some 
 80,000 or 90,000 men to increase the formidable array of 
 well-disciplined, well-officered troops which he of himself 
 was fible to bring into the field; and he had only to gain 
 over the ever-changeable Mahrattas to his side, to render 
 the effect overwhelming. The Madras government had 
 no force by which they could hope to meet such a com- 
 bination, and in this perplexity, therefore, Lord Morn- 
 ington had no course open to him but to contract allia,nces. 
 By the aid of M!eer AJlum, the minister at Hyderabad, 
 he procured the dismissal of the nizam's French con- 
 tingent; and thus a highly disciplined force of 15,000 
 men was prevented from entering the service of his 
 enemies against him. 
 
 Lord Momington had come out, as his predecessors 
 had done, with the strict injunctions of the directors ta 
 avoid hostilities where possible; but the. danger that 
 threatened English interests were so apparent, and so 
 serious, that the peaceful tone of Leadenhall Street was 
 
1793-lddI.] LORD hobi^ington's administbation. 12T 
 
 changed, ajad the new governor-general was consequently 
 able to pursue a warlike policy fearless of all blame, 
 except such as mismanagement or failure might entail. 
 This was the period of Buonaparte's expedition into 
 Egypt — a, movement fraught with extreme peril to British 
 dominion in India; and Lord Mornington was there- 
 fore resolved either to appease their great enemy, or to 
 crush him before matters should be past remedy. The 
 governor at first had recourse to negotiation; but Tippoo, 
 who was then actually in correspondence with Buonaparte, 
 as also with the Afghan chieftain, Beman Shah, had 
 recourse tu evasion. Lord Mornington pei'severed with 
 his overtures, and supported his demands with a threat 
 of war. Tippoo, with that dauntless courage so charac- 
 teristic of him, manfully took up his enemy's gauntlet; 
 and thus hostilities commenced. 
 
 The English forces were by this time considerably 
 augmented; and two well-equipped corps, under Generals 
 Harris and Stuart respectively, were at once brought into 
 the field (1799). The season was favourable for military 
 operations; and it was hoped that Tippoo's capital might 
 be captured before the heavy rains should come to swell 
 the waters of the Cauvery. Tippoo was not long in dis- 
 covering how formidable an army his adversaries had 
 brought against him. Nevertheless, his proud spirit 
 could not suffer him to give in — at least, at this early 
 point; and he kept the field, not without a hope, however 
 faint, that something might happen to alter the position 
 of affairs. His forces, beaten in the field, retreated step 
 by step, till at length no other course was left him but to 
 retire to his fortified capital of Seringapatam. 
 
 Here his despair culminated; but, defiant, even in the 
 face of certain destruction, he haughtily refused the terms 
 of General Harris, and resolved to die like a, soldier. A 
 breach having ^een effected in the walls, the place was 
 gallantly carri^i by General Baird, an officer who had 
 spent much «f his time in the dungeons of the town; 
 and that in iipite of a most determined resistance on the 
 2^ of the dsarrison. Tippoo kixnself took part in the 
 
128 HISTOBT OF INDIA. [OKAP. X?L 
 
 defence of the place; and, a man of war from his youth. 
 He died, as be had ever lived — a proud and dauntlesB 
 soldier. The British losses were heavy, but the issue was 
 an important one, and it was therefore not regretted. As 
 a reward for his services, Lord Mornington was created 
 Marquis Wellesley; while General Harris was raised to 
 the peerage. 
 
 The Mysorean dominion, as established by Hyder Ally, 
 was now reduced to its former circumscribed dimensioi*'^ 
 The acquisitions of Hyder were made over to the nizam 
 and the Mahrattas; while a territory of some 20,000 
 square miles was added to the British possessions. A 
 representative of the old rajah, a mere boy, was taken 
 from the confinement in which he,, with the family^ had 
 long lingered, and placed upon the throne. It is gratify- 
 ing to reflect that the sins of Tippoo were not visited 
 upon the heads of his offspring; for an allowance was made 
 them from the treasury adequate to their comfortable 
 support. 
 
 Having broken the power of Mysore, Lord Wellesley 
 directed his attention to various minor dangers with which 
 Britioh interests in India were at this time threatened. 
 He began with the Caniatic. This province had, owing 
 to the equivocal character of its government, proved a 
 source of weakness during the struggle with Hyder Ally 
 The Mysorean prince overran its territory and carried 
 havoc to its towns and villages unchecked. In the recent 
 war with Tippoo, some alarm had been felt, inasmuch as 
 its nabob, never well-disposed towards the English, was 
 supposed \o be intriguing with their enemy. To prevent 
 further apprehension, the nabob was called upon to sur- 
 render the administration of the affairs of government to 
 the English, and to accept, as an equivalent for his loss of 
 dignity and revenue, an allowance from the exchequer of 
 the coimtry. After considerable difficulty, this mode of 
 settlement was agreed to; and, for the future, the affairs 
 of the Carnatic were directed by the Council of Madras 
 (1801). 
 
 The governor's next business w«s wjth O^'deu F h»A 
 
1793-1801.] MARQUIS wellesley's admin istratioh. 129 
 
 heen fondly hoped that the establishment of this territory, 
 under British supervision, would operate as a check upon 
 the encroachments of the Mahrattas and other western 
 nations. So far from this, however, its existence in its 
 present condition was rather a source of danger than pro* 
 tection to the British dominions. Its army was demora- 
 lised, its revenues decaying, and its absorption into the 
 territories of the Mahrattas or the Afghans, was an event 
 apparently not far distant. Lord Wellesley now made a 
 similar proposition with regard to the future administra- 
 tion of this province, as he had done concerning the 
 Carnatic, and requested that the effete army of the vizier 
 should be disbanded, and an English contingent main- 
 tained for its defence. The vizier temporised, then 
 refused, and at length spoke of abdication. The affairs 
 of the territory were ultimately settled (1801) upon tht» 
 l^asis proposed by the governor; and Oude, like the 
 s./amatic, was virtually added to the rapidly increasing 
 doovinions of Britain in India. 
 
CfHAPTER XVIL 
 
 AOUINISTBATION OF THE MARQUIS WSLLKSLET. 
 
 (Continued), 
 
 Disturbed Condition of the Peninsula— Scindia and Holkar— - 
 Treaty of Bassein — Second Mahratta War — General Welles- 
 ley's Campaign — Victory of Assaye— General Lake's Move- 
 ments — Restoration of the Emperor — Treaty of Siijo** 
 Anjengaom—Holkar's Movements — His Success — Bhurtpoor 
 Besieged — Review of Lord Wellesley's Services — His Recall 
 — Lord Comwallis Governor-gene-ral a Second Time — Tem- 
 porary Reign of Sir George Barlow — Death of Holkar. 
 
 TheS most uncompromising enemy of Britain in India, 
 Tippoo Sahib, was now at rest for ever; and yet it seemed 
 as if his spirit were still abroad. The collapse of his 
 empire brought no peace to India, for, to say nothing of 
 such minor conflicts as that of Colonel Wellesley with 
 the freebooting horsemen of Dhondia, the Mysorean war 
 was followed by a conflict not less arduous than that with 
 Tippoo, equally favourable to British arms, and perhaps 
 more momentous as regards results — namely, the second 
 Mahratta war. ,^ 
 
 This Mahratta conflict, indeed, was a consequence of 
 the Mysorean struggle, and arose out of the 'distribution 
 of Tippoo's territory. The Mahrattas, as has already 
 been, stated, were a powerful nation; and, had they been 
 ai^ united as they were brave and skilful in military 
 matters, it is quite within the bounds of probability that 
 they would long have remained an independent state, 
 dividing with our countrymen a dictatorial influence over 
 neighbouring provinces. In Nana Furnawees, they pos- 
 sessed a statesman of consummate ability; in the miscreant 
 Ghatgay, ihey had one of the most terror-inspiring and 
 
1803-1805.] HABQUIS WELLESLBT'S ADHINISTaAflOir. l$l 
 
 unscrupulous agents that diplomacy ever employed; while 
 the names of the Scindias, the Holkars, Pureshram Bhow, 
 Rughoba and some of the Peshwas, stand high upon the 
 roll of native Indian commanders. Intestine strife, how- 
 ever, was the order of the day with this unhappy nation; 
 and her great leaders, bent on self-aggrandisement, em- 
 ployed their genius against each other to the detriment of 
 the state and the advantage of envious enemies. 
 
 The year following the capture of Seringapatam wit- 
 nessed the death of the great Mahratta counsellor above 
 mentioned — Nana Furnawees; and his removal occasioned 
 a resumption of the unseemly feuds which his presence 
 had of late served in a measure to check. First Dowlat 
 Rao Scindia stepped tf ■*^he front; and, getting possession 
 of the Peshwa, became virtual ruler of the state. Then 
 Jeswunt Rao Holkar arose to dispute Scindia's supremacy. 
 These chieftains took up arms. Victory, which at first 
 declared itself upon the side of Holkar, was quickly 
 reversed in favour of his adversary; and, eventually, 
 Scindia was defeated in an action at Poonah, so decisive, 
 that Holkar was, for the present, left without a rival in 
 the state. 
 
 These internecine feuds were of themselves of little 
 cosisequence to the English; as, however, they were in- 
 directly the cause of a mighty struggle, their mention is 
 not altogether out of place. The cause of Scindia had 
 been that of the Peshwa (Bajee Rao); and, upon this 
 chieftain's defeat at Poonah, he had cast about for new 
 champions. He thought of the English, and with them 
 entered into negotiations which led to what is known as 
 the treaty of Bassein. The terms of this treaty, based 
 as they were on foreign alliance, were antagonistic to the 
 entire course of Mahratta policy; and, as such, it gave 
 grave offence to such leaders as Scindia and Holkar, from 
 whose bosom, notwithstanding all their mutual jealousy 
 and selfishness, the spark of patriotism had not yet died 
 out. They immediately set up a rival to him; and Bajee 
 Rao, by way of countercheck, abrogated the obnoxious 
 treaty. 
 
132 HISTORY OP INDIA, [CHAP. XVlt 
 
 The consequence of this policy was a confederatioB "' 
 almost the entire Mahratta forces against the English. 
 Holkar, for private reasons, declined to join it; but his 
 defection was amply supplied by Rughojee Bhoslay, rajah 
 of Berar, who had given it his support; and the array 
 was therefore a formidable one. Matters were precipi- 
 tated by the action of the governor-general, who, in order 
 to carry out the provisions of the treaty of Bassein, 
 despatched two armies for the occupation of the provinces 
 (1803). Poonah was taken possession of, and Scindia, 
 the leading spirit of the confederation, appealed to. His 
 tone was in the highest degree defiant; and the English 
 commander. General Wellesley, had no alternative left 
 him but to try the argument of the sword. 
 
 He was fully prepared; for no fewer than 60,000 men 
 were encamped upon the Deccan, and stood ready to 
 enter the Mahratta territory. General Wellesley (the 
 future Duke of Wellington), the hero of this second 
 Mahratta war, commanded a force of 7000 men; and with 
 this small band he commenced operations by attacking 
 and taking the fortress of Ahmednugger. Scindia now 
 advanced from Berar to meet his enemy; and the en- 
 counter took place upon the memorable field of Assaye. 
 This action, the most important, and certainly the most 
 brilliant since the great fight of Plassey, has been thus 
 described : — 
 
 " After a rapid march of about four miles, Wellesley 
 saw, from an elevated plain, not only their infantry, but 
 the whole force of the Mahrattas, nearly 50,000 men, 
 encamped on the north side of the Kistna river, the 
 banks of which were very steep. The Mahratta right, 
 consisting of cavalry, was about Bokerdon ; their infantry 
 corps connected with the cavalry, and having with them 
 ninety pieces ^^ >*^''tillery, were encamped near the village 
 
 of Assaye. , , ji i 
 
 ** Althouo-h the ^^^^J ^^^^ ^^ much stronger trian he 
 h^d expected to fin^ *^®^' ^^ thought of retreat was 
 ei.fcertained. V^ellesle^ resolved to attack the infantry 
 ©n its left and rear, and ^^^ *^^* purpose he moved his 
 
1803-1805. j MARQUIS WELLESLEY's ADMINISTRATION. lod 
 
 little army to a ford some distance beyond the enemy's 
 extreme left. Leaving the Mysore and other irregular 
 cavalry to watdi the Mahratta cavalry, and crossing the 
 river with only his regular horse and infantry, he passed 
 the ford, ascended the difficult steep bank, and formed 
 his men in three lines, two of infantry, and the third of 
 horiie. This was effected under a brisk cannonade from 
 the snemy's artillery. Scindia, or the French officer who 
 directed his movements, promptly made a corresponding 
 change in his line, giving a new front to his infantry, 
 which was now made to rest its right on the river, 
 and its left upon the village of Assaye and the Juah 
 stream, which flowed in a direction parallel with the 
 Kistna. 
 
 " The Mahratta's numerous and well-served cannon did 
 terrible execution among our advancing lines, knocking 
 over men and bullocks, and completly drowning the weak 
 sound of our scanty artillery. At one moment, such a 
 g:ap was made by cannon-ball in our right, that some of 
 the Mahratta cavalry attempted to charge through it; but 
 the British cavalry in the third line came up, and drove 
 back the Mahrattas with great slaughter. Finding his 
 own artillery of little or no use (the guns could not be 
 brought up for lack of bullocks), General Wellesley gave 
 orders that it should be left in the rear, and that the in- 
 fantry should charge with the bayonet. 
 
 *' His steady, resolute advance in the teeth of their 
 guns had awed the Mahrattas, who would not now stand 
 to meet the collision of the bright English steel; their 
 infantry gave way and abandoned their terrible guns. 
 One body of them formed again, and presented a bold 
 front; but Lieutenant -colonel Maxwell charged them 
 with the British cavalry, broke and dispersed them, and 
 was killed in the moment of victory. Wellesley's sepoys, 
 having proceeded too far in pursuit, many of Scindia's 
 artillerymen, who had thrown themselves down among 
 the carriages of their guns as though they were dead, 
 got to their feet again, and turned their pieces against 
 the rear of the advancing sepoys; and, at th.© same time, 
 
134 HISTORY OF INDIA. [CHAP. XVll. 
 
 the Mall rat fca cavalry, which had been hovering round 
 tbiough the battle, were still near; but Maxwell's exploit 
 soon led to the silencing of this straggling artillery fire, 
 and to the headlong flight of Scindia's disciplined infantry, 
 who went off, and left ninety pieces of camion, nearly all 
 brass, and of the proper calibre, in the hands of the con- 
 queror. 
 
 " General Wellesley led the 78th British infantry in 
 person against the village of Assaye, which was not 
 cleared without a desperate combat. It was dark night 
 when the firing ceased. The splendid victory cost General 
 Wellesley 22 officers and 386 men killed, and 57 officers 
 and 1526 men wounded, excluding the irregular cavalry, 
 which remained on the other side of the river, and had 
 not been engaged; the total number of killed and wounded 
 amounted to nearly one-third of his force. The general 
 bimsel'i had two horses killed under him, one shot, and 
 iiie other piked ; every one of his staff-officers had one or 
 two horses killed, and his orderly's head was knocked off 
 by a cannon-ball as he rode close by his side. The enemy, 
 who fied towards the Adjuntee Ghaut, through which 
 'they had passed into the Deccan, left 1200 dead, and a 
 great number badly wounded, on the field of battle," * 
 
 Colonel Stevenson, who did not arrive until the day 
 after the battle, went in pursuit of Scindia; and cap- 
 tured, in his advance, the fortresses of Boorhampoor and 
 Asserghur. 
 
 Meanwhile, a strong force under General Lake was 
 operating against the enemy in the north. The Mahratta 
 army was commanded by a French officer named Perron. 
 Scindia's forces, now encamped at Allyghur, which for- 
 tress was gallantly stormed and taken by the British, 
 who thereupon advanced on Delhi. A bloody battle 
 occuiTed in the neighbourhood of the imperial city; and 
 the English forces, completely victorious, entered Delhi, 
 and restored the emperor, who had long been under the 
 tutelage of Scindia, to his lost authority. A subsequent 
 victory was obtained at Agra; and, within a month of 
 * Memoir nf the Duke <(f Wellington, By Charles M^Farkno. 
 
1803-180S.] xABQuis wblleslkt's ▲dhivutsatiqv. 185 
 
 this, an obstinate, but successful struggle at Laswaree 
 closed the campaign. 
 
 Wellesley's operations were not concluded by the over- 
 throw of Scindia at Assaye. Rughojee Boslay, of Berar, 
 remained yet to be dealt with. His province was accord- 
 ingly invaded, and its chief fortresses attacked by British 
 arms. The general then, in conjunction with Colonel 
 Stevenson, attacked the rajah's forces at Argaom; where, 
 
 KING S FALACB, DELHI. 
 
 after a desperate resistance, they were defeated with 
 severe loss. The subsequent capture of his great strong- 
 hold, Gawilghur, entirely dissipated the hopes of the 
 confederate chieftains; and negotiations were accordingly 
 entered into, which ultimately led to the establishment 
 of peace. By the treaty of Sirjee Anjengaom, as it is 
 termed, the rajah surrendered Kuttack, which province 
 had previously been taken possession of by the English, 
 to Sikundah Jah, the son and successor of Nizam Ally; 
 while Scindia gave up the Doab some of his possessions 
 in Kajpootana, the Deccan, and Kandeish, entered into a 
 defensive alliance with his conquerors, and assented to 
 
136 BI8T0BT OF INDU^ [OHAP. JYIh 
 
 manj less impvrtant provisions. And thus, this second, 
 and in every way most important, Mahratta war was ter- 
 minated, to the very great advantage of the English. 
 
 Still, there was no rest for British arms. The great 
 chief, Holkar, the victor of Poonah, it wiQ be remem- 
 bered, had taken no part in the struggles of his country- 
 men against their English adversaries. Indeed, there is 
 little doubt but that he had in secret gloated over the 
 himiiliation of his old rival; and, it is certain, that he 
 intended to profit by it; for no sooner were the English 
 out of the field, than he invaded the dominions of Scindia, 
 and committed many and grievous depredations therein. 
 If, however, he had had no afiection for his compatriot, 
 he had still less for his English conquerors; and he now 
 made no secret of his wish to measure swords with them. 
 In all his dealings with our countrymen, he conducted 
 himself with the most studied arrogance; and matters at 
 length wore such a complexion, that there was no avoid- 
 ing hostilities. They began somewhat unpropitiously for 
 the English. The monsoon interfered with the move- 
 ments of the troops; and Colonel Monson, who had 
 advanced into the eneu'y's territory, was compelled to 
 beat a hasty retreat. 
 
 This retrograde movement was conducted in a masterlj' 
 manner; but, although disaster was averted by the skill 
 of the commander, the moral effect was considerable; for 
 it rallied many hitherto wavering chieftains to Holkar's 
 standard, and inspired him with the confidence which is 
 BO often the parent of success. With an army of 80,000 
 men at his back, he followed his retiring enemy to Muttra, 
 and then laid siege to Delhi. This fortress gallantly held 
 out until relieved by General Lake, when the besiegers 
 withdrew to the Bhurtpoor district, plundering and devas- 
 tating the Doab, and committing the most unheard-of 
 barbarities on their way. At Deeg he was brought to 
 bay; and there suffered a signal defeat at the hands of 
 Colonel Monson. The siege of Bhurtpoor was now un- 
 advisedly commenced by General Lake. It was strongly 
 fortified^ and resolutely defended by an exceedingly 
 
1803-1805.] MARQUIS wellesley's administration. 137 
 
 numerous gariison ; and, moreover, a portion of Holkar's 
 forces, whose retreat from Deeg had never been properly 
 followed up, hovered about the lines of the besiegers and 
 harassed them flank and rear. 
 
 Three times the assault was made; and as many times 
 had our countrymen to retire before the desperate valour 
 of the defenders ; and when, at length, it gave signs of sub- 
 mission, it was because the decisive overthrow of Holkar's 
 army by Captain Royal had cut the garrison off from 
 all hope of relief. Lake was glad enough to listen to the 
 overtures of the rajah of the place ; for it had been 
 found necessary to follow Holkar, whose junction with 
 his enemy Scindia was a probable circumstance. Ghatgay 
 had already joined, and was exerting himself in his usual 
 crafty manner in his behalf. A treaty was therefore 
 concluded with Holkar. The siege of Bhurtpoor was 
 raised, and preparations made for another campaign 
 against Scindia, Ghatgay, and the confederates. The 
 direction of affairs, however, was left to other hands 
 til an those of the present governor-general. 
 
 Lord Wellesley had tendered his resignation so early 
 as the year 1803. His administration had been a highly 
 successful one in every way. He had overthrown, in 
 Tippoo Sahib, one of the most formidable adversaries that 
 English arms had had to contend with in India. He had 
 brought order out of the chaotic condition of the govern- 
 ment of Tanjore and the Carnatic; had settled the affairs 
 of Oude; and, with a promptitude deserving of the 
 highest credit, had despatched a British corps across the 
 Arabian desert to co-operate with our countrymen under 
 Abercrombie in Egypt. Beyond this, he had introduced 
 many and important reforms into the civil administration 
 of the country. On the other hand, he had, by his en- 
 couragement of a private Indian trade, given grave offence 
 to the company; and their displeasure found expression 
 in a severe vote of censure. This action of the Court of 
 Directors and Proprietors was met by the governor- 
 general in the manner referred to. It did not, however, 
 suit the Company's purpose to lose the services of oiio^ 
 
138 HllsrORY OF INDIA. [cfHAP. XVII. 
 
 who, witli all his shortcomings, had greatly furthered their 
 interests; and he was, to his manifest surprise, entreated 
 to retain his office. So long as success attended his 
 operations his administration was not interrupted; when, 
 however, his ancient good fortune seemed likely to desert 
 him, the representations of his enemies began anew to 
 receive attention; and his supercession followed. 
 J His successor was the veteran Lord Cornwallis, who 
 /landed at Calcutta in July 1805. He was by this time 
 a prematurely old man, in feeble health, and his second 
 administration lasted for a few months only. It was an 
 unfortunate circumstance, as it put an end to those hopes 
 of peace which his known pacific tendencies had portended. 
 He was succeeded in office by Sir George Bai-low. A treaty, 
 set on foot by his predecessor, was concluded with Scindia; 
 and Holkar was thus deprived of his rival's assistance. 
 Nevertheless, he resolved to pursue the struggle without it. 
 He had hopes of being joined by the Sikhs; but in this he 
 was disappointed. Their chief, Kunjeet Singh, however,, 
 offered his services as mediator; and an accommodation 
 was efiected by which he himself was an unexpected 
 gainer. The Mahratta strife closes with this treaty with 
 Holkar. 
 
 A. new policy of absolute non-interference was initiated 
 with the retirement of Lord Wellesley from the arena, 
 the effects of which were at once apparent in the opera- 
 tions of Holkar, who, safe in the passive attitude of 
 the English, ravaged the territories of those chiefs who 
 opposed him, committed the most atrocious acts, and 
 again assumed an attitude which was a menace to the 
 peace of the Indian peninsula. Happily, his career was 
 cut short by an attack of insanity, which caused him to 
 be placed under restraint. He died in 1811, six yean 
 after the execution of the treaty which had endowed him 
 with a despot's licence. 
 
CHAPTER XVin. 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OP LORD MINTA 
 
 Mutiny and Massacre at Vellore — Arrival of Lord Minto — 
 England's Mission — The Sikhs — Treaty made with Runjeet 
 Singh at Amritsur — Mission to Persia — To the Afghan Court 
 —The Pindarees — Insurrection of Vailoo Tumbee — Revolt of 
 British Officers — Capture of Mauritius — Operations in Java 
 — The Island taken from the Dutch — Close of Lord Miiito''a 
 Administration. 
 
 The administration of Sir George Barlow was but a tem- 
 porary arrangement; and his term of office did not last 
 two years. His brief reign is marked bj the introduction 
 of financial reforms, which led to a reduction of the Com- 
 pany's expenditure. One stirring event occurred during 
 the period, namely, a mutiny of sepoys, which was attended 
 with a frightful massacre of European soldiers at Vellore 
 (1806). The revolt was speedily suppressed by Colonel 
 Gillespie from Arcot; and the family of Tippoo, who, 
 since the fall of Seringapatam, had been located there, 
 was removed to Calcutta. The effect of this movement, 
 which is supposed to have been instigated by the resident 
 family, but which was in reality the exponent of a wide- 
 spread disaffection throughout Madras, was to cause the 
 recall of Lord Bentinck from the government of that 
 province, Sii' George Barlow being appointed in his place. 
 Lord Minto, the appointed successor of Lord Cornwallis, 
 arrived in 1807. 
 
 Lord Minto had been warned, like his predecessors, 
 against an aggressive policy; his reign, nevertheless, com- 
 menced with warlike operations. The truth is, that in 
 the present agitated condition of the peninsula, it waa 
 found impossible to maintain such an attitude. England 
 had by this time acquired such a footing in India, as to 
 have become not only its leading, but likewise its con- 
 trolling power. As such, she was, in a measure, respoii' 
 
140 HISTORY OP INDIA. [CHAP. ZVIII. 
 
 Bible for the peace of the land, and the protection of its 
 people against the violence of wayward and ambitious 
 chieftains, and especially in those portions of it wherein 
 her power was feared and respected. It was this con- 
 sideration alone that could justify her title to a footing, 
 other than a commercial one, in this eastern land; and, 
 failing in the execution of this obligation, her duty was 
 to withdraw from a position in which she could only 
 appear to the eyes of civilization in the barbarous aspect 
 of a mere conqueror. It is to the credit of the new 
 governor that he recognised this fact; and in the true 
 interests of peace, reversed his predecessor's policy by 
 despatching an expedition against the enemies of order 
 who had by this time made Bundelkund a theatre of 
 anarchy and bloodshed. 
 
 Lord Minto had scarcely restored order in Bundelkund 
 than he was called upon to face a question of great 
 delicacy and perplexity. The people called Sikhs, once a 
 despised Hindu race, and long the objects of Mohamme- 
 dan persecution, had, in the process of years, developed 
 into a populous and warlike nation. At this period of 
 the history they occupied the Punjaub and the district 
 lying to the east of it, between the Sutlej and Jumna. 
 From being a mere aggregate of petty tribes, the Punjaub 
 Sikhs had at length, under the benign rule of Runjeet 
 Singh, settled down into a homogeneous nation ; while their 
 compatriots of the east, who chose to retain their pristine 
 condition of independence, were under the protection of 
 the English. Runjeet Singh had long had an eye upon 
 their province, and he now threatened to force them into 
 the confederation of which he was head. The Sikh states 
 forthwith appealed for aid to the English. The gover- 
 nor would fain have guaranteed their integrity; but 
 he was in this dilemma: — He could not well abandon 
 faithful allies, for such these cis-Sutlej Sikhs really were; 
 neither, on the other hand, had he any desire to offend a 
 powerful chieftain, whose alliance, considering the aspect 
 European affairs had assumed, might by-and-bye prove to 
 be of inestimable value. Moreover, his instructioDs, as 
 
>&.)o-1813.1 ADMISTRATION OP LORD UINTO. 141 
 
 has been remarked, were to avoid future complications, 
 and he could not enter the arena without being prepared 
 to strike in support of his policy. His policy preserved 
 peace, for the time at least. By the firmness of Mr. 
 Metcalfe, the envoy, and the promptitude of the governor 
 in despatching troops to the frontier, Runjeet Singh was 
 induced to sign a pacific treaty at Amritsur (1809), which 
 he observed with all fidelity until his death. 
 
 The great fear of Indian governors at this period was 
 a French invasion from the north. Such an event had 
 long been considered a possibility; and an embassage sent 
 by Buonaparte to the Persian court in 1809, had brought 
 it within the range of probabilities. This contingency, 
 as has been hinted above, was an item in the late Sikh 
 question; for to prepare for such an emergency was now 
 one of the main duties of those responsible for the 
 maintenance of British empire in India. To meet the 
 exigencies of the case, a counter-mission was despatched 
 to the Shah of Persia, which happily led to more favour- 
 able results than at one time had been anticipated; and 
 a permanent ambassador, in the person of Sir Gore 
 Ouseley, was accordingly accredited to Ispahan (1810). 
 A second embassy was, about the same time, sent to the 
 Afghan king. Shah Sujah, at Peshawar; but, unhappily, 
 the mission was not attended with like results. 
 
 About this time a new power arose in India to perplex 
 the counsels of the English governor, namely, the Pinda- 
 rees. This people were the representatives of the Patan 
 or Afghan warriors, who, in times gone by, had long 
 lorded it in the peninsula. They dwelt chiefly amid the 
 fastnesses of Malwar. They were a predatory race, fierce 
 and warlike; and their habit had been to hire themselves 
 out as mercenaries. Under the able leadership of Ameer 
 Khan, they had become a scourge to their neighbours. 
 On some slight pretext Ameer invaded the territory of 
 Nagpoor, trusting to the treaty with Holkar for immunity 
 from English interference. The governor, notwithstand- 
 ing, was determined to take action, and Ameer waa 
 eheckfld. It wm due to the non-interferent policy of the 
 
lit BISTOBT OF INDIA. [cHAP. XYIII. 
 
 home authorities that he was not crushed at once, but 
 was 'permitted to escape to be a thorn in the side of our 
 countrymen, and sorely to perplex future governors. 
 
 Meanwhile, affairs of a serious character had occurred 
 in the Madras presidency. The first was an iusurrection 
 of Yailoo Tumbee, who, irritated at being discharged 
 from the administration of the affairs of the Rajah of 
 Travancore, attacked the commander, and murdered 
 several British soldiers in cold blood. He was ultimately 
 brought to bay and defeated; when hisj)ower to do mis- 
 chief was put an end to by suicide. A more serious 
 occurrence was the revolt of British officers, occasioned 
 by a sense "of injustice, real or imaginary, on the part of 
 the governor. Mainly through the fidelity of the sepoys, 
 and the firmness of the governor, the revolt was eventually 
 suppressed; but not till the insurgents had so far com- 
 mitted themselves as to open their guns upon the loyal 
 forces who were advancing to take possession of their 
 chief stronghold, Seringapatam. This occurrence led to 
 the recall of Sir George Barlow. 
 
 The year 1810 is marked by operations of the Indian 
 government which took place beyond the confines of the 
 peninsula. The important island of Mauritius was taken 
 from the French, and the possessions of the Dutch in the 
 eastern seas captured by Sir Samuel Achmuty. The in- 
 terest of the expedition was centered in Java, which 
 island, defended by the French, became the scene of 
 many an obstinate contest. Batavia was first captured; 
 and the victors, advancing to the great stronghold of 
 Comelis, carried it after a desperate and deadly struggle. 
 Amboyna and Banda had previously capitulated. 
 
 The reign of Lord Minto closed in 1813. On the 
 whole, his administration had been a successful one. It 
 is, however, to be regretted that his hands were tied by 
 directions from home; otherwise, by prompt action, such 
 1,8 he often showed himself to be capable of exercising, 
 he doubtless would have destroyed the power of the 
 E^darees. 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OP THE MARQUIS OP HASTINOa 
 
 Troubled condition of the Indian Peninsula — Outbreak* of tha 
 Ghoorka War— Success of the Ghoorkas— The Mahrattas 
 and Pindarees join the Enemies of England — The English 
 Successful — Treaty of Katmandoo, and Close of the War — 
 Movements of the Pindarees — Commencement of the Pin- 
 daree and Third Mahratta Wars — Treachery of the Peshwa, 
 Bajee Rao — Assassination of Gunga Dhow — Surrender of 
 Trimbukjee Dainglia — Attack upon the Peshwa's Forces — 
 Repulse of Cheetoo at Seetabuldee— Cession of Mahratta 
 Territory — Perturbed state of Holkar's Dominions — Subju- 
 gation of the Pindarees — Division of the Mahratta Dominions 
 —Administrative Labours of the Marquis Hastings. 
 
 Lord Minto was succeeded by the Earl of Moira, after- 
 wards Marquis of Hastings. He found the country in 
 that condition of calm, which, in nature, is the usual 
 forerunner of a disturbance in the elements. The tem- 
 pest eventally broke over the Himalayan district, where 
 dwelt a Rajpoot race, which, centuries since, had passed 
 the mountain barrier of northern India, and established 
 for themselves an independent dominion, known as 
 Nepaul. These people had long been a menace to the 
 province of Oude; and Lord Minto had, during his 
 government, attempted to come to some arrangement 
 with them regarding the establishment of a common fron- 
 tier. As, however, they continued to make encroachments 
 southwards, the new governor determined to take action 
 against them. 
 
 The Ghoorkas, as these people were called, bade de- 
 fiance to the English, and commenced hostilities. Th© 
 English forces, under the command of Generals Gillespie 
 and Ochterlony, advanced with upwards of 20,000 men. 
 
144 BI8T0BT OF UTDIA. [cHAP. XXX. 
 
 The campaign was singularly unsuccessful. The Ghoorkas- 
 manfully defended Kalungali and Jythak, killing General 
 Gillespie, and completely baflling Generals Ochterlony, 
 Marley, and Wood. The commanders, with the except 
 tion of Ochterlony, appeared lamentably inadequate to 
 the task assigned them; and their failure had the worst 
 possible effect upon the sepoy regiments, who, accustomed 
 as they had been to follow to victory the banner of Eng- 
 land, drew an exaggerated picture of the power and skill 
 of their enemy (1814-15). 
 
 Worse than this, it gave renewed encouragement to 
 England's old enemies, Scindia and Holkar, and to the 
 ever restless Pindarees. A combination of these princes 
 was effected; and Ameer Khan^ the Pindaree chief, and 
 Rimjeet Singh, took part in it. A considerable army 
 marched to the Sutlej; but, fortunately, they paused 
 here; for the campaign of 1815, under the skilful dii-ec- 
 tion of Ochterlony and Colonel Gardener, had ended in 
 the defeat of the Ghoorka arms, and cause'd them to sue 
 for peace, which was willingly granted. 
 
 Unfortunately for the permanent establishment of peace- 
 ful relations, the treaty had been made without the assent 
 of one of the principal parties concerned, namely. Ameer 
 Khan. One of the most successful of the leaders in this war, 
 he was by no means willing to consent to a cessation of 
 hostilities; and, by his advice, the contest was renewed. 
 The following year (1816) Ochterlony took the field again 
 at the head of 17,000 men. His operations were so 
 skilfully designed, and so vigorously carried out, that th»j 
 Ghoorkas, in despair, made pacific overtures anew. By 
 the treaty of Katmandoo, which followed (1816), the 
 boundaries of their dominions were fixed; and since that 
 time they have never been transgressed. 
 
 A conflict was now about to take place, which, although 
 of comparatively short duration, surpassed in the mag- 
 nitude of the proportions, and the extent of territory 
 over which operations were conducted, any struggle in 
 which the English arms had as yet been engaged. This 
 was a dual warfare with the Pindarees, and the old 
 
1814-1819.] MARQUIS OF HASTINGS* ADMINISTRATION. 145 
 
 enemy of the British, the Mahrattas. The passive atti- 
 tude of the English, at this time, had not unrsasonably 
 been miscontrued by the native chieftains of India gene- 
 rally. Lord Minto, it will be remembered, had carried 
 on operations against the great Pindaree leader, Ameer 
 Khan; but, as his action was paralysed by orders from 
 head-quarters, these turbulent scourges of India had been 
 left to pursue, with impunity, their depredations, and to dis- 
 turb the peace of the land. At first they carefully avoided 
 the states with which the Company had any connection; 
 but, by-and-bye, emboldened by success, and encouraged 
 by the attitude already spoken of, they began to carry 
 their ravages into British territory. In 1812, they went 
 farther, and hired themselves, as we lately saw, to the 
 enemies of the British during the Ghoorka war. Under 
 the leadership of Cheetoo and Kureem Khan, their 
 ravages, this year, were incessant and beyond description 
 atrocious. The mischief these depredators were able, and 
 apparently determined, to work, was brought more imme- 
 diately under the notice of the Company, when an irrup- 
 tion was made by them into the province of the Circars; 
 and now, with British territory overrun by their hordes, 
 they could no longer, with safety or honour, withhold that 
 sanction of military operations which, had it been granted 
 some years earlier, would have forestalled the present 
 complications, and saved the land from many a scene of 
 untold horror. 
 
 Anticipating orders from England, Lord Hastings 
 hastened to mature his plans; and, in 1816, he concluded 
 an alliance with Appa Sahib, the regent to the Bajah of 
 Nagpoor, whose dominions lay between Malwar and the 
 Circars. The adroitness of the Pindaree horsemen pre- 
 vented the defence of that territory, and it was con- 
 sequently ravaged from end to end. Preparations of an 
 extensive character were, however, progressing; and by 
 the end of the year 1817, upwards of 100,000 men, with 
 an equally formidable display of artillery, were ready to 
 take the field. The necessity for crushing them once and 
 for ever, had determined the governor to prepare so im- 
 
Ill HISTORY OF INDIA. [OHAP. ZIX 
 
 posing an array; and, considering the ubiquitous character 
 of the foes with whom he would have to deal, their num- 
 bers and ferocity, and the extent of country over which 
 the campaign must necessarily extend, the preparations 
 were not too ample. Lord Hastings himself took chief 
 command in the north; and he was supported by the 
 veteran General Ochterlony. In the south was Sir 
 Thomas Hislop,, and in the west, General Kerr, who 
 occupied Guzerat. 
 
 It was not, however, with the Pindarees alone that the 
 governor had to deal. The attitude of the Mahrattas 
 had again become menacing; and Lord Hastings was de- 
 termined to bring matters to a crisis with them as with 
 his other foes. By an adroit movement, he secured the 
 neutrality of Scindia — whom he had every reason to believe 
 was conspiring at the time with his enemies — and drew 
 the sting of Ameer Khan by an offer of terms, far too 
 tempting for refusal. 
 
 From what has already been said with regard to the 
 character of the Mahratta polity, it will be readily under- 
 stood that Scindia by no means represented the Mahratta 
 nation; and that, consequently, no action of his was con- 
 sidered binding upon them as a people; neither did it in 
 thia case prevent their co-operation with the foes of 
 England. The movement of the Peshwa, who had been 
 established in his authority and supported by the English, 
 had long been matter of solicitude with the governor. 
 A more faithless, intriguing, double-faced creature nevrer 
 occupied that high position than Bajee Rao. His entire 
 career, from his earliest appearance at the court of his 
 namesake and predecessor, had been one of intrigue, 
 perfidy, and double-dealing; and the protection hitheiiio 
 afforded him by the British, was due rather to conveni- 
 ence than to a sense of respect for the man, or for the 
 justice of his cause. Urged by the counsels of one Trim- 
 bukjee Dainglia, he had recently added ingratitude to the 
 list of evil attributes with which he was endowed; and, 
 while professing an undying friendship towards his bene* 
 factoi-s, was maJdng preparations to attack them. 
 
1814-182a] MABQUIS OF HASTIXOS' ADMINISTBATION. lit 
 
 Suspicion of his treachery was aroused, in the first in- 
 stance, by the murder at Poona of Gunga Dhow, an envoy 
 sent thither under British protection to settle a dispute 
 that had arisen between the Peshwa and the Gaikwar ; 
 and his proceedings were therefore carefully watched by 
 Mr. Elphinstone, who had reason to suppose that, in 
 concert with Trimbukjee, he had been instrumental in 
 the assassination of Gunga Dhow; and was, moreover, in 
 active communication with the Mahratta chiefs and the 
 Pindarees. The resolute action of the governor discon- 
 cei-ted his plans for a time; and, meanwhile, the Pindaree 
 war went forward. 
 
 As an earnest of good faith, he was requested to sur- 
 render the person of Trimbukjee, and to deliver up his 
 family as hostages. To these terms he acceded; but the 
 same mystery hung about his proceedings as heretofore; 
 and it became more than ever apparent that he was con- 
 templating mischief. Under the pretence of performing 
 some religious service, he gathered around him an escort 
 of fighting men of most menacing proportions; and. with 
 this force, he began to move steadily towards the British 
 position at Poonah. Mr. Elphinstone remonstrated, and, 
 at the same time, took the precaution to order iip 
 reinforcements. In self-defence this officer precipitated 
 hostilities by ordering an attack on the Peshwa's forces. 
 The Mahratta army, seized with a panic, quickly fled; 
 and, although their numbers greatly preponderated, made 
 no subsequent attack upon the British position; but, on 
 the arrival of a brigade under General Smith, the whole 
 army retired to Sattara. The Peshwa was followed in 
 his flight; and, during the pursuit, the 1st Bombay Native 
 Infantry, under Captain Staunton, greatly distinguished 
 themselves by their gallant defence of Koryg;ioni — an 
 exploit which is remembered among the Mahrattas to this 
 day. 
 
 The Peshwa now beheld with apprehension the British 
 troops closing upon him from all sides. Disappointed of 
 refuge in Korygaom, and hearing that his lieutenant, 
 Baj)j)o Gokla^ had been defeated and slain in battle, ho 
 
148 HISTORr OP INDIA. [CHAP. XIX. 
 
 made northwards, as if for Nagpoor, where Appa Sahib, 
 now rajah, in conjunction with the Pindaree chief, Cheetoo, 
 was ready to give him a friendly welcome. This prince, 
 however, having made a treacherous attack upon the 
 British troops, was splendidly repulsed at Seetabuldee in 
 Nagpoor; and Appa at once renewed his professions of 
 friendship, and surrendered the military control of his 
 province to the English. 
 
 The Mahratta territory was now forcibly annexed to 
 the British dominions — at least, that portion of it which 
 owned the direct sway of the Peshwa, for the dominions 
 of HoJkar and the Bajah of Berar were for the present 
 permitted to maintain their integrity. Events, how^ever, 
 had meanwhile been transpiring which rendered a transfer 
 of the control, if not the confiscation of Holkar's dominions 
 comparatively easy. Its great chieftain, Jeswunt Bao, 
 had died; and his removal was the signal for a severe 
 internecine strife. One of his illegitimate sons, Mulhar 
 Bao, having been proclaimed his heir, he was supported 
 in his title by Toolsee Bye, one of the mistresses of the 
 deceased Jeswunt Bao; who, as Mulhar was still young, 
 undertook the -duties of regency. She was opposed by 
 Ghufoor Khan, and the province was, for years, a scene 
 of anarchy. The regent, in her perplexity, would fain 
 have secured the support of the English; but the chiefs 
 of the army were totally inimical to any such policy, and 
 her troops were ultimately employed in the service of the 
 Peshwa. The army of Holkar advanced to Mehidpoor, 
 where they were confronted by the English forces under 
 Sir Thomas Hislop and Sir John Malcolm. While here, 
 Toolsee Bye was seized and barbarously murdered. 
 
 An ineffectual attempt having been made by the 
 English commanders to come to terms with their enemy, 
 their position at Mehidpoor was attacked, and gallantly 
 carried; the entire army retreating and leaving behind 
 them an abundance of military stores. Young Holkar 
 subsequently submitted; and his dominions passed by 
 treaty under the protection of Britain. 
 
 The Pindarees had not yet been finally disposed of. 
 
1814-1820.] MARQUIS OP HASTINGS* ADMINISTRAWOW. 14f 
 
 Their forces were still in the field under Cheetoo, Kiireem 
 Khan, Ameer Khan, and Wasil Mahomed, the brothem 
 of Dost Mahomed — though considerably crestfallen by 
 reason of the unpropitions turn affairs had been taking. 
 The former was supposed to be in league with Scindia, 
 whose general, Jeswunt Rao Bhow, rendered him every 
 possible assistance. This man was called to account and 
 defeated by General Brown at Jawud; but, as it was 
 shown that the Mahratta general had acted in defiance 
 of his superior's orders, Scindia was not molested. 
 Cheetoo's followers, harassed beyond measure by pursuing 
 columns of the English, dropped off one by one; and he 
 was at length forced to take refuge among the mountain 
 fastnesses of Malwar. He is said to have been devoured 
 by a tiger, which attacked him in a jungle near the 
 Taptee (1818). 
 
 Kureem Khan and Wasil Mahomed were, in time, 
 brought to bay, lind ultimately fell into the hands of the 
 English. The former, after escaping from Jawud, sur- 
 rendered to Sir John Malcolm, and received favourable 
 terms; the latter placed himself under the protection of 
 Scindia, by whom he was given up to the English; and, 
 disappointed subsequently in an attempt to escape, 
 poisoned himself. Ameer Khan, following the example 
 of his compatriots, sued for peace; and was, considering 
 the trouble he had occasioned them, most liberally treated 
 by the conquerors. 
 
 The Peshwa was still at large; but he 'too at length, 
 hunted from place to place, till no rest was left him for 
 the sole of his foot, applied to the British commanderg 
 for terms of peace. His enemies, thorough masters of 
 the position, demanded an unconditional surrender of 
 himself and the murderer Trimbukjee. This the Peshwa 
 declined; and his firmness was eventually rewarded by 
 the offer of terms which neither his career of perfidy and 
 treachery deserved, nor the triumphant position of his 
 enemies could have led him to expect. The struggle was 
 now of short duration. Appa Eao, the rajah of Nagpoor, 
 having broken faith with the English by assisting th© 
 
180 * BI8T0BT OF INDIA. [OHAP. SIX. 
 
 Pcshwa in his endeavour to elude his English pursuers, 
 wad taken prisoner and brought to Allahabad. Hence 
 he made his escape, and managed to maintain himself for 
 some time amid the wilds of the Vindhya Hills; but his 
 power to do mischief was shortly checked; and he 
 eventually surrendered himself to the Kajah of Johdpoor. 
 Tiie reduction of Kandeish, which was brought about by 
 the capture of Talnair and Malligaom, put an end to 
 farther resistance. 
 
 Thus ended the Pindaree and the Third Mahratta war^ 
 Both were equally conducive to British interests. They, 
 however, differed in this respect, that whereas, in the 
 one case, by the forced flight of the Peshwa, and the 
 capture of Sattara, an immense territorial increase was 
 made to the Company's dominions ; in the other, no further 
 advantages accrued to the vectors than that attending the 
 break-up of a race of freebooters who had long been a 
 scoui-ge to Central India; whose proceedings were sub- 
 versive of everything that was decent and orderly; aiid 
 who, had they not been oi:iXifronted by a hand that had 
 the ability as well as the desire to strike, might have 
 rendered the country a very Pandemonium. For this 
 undertaking, therefore, Loi d Hastings was furnished with 
 the best of all possible prt:'_-exts, namely, the protection of 
 the peace-loving, and the welfare of persecuted humanity. 
 
 The Mahratta dominions, divided into four portions, 
 with a resident commissioner to each, were incorporated 
 into the dominion of Bombay; and Mr. Elphinstone, ap- 
 pointed to this presidency (1819), was able to superintend 
 the settlement of the affairs of that territory, to the suc- 
 cessful annexation of which his wise counsels had, in no 
 email degree, contributed. So widely spread a territory 
 rendered a thorough supervision difficult; and for a time 
 the foes of order were able to defy restraint, and to indulge 
 their evil propensities by outrage and intrigue. The bulk 
 of the Mahratta people, heartily weary of the lawless- 
 ness once so rife in their midst, hailed as a boon the 
 change of masters; and, under the fostering influence of 
 peace, and a wise and liberal administration, they gradually 
 
1814-1820.] MARQUIS OP HASTINGS* ADMlHISTftAtlOK. 101 
 
 lost the unenviable character their restlessness had secured 
 them, and came to be one of the most peaceable, indus- 
 trious, and law-abiding communities of the peninsula. 
 
 Lord Hastings was slow, indeed, to receive the due 
 recognition of the service his vigorous policy had rendered 
 to India and to England. The Court of Directors, though 
 awarding him all credit for the brilliancy and success of 
 his military undertakings, entirely disapproved the act of 
 annexation as contrary to their orders, and to the spirit 
 of the policy which they had so long endeavoured to pur- 
 sue. Neither were they much better pleased with his 
 schemes for the amelioration of the condition of the 
 natives. Nevertheless, his perseverance in this direction, 
 especially in that portion of his plans which related to 
 education, contributed in no mean degree to the welfare 
 and happiness of the people of India. 
 
 The administrative labours of Lord Hastings were 
 happily not confined to the newly annexed territory, in 
 which, be it remembered, he was largely assisted by the 
 enlightened governor of Bomba.^? . Under his wise super- 
 vision the financial affairs of the land were ably managed; 
 for, notwithstanding the enormous expenses of the wars, 
 an annual surplus was now declared, and the credit of the 
 Company maintained. A great change had taken place 
 in the character of Indian officials since the days of Clive 
 and Warren Hastings. little opportunity was now 
 afibrded for that system of peculation and extortion 
 which was once the scandal of the age. India had come 
 to be better understood, and its afiairs were thus managed 
 in accordance with the principles that should govern all 
 well regulated states. To this satisfactory condition of 
 things, the exertions of the present governor-general, no 
 less than those of hia immediate predecessors, had con- 
 tributed. 
 
CHAOTER XX 
 UOKD Amherst's administbation. 
 
 [gnation of Lord Hastings — ^His Eeasons — ^Temporary Enle <vf 
 Mr. Adam — Prosecution of Mr. Buckingham — ^Airival of 
 Lord Amherst — ^Arrogance of the King of Burmah — War 
 Declared against the Burmese — Successes of Captain Camp- 
 bell — Of the Burmese General, Bundoola — Mutiny of Sepoys 
 — Capture of Donabew, and Death of Bundoola — Treaty of 
 Yandaboo and Close of Burmese War— Bhurtpoor — ^Its Cap- 
 ture — Lord Amherst Quits India, and is succeeded by Lord 
 William Bentinck. 
 
 In 1821, after an administratioii of eight years, Lord 
 Hastings tendered his resignation. He was induced to 
 take this step through the scandal, rightly or wrongly; 
 attaching to his name in the affair of the great Hyderabad 
 banking-house of Palmer & Co. Not that by taking such 
 a step he signified any complicity in this ugly transaction; 
 but the suspicion to which he was subject, and the un- 
 relenting opposition he experienced from the Calcutta 
 court, had rendered his position anything but an enviable 
 one. This affair of the bankers is regarded as the one 
 great blot upon his otherwise benign and judicious 
 reign. Its effects are said to be traceable in that por- 
 tion of the country with which the transaction is more 
 especially identified to this day; and. whether he was 
 a party to it or not, the circumstance, as associated 
 with his administration, will for ever be identified with 
 his name. 
 
 Lord Hastings, though he had sent home his resigna- 
 tion so early as 1821, did not retire from the theatre of 
 his triumphs till the beginning of the year 1823. He 
 was temporarily succeeded in office by his most inveterate 
 
1121-1828.] LO»D AMHERST*S ADMINISTRATION. 16 
 
 opponent at the council board, Mr. Adam, whose brief 
 administration is marked by one event only — namely, 
 the vindictive prosecution of a newspaper editor named 
 Buckingham. The practical successor of Lord Hastings 
 was Lord Amherst, whose Indian career began in 1823. 
 He found plenty of employment to his hand in the threat- 
 ening attitude of the Burmese, a people whose territory 
 lay contiguous to the Company's dominions of Bengal. 
 
 So early as the year 1814, their king, under pretence 
 of making a pilgrimage to the sacred city of Benares, 
 had marched out of Ava, his capital, and encamped by 
 the Brahmapootra upon the frontier of Bengal. This 
 menacing position he maintained till the year 1818, when 
 he despatched a peremptory order to the governor to sur- 
 render to him the eastern portion of Bengal as far as 
 Bagrutty, with threats of coercion in case of a disregard 
 of his mandate. The order, as a matter of course, was 
 not complied with; indeed, the document was regarded 
 as a counterfeit, and, therefore, no notice was taken of it. 
 
 The threat of the Burmese monarch, meanwhile, was 
 not carried out. His territorial usurpations, however, 
 were permitted to progress; and, before attempting an 
 attack on Bengal, he seized upon the independent and 
 contiguous state of Assam, and annexed it to his domin- 
 ions. His proceedings, however, had been narrowly 
 watched, and Lord Hastings was fortunately not unpre- 
 pared for the contingency. He had good reason to shun 
 a contest with this people if possible; for their country 
 was difficult of invasion, and its climate not of the best, 
 and he therefore had recourse to negotiation. But the 
 Burmese sovereign, bent upon a quarrel, had promptly 
 despatched a powerful force under his greatest general, 
 Maha Bundoola, towards the Bengal frontier; and, the 
 governor, having no alternative, at once issued a pro- 
 clamation of hostilities (1824). 
 
 Everything pointed to the conclusion that this war 
 with the Burmese would be no light undertaking; and 
 so it proved. Finding that it was impossible, by reason 
 of the alternation of wood and marsh land, which charac- 
 
154 
 
 filStORT OF IKbtA. 
 
 [chap. it. 
 
 terises the eastern portion of Bengal, to enter the Burmese 
 country landwards, an expedition was despatched thither 
 by sea, under Captain Campbell, to Rangoon, at the 
 mouth of the Irrawady. The place was taken, as was also 
 Martaban, in Tenasserim; but here success for a time 
 ended. The capture of Rangoon, however, had the effect 
 of drawing off the Burmese general from Bengal, where 
 he had greatly distinguished himself by driving in the 
 various detachments of the British forces stationed to 
 watch his movements; and, with an army of 60,000 men, 
 
 RANGOON. 
 
 he turned southwards to measure swords with the invadei-s 
 of his country. The struggle now began in earnest. It 
 opened somewhat favourably for the British, who, a?fter 
 carrying the stockaded positions of the enemy, forced 
 him to withdraw. Other expeditions were not so favoui> 
 able; and, to the embarrassment of the governor, some 
 of the sepoy regiments, inspired with a needless dread, 
 broke out into mutiny at Barrackpore. 
 
 The prompt action of Sir Edward Paget brought them 
 back to their allegianc& The old routes which, from their 
 
1821-iS2&] LOUD AMHERSI^S ADMtNIStBAtlOV. 15ft 
 
 extremely irksome and hazardous character, had indii'ectly 
 led to this spirit of insubordination, were abandoned, 
 and operations were confined to the Irrawady. The main 
 object of attack was the strong position of Donabew, 
 which was defended by a garrison of 12,000 men under 
 the direction of Bundoola himself. The first assault 
 failed; but, upon the besiegers being reinforced by the 
 main army under Sir Archibald Campbell, their efforts 
 were more successful; for, having lost their commander, 
 who was killed by the bursting of a shell, the Burmese 
 garrison retreated, leaving their fortress, and also their 
 stores in their enemy's hands. 
 
 An attempt was now made to bring about a cessation 
 of hostilities; but the king, who still had an army of 
 50,000 men in the field, was not disposed to accept the 
 terms offered him by Sir Archibald, and the war con- 
 tinued. Its ultimate issue, however, was a foregone 
 conclusion. Sir Archibald's subsequent operations were 
 attended with almost unvarying success, and the English 
 forces soon reached Yandaboo, within a day or two's 
 march of the capital Hither the Burmese sovereign 
 sent envoys to sue for peace (1815), which was granted 
 him upon the condition of his ceding to the English the 
 provinces of Assam, Arracan, and Tenasserim. The war 
 had lasted two years; and while due tribute must be 
 paid to the bravery of the enemy's troops, and to the 
 skill of the Burmese commanders, the prolongation of the 
 struggle was occasioned rather by natural obstacles and 
 lack of foresight; and— extraordinary as it may appear — 
 by the superstition of the Hindus, who considered their 
 enemies to be possessed of supernatural powers, than by 
 the resistance they met with from the enemy. 
 
 The Burmese were now quiescent; but Lord Amherst's 
 task was not completed. The fortress of Bhui-tpoor, it 
 will be remembered, was associated with one of the most 
 unfortunate failures in connection with British arms in 
 India; and so baneful an effect had this failure upon the 
 native tribes of the north, that, considering it to be an 
 invulnerable stronghold, the disaffected had long intended 
 
iSd fiiSTO&T OF INDIA. [cHAP. XX. 
 
 it as a rallying-point for opposition to British authority 
 BO soon as opportunity should present itself. The far- 
 seeing mind of Sir David Ochterlony was perhaps the 
 first to recognise the prevalence of such a sentiment, and 
 he had taken measures to meet the danger it foreboded; 
 but his sagacity was rewarded by most ungrateful treat- 
 ment, and the design went on developing. 
 
 At length it transpired that 25,000 men, chiefly Jats, 
 had rallied to the standard of the rajah of the place, and 
 were prepared to measure their strength against the forces 
 of the governor; and that the disaffected in the circum- 
 jacent territory were ready to join them in case of pro- 
 spective success. Nothing now but a bold policy could 
 meet this dangerous crisis; and Lord Combermere was 
 forthwith despatched to operate against the rebels (1826). 
 The fortress was considerably stronger than when its 
 capture had before been attempted, and the heaviest guns 
 seemed to make but little impression upon its formidable 
 ramparts. By means of mining, however, a consideiable 
 breach was made in its walls; the place was stormed; 
 and, after an obstinate fight of some hours, captured. 
 The fortifications of Bhurtpoor were now levelled with 
 the ground, and its destruction removed all apprehension 
 of an extensive combination against English authority in 
 these parts of the country. 
 
 Lord Amherst, who was rewarded for his services by 
 being raised to the rank of an earl, spent the remainder 
 of his time in visiting the provinces, and settling out- 
 standing accounts with native princes. He left India 
 early in 1828, and was succeeded as governor-general by 
 Lord William Bentinck — Mr. Butterworth Bayley acting 
 till the arrival of the newly appointed governor. 
 
OHAFTER XXI. 
 
 J&XnnSTRATION OF LORD WILLIAM BENTINCK. 
 
 Characteristics of Lord Bentinck's Administration — Fanaticism 
 of the Mohammedans — Teetoo Meer — The Koles — Settle- 
 ment of the Affairs of Oude— Of Hyderabad— Of Coorg— 
 Meeting of Lord Minto with Runjeet Singh — Suppression of 
 the Suttee — Measures against Infanticide — Suppression of 
 Thugism — Miscellaneous Measures of the Governor — Hia 
 Financial policy — Resignation of Lord EUenborough — Provi- 
 sional Government of Sir Charles Metcalfe— His Treatment; 
 
 The administration of Lord William Bentinck, in its 
 eminently peaceful character, presents a marked contrast 
 to those of his predecessors; it is, however, none the less 
 interesting on that account. Peace, as has often been 
 remarked, has her victories as well as war; and the 
 triumphs of the present governor-general were, in their 
 way, as brilliant and decisive as any of the achievements 
 that grace the names of Olive, Hastings, Wellesley, or 
 Amherst. The process of conquest entails obligations 
 which no prudent and enlightened state may with im- 
 punity or credit overlook; and it was well for India and 
 for England that she now possessed a ruler who, perhaps, 
 above all others, not only recognised these principles, but 
 possessed likewise the courage and ability to act upon 
 them. Fortunately, too, for the success of his measures, 
 he had, in Sir Charles Metcalfe and other individuals, 
 famous in the annals of Indian administration, coadjutors 
 as fully alive to the dictates of justice and humanity as 
 himself, and just as ready to obey them. The consequence 
 was, that a system of judicial administration and financial 
 and social reforms was undertaken, which, in their bold- 
 and magnitude have never been surpassed* 
 
158 HISTOBT OF INDIA. [OHAP. XXL 
 
 The campaigns of his predecessors had been directed 
 against a tangible enemy; and ultimate success, in con- 
 sequence of that superiority which discipline ever gives, 
 was always a foregone conclusion. The struggles of Lord 
 Bentinck were on the other hand, with unseen, im- 
 palpable, and far more stubborn foes— the fanaticism, 
 superstition, and deeply-rooted prejudices of the people, 
 and the correction of widespread abuses. Much of his 
 success, no doubt, is due to the quiet condition of the 
 land upon his appointment; a happy state of things 
 brought about by his predecessor's energetic policy. Still, 
 the credit of the good effected is none the less his. A 
 short-sighted politician may not have recognised the 
 necessity of reform; a narrow-minded one might have 
 circumscribed its scope; a less energetic ruler shunned 
 the labour it demanded; a less resolute have shrunk from 
 the responsibility of so revolutionary a policy, or sunk 
 beneath the weight of opposition it entailed. 
 
 His measures, which gave him occupation for seven 
 years, may be classed as political, judicial, financial, and 
 social. There were now, as has been remarked, no visible 
 enemies to subdue; for the brilliant successes which had 
 attended the efforts of his predecessors had rendtred any 
 formidable opposition to British power unpossible. Kever- 
 theless, his reign was not entirely free from commotion. 
 The storm, indeed, was over, and the wild dash of the 
 billows had subsided; but the surface, so fiercely agitated 
 by their fury had not yet settled down into perfect 
 calm. 
 
 The attention of the governor was early directed (1831) 
 towards the doings of certain Mohammedan fanatics in 
 the north, who, under the leadership of a fakir named 
 Teetoo Meer, had determined to wage war against all who 
 were not of their creed; and following this resolve, had 
 committed the most serious barbarities. This was no 
 sooner put a stop to than a far more serious rising of the 
 people known as the Koles, who ^inhabited western 
 Bengal, took place (1832). An ignorant and lawless 
 tribe, they were not disposed to settle quietly down unde» 
 
1829-1835.] I«0RD bentinck's administration. 159 
 
 that new order of things which British coD<3[aest had 
 given rise to. Eventually, however, they veie forced to 
 submit to the power which had now brought almost all 
 India beneath its sway; and the wisdom of the measures 
 adopted for their subjugation, is seen in the prosperity 
 which now reigns in their provinces. 
 
 The affairs of Oude and of Mysore and ether native 
 states likewise engrossed attention at this time ; and the 
 governor's policy in connection with those various nations 
 forms the weakest point in his administration. His views 
 were so eminently pacific, that non-interference vas carried 
 beyond the limits of prudence. The provinces referred 
 to were shamefully misgoverned; and, although the right 
 of the government to interfere had been established by 
 previous treaty, no action was taken except; to issue 
 manifestos which appeared to be worth no more than the 
 paper they were written upon. It was the same with 
 Hyderabad in the nizam's dominions, whose government 
 was in a condition thoroughly disreputable. With regard 
 to Mysore, more prompt action was taken; but not till 
 the extravagant conduct of its rajah had goaded the 
 people into insurrection (1832). 
 
 With greater show of decision, indeed, the district of 
 Coorg was invaded and annexed to the British dominions; 
 but, as in the instance of Hyderabad, the conduct of its 
 rajah, whose doings were made known by his own family, 
 who had been compelled to flee beyond the reach of his 
 atrocities, was so revolting, that no governor with L-ord 
 Bentinck's humanity coiild well withhold interference. 
 This promptitude was not emulated in the case of Gwalior 
 (1833) and Jeypoor (1835), at which latter place an 
 English official lost his life in a factious quarrel. 
 
 The pacific policy of Lord Bentinck is strongly ex- 
 hibited in his intercourse with Runjeet Singh, the great 
 Sikh chieftain, of whom mention has been made in a 
 former chapter. His object was to renew those mutual 
 assurances of friendship and good-will which, since the 
 treaty of Amritsur, made between 1 im and Lord Minto, 
 lie had hitherto faithfully preserved; but which, iinfor- 
 
160 HISTOBT OF INDIA. [CHAP. XXI, 
 
 tu*,-<iely, his ambition now seemed Kkely to interrupt. 
 1' le interview between this prince and the British governor 
 "vas as imposing as its importance demanded; and the 
 success attending it was due, in no small degree, to the 
 urb^-nity and address of the governor, and the adroitness 
 ke Lsplayed in affecting a simple confidence in the in- 
 tegrity of the prince. 
 
 We now come to a feature of Lord Bentinck's adminis- 
 tration, in which his energetic character is seen to much 
 greater advantage, namely, his social and financial reforms. 
 In consideration of the tenacity with which a people will 
 5 old on to its ' eligious beliefs, and the sacrifices they are 
 ever pr^pare<i 'o make upon their account, it is the true 
 policy of fs^ enlightened governments to abstain from 
 active int«»r^*>jnce with the modes of worship and reli- 
 gious ceremonies of the people who own their sway; and, 
 to the honour of England it may be said that, excepting 
 when the safety or comfort of the public has been 
 compromised, or humanity shocked by the exercise of 
 barbarous and revolting rites, she has ever loyally observed 
 this liberal policy. Indeed, upon occasions, the principle 
 has been pushed too far; and time was when not only 
 was the Christian missionary discountenanced, but such 
 vwremonies as the procession of the car of Juggernaut, 
 •»^- "se ponderous wheels annually caused the streets of 
 the cities to flow with blood, was countenanced and even 
 supported by the British government. 
 
 Among the most revolting ceremonies connected with 
 Hindu worship was the practice of the Suttee, as it was 
 termed, whereby widows were expected to burn them- 
 selves upon the funeral piles of their husbands. The 
 abolition of this barbarous practice had long been under 
 the consideration of the various governors; but as yet none 
 of them had seen their way towards effecting a reforma- 
 tion, till the humane mind of Lord Bentinck determined 
 him to deal with it. It was supposed, and not unnaturally, 
 that the process would be productive of consequences of 
 the most serious nature; and the most consummate skill 
 Vould be required in dealing with it. But, the diff.cultj 
 
1829-1835.] LOBD BENTIITOK's ADMIKISTRATIOV. 161 
 
 was boldly faced; and tWa outrage upon humanity dii^ 
 appeared — ^never, it is hoped, to be revived. 
 
 At the same time, a blow was struck at another, and 
 a scarcely less revolting practice than the Suttee, liamely, 
 that of Infanticide. It had been the custom of the 
 Hindus, from time immemorial, to destroy iheir female 
 offspring at the birth, as an offering to the gods. The 
 chief supporters of this iniquitous practice were the 
 Rajpoots, among whom it was carried on to such an pxtent 
 that not a single female Was allowed to exist among them. 
 The cherished desire of this people was, that they should 
 be blest with male offspring; and the idea seems to have 
 taken possession of their minds that every female child 
 thus destroyed would return to them in the form of a son. 
 The act of annihUation was generally performed in private ; 
 but when the propitiation of the gods was especially 
 needed, the infant wa& given into the hands of the 
 Bnihmins to be solemnly sacrificed in the tempie of 
 Ganesa, in order that its presiding deity might intercede 
 with his father Siva in behalf of the parents. 
 
 Attention had been already directed to this custom, 
 and legislation tried; but hitherto with Httle effect. 
 Registration of births was now rendered compulsory, and 
 the practice declared to be murder. It may be doubted 
 if, even with the adoption of such measures, the practice 
 has entirely died out; but that it has been abolished in 
 many districts, and in its great strongholds — the Rajpoot 
 and neighboui-ing states — sensibly diminished, cannot be 
 doubted. 
 
 The suppression of yet another revolting practice be- 
 longs also to the category of social reforms with which 
 the administration of Lord Bentinck is identified, namely, 
 that of the Thuggee. The Thugs were a Hindu sect 
 scattered throughout India, whose choice avocation was 
 the murder of travellers by strangulation. The barbarous 
 practice took the form of a religious rite; and its devotees 
 supposed themselves to be under the peculiar patroi^age 
 of the goddess Kali. These miscreants pursued their 
 bloody bnsiueBS with all that seal which religion usually 
 
 ft 
 
163 mSTOBT OF IKDIA. [CHAP. XXI 
 
 imparts. Their method of proceeding was to hunt down 
 their victims, strangle them unawares, mangle their bodies, 
 and bury them. The plunder obtained they shared with 
 their patron goddess, whom they never blamed for failure, 
 nor charged with desertion when, upon being detected in 
 their nefarious practice, they were condemned to undergo 
 the penalty of death. 
 
 The existence of this horrible custom was not unknown 
 to the authorities; but, inasmuch as its votaries were a 
 secret society, the greatest difficulty was experienced in 
 dealing with it. A certain fortuitous circumstance hap- 
 pened to furnish the governor with a knowledge of their 
 association; and action was immediately taken which had 
 the effect of stamping it out of the land. The members 
 of the fraternity were one by one arrested. The leaders 
 were punished in various ways, and the remainder settled 
 as a peaceful community at Jubbulpore. 
 
 To Lord William Bentinck is owing the introduction 
 of steam navigation into India, an institution which has 
 been attended with untold advantages to the country. 
 He likewise improved the condition of the natives by the 
 introduction of the English language into the schools, and 
 opened the public service to natives without distinction; 
 and, in order that the country might enjoy the blessings 
 conferred by a skilful practice of surgery and medicine, 
 established (1835) a medical college in Calcutta. 
 
 The financial policy of Lord Bentinck was dinected 
 towards the curtailment of the Company's expenditure. 
 The late wars had considerably swollen the Indian debt; 
 and the need of retrenchment was so apparent to the 
 directors, that the present governor had gone out sf ecially 
 pledged to a consideration of the question. "With regard 
 to the civil servants, the system of reduction was a com- 
 paratively easy process; with the military, it was quite 
 another matter; for experience had shown how dan- 
 gerous a thing it was to interfere with the privileges of 
 the army. Among these privileges was that of hal/batta, 
 as it was called, an allowance long enjoyed by the army, 
 consisting of certam emoluments over and abovo tbeii 
 
1829-1836.] ^RD bentinck's administbiwoit, 163 
 
 UBual pay. The Court of Directors had again and again 
 issued instructions to the effect that the extra payments 
 which passed under this name should be abolished; but 
 up to the present time, no governor had been found bold 
 enough to obey the commands of the court; and when, 
 at length, Lord Bentinck yielded to the pressure, the 
 entire military world was in commotion, so that it needed 
 all the firmness of the governor to avert a serious cala- 
 mity. The gain to the Company was eventually found to 
 be scarcely worth the risk they had run. 
 
 Lord Bentinck resigned in 1834; and quitted India 
 the following year. The duties of government were pro- 
 visionally undertaken by Sir Charles Metcalfe, governor 
 of the North-west Provinces. The Indian career of this 
 gentleman had been one of long and trusty service; and 
 his temporary reign is distinguished by the passing of an 
 act which gave real freedom to the press of the country. 
 The measure, however, was so offensive to the Court of 
 Directors, that it was the means of putting an end to a 
 career of usefulness, and of depriving India of one of her 
 foremost benefactors. The displeasure of the directors 
 was evinced by their refusal to appoint him to the presi- 
 dency of Madras; whereupon he retired from the country, 
 Hud took service under the crown as governoi of Jamrica* 
 
CHAPTER XXIL 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF LORD AUCKLAND. 
 
 Ifission of Lieutenant Bumes — Jealousy of Russia — Siege of 
 Herat — Proclamation of Shah Suja — Outbreak of the Afghan 
 War— Capture of Ghuznee— Might of Dost Mahomed — Shah 
 Suja enters Cabul — Exhibitions of Discontent — Assassina- 
 tion of Sir Alexander Burnes — Critical Position of the British 
 —Assassination of Mr. Macnaughton — Retreat of the Troops 
 — Slaughter of the Khyber Pass — Heroic Defence of Jellala* 
 bad by General Sale. 
 
 The virtual successor of Lord William Bentinck waa 
 Lord Auckland, who assumed the reins of government in 
 the spring of 1836. His reign, which opened with much 
 promise, is marked by one of the most inglorious strug- 
 gles with which the British name is associated, namely, 
 the disastrous Afghan war. 
 
 So early as the year 1831, Lieutenant Burnes, an enter- 
 prising young officer, and an Oriental scholar of no mean 
 order, had been despatched by Lord Auckland's predeces- 
 Bor on a friendly mission to Cabul. For certain reasons, 
 he was favourably received by the Ameer, who gave him 
 every facility for carrying out the main design of his visit, 
 namely, the survey of the country; so that when he re- 
 turned, it was with a mind stored with such a knowledge 
 of the topography and resources of the country, as might 
 prove of the utmost benefit in extending the commercial 
 intercourse of England. 
 
 It would have been well, perhaps, had the observations 
 of this envoy been confined to a mere survey. Unfor- 
 tunately, however, he had obtained a peep into the politics 
 of the Ameer's court; and had conceived an exaggerated 
 lM)tion of Kussian influence and aims in this region. Tlatt 
 
1836-1841.] ADMINlSTRATIOir OF LORD AUCKLAND. 166 
 
 idea of a Russian invasion of India by way of this ancient 
 trade-route, was by no means a new one; and her move- 
 ments were watched with keen interest both at Calcutta 
 and in London. The reports of this envoy served to 
 strengthen the impression. NeverthelesB, the overtures 
 of Dost Mahomed for an alliance were persistently 
 disregarded by the governor-general; and the dreaded 
 Europeans were permitted, in alliance with Persia and 
 the chiefs of Kandahar, to lay siege to the important 
 fortress of Herat 
 
 The skill of its defender, Mr. Pottinger, prevented its 
 capture; but matters had become so serious tnat they 
 could not longer be abandoned to chance. The energy of 
 the governor was thoroughly aroused; and he was deter- 
 mined to act upon the offensive. There was at this time 
 living at-Ludiana an exile, named Shah Suja, who, long 
 before, had been deposed from his position as sovereign of 
 Cabool by the present Ameer, Dost Mahomed. With 
 him and the Maharajah E-unjeet Singh, Lord Auckland 
 now entered into an understanding, the basi? of which 
 was the re-establishment of the former upon the throne 
 of Afghanistan, and the confirmation of the letter in the 
 possession of Peshawar, which province he had wrested 
 froui Dost Mahomed (1837). 
 
 Meanwhile, Dost Mahomed, despairing of an English 
 alliance, with regret dismissed Lieutenant Bumes, intend- 
 ing to make overtures to Russia. The step about to be 
 taken by the English governor was an unjustitiable one, 
 and merited the signal ill-fortune with which it was 
 attended. The English had no grounds whatever for 
 interference in the concerns of Afghanistan; and the only 
 excuse that the promoters of such an undertaking could 
 offer was that of expediency. The truth is, tfiat both in 
 India and England, a notion was prevalent tiiat Russia 
 must by-and-bye be met either here or upon the plains 
 of India; and the present policy followed from a desire 
 to secure the more convenient of these alternatives: 
 
 One of the finest armies ever equipped in India was 
 assembled under the command of Uenerrw' Fane, and 
 
166 HISTORY OP INDIA. [CHAP. XXII, 
 
 marched to Ferozepore, there to join that of Eimjeet 
 Singh. While, however, the English commander and 
 the Maharajah were occupied in an exchange of brilliant 
 compliments, the threatened danger was averted; for the 
 Russians, thwarted in their designs upon the Persian 
 coast, had retired, and were retreating upon Siberia. 
 There was now, therefore, sufficient excuse for Lord 
 Auckland to retrace his steps; and had he been left to 
 his own counsels, the step might have been taken. But 
 the present policy had been advocated by some of the 
 highest military authorities of the kingdom; and the 
 nation in general, at least such as gave their mind to the 
 contemplation of Indian affairs, approved it; and the ex- 
 pedition went forward. 
 
 After meeting with considerable opposition from the 
 Ameers of Scinde, for which they were visited with a 
 terrible retribution, the united armies of Bengal and 
 Bombay, under the command of Sir John Keane, crossed 
 the Indus; and, after marching through some miles of 
 waste land, reached the formidable mountain system of 
 the country. The territory was entered by way of the 
 Bolan and Kojuk Passes, and Shah Suja, pressing forward 
 unopposed, took possession of Kandahar. The English 
 army had halted for awhile; and, when in a position to 
 do so, the troops resumed their march, and the entire force 
 pressed onward for Cabul. In its way lay Ghuznee, the 
 capital of Mahmoud's ancient kingdom, with its formi- 
 dable lines of fortifications; and this there was no means 
 of avoiding. No serious opposition had been anticipated, 
 and, in consideration of the nature of the country to be 
 traversed, the army was unprovided with the necessary 
 materials for a siege. The experiment of blasting was 
 therefore tried; and with such success that considerable 
 breaches were effected in the walls, and the place was 
 gallantly carried at the point of the bayonet. 
 
 Meanwhile, the troops of the Maharajah and other 
 contingents were making" a triumphal forward march; and 
 Dost Mahomed, scared by the formidable array of his 
 enemies, expressed his willingness to come to terms. The 
 
1836*1841.] LOBD AUCKLAND'S ADMINISTRATION. 16? 
 
 conditions of his adversaries were too hard for his accept- 
 ance, and he chose flight to submission. A column was 
 sent in pursuit of the fugitive; and, in the meantime, 
 Shah Suja made a triumphant entry into Cabul. 
 
 To gain for their protege a throne was one thing; to 
 answer for the loyalty of his subjects was, however, quite 
 another. It was thought that, as the power of Dost 
 Mahomed had been broken by the capture of his fortresses, 
 and the dispersion of his troops, no material resistance 
 would be offered to the sway of Shah Suja; and, impressed 
 with this notion, the greater portion of the troops were 
 ordered back to India. It is indeed difficult to conceive 
 what might have been the result had the entire force 
 been withdrawn, and Shah Suja left to his own resources. 
 
 The Afghans, far from being a homogeneous nation, 
 were composed of a number of clans, each owning a chief 
 whose allegiance to the Ameer of Cabul was a very 
 nominal one indeed. In such a condition of society, it 
 usually matters but little who may fill the office of lord 
 paramount, provided only the position be obtained by 
 means which the crude understandings of the people wouH 
 interpret as legitimate; and had Shah Suja regained h^ 
 lost inheritance by the argument of his own good sword 
 it is more than probable that the various chieftains wouL 
 have recognised accomplished facts, and given him theii 
 fealty. This, however, was not the case. Their recognised 
 sovereign had been first spumed, then dethroned, and 
 driven into exile by a foreigner's hand who had espoused 
 the newly-created monarch's cause, not for the purpose of 
 delivering the land from the trammels of a despot, but 
 for political considerations of their own; and the country, 
 occupied by an alien army, presented the unwelcome 
 aspect of a conquered land. 
 
 The contemplation of the first was galling enough, 
 the thought of the second unbearable; and the country, 
 in consequence, became a scene of turmoil from end to 
 end. Of these expressions of ill-will. Dost Mahomed 
 was not slow to take advantage. Prompt action, how* 
 ever, checked rebellion; and the deposed Ameer, utterly 
 
l68 HISTOBT OP INDIA. [CHAP. ZXIL 
 
 nnsnccessful, was induced to tender his submission. There 
 was, however, one who was not so disposed to submit — 
 his son Akbar. This prince, taking up a position amid 
 the mountain fastnesses of his country, gathered to hia 
 standard all who, like himself, chafed under the domina- 
 tion of the foreignera, and vowed their extermination. 
 
 In the year 1841, or two years after the establishment 
 of Shah Suja upon the throne, it was known to all who 
 carefully watched the progress of events in this quarter, 
 that the country was upon the eve of a serious rebellion, 
 Cabul was fast filling with armed men; and expressions 
 of impatience and discontent were everywhere loud and 
 general. It is painful to contemplate the blindness with 
 which the official mind at this time seems to have been 
 smitten. Warnings were spurned, information disre- 
 garded; a high-handed and parsimonious policy pursued 
 with regard to those whose adherence was necessary to 
 the maintenance of their position, and even the very 
 safety of their own persons; and a thorough lack of those 
 preparations for emergencies that should, in view of their 
 equivocal position, have occupied a first place in their 
 consideration. They imprudently surrendered the Bala 
 Hissar which had given them command of the city; 
 ofiended the Kyberies, through whose difficult and dan- 
 gerous country they would have to pass in the event of 
 retreat; ofiered unpardonable indignities to the native 
 chieftains; dismissed the bulk of their forces; and gave 
 command of the residue to General Elphinstone, a man 
 entirely unfitted through age and infirmity to act in any 
 case which might require decision and energy. 
 
 The crisis came. Sir Alexander Burnes, the great 
 advocate of the undertaking, and a most unpopular man 
 with the Afghans, was the earliest victim; and his murder 
 was the signal for a general rising in the city. The king's 
 troops, which were sent against the insurgents, had to 
 retire with loss; and so formidable a front did the rebi3ls 
 by-and-bye present, that it was found necessary to recall 
 the troops that had beeii despatched homewards. Few 
 came; for the incessant assaults of the Afghan foes, and 
 
18361841.] LOBD AUC&LAND's ADMlNISTItATlOir. 160 
 
 the snows of winter, had combined to interpose an im- 
 passable barrier to their movements; and the British 
 troops who had encamped in the plain country around 
 the city, suffering fearfully from cold and hunger, were 
 thus abandoned to their own resources. 
 
 An attempt was made by Mr. Macnaughton, the envoy, 
 to negotiate; but the terms offered by the chieftains were 
 too preposterous for his acceptance; and it was therefore 
 plain that a death-struggle was imminent. Nevertheless, 
 the governor was minded to make one more effort in the 
 direction of peace. Akbar was by this time the acknow- 
 ledged head of the Afghan confederacy; and to him Mr. 
 Macnaughton now turned with the view to a settlement. 
 The crafty Afghan, while expressing his willingness to 
 treat with the British envoy, intended to pursue a course 
 of double-dealing; and the upshot was the treacherous 
 assassination of Mr. Macnaughton by Akbar's own hand. 
 
 No attempt was made to avenge this injury; and the 
 rebels, gaining greater confidence from the quiescent 
 policy of their enemy, increased their demands. Never- 
 theless their conditions were agreed upon, indeed there 
 was no help for it; and the British army, which num- 
 bered some 5000 fighting men, and twice that number of 
 camp followers, set forth on its way back to India. Its 
 fate is well known. Overcome by cold, hunger, and 
 fatigue, and perpetually harassed by the merciless attacks 
 of the mountain tribes, the entire army perished amid 
 the defiles of the Khyber Pass. The columns which had 
 previously been despatched homewards, and which, as 
 has been remarked, were past recall, met, on the whole, 
 with better success. General Holt maintained his posi- 
 tion at Kandahar, and General Sale, having thrown him- 
 self into the ruined fortress of Jellalabad, maintained 
 for many months a gallant defence against the assaults ot 
 Akbar Khan, till relief was brought him by General 
 Pollock. This defence of Jellalabad forms the most 
 brilliant and glorious episode connected with this imfot- 
 tnnate undertaking. 
 
CHAPTER XXin. 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF LORD ELLENBOROUOH. 
 
 ContinQation of the Afghan War — Advance of General Follodc— 
 
 Aj^prehensions regarding the Safety of the Captives — Oppo- 
 sition offered by Akbar — Recovery of the Captives — With- 
 drawal of the British Forces from Cabul— Close of the War 
 — Quarrel with the Rajah of Gwalior — With the Ameers of 
 Scinde — Defeat of Beloochees at Meanee — Victory of Dubba 
 — Close of the Struggle. 
 
 Lord Auckland had, meanwhile, been superseded by 
 Lord EUenborough. A man of great decision, be resolved 
 to make an energetic movement for the relief of our 
 countrymen from the perilous position in which they were 
 placed. A feeble attempt of the kind had been made by 
 bis predecessor; but, inasmuch as it vm^ feeble, it failed. 
 A considerable force was now placed under the command 
 of General Pollock, who, carrying the fortifications of the 
 terrible Khyber Pass, brought relief to General Sale; 
 while another column under General English, proceeding 
 by way of the Bolan Pass, performed a similar service in 
 behalf of General Nott. 
 
 Successful thus far, nothing stood in the way of an 
 immediate advance upon Cabul. But, at this point, it 
 appeared as if the decision of the new governor were 
 about to desert him; for a retrograde movement was in 
 contemplation; and it seemed highly probable that the 
 hostages which had been left with Akbar would be 
 abandoned to their fate. Fortunately for the welfare of 
 these poor creatures, and for the honour of England, 
 wiser counsels prevailed; and Generals Pollock and Nott, 
 on whom the command devolved, were permitted to go 
 forward upon their enand of merc;^. 
 
1842-1843.] UyRD fiLLEKBOBOUGH^S ADMINISTBAtJOll 171 
 
 The safety of these ho*^'^ages was necessarily matter for 
 grave apprehension. The British generals might march 
 in triumph upon the capital and throw down the walls of 
 the prison that confined them; but, what if its occupants 
 were gone! Akbar, indeed, had gone so far as to declare 
 that, unless the British forces were withdrawn and 
 Jellalabad given up, they should be removed, and their 
 locality remain a secret. Moreover, Cabul was even yet a 
 scene of bloodshed and confusion. Shah Sujah was no 
 more, and faction fights and assassinations were of per- 
 petual occurrence within its streets. Might they not 
 perish during one of these movements; or by the order 
 of Akbar himself for the matter of that ! 
 
 Such considerations, however, did not cause the British 
 commanders to swerve from their determination to make 
 a forward advance (1842). General Pollock's progress 
 was opposed by Akbar; andj upon a field strewn with 
 remains of the victims of the late unfortunate retreat, 
 Briton and Afghan again crossed swords. Victory crowned 
 our arms, and the road to the capital was open. The 
 Bala Hissar was occupiedj and here General Pollock's 
 division was joined by the brigade of General Nott, who 
 like him, had overcome all opposition to his progress. 
 
 The object ot their march, however, ha^ not yet been 
 accomplished. Akbar had carried out his threat with 
 regard to the removal of his prisoners from Cabul. For 
 tunately, their destination was discovered; and pursuit was 
 immediately resolved on. By the employment of bribes, 
 the commander of their escort was gained over; and they 
 were in time surrendered and brought back to the quarters 
 of Sir Kouert rfale. There were thirty-two in all — thirteen 
 women and nineteen children; and among them the wife 
 of the heroic defender of Jellalabad, Lady Sale. 
 
 The mission of General Pollock and his brethren in 
 arms was now ended; and as there was no reason to 
 linger in this unfriendly country, the troops prepared to 
 withdraw. After setting fire to the bazaar of Cabul, 
 destroying Ghuznee, and laying waste the territory of 
 certain restless tribes, the countermarch began. ' The 
 
172 HISTORY OP INDIA. [OHAP. XZIIL 
 
 movement was unacoompanied by any incident of import- 
 ance. Desultory attempts were, of course, made by the 
 tribes to harass the troops; but the opposition as a whole 
 was feeble, and the army soon found itself within the 
 more friendly confines of the Punjaub territory. The 
 family of the deceased Shah Sujah, having placed them- 
 selves under British protection, had accompanied the 
 English forces (1842). 
 
 Two miserable quarrels followed this inglorious expedi- 
 tion into Afghanistan, one with the Rajah of Gwalior, 
 and the other with the Ameers of Scinde, a tribe who 
 inhabited the country watered by the lower course of the 
 Indus. The former arose out of a dispute concerning the 
 regency of the dominions of Scindia. Junkoojee Kao 
 Scindi died (1843); and, leaving no issue, it was necessary 
 to appoint a sovereign in his stead. For political reasons, 
 the hold of the British upon this important Mahratta 
 state was desirable; and the governor consequently took 
 part in the election. The heat of faction was high, and 
 the British troops were called up to maintain order. 
 
 Now, the Mahratta army of Gwalior was one of the 
 finest in India> and this importation of British troops was 
 taken as a grave insult ; and the governor soon experienced 
 the efiects of his policy in the refusal of the authorities to 
 execute his orders. The army of Scindia, indeed, was 
 preparing to measure swords with the English should they 
 attempt to occupy their territory, and this Lord Ellen- 
 borough was determined to do. The hostile forces met 
 at Maharajpoor. The Mahratta position was stormed and 
 carried; and Gw.ilior submitted. Beyond the necessity 
 which the governor might have seen for the unlimited 
 control of a state having a most formidable military force, 
 there seems to be little excuse for this paltry, though, to 
 some extent, brilliant contest. 
 
 The quarrel with the Ameers arose from a different 
 cause. During the Afghan war, the attitude of the 
 Ameers had been in the highest degree friendly; and to 
 this fact is due, in no small measure, the success of General 
 Pdllock'i undertaking. So £ur £rom receiving » meet 
 
1842-1843.] liOBD ELLSNBOBOUOH's ADMIKIBTBATIOir. 173 
 
 recognition of their friendly services, they were mort 
 shabbily dealt with. 
 
 Since the conclusion of the Afghan war, a treaty had 
 been entered into with Dost Mahomed concerning the 
 free navigation of the Indus. Now, as this river runs 
 through the territory of the Ameers, its navigation by 
 foreign steamers was a matter of great concern to them; 
 and, though made parties to the treaty, a sense of help- 
 lessness alone forbade their offering a sturdy 6pposition 
 to its clauses. When, however, they began to feel the 
 territorial and financial losses which it entailed, their 
 sentiments were soon made known; and, in concert with 
 certain Beloochee chieftains, they attacked the house of 
 Sir James Outram in Hyderabad, and its owner barely 
 escaped with his life. 
 
 A conflict was now inevitable; and Sir Charles Napier 
 advanced with an army, and met the Beloochees at 
 Meanee. After an obstinate and bloody struggle, they 
 were defeated, and Hyderabad was occupied. A subse- 
 quent victory at Dubba, near Hyderabad, terminated one 
 of the most disreputable conflicts in which it has been 
 the misfortune for British arms to engage. The conduct 
 of our countrymen provoked the war, and nothing but an 
 unquestioned right to lord it over the whole Indian 
 peninsula could justify the proceedings that occasioned it. 
 It might have been dictated by a sense of self-preserva- 
 tion; for threatening storm-clouds were without doubt 
 hanging over northern India; and when, in 1845, the 
 tempest broke in all its fury over the Punjaub, the 
 strategic value of this territory became apparent. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF SIB HENRY HARDINGX. 
 
 CTiuwtisfactoiy Condition of the Punjaub — Ambitious Schemot 
 of the Sikh Chieftains — The Sikhs unexpectedly cross the 
 Sutlej — Sir Hugh Gough Engages the Enemy at Moodkee — 
 Death of Sir Robert Sale — Desperate Battle at Ferozeshah — 
 Sir Harry Smith defeats the Enemy at Aliwal — Defeat of 
 the Sikhs with great slaughter at Sobraon — Annexation of 
 Sikh Territory to the British Dominions — Treaties with 
 Gholab and Dhuleep Singh — Treatment of Lall Singh. 
 
 Lord Ellenborough was recalled early in 1844, and was 
 succeeded by Sir Henry Hardinge. The new governor* 
 general was a tided soldier; and had, at Yimiera, Albuera, 
 Vittoria, Salamanca, and other memorable fields of the 
 Peninsular war, earned laurels enough to content the 
 most ambitious of military leaders; and there was there- 
 fore every desire on his part to obey the standing injunc- 
 tions of the India Board and let the land have rest. But 
 he had fallen upon troublous times. The Sikhs, whose 
 movements since the death of the great leader, Runjeet 
 Singh, in 1839, had been an object of solicitude, now 
 demanded the greatest possible vigilance and diplomatic 
 skill. The alliance between our countrymen and these 
 warlike tribes had never been cordial. Runjeet Singh, 
 while he lived, observed faithfully the covenant of Am- 
 ritsur; but it is doubtful how far his adherence to the 
 terms of the treaty was dictated by a desire for friendly 
 relations; and certainly the semi-barbarous chiefs, who 
 acknowledged his sway, made little secret of their 
 antipathy to the alliance. His death, then, removed the 
 only bond of union existing between his countrymen and 
 (heir European allies, and it soon became apparent (o 
 
1844-1847.] •» HENBT eabdikoe's AOMiiramnuTiov. 175 
 
 fveij one, as it had long been to those who had watched the 
 %Bdn of Northern India, that, sooner or later, our 
 ^jountrymen must cross bayonets with these their allies. 
 
 An era of comparative disorder in the Punjaub fol- 
 lowed the death of Runjeet Singh. His son and grandson 
 successively occupied the throne; but their reigns were of 
 short duration; and as there was no hereditary representa- 
 tive to follow, the affairs of state were administered first by 
 one adventurer and then another, till power fell at length 
 into the hands of the ranee, Chand Koowur, an abandoned 
 woman, Lall Singh, her unprincipled paramour, and Tej 
 Singh, the commander-in-chief of the forces. The army 
 had from various causes become well-nigh uncontrollable. 
 Their pay had fallen into arrears, and as the public trea- 
 sury was exhausted, there was no remedy at hand. A 
 way out of the difficulty at length presented itself to 
 these unprincipled rulers in the invasion of British terri- 
 tory, inasmuch as they thought by such a move to gratify 
 a popular desire, and to secure an abundance of spoil 
 whereby the demands of the troops might be satisfied — 
 for of victory they were never for a moment doubtful. 
 
 The troops themselves, however, either because they 
 were less sanguine than their leaders, or because they 
 had interpreted the motives of their rulers aright, refused 
 at first to advance. When at length they did obey the 
 order, a force of 100,000 fighting men, the bravest and 
 best disciplined army perhaps that had trodden the soil 
 of India, appeared upon the banks of the Sutlej (1845). 
 The consequences might have been serious indeed, but 
 for the precautions taken by Lord EUenborough. That 
 prudent statesman had, in anticipation of such an emer- 
 gency without exciting suspicion, succeeded in massing 
 40,000 troops upon the Lahore frontier. The movements 
 of the Sikh army, however, were conducted with such 
 consummate celerity and promptitude, that no resistance 
 could be offered to their passage of the river. Sir Hugh 
 Gough, the commander-in-chief was at Umballah when 
 he heard of the movement. Without delay, he set off 
 with all the troops he could muster, and bj forced 
 
176 HISTORY OF IKDI1« [CHAP. XXIT, 
 
 marches, arrived at Moodkee. Here he met the enemy 
 in force under Lall Singh, and a desperate battle ensued, 
 which cost the English nearly a thousand men, among 
 whom, unfortunately, was the gallant Sir Kobert Sale. 
 The enemy, however, defeated, withdrew to their en- 
 trenched camp at Ferozeshah. 
 
 This position it was next determined to attack; and on 
 the 21st December, having been joined by the troops of 
 Sir John Littler and General Gilbert, the assault was 
 made. The governor-general was present during the 
 action, which commenced late in the afternoon. The plan 
 of attack was injudicious; and, notwithstanding the 
 heroic efforts of the troops, only a small portion of the 
 works were captured ere night set in; and the combatants, 
 resting upon the scene of their operations, assailants and 
 assailed lay all night in close proximity to each other. 
 The night was intensely cold, and a desultory fire from 
 the Sikh batteries aggravated the discomfort of the 
 situation. 
 
 ^At length morning came, to witness a renewal of the 
 bloody conflict. The Sikhs fought desperately; but they, 
 nevertheless, had to succumb to the continued and vigor- 
 ous assaults of their adversaries; and the battle was 
 already won for the English, when reinforcements for the 
 Sikhs unexpectedly arrived, and the action was resumed. 
 By this time our troops were thoroughly exhausted; 
 and it was with sore despondency that they beheld the 
 approach of this new enemy. Fortunately, their apprehen- 
 sions were not verified. The Sikh commander at once 
 ordered an attack upon the British lines. The movement 
 had commenced, when a sudden panic seemed to seize the 
 troops, and they retreated in disorder, leaving their enemy 
 masters of the field. Victory in this^ the most desperate 
 and bloody encounter that India had as yet witnessed, 
 was of untold value to the English; for had the efforts 
 of our countrymen ended in defeat, the consequencee 
 might have been serious indeed. 
 
 There were, however, other battles to be fought; for 
 the Sikhs, though baffled and crippled, had not loii^ hopa 
 
1844-1847.] SIB HENKY HARDINGE'S ADMINISTRATION. iTT 
 
 Rallying under Bunjoor Singli, they advanced in considei> 
 able force against the important position of Ludiana 
 farther up the river. Sir Harry Smith was at once 
 detached to leinforce the garrison. The enemy lay at 
 Aliwal; and, being joined by the garrison of Ludiana, 
 Sir Harry advanced to attack them there. A brilliant 
 engagement ensued in which the Sikh squadrons were 
 Jk-andiy broken by the vigorous onset of the British 
 cavalry; and the army, quitting the field, crossed the 
 Sutlej in great haste. 
 
 The battle of Aliwal was followed by that of Sobraon, 
 where the Sikhs, under the superintendence of European 
 engineers, had constructed a formidable line of works 
 which were a menace to the British position at Feroze- 
 poor. This, the most decisive action of the war, was 
 also^he sharpest, most brilliant, and^ — so far as the enemy 
 wei% concerned — the most sanguinary. The fortifications 
 were carried by a grand assault, and the enemy, retiring 
 before the advance of the assailants, essayed to cross the 
 river. The guns which had been found useless for siege 
 purposes, were now brought to bear upon the retiring 
 columns, and were plied with such efiect, that thousands of 
 the fugitives were shot down — their corpses literally 
 choking the channel of the river. The British loss was 
 likewise severe, amounting to some 3000 in killed and 
 «70unded. 
 
 This victory opened for the British the road to Lahore, 
 which was forthwith entered. Sir Henry Hardinge might 
 now have added the entire Punjaub to the dominions of 
 Britain. He was, however, much more moderate in his 
 exactions. The Sikh territories on the right bank of the 
 Sutlej, together with the Julluhdur Doab, was the only^ 
 territory demanded by*the terms of the treaty concluded 
 between the victors aird the vanquished. Other clauses 
 gave Cashmoj-€> over to Gholab Singh in consideration of 
 the paymer.t of a military subsidy: and arrangements were 
 made with the youthful Maharajah Dhuleep Singh — a re- 
 puted son of Bunjeet Singh, concerning taxation, and th© 
 »i».ture of the army he was henceforth to be permitted to 
 
178 HISTORY OF INDIA. [CHAP. XXIT* 
 
 maintain. An fe«rmy of occupation was left behind; and 
 the British troops returned, bearing with them 250 pieces 
 of captured cannon which they were careful to display to 
 the natives as an indisputable evidence of their success. 
 
 THE ENTRY INTO LAHORE. 
 
 Thus ended the great and well-nigh disastrous First Sikh 
 War. Its chief author, Lall Singh, was more generously 
 dealt with than his perfidy had warranted, being permitted 
 to retain his office as minister, till his mischievous doings 
 again threatened the tranquillity of the country, when 
 lt,e was tried, deposed, and banished the Punia\H^r 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 ^a^MINISTBATION OF LORD DALHOUSIB. 
 
 littTements of Moolraj— Outbreak of the Second Sikh War- 
 Siege of Moultan— Shere Ally deserts to the Enemy — Battle 
 of Ramnugger — Chillianwallah — Goojerat — Close of the 
 War, and Annexation of the Punjaub — Sattara Annexed — 
 Sir Charles Napier arrives in England — Sir Charles' Measures 
 opposed by the Governor-general — Outbreak of the Second 
 Burmese War — Annexation of Pegu — Settlement of the 
 Affairs of the Nizam's Dominions — The Case of Palmer's 
 Banking-house — Lord Dalhousie's Annexation Schemes — 
 The Kingdom of Oude — Eeview of Lord Dalhousie's Ad' 
 ministration. 
 
 Sir Henry Hardinge who, with the other heroes of tho 
 late war, had received due recompense from their sove- 
 reign, returned to England in 1848. and the duties of 
 government passed into the hands of Lord Dalhousie. 
 India was now quiet; and the military and financial re- 
 forms of his predecessor had been so comprehensive, that 
 little fear was entertained of an interruption of this 
 desirable condition of things. 
 
 Short time elapsed, however, before these visions of 
 peace were dispelled, and the Sikhs had to be dealt with 
 jwiew. Moolraj, a Sikh chieftain had, for some cause or 
 other, notwithstanding his known ambition and power to 
 work evil, been left in possession of his dominions, in 
 which stood the important fortress of Moultan. He had, 
 it appeared, agreed to pay a military subsidy; and, on 
 being pressed for it, had taken refuge in sham negotia- 
 tions. His intentions were from the very first suspected ; 
 but no adequate measures were taken for their frustration ; 
 and at length two British envoys, Mr. Agnew and Lieut, 
 Anderson, were brutally murdered i» the city by ma 
 
180 BISTORT OP INDIA. [cHAP. XXV, 
 
 order. This act was, of course, i-egarded in tlie light of 
 a challenge, and preparations were accordingly made to 
 answer it. They were, however, so tardily carried on, 
 and so manifestly inadequate, that the stamp of failure 
 marked the undertaking from its very outset. 
 
 Before the arrival of the main army, Lieut. Edwardea 
 and other officers, acting on their own responsibility, had 
 earned great renown by their promptitude and spirit, 
 having already invested the stronghold of Moultan and 
 defeated Moolrpj in several engagements. The force now 
 before that city numbered upwards of 30,000 men of all 
 arms — an imposing force indeed. It was, however, any- 
 thing but homogeneous; and the defences were remark- 
 ably strong. The siege operations had scarcely begun, 
 when the magnificent army of the assailants was con- 
 siderably modified by the desertion of Shere Ally to the 
 enemy. This and other causes determined the commander 
 to await reinforcements from Bombay. The delay was 
 highly injudicious. The whole Punjaub was strewn with 
 combustibles; and it required only the spark of faUTire 
 to set it ablaze. The ranee had renewed her intrigues 
 and the Sikh chieftains, at whose entreaties an army of 
 occupation had been left in Lahore, expressed their 
 anxiety for renewed warfare with their conquerors. To 
 make matters worse, the kindling spark alluded to was 
 not wanting. Moultan, indeed, fell; but the proti-acted 
 character of the siege served in no small degree to injure 
 the prestige of our countrymen, and to encourage their 
 enemies. 
 
 The Sikh forces now rallied to the standard of Shero 
 Singh and his father, Chutta Singh, and prepared for 
 action. Meanwhile, the commander, though tardy in his 
 movements, had not been idle. A considerable ferce was 
 got together which, in November, found itself face to 
 face with the army of Shere Singh at Ramnugger, upon 
 the left bank of the Chenaub. Here a series of indeci- 
 sive actions, chiefly cavalry engagements, ensued; and 
 Shere Singh eventually retired. It was only, howevw, 
 In the purpose of taking up fresh ground. 
 
1848-1853.] ADMINISTRATION OF LORD DALHOtTSIB. 18l 
 
 The spot chosen was Chillianwallah, a position of con- 
 siderable strength, and one which, with 30,000 men at 
 his command, the Sikh commander ought successfully 
 to have defended. Hither he was, after considerable 
 delay, followed by Sir Hugh Gough, and an encounter 
 occurred which eclipsed in its ferocity and carnage the 
 fight of Sobraon — but, unfortunately, lacking its decisive 
 character. The Sikh positions were, indeed, one after an- 
 other captured; but the troops were unable to occupy 
 them, and, during the night, the enemy recapteed the 
 guns that had been with great difficulty taken from them 
 in the day's fight. 
 
 Meantime, the siege of Moultan had been dragging on 
 its slow length. About the end of January 1849, how- 
 ever, just after the action at Chillianwallah, the place fell; 
 and General Whish, who had conducted the operations, 
 forthwith hastened to join Sir Hugh Gough. Shere 
 Singh, aware of this movement, immediately set out to 
 intercept him. 
 
 He failed to execute his purpose, and the junction 
 was consequently effected. The British commander now 
 ^und himself at the head of 20,000 men. Opposed to 
 ^m, Shere Singh, considerably reinforced, commanded 
 50,000; and another and yet a bloodier engagement was 
 anticipated. Taught by experience. Sir Hugh Gough 
 resolved to employ his artillery more freely; for, in his 
 recent actions, he had thought too little of this effective arm. 
 It was soon evident to the British commander that Shere 
 Singh, who now lay at Goojerat, was endeavouring to elude 
 him, and contemplated making a wild dash into British 
 territory. Sir Hugh therefore decided upon attacking 
 his enemy without delay. The result of the action belied 
 all expectation. The Sikh guns were quickly silenced; and 
 the infantry, rushing up to their entrenchments, carried 
 them one by one. Abandoning their position, the Sikh 
 infantry fled with precipitation, followed by the cavalry 
 of their victorious antagonists. The victory of Goojerat— 
 well-nigh bloodless on the side of the English, a frightful 
 slaughter on that of their enemy — decided the fate of the 
 
182 ttlSTORT Oir INDIA- [CHA?. XXT. 
 
 Punjaub. Shere Singh, pursued and run to earth by 
 General Gilbert, delivered up his sword to that officer 
 within a fortnight of the victory of Goojerat; and the 
 other Sikh chieftains following his example, the British 
 had now no enemy beyond the Sutlej who could give them 
 any serious trouble. The second Sikh war added the 
 Punjaub to the extensive possessions of Britain in India; 
 and thus the Indus and the Soliman Mountains became 
 the actual — as they are the natural — western boundary of 
 British India. 
 
 A three years' peace followed the second Sikh war^ 
 and this leisure was employed by the governor-general iL 
 settlement of the affairs of the newly-acquired province, 
 and in bringing Sattai-a, the last remnant of the ancient 
 dominions of Sivajee, beneath the English sway. The 
 independence of this Mahratta state had been established 
 at the close of the Mahratta war in 1819, when its rajah, 
 released from the confinement in which the Peshwa had 
 kept him, was placed by British authority upon the 
 throne. For prudent reasons, it had subsequently been 
 found necessary to dethrone him, and to confer the honour 
 upon his brother. In 1848, the rajah died without issue; 
 and, although the deceased prince had adopted an heir, 
 the arrangements were set aside by the government, and 
 Sattara henceforth ceased to exist as a separate and inde- 
 pendent dominion. 
 
 But the period above referred to is more especially 
 marked by the attention given to the military concerns 
 of the country. The news which reached England con- 
 cerning the progress of the Sikh war had given rise to 
 considerable alarm; for, without attaching sufficient im- 
 portance to the numbers, discipline, and bravery of the 
 enemy with whom our countrymen had to deal, the loss 
 of life and comparative failure atttending Sir Hugh 
 Gough's operations were laid to a widespread disaffec- 
 tion which was supposed to predominate in the ranks of 
 the army; and Sir Charles Napier was forthwith despatched 
 t6 take the command in chief. Long ere he set foot upon 
 iiwiiaii soil, however, the brilliant victory of Goojerat had 
 
1848-1853.] ADMINISTRATION OF LORS DALlf0ty«I2. 18S 
 
 decided the question, so far as the Punjaub was concerned ; 
 but there was woi-k for him to do within the pale of the 
 Bombay army. The fears entertained in England regard- 
 ing the spirit at work among the Sepoy soldiery, were by 
 no means groundless. Instances of insubordination, and 
 e^en open mutiny, had occurred ever since the Afghan 
 war; and causes were in operation which were likely to 
 aggravate the disaffection of which these occurrences were 
 the exponents. 
 
 Sir Charles, with his usual decision, at once adopted a 
 series of vigorous measures ; and had his operations been 
 untrammelled, the main object of his mission might have 
 been accomplished, and the tragedy of 1857 averted. As 
 it was, he managed to offend the governor-general ; and 
 a long and acrimonious paper warfare was maintained 
 between these two distinguished officials, prejudicial to 
 the interests of the nation. The contest ended in favour 
 of Lord Dalhousie, who had received the support of the 
 government; and, in 1851, Sir Charles resigned office. 
 
 The three years' peace alluded to was disturbed (1851) 
 by the conduct of the Burmese. The treaty of Yandaboo, 
 which followed the late war with Burmah, had been 
 chiefly made in the interests of the commercial world. The 
 Burmese, unfortunately, had failed in observing its terms; 
 and the complaints of British merchants had been loud 
 and long. Remonstrance served only to make matters 
 worse; and the governor-general, having no alternative 
 left him but prompt action, despatched Captain Lambert 
 with a man-of-war to Bangoon to demand satisfaction. 
 The British flag was, however, insulted; and the governor 
 became aware that there could be no settlement of the 
 difficulty without an appeal to arms. 
 
 In the spring of 1852, a force was equipped at Madras, 
 which sailed for Bangoon. Operations were begun by 
 vhe siege and capture of Martaban ; and this was followed 
 by the reduction of Bangoon itself, which, after a brave 
 defence, was carried by storm. The capture of Bassein, 
 Pegu, and Prome followed in due course; and the 
 operations vrexe, for a time, suspeiided, through need «l 
 
184 mSTORT OF INDIA. ^CHAP. XX7. 
 
 reinforcements. A desperate attempt was made in the 
 meantime to retake Pegu; but the place was well defended 
 by Major Hill, who gallantly stood his ground until re- 
 lieved by a column under General Godwin, when the 
 besiegers retired from the province. With this retreat 
 of the Burmese army from Pegu, the contest virtually 
 ended. 
 
 The immediate consequence of the war was to transfer 
 to British dominions the province of Pegu — which opera 
 tion was fortunately efiected at the earnest request of the 
 inhabitants. Many difficulties at first stood in the way 
 of the execution of a treaty, but. a revolution having 
 occurred in the Burmese capital, the king was deposed, 
 and a brother of his, more ready than he had been to 
 recognise accomplished facts, was placed upon the throne. 
 After some hesitation, the new monarch was induced to 
 sign a covenant making over the province to the con- 
 querors ( 1 853). It is now the most orderly and prosperous 
 of the whole trans-Gangetic provinces of India. 
 
 The affairs of certain Indian provinces had long been 
 matter of solicitude with all parties concerned; and a 
 settlement had by this time become matter of urgent 
 necessity. This was especially the case with the nizam's 
 dominions, whose capital city was Hyderabad. In order 
 to understand rightly the condition of this state, it is 
 necessary to take a retrospective glance at events. The 
 nizam's dominions, from their position between warlike 
 and restless states, had sufiered severely from the depre- 
 dations of their neighbours; and this circumstance, 
 together with a lax administration, had brought the 
 finances of the dominion to so low an ebb, that it was 
 found necessary to have recourse to a loan. There was 
 a banking-house at Hyderabad bearing the name of 
 Palmer & Co. (see p. 152); and to this house the nizam 
 would have made application, but that he was prevented 
 from so doing by an Act which had been passed for the 
 purpose of preventing financial dealings between European 
 and native princes. It was, however, considered necessary 
 to modify the measure in this instance, and a loan wa9 
 
1848-1853.] ADMINISTRATION OF LORD DALHOUSIB. 185 
 
 consequently negotiated. The privilege was continued 
 to the Hyderabad house till the year 1820, when, yielding 
 to the clamour of faction, the sanction of the Court of 
 Directors was withdrawn, and the loan repaid. 
 
 The effects of this proceeding had been to ruin the 
 bankers, deprive India of the services of Lord Hastings, 
 gravely offend the nizam, and to create a conditi i of 
 confusion in the finances of the state which, up to the 
 time of Lord Dalhousie's administration, had been pro- 
 gressing from bad to worse. Deprived of a ready means 
 of obtaining advances, Chundoo Lall, the nizam's minister, 
 was compelled to borrow at most usurious interest. The 
 land was fast running to waste for lack of capital, and 
 disorder, robbery, and oppression were the normal condi- 
 tion of affairs in this unfortunate province. The British 
 government, to whom the nizam was considerably indebted, 
 urged a settlement; and after many feeble and ineffectual 
 attempts on the part of that prince to place his affairs on 
 a firmer basis, it was resolved to take the matter up in a 
 resolute spirit. A treaty was concluded between the 
 British government and the nizam, by which Berar and 
 other districts were assigned to English management 
 (1853). 
 
 xhe remaining years of Lord Dalhousie's administra- 
 tion were devoted ^ a the consideration of this annexation 
 policy, as it is termed Circumstances seemed to facilitate 
 the carrying out of Ms schemes in this direction. The 
 rulers of several provincep. appear to have died without 
 issue; and, having neglected to adopt successors, their 
 dominions were declared to have become forfeit; and in 
 this way Berar, with Nagpoor, Jhansy, Oude, and other 
 places of less importance were seized to swell the enormous 
 territory of Britain in India. This policy was the subject 
 of much hostile criticism at the time— its justice in some 
 instances, and its expediency in others, being seriously 
 questioned. 
 
 The ' annexation of Oude, in particular, baa received, 
 and will ever continue to receive, special attention at the 
 bands of the political critic. It forms the most 8ombr« 
 
1^6 HiStOEY OF INDIA. [CHAP, XXt. 
 
 episode in Lord Dalhousie's administrative career. His 
 own ideas seem to have been at variance with the home 
 government upon this point; and, had he been permitted 
 to take his own course, the annexation might not have 
 been effected, or, if at all, in a very modified form. He 
 possessed, however, an exaggerated notion concerning 
 obedience to command; and, in obeying the dictates of a 
 tender conscience, he subverted his own private opinion; 
 and, instead of relinquishing a false position, which a 
 man of a different habit would have considered the most 
 honourable course, he passively remained to carry out 
 the behests of his superiors. Whatever blame, therefore, 
 attaches to the transaction — his own individual ideas, 
 notwithstanding — must ever be identified with his ad- 
 ministration. 
 
 The kingdom of Oude had long been in a state of sad 
 mismanagement; and that something must be done had 
 been evident to the governors from Lord Bentinck down- 
 wards. The king had abandoned himself to degrading 
 pleasures, and to the counsels of the most worthless and 
 licentious companions; so that the time which should have 
 been devoted to the benefit of his subjects, was spent in 
 the most frivolous and even debasing pastimes. The evil 
 influence of the court was felt beyond its precincts. Its 
 ministers had become corrupt; and, under an effete ad- 
 ministration, a condition of society was developing which 
 threatened grave consequences to the province. Remon- 
 strance had been tried; but, so far from altering the 
 complexion of things, it probably aggravated them — inas- 
 much as, unaccompanied as it was with the determina- 
 tion to act, it had been regarded in the light of a simple 
 protest; and thus this rich and highly favoured province 
 seemed fast approaching a condition whence redemption 
 would be impossible. 
 
 The question was a very delicate one, and required 
 
 serious consideration before the taking of summary steps. 
 
 The exigencies of the case, it is insisted, might have 
 
 been amply met by an assumption of the administrative 
 
 •oiotaoxui only — ^for which operation precedent was not 
 
1848-1853.] ADMINISTRATION OF LORD DALHOUSIE. ISI 
 
 wanting. Lord Dalhousie himself was of this opinion. 
 Nevertheless, no such method was adopted. The authori- 
 ties in England, overruling the moderate proposals of the 
 governor and his counsel, decided upon the extinction of 
 the dynasty, and the annexation of the dominion. In 
 1866, therefore, the territory of the King of Oude passed 
 into the hands of the Company. Whatever maybe said 
 concerning its expediency, and however much the gross 
 immorality of the court and consequent disquieted con- 
 dition of the dominion may appear to condone it, the 
 execution of the measure appears in the light of a piece 
 of base ingratitude towards a dynasty, which, through 
 evil report and good report, had faithfully observed a 
 friendly attitude towards our countrymen. 
 
 This much, however, may be said in behalf of the gover- 
 nor-general — whose overstrained notions of duty rendered 
 it possible—that the transaction was an error of the head 
 and not of .the heart. For when, that same year, he set 
 foot upon the deck of the vessel that was to convey him 
 from the scene of his nine years' labours abroad, he was able 
 to look back upon a varied career of glory and usefulness, 
 illustrated not more by the triumphant issue of the Sikh 
 war, than by the initiation of that system of railway, post- 
 age, and telegraph, which has since been attended with 
 such beneficial results. He was succeeded in office by Lord 
 Canning, the then postmaster-general. 
 
OHiVrXEH XXVL 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OP LORD CANNING. 
 
 War with Persia— Battles of Mohammerah and Aliwaz— Tli« 
 Indian Mutiny — Causes — Dissatisfaction among the Sepoy a 
 — General character of British rule — The Greased Cartridge? 
 —The Bengal Army — Preliminaries of the Mutiny — Outbreak 
 at Meerut — The Insurgents take possession of Delhi — Spread 
 of the K,ebellion — Precautionary measures adopted at Mean* 
 meer, Ferozepore, Umballa, and other places. 
 
 The first year of the new governor-generars administra- 
 tion is marked by a short but sharp struggle with the 
 ancient kingdom of Persia. For purposes of trade, and 
 as a check upon the intrigues of Eussia, missions had 
 been sent at various times to the Shah's court — the last 
 being that despatched by Lord Minto in 1810, when Sir 
 Gore Ouseley was made permanent envoy to Teheran. 
 In 1838, or just before the Afghan war, encouraged by 
 the European power above mentioned, they laid siege, it 
 will be remembered, to Herat, which was successfully 
 defended by Captain Pottingerj and, by a subsequent 
 treaty (1853), the king agreed to make no further attempt 
 upon the place. This treaty was faithfully observed till 
 the period of Lord Comwallis's administration, when, 
 after offering a series of gross insults to Mr. Murray, the 
 British envoy, they broke faith; and, besieging the for- 
 tress, captured it. Mr. Murray had previously quitted 
 Teheran; and the governor-general was not slow to take 
 up the gauntlet thus rudely thrown down by the Persian 
 monarcL An army of 6000 men under General Stalker 
 was despatched from Bombay, which forthwith attacked 
 Bushire. The place was taken, and the entire artillery 
 •nd ammunition of the place came into possession of thd 
 viotort. 
 
18&4-1857.] ADMIKISYBATIOF OF LOSD OASVTSQ, 189 
 
 Meanwhile, Sir James Oiitram had arrived j and now 
 the struggle began in earnest. The Persian force was on 
 •^its way to attempt the recovery of Bushire; and the 
 British commander lost no time in advancing to intercept 
 them. He fell in with them at Khooshab. The action 
 that followed was a brilliant affair, and in it the Poonah 
 horse and 3rd Bombay cavalry won undying renown — 
 deciding, by their bravery, the fate of the day. The most 
 celebrated and decisive action of the campaign was that 
 of Mohammerah, a fortress situated upon a branch of the 
 Euphrates, known as the Karoon (1857), where Prince 
 Khan Mirza lay with a large army. The position was 
 exceedingly strong, and considerable opposition was ex- 
 pected in consequence. To the surprise of the commander, 
 however, the enemy made but little resistance, and with- 
 drew to take new ground at Ahwaz, higher np the river. 
 This position was subsequently attacked by Commodore 
 Renniej and its easy capture virtually terminated the 
 war, 
 
 By the treaty that followed, the Shah guaranteed the 
 integrity of Herat, and the protection of British commerce, 
 and bound himself to assist in the snppi'ession of the 
 slave-trade. The good-will that has ever since existed 
 between England and Persia has recently (1873) found 
 expression in the cordial reception of the Shah by all 
 classes in this country. 
 
 The administration of Lord Canning is memorable on 
 account of its association with one of the most tragic 
 occurrences it has ever been the lot of humanity to wit- 
 ness — ^namely, the Sepoy Mutiny (1857). We have now 
 and then noticed the spirit of discontent and insubordi- 
 nation which pervaded the ranks of the native army, and 
 told how that Sir Charles Napier had been despatched from 
 England as much for the purpose of grappling with Ae 
 danger it foreshadowed as to supersede Sir Hugh Gough, 
 to whose bad generalship the slow progi*ess of the Sikh 
 war, and the fearful loss of life were erroneously attributed. 
 We showed, too, the difficulty which stood in the way of 
 reform, and how little he was able to progress with the 
 
190 HISTORY OP INDIA. [CHAP. XXVL 
 
 task he had been sent out to perform. The spirit of dis- 
 satisfaction and ill-wiir was widespread and deep, and 
 the danger serious in the extreme. A critical period had 
 indeed arrived; for our position in India was imperilled 
 in a far greater degree than in the times of the Mahrattas, 
 of Hyder Ally, and Tippoo Sahib. 
 
 Many circumstances had joined in producing this mu- 
 tinous spirit; and it is but fair to our rulers to say that 
 many of them were entirely beyond their control. The 
 process of conquest by which India had been brought 
 within the dominions of Britain, was necessarily accom- 
 panied by those evils and hardships which all enlightened 
 conquerors may perhaps mitigate but cannot avoid. Con- 
 querors of the Xerxes, Attila, or Tamerlane type might 
 make short and easy work of all disaffection by the appli- 
 cation of iron measures, such as might enter into the 
 souls of the vanquished, but would nevertheless at the 
 same time preclude all attempts to give expression by 
 outward act. Of such like dealings they had had sad ex- 
 perience in days gone by. Such a method, however 
 convenient it might be, was utterly antagonistic to the 
 principles and education of Englishmen, and could, there- 
 fore, never be adopted. Hence a government of exces- 
 sive laxity and toleration which the Hindu, in his pro- 
 found ignorance might readily misinterpret as the offspring 
 of indifference, indecision, or even fear. The marked 
 deference the Company had always paid to the prejudices 
 of the natives had been carried to so excessive a degree, 
 that they had even opposed the introduction into the 
 country of the useful customs of their own land. 
 
 This non-interferent policy had been observed by the 
 Company up to the period of Lord William Bentinck's 
 administration. Time had been, indeed, when heathen- 
 ism was encouraged, and the most revolting ceremonies 
 actually protected by military guards. But a new era had 
 come in with the reforms of Lord William and his suc- 
 cessors. Admission was permitted to the missionary, 
 schools were founded, the public service opened to natives, 
 ftnd the time seemed at hand when i^ change in tho Qo& 
 
1854-1867.] ADMINISTRATION OF LORD CANNINa 191 
 
 Btitution of Hindu society would come about. The very 
 improvements introduced by Lord Dalhousiewere regarded 
 by the ignorant as measures adopted with a view to ren- 
 dering this transition sure and easy; and so the feeling 
 of wuf auiness and suspicion fast gained ground. 
 
 It has often been alleged that the Indian mutiny had 
 its immediate origin in a fear lest the religious freedom 
 of the natives should be interfered with. If such were 
 the case, the disquietude must have proceeded rather from 
 surmise than from actual facts; for, though government 
 and other schools had been founded everywhere, religious 
 teaching had been made optional in the one class, and 
 entirely interdicted in the other. 
 
 The determination to use certain greased cartridges which 
 the employment of a new arm — the Enfield rifle — ^rendered 
 necessary, contributed more than any other circumstance 
 to impart to this rebellion a religious tinge. Indeed, it was 
 regarded by many as a religious war; but the fallacy of 
 the theory is surely exhibited by the fact that the emeute 
 was almost entirely confined to the ranks of the Sepoy 
 soldiery. The population in general abstained from taking 
 part in it; while the native princes, as a rule, either 
 observed the attitude of passive on-lookers, or sided with 
 our countrymen in their efforts to reduce the rebels. 
 
 "Whatever may have happened to fill the conservative 
 Hindu with alarm on account of European innovation, 
 these circumstances were certainly but secondary con- 
 siderations. The primary causes were rather of a military 
 than a civil character. A lax condition of discipline had 
 long characterised the Indian military system; and the 
 Sepoy regiments had been in a state of chronic mutiny for 
 more than twenty years. Exhibitions of disobedience 
 had been connived at or condoned; and each display ot a 
 mutinous spirit, followed as it ever was by concession, 
 tended to encourage, rather than allay it. In the words 
 of a writer on the subject — *' At each successive act of 
 indiscipline, the Sepoys became more exacting, and the 
 government more yielding; till at length the obedience 
 gf tlM natly* armj was little mort tk«B Aomim^ Oar 
 
192 HISTORY OP INDIA. [CHAP. XXVL 
 
 native troops were cajoled by concessions and pampered 
 by sweetmeats. The flattery distilled into their ears 
 wonld have turned the heads of any body of troops, even 
 if they had not been the Asiatic mercenaries of a foreign 
 conqueror. Thus they were encouraged in the belief that 
 it was to their prowess alone that we owed the empire of 
 India; and they came at length to the conclusion that, as 
 they had once conquered India for us, they might now 
 conquer it for th(imselves." "^ 
 
 Two most unfortunate conditions favoured the muti- 
 neers at this time — namely, the recent annexation of 
 Oude, and the reduction in the strength of the European 
 regiments on Tndian service. The operation referred 
 to had been effected without disorder, it is true; but it 
 had nevertheless engendered a feeling of deep-rooted and 
 dangerous discontent in the minds of the people. Unfor- 
 tunately, the great bulk of the Bengal Sepoy army were 
 natives of this province; and their sympathies would natu- 
 rally be expected to go with their countrymen, who, from 
 the highest to the lowest, considered themselves aggrieved 
 and insulted by its forced annexation. Moreover, the 
 regiments contained a great proportion of high-caste 
 Brahmins, who, on account of their peculiar prejudices, 
 had always been most difficult to manage. Such an 
 arrangement, under any circumstances, would be expected 
 to be perilous; and when the manifestations of ill-will, 
 which from time to time had been but too apparent, are 
 taken into account, the reduction of the European forces, 
 to the proportion of one to five, by the authorities must 
 be looked- u})on as injudicious in the extreme. 
 
 We must, however, regard the introduction of the 
 greased cartridges as the more immediate cause of the 
 outbreak. A report had been circulated to the effect 
 that the lubricating matter was composed of a mixture 
 of cow's fat and hog's lard. It was a cjever insinuation, 
 because the presence of the former ingredient would be 
 certain to give grievous offence to the Hindu, who holds 
 the cow in religious veneration; whilst the latter Was A 
 • Marshman's Memoirs of Sir Henry Havelock, 
 
1854-1857.] ADMINISTRATION OF LORD OANNINa 19d 
 
 gross insult to the Mohammedans with whom the hog is 
 an abomination; and while not a few would see in it an 
 insidious attempt at proselytism, all would regard it aa 
 an insult to their religious convictions. 
 
 The rebellion was heralded by a system of incendiarism 
 which was carried on at Barrackpore, Umballa, Meerut, 
 and other stations. The earliest open manifestation of 
 discontent occurred at Berhampore, where a Sepoy regi- 
 ment absolutely refused to receive the cartridges served 
 out to them. The resolution of Colonel Mitchell pre- 
 vented bloodshed, and the regiment was shortly afterwards 
 disbanded. The news of this and similar exhibitions of 
 an insubordinate spirit quickly spread along the Ganges, 
 and the rebellion grew with a rapidity which would have 
 been marvellous, but for the fact that the minds of the 
 natives were prepared for it by constant brooding over 
 imaginary wrongs, and by a careful dissemination of art- 
 fully-woven stories regarding the designs of the English. 
 
 In May, the rebellion began in earnest. At Meerut a 
 cavalry regiment had refused, like their brethren at 
 Berhampore, to receive the cartridges; for which act of 
 insubordination eighty-five men were tried and convicted. 
 A few days later this regiment, in conjunction with those 
 at other stations about, broke into open mutiny, shot down 
 their officers, set free their imprisoned comrades, massacred 
 every European they could lay hands on, and set fire to 
 the place. They then marched in a body to Delhi, where 
 disaffection was known to be in the highest degree rife. 
 
 Eluding the European troops that had been sent to 
 intercept them, they entered the city and hastened to 
 proclaim the king. Joined by the Sepoys of the place, 
 they began to emulate the doings of Meerut, though with 
 greater atrocity. Every European — man, woman, and 
 child — found within the city was massacred in cold blood, 
 and in the most barbarous manner. Lieut. Willoughby, 
 with a handful of Europeans, gallantly defended the 
 arsenal, committing frightful havoc among the ranks of 
 the mutineers; but, overpowered by numbers, he was at 
 length obliged to fly; and thus aa unlimited quantity of 
 
194 HISTORY OP INDIA. [cHAP. XXVI. 
 
 military stores fell into the hands of the rebels. On the 
 11th of the month, the mutineers, then, were in undisputed 
 possession of the ancient Mogul capital, over which reigned 
 once more a representative of the imperial house. 
 
 It was at this trying crisis that the advantage of Lord 
 Dalhousie's progressive policy was exhibited. The electrio 
 wires, which he had caused to be laid, were at once set in 
 motion, and news of the outbreak was received at Lahore, 
 Ferozepore, and other important stations upon the very 
 day of the occurrence. Upon receipt of the painful 
 tidings, the military authorities of the former place acted 
 with commendable wisdom and promptitude. At Mean- 
 meer there was a native force of 4000 men, and another 
 of 1300 Europeans with artillery. The Sepoy regiments 
 were, without delay, marched unsuspectingly to a posi- 
 tion in which they were confronted by the latter who 
 were drawn out ready for action, with theii* guns fully 
 charged. They were then ordered to lay down their 
 arms; and, having no alternative, they of course imme- 
 diately obeyed. Similar precautions were adopted at 
 Ferozepore, where was an immense magazine — though 
 not without bloodshed. Peshawar, Umballa, and other 
 places were alike summarily dealt with; and thus the 
 rebellion, though widespread, was in a great measure 
 checked. 
 
 Unparalleled exertions were now made by the com- 
 mander-in-chief to raise a force sufficient to cope with the 
 rebellion; and, by the beginning of June a mixed army 
 of Europeans and Ghoorkas were assembled in front of 
 Delhi, under Sir Henry BftE®ard* j^^aratory to an attack 
 upon the rebels there* 
 
COAPTEB XXYH 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF LORD OANNINO (contmued). 
 
 Progress of the Mutiny — Massacre of Jhansi — The Fugitives 
 from Futteghur — Nana Sahib — His Treachery — The Massacre 
 of Cawnpore — Danger of Lucknow — Death of Sir Henry 
 Lawrence — Gallant Defence of the Residency— :Rout of the 
 Mutineers at Futtehpore by Havelock — Cawnpore entered 
 — Relics of the Massacre — Unsuccessful Attempt of Have- 
 lock to relieve Lucknow — The Insurrection gains ground — 
 Delhi invested — Arrival of Reinforcements— Progress of the 
 Siege — Its Capture — Moral Eflfect of the Capture. 
 
 Although the promptitude of the English officers had 
 stifled rebellion in some quarters, their measures were 
 unfortunately unsuccessful in others. At Mattra, Oude, 
 Allahabad, Alighur, Nusseerabad, Neemuch, and^many 
 another spot of tragic memory, the Sepoy regiments,* 
 following the example of their comrades of Meerut and 
 Delhi, shot down their officers and marched to swell the 
 ranks of the rebel garrison of the imperial city. At Agra 
 and Benares the movements of the disaffected were, for 
 the present, checked; but at Jhandi a frightful massacre 
 of confiding Europeans occurred, which rivalled in its 
 atrocity the scenes of Meerut and Delhi. 
 
 Futteghur, besieged by rebels from Oude, resolutely held 
 out, till the place had become untenable — when the garri- 
 son took to their boats and dropped down the river to 
 Cawnpore. Here the most thrilling incident of the 
 whole mutiny had taken place. The tragedy alluded to has 
 been thus described: — "More deliberately treac];ierous 
 than the catastrophe of the Black Hole a hundred years 
 before — more intensified and prolonged — the fute of those 
 wiio perished then forms a tragedy, so full of terrible 
 
199 HISTOBY OF INDIA. [OHAP. ZZ7II, 
 
 misery, of teroic endurance, and the deepest pathos, that 
 it will be read with a shuddering tribute of tears, to the 
 latest generation of Englishmen."* 
 
 The principal actor in this unprecedented drama was 
 one Dhondoo Punt, who, under the name of Nana Sahib, 
 or the Nana of Bithoor, will be remembered with execra- 
 tion by posterity wherever the sad history of this rebellion 
 shall be read. The nana was the adopted heir of the 
 Peshwa, Bajee Bao, who, on his patron's death in 1853, 
 had applied for a continuation of the pension which the 
 government had, with too great generosity, it was thought, 
 granted to the Peshwa. It was, however, withheld; 
 and, from that time forward, the British had no more 
 subtle and determined enemy in the Indian peninsula 
 than this disappointed man. He became one of the fore- 
 most agents for the dissemination of the most audacious 
 falsehoods concerning the English throughout India; and, 
 under the guise of a friendly exterior, contrived to hiii 
 utmost to fan the flame of disajQTection, and to subvert our 
 rule in the country. When the mutiny broke out, he 
 was warm in his professions of loyalty and good-will; 
 and it was earnestly hoped that he might be a ready, 
 instrument in the hands of the English authorities in 
 dealing out retribution to the insurgents. 
 
 At this memorable station of Cawnpore there were 
 some 4000 native troops; while, of Europeans, there 
 were barely 200. In anticipation of an outbreak, the 
 commander, Sir Hugh Wheeler, had strengthened the 
 cantonment by a breastwork; and within this miserable 
 fortification the Europeans — military and civil — to the 
 number of 1000 souls took refuge. At first, the nana'a 
 bearing was assuring; but as time wore on his treachery 
 became only too apparent. The European position was, 
 by-and-bye, attacked, but an effective stand was made 
 for three weeks, when, supplies failing, and the gallant 
 commander having fallen in a sortie made upon the 
 besieging force, the defenceless garrison agreed to treat 
 v\ ith the nana. It was a fatal step, and had the con- 
 * Col. Meadows Taylor'g Manual of the History qf India, 
 
1854-1857.] ADMINISl^RATION Jt LORD CANNING. 19t 
 
 sequences been anticipated, the garrison would ten times 
 Booner have put their helpless charges to the sword and 
 died in armour. 
 
 According to the terms of capitulation, they were to 
 make their way by boats to Allahabad. They were, 
 however, no sooner embarked than a fire of grape and 
 musketry was opened upon them from the shore. Four 
 men only escaped the murderous ordeal by swimming; the 
 rest were brought to shore — the men to be summarily 
 butchered, the women and children to be subjected by- 
 and-bye to the most revolting barbarities. And there is 
 no more terrible memory of this painful mutiny than the 
 Well of Cawnpore — the grave of our outraged country- 
 women and children. The list of atrocities was swollen 
 by the massacre of a remnant of the fugitive garrison of 
 Futteghur, who, ignorant of the fate of their brethren, 
 had suffered themselves to be decoyed on shore. 
 
 Upon Cawnpore and Delhi and Lucknow was now 
 centred the chief interest of this mournful occurrence. 
 At Lucknow, the governor. Sir Henry Lawrence, had 
 taken such precautions as he was able. He had fortified 
 a building known as the Mutchie Bhowan; and here he 
 took up his quarters in daily expectation of being called 
 upon to defend himself against the attacks of rebel bands 
 who menaced him on every side. Towards the end of 
 June, the wisdom of his precautions became apparent. 
 The insurgents, upwards of 2000 in number, had been 
 gradually collecting at a station some eighteen miles fron) 
 Lucknow, and their advance-guard was now at Chinhutj 
 within ten miles of the Kesidency. Here Sir Henrj? 
 Lawrence attacked themj but, being deserted by his 
 Sepoys, and overwhelmed by numbers, his men were 
 driven back with severe loss. In this engagement the 
 gallant commander received his death- wound. The nor- 
 mal effect of his failure was serious in the extreme; and 
 the Mutchie Bhowan, no longer tenable, was surren- 
 dered to the besiegers. The garrison now withdrew to the 
 Residency, and there for months withstood a siege which, 
 from the determination with which it was conducted, and 
 
198 HISTORY OF INDIA. [CHAP. XXVTI. 
 
 the heroism displayed in its defence, must ever hold fore- 
 most rank among the events of this awful period. 
 
 Meanwhile, preparations had Been making for the 
 relief of the devoted garrison; and on the last day of 
 June, Sir Henry Havelock was at Allahabad at the head 
 of a little band of Europeans and Sikhs. Thither he set 
 out, and was met by the rebels in force at Futtehpore. 
 His men, wearied with a long day's march, would fain 
 have rested for the night, that with strength renewed 
 they might face the foe in the morning. Their desire 
 was not gratified, for the enemy was already advancing. 
 The action that ensued was a brilliant and, so far as 
 Havelock's men were concerned, a bloodless one. The 
 enemy quickly fled, leaving their artillery and baggage in 
 the hands of the victors. Havelock now advanced on 
 Cawnpore with the hope of saving its unfortunate garri- 
 son; but the nana, in anticipation of Havelock's success, had 
 ])laced them beyond the reach of succour; for "this band 
 of Englishmen bright in their honour, and of English- 
 women still brighter in their fortitude," were now no more. 
 
 " E<ir)y on the 17th, Havelock's brigade marched into 
 the station, and soon reached the scene of the massacre. 
 Wliat was seen there, in all its sickening horror, need 
 not be described again ; but was it marvellous that the 
 mournful blood-stained relics, the little shoes and scraps 
 of clothing, the deep well filled with fresh dead — caused 
 every British soldier to make an inward vow of revenge, 
 which to the last was sternly fulfilled? Over that well, 
 now enclosed by a lich Gothic screen, stands an angel in 
 marble, with folded wings and crossed arms, an emblem of 
 the restof thedead beneath, who await the Lord's coming." "^ 
 
 The success of Havelock's march was thorough; for in 
 nine days he had fought and won four battles — commit- 
 ting sad havoc among the ranks of the mutineers, and 
 capturing many guns. The nana fled upon the approach 
 of the victorious column, first to Bithoor, and then across 
 the Ganges — so leaving General Neale in possession of 
 the place. Havelock, with a force of some 1500 men 
 * Meadows Taylor's Student's History of India. 
 
1854-1857.] ADMINISTRATION OF LOED CAJSmVQ. 199 
 
 crossed the Ganges on his way to the relief of the garri- 
 son of Lucknow. The attempt, for the present, unfor- 
 tunately was a failure. His little band fought with a 
 courage which the justice of a cause alone can impart; and_ 
 the enemy retired before them from many a hard-fought 
 field; but the season was upon the side of the rebels, 
 and the gallant general was soon forced to fall back before 
 a foe which no heroism, however exalted, could hope to 
 withstand; for when he arrived on his retrograde move- 
 ment at Mungulwar, sickness had prostrated a considerable 
 proportion of his men. 
 
 Nothing daunted, however, he returned to the task 
 anew; and with a small reinforcement from Cawnpore, once 
 more pushed forward. Again he was compelled to retreat 
 — this time on Cawnpore, where he was able to render 
 yeoman service to Neale, who was threatened by a con- 
 siderable force under the nana. The nana was hopelessly 
 beaten; but Havelock, despairing of accomplishing his 
 design with such a handful of men, determined to rest 
 here and await reinforcements. Those reinforcements 
 were slow indeed in arriving; for the dissatisfaction was 
 80 widespread, that such Europeans and faithful allies 
 as were at command, were required either to watch and 
 disarm the Sepoys, or to counteract their mischief when 
 in actual rebellion. At JuUinida, Jhelum, and Sealcote 
 the troops had mutinied and marched northwards into 
 Delhi. At Lahore, the rebels were summarily dealt with. 
 An attempt was made by the Agra Sepoys to get posses- 
 don of the fortifications of the place. Benares was only 
 saved by an exhibition of the greatest firmness ; and 
 Azinghur by the prompt action of a wealthy indigo- 
 planter of the district. The native soldiery at Peshawar 
 rose in open revolt ; and, as the reward of their treachery, 
 were, like their comrades of Sealcote, thoroughly annihi- 
 lated. Bengal was for the most part quiet; but con- 
 siderable uneasiness prevailed in Calcutta, and prepara- 
 tions were made for the worst. The mere enumeration 
 of these, which are only selected as being among the most 
 prominent localities of disturbance, is sufficient to show 
 
200 
 
 HtSTOllt OF INDIA. [CHAP.XXVIL 
 
 how wide must be the area of operations, and how difficult 
 the reinforcement of the relieving band under Havelock. 
 While Generals Neale and Havelock lay thus inactive 
 at Cawnpore, their brethren in arms were engaged in an 
 attack upon the great stronghold of the enemy at Delhi. 
 The investment had, indeed, begun early in June, when 
 Sir Harry Barnard, having defeated the rebels at Budlee 
 Serai, took up a position upon the heights overlooking 
 the city to the north-west. The siege dragged its slow 
 length through the months of June, July, and August, 
 
 GOVERNMENT HOUSE, CALCUTTA. 
 
 and no attempt was made at assault — ^for the place, strong 
 both by nature and art, was in the hands of 30,000 trained 
 soldiers with a well-stocked arsenal, in daily receipt of 
 reinforcements, and their roads of communication open 
 towards the south and east. Confident in their over- 
 whelming numbers, repeated sorties were made upon the 
 English lines; and though always gallantly repulsed, the 
 British position was oftentimes in considerable jeopardy. 
 Meanwhile, the English commander had been receiv- 
 ing reinforcements from the west; and, by the end of 
 
1854-1857.] ADMINISTRATION OF lOilB CAN»lNO. 201 
 
 August, his array numbered 8000 troOps of all arms; and 
 a siege-train considerably strengthened by batteries from 
 Ferozepore. This latter was brought in with immense 
 difficulty, after a sharp conflict at Myjuffghur, occasioned 
 by an attempt on the part of the enemy to intercept it. 
 The batteries were speedily erected; and the clamorous 
 din of fifty guns and mortars, belching forth an incessant 
 storm of shot and shell, contrasted powerfully with the 
 ailence of that forced inactivity which had characterised 
 the last few weeks of the siege. Indeed, up to the pre- 
 sent, there had really been no siege, but merely a main- 
 tenance of position. 
 
 On the 8th of September a contingent of Sikhs arrived, 
 and swelled the numbers of the effective fighting-men to 
 something like 10,000. On the morning of the 14th the 
 assault upon the city was made. The well-directed fire 
 of the English batteries had already demolished the mas- 
 sive walls, and the breach was reported practicable. The 
 assaulting columns were, headed by Brigadiers Nicholson 
 and Jones and Colonel Campbell. The assailants were 
 met with a perfect hail of musketry, but the advance 
 was never checked, and the breaches were quickly carried. 
 The Cashmere gates were blown in by bags of gunpowder 
 heroically applied by Lieutenant Salkeld and other volun- 
 teers. The stormers advanced, carrying all before them, 
 and reached, at length, the inner defences. Meanwhile, 
 a column under General Beid had been so unsuccessful 
 that it had to retire and find refuge within the British 
 lines. Nevertheless, nothing daunted, either by the 
 failure of their comrades, or by the difficulties which lay 
 before them, the assailants pressed onwards. 
 
 The city was obstinately defended; and as the attack- 
 ing columns pushed their way through the thoroughfares 
 of the city, they had to run the gauntlet of an incessant 
 and murderous fire from the loop-holed buildings which 
 lined them. In carrying one street, in particular, the 
 loss was heavy; and the gallant Nicholson was borne to 
 the rear mortally wounded. 
 
 Notwithstanding the exertions of the troops, Delhi 
 
202 HISTORY OP INDIA. |CHAP. XXVII. 
 
 was not yet won. The chief strongholds were still in the 
 hands of the enemy; and difficulties lay in the way of 
 the British advance calculated to make the boldest pause. 
 Kevertheless, the onset never slackened. Tho artillery 
 was brought up, and the enemy's position vigorously 
 shelled. The magazine was captured; and, step by step, 
 the English advanced. The Burn Bastion, the scene of 
 Reid's late failure and the strongest point of the fortifi- 
 cation was carried, and the Lahore and Delhi gates falling, 
 left the king's palace open to the assailants. The king, 
 being captured by Lieutenant Hodson, was brought to 
 the palace. His son and grandson were subsequently 
 taken, and put to death as agents of the rebels. 
 
 Six days of hard fighting had been employed in the 
 capture of this stronghold ; but when, at length, the work 
 was done, it was found to be so complete that not a rebel 
 soldier is said to have remained alive within it. The 
 retribution was sharp, and the destruction of life among 
 the rebels great; but then the provocation had been great 
 likewise; and tender dealing with those who, having 
 eaten our bread had taken up arms against us, would, at 
 such a juncture, have been highly injudicious. To the 
 honour of the victors, however, there was no indiscrimi- 
 nate slaughter. The civil population was left compara- 
 tively unmolested; and, if the place was plundered and 
 devastated, it was because the efforts of the officers Vera 
 powerless to restrain the violence of a soldiery whose 
 passions had been roused to a pitch of perfect frenzy. 
 
 The capture of Delhi, which had cost the English and 
 their native allies the lives of close upon 4000 men, left 
 the besiegers at liberty to march to the assistance of their 
 comrades of Cawnpore. The unexpected success at Delhi, 
 although it did not end the struggle, had given the rebellion 
 its death blow. It taught those Sepoys, who as yet had 
 remained seemingly loyal, the hopelessness of the cause 
 of their mutinous comrades ; and native princes who 
 were ready to declare for the rebels upon the first gleam 
 of real success began to offer, some their congratulations, 
 others their services in quelling the insurrection. 
 
CHAPTEH XXVIII. 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF LORD CANNING {continued). 
 
 The Flying Columns — Havelock's Advance— Battle of the Allum- 
 bagh — Havelock brings Eelief to the Lucknow Garrison — 
 Sir Colin Campbell advances to relieve the Garrison — He 
 withdraws to Cawnpore — Defeat of the Gwalior Eebels 
 under Nana Sahib and Tantia Topee — Suspension of Opera- 
 tions — Sir Colin's Celebrated Campaign — Capture of the 
 Eebels' Strongholds in Lucknow — Sir Hugh Eose's Campaign 
 — Dispersion of the Eebel Bands — Circumscribed Character 
 of the Eebellion — End of the Mutiny. 
 
 The various columns that quitted Delhi on their errand of 
 mercy had yet work to do before reaching Cawnpore. Agra, 
 threatened by a large insurgent force from Dholpore, was 
 saved by the timely action of Colonel Greathed; and 
 another column under Brigadier Thomas employed itself 
 in clearing the country of the rebel bands that threatened 
 it. Indeed, the country seemed to be filled with flying 
 columns, whose doughty deeds helped not a little towards 
 the ultimate victory of our arms, and brought forth into 
 the light of day many a name heretofore obscure, but 
 now a household word among us. 
 
 The little band under Havelock and Neale had been 
 inactive spectators of the struggle — burning to , advance 
 to the rescue of their countrymen at Lucknow, but unable 
 from want of means to show themselves beyond the walls 
 of their fortress. Ere the great stronghold of Delhi had 
 been levelled, Sir James Outram arrived with reinforce- 
 ments from Calcutta; and, in a few days, an English 
 column crossed the Ganges under Sir Henry Havelock, 
 Sir James Outram, who had been appointed commander- 
 .in-chief of the Cawnpore and Dinapore stations, chival- 
 
204 filSfOflT OF IlfDlA. [chap. XXVIII. 
 
 rously waiving his rank and serving as a volunteer under 
 him. The principal episode that occurred upon the line 
 of march was the fight of the Allumbagh, whence the 
 rebels were driven towards Lucknow. Arrived at Luck- 
 now, a severe contest — such as that which marks the 
 closing days of the siege of Delhi — took place. The 
 attack, however, was successful. The enemy's position 
 was carried; and the devoted garrison, who had so long 
 and bravely struggled on against such mighty odds — at 
 first hoping against hope, and anon fighting with that 
 desperate valour which belongs to men who behold them- 
 selves face to face with death — received their triumphant 
 fellow-countrymen with grateful welcome. 
 
 This arrival of Havelock was, however, rather a rein- 
 forcement than a relief from the dangers threatening 
 them. The brave general had, by sheer hard fighting, thus 
 joined hands with his devoted comrades of the Residency. 
 The rebels, notwithstanding, manifested no disposition to 
 retire from the siege; and the utmost the reinforced 
 garrison could do was to await still further succour, 
 which the almost daily arrivals from England gave them 
 good reason to hope for. 
 
 Yet for two months longer had this devoted band to 
 maintain themselves against the overwhelming numbers 
 of their enemy; for it was not till the end of October 
 that Sir Colin Campbell, who had been appointed com- 
 mander-in-chief, left Calcutta for its relief. Tn the course 
 of a week he arrived at Cawnpore, whence he set out to 
 join the garrison of Allumbagh. The junction effected, he 
 saw himself at the head of 4500 men. No time was lost 
 in commencing operations; and Sir Colin having, through 
 the daring feat of an officer named Kavannagh, entered 
 into communication with the garrison at Lucknow, began 
 the attack. Point after point of the fortress was captured ; 
 and, after three days' hard fighting, the Besidency was 
 reached. Two days later, the sick and woimded were 
 removed to the Sikunder Bagh, and the next day the 
 position so long and so nobly defended was abandoned. 
 The joy of the rescued garrison was damped by the death, 
 
1858-1859.] ADMINISTRATION OF LOED CANNINGU 205 
 
 by dysentery, of the gallant Havelock, wliicli occurred at 
 the Dilkooshee on the 25 th November. The commander's 
 object had simply been the relief of the garrison; and 
 this had been effected by the process of bringing them 
 from the Residency to the safer position of the Allum- 
 bagh. The means at his command were not adequate to 
 a general attack upon the place; so, leaving General 
 Outram with a division at Aliumbagh, Sir Colin retraced 
 his steps to Cawnpore. 
 
 The speedy withdrawal of Sir Colin to Cawnpore was 
 mainly occasioned by the movements of the rebels in that 
 quarter. The Gwalior contingent, which had hitherto 
 made no sign, were at this time assembled, to the number 
 of 20,000 well-trained men under Nana Sahib and Tantia 
 Topee, and on their way to attack the garrison of Cawn- 
 pore. General Wyndham, the commander of the place, 
 on hearing of their approach, sallied out to meet them; 
 but he met with so unexpected a reverse, that he was 
 compelled to quit the town and take refuge behind the 
 entrenchments. Here, however, the success of the muti- 
 neers ended; for having sustained a defeat at the hands 
 of Sir Colin and Sir Hope Grant, the rebels dispersed, 
 leaving a splendid park of artillery in the hands of their 
 vanquishers. It is matter of satisfaction to find that the 
 fugitives from Lucknow arrived in safety at Allahabad. 
 
 The first two months of the year 1858 were spent by 
 Sir Cohn Campbell in making preparations for a great 
 campaign in Oude and E-ohilcund. Operations against 
 the insurgents were however suspended during this j^eriod. 
 Sir James Outram had crossed swords with the insurgents 
 at Lucknow; and a victorious affair had occurred at Kallee 
 Muddee, whereby Futteghur was captured. The strong 
 fortress of Aw ah in Rajpootana was taken by General 
 Koberts; and Sangur in Central India, defended for a 
 half year by faithful Sepoys, was relieved by Sir Hugh 
 Hose; while, at Muncliscor, General Stuart, by routing :* 
 rebel force, relieved Neemucli, 
 
 Towards the end oi February, Sir Colin's celebrated 
 campaign began. Joined by Jung Bahadur with 10,000 
 
20C 
 
 BISTOBT or INDIA. [OBAP. XZinil. 
 
 Ghoorkas from Kepanl, he had with him an imposing 
 array of 50,000 men and 160 guns. His great object 
 was the capture of Lucknow; and thither his march was 
 directed. The Bilkooshee Palace was captured with ease, 
 and the bombardment was not long delayed. Position 
 after position — ^the Martini^se, the Begum Cotee, the 
 Kaiser Bagh, Mutchie Bhowan, Imambarra, and Moosee 
 Bagh, familiar names enough to those who can remem- 
 ber this eventful period — was carried; and, within the 
 space of eleven days, the whole of the city and fortifica- 
 tions were in the hands of the besiegers, whose losses, 
 considering the arduous character of the operations were 
 exceedingly smalL 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^: 
 
 
 
 i^^S 
 
 ssr^:s=rrn==== _^:^ 
 
 
 
 mm 
 
 
 ^^^^~Z =^^-^ ^c^,^,^c 
 
 LUCKNOW. 
 
 The two great centres of the rebellion — Delhi and 
 Lucknow — having fallen, the mutiny was virtually sup- 
 pressed ; and it now only remained to deal with the 
 fugitive bands that were abroad in the country, and to 
 reduce the rebel strongholds of RohUcund, Rajpootana, 
 andOentral India. The principal leaders of the rebels 
 at this tima were Khan Bahadur, Khan Koer Singh, 
 
1858-1859.] ADMINISTRATION OF LORD CANNING. 201 
 
 Prince Feroze of Delhi, the Moulv^ee of Fyzabad, the 
 Nana of Bithoor, Tantia Topee, the Begum of Oude, and 
 the Ranee of JhansL 
 
 The operations in Central India were conducted by Sir 
 Hugh Bose; and his campaign in the hill country about 
 Malwah and Bundelcund, is one of the most interesting 
 features of the contest. Early in April he attacked the 
 ranee's stronghold; and, beating off a relieving column 
 under Tantia Topee, captured one of the strongest bul- 
 warks of the insurgents in this part of India. The ranee 
 escaped; but a terrible vengeance was taken upon her 
 rebel followers for the cold-blooded massacre of our coun- 
 trymen ten months before. The ranee was pursued, but 
 was not overtaken till she had joined Tantia Topee. A 
 series of combats ensued; and Kalpee, their stronghold, 
 was taken; but both escaped. The terrific heat of the 
 weather checked pursuit; and their scattered bands were 
 permitted to unite and take possession of Gwalior, where 
 Nana Sahib was proclaimed Peshwa. Thither, in due 
 time, they were pursued by Sir Hugh, who, after four 
 days' bombardment, captured their stronghold and rein- 
 stated the loyal Scindia, who, through the mutinous spiiit 
 of his troops, had been compelled to flee from the place. 
 The ranee was killed during the siege. The nana and 
 Tantia Topee managed to escape; and, though pursued 
 and defeated at Alipoor, they still maintained a head, till, 
 hunted from place to place by Majors Holmes and Meade, 
 Tantia surrendered to the latter. He was tried by couru- 
 martial and hanged in April 1859. 
 
 Koer Singh, after defeating a body of English under 
 Captain de Grand, was killed at Jugdispoor, which for- 
 tress had been laid siege to by Sir E. Layard. Nana 
 Sahib made good his escape northwards, and took refuge 
 amid the jungles of Nepaul, where, shortly afterwards, he 
 is said to have died. The Begum of Oude sought asylum 
 in the same wild region. Some of the insurgent chiefs 
 submitted. There consequently remained no organised 
 resistance; and the operations were henceforth of so desul- 
 tory a character, that they could no longer be characterised 
 
208 HISTORY OF INDIA. [CHAP. XXVIII. 
 
 as a campaign, as they had for their object merely the 
 dispersion of bands rendered desperate by failure, and 
 the prospect of retribution. 
 
 -Ajid thus the great Sepoy rebellion was stamped out. 
 It was a gloomy page in the history of India, blotted 
 with deep dark spots, but relieved here and there by 
 discs of matchless brightness. Self-abnegation, fortitude, 
 Christian patience, noble devotion, and exalted heroism 
 stand boldly out against the dark background of 
 anarchy and rebellion, with its blurs and blots of 
 treachery and untold cruelty, illuminating its surface 
 with a radiance that shall never fade. For if, in such 
 miscreants as the Nana, Lukshmere Bye, the Kanee of 
 Jhansi, the King of Delhi, the Moulvee of Fyzabad, and 
 their fiendish followers, the worst phases of human char- 
 cioter are exhibited, the claims of humanity to the 
 [)roud position of the Almighty's noblest handiwork are 
 well upheld by such men as Outram, Ha.velock, Campbell, 
 Rose, Lawrence, Kavannagh, Salkeld, and a host of 
 heroes whose noble deeds shall be remembered and 
 recorded wherever the force of example may be needed 
 to spur the timorous to honour and duty, or to sustain 
 the wretched under severest trial. 
 
 One of the most agreeable features of this untoward 
 event was the attitude of the Hindu people generally, 
 and the fidelity with which the native rulers, as a whole, 
 observed the compacts into which they had severally 
 entered with their conquerors. There was no disturbance 
 south of the l!^erbudda. The people of the provinces 
 so lately annexed, several of the Sepoy regiments, notably 
 those at Lucknow, our ancient enemies the Mahrattas, 
 with Scindia and Holkar, and many another people whom 
 we had often met in the field of battle, and had vanquished 
 in desperate strife, so far from availing themselves of the 
 opportunity the insurrection seemed to furnish them for 
 regaining their lost independence, or avenging past in- 
 juries, were either strictly neutral, or indefatigable in the 
 aid they ofiered the English in bringing the rebels to 
 justice and re-establishing order. 
 
1858-1859.] ADMINISTRATION OP LORD CANNINa 209 
 
 These exhibitions of fidelity were even surpassed by 
 the conduct of the Sikhs. The noble devotion with 
 which these lately conquered people followed our standard 
 is unique in the history of the world. It was the highest 
 possible exhibition of political honesty, and forms, with 
 the subsequent rejoicing which, upon the suppression of 
 the revolt, prevailed among all peace-loving society, the 
 highest tribute to the benignity of our rule, or at least 
 to the power and wisdom of our race. If the insurrec- 
 tion had been associated with no more pleasing memories 
 Jthan these, the blood of our heroic and long-suffering 
 countrymen and countrywomen would not have been 
 ■bed in Tain. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 ADMINISTRATION OF LORD CANNING (amcluded) — LORD 
 ELGIN — SIR JOHN LAWRENCE — LORD MAYO — LORD 
 NORTHBROOK. 
 
 Reconstruction of "the Indian Government — Lord Palmerston's 
 attempt at Legislation — Mr. Disraeli's Measure — The Queen's 
 Proclamation to the Natives — Lord Canning's Measures in 
 India — Appointment of a Minister of Indian Finance — 
 Famine in the North-west Provinces — Lord Elgin Succeeds 
 to the Government — Sir John Lawrence's Administration — 
 War with Bhotan — Famine in Orissa — Petty Warfare with 
 HiU Tribes — Appointment of Lord Mayo — His Measures — 
 His Assassination — Lord Northbrook — The Bengal Famine. 
 
 The occurrence of this insurrection gave occasion for a 
 reconstruction of the government of India. The term of 
 the Company's reign had expired; and, in face of events, 
 the question was raised as to the expediency of the 
 renewal of a further lease of sovereign power to an 
 association whose rule had culminated in so serious a 
 calamity. Moreover, the position of the Company was 
 to the last degree equivocal — depending as it did upon 
 Parliament for its tenure of power, and sharing with the 
 crown the administration of ths affairs of the dominion. 
 The rebellion had conferred one benefit at least, in that it 
 had shown the mischievous character of a dual govern- 
 ment. The very term — suggestive as it is of divided 
 responsibility — is ominous. -This, however, was perhaps 
 not now perceived for the first time; but great reforms 
 are seldom undertaken till their absolute necessity becomes 
 manifest by means of some unpleasant visitation; and so 
 it was in this case. 
 
 The remiudey h^4 com© in a terrible form, and could 
 
1859-1875.] ADMINISTRATION OF LORD CANNING. 
 
 no longer be disregarded. In February 1858, Lord Pal- 
 merston obtained leave to introduce a bill transferring 
 tbe government of India, with all tbe Company's public 
 property to the Queen. His subsequent defeat on the 
 Conspiracy Bill, and consequent resignation prevented 
 the accomplishment of his design; but the matter was 
 taken up by his successor in office; and in March next, 
 Mr. Disraeli asked permission to bring in a similar mea- 
 sure. This became law in the following August; and the 
 immense empire of India thus became a portion of the 
 dominions of the United Kingdom. The Queen's pro- 
 clamation was issued — a portion of which was translated 
 into the vernacular languages of India, read in every 
 native court, and widely circulated among all classes of 
 the people. It partly ran as follows : — " It is our further 
 will that, so far as may be, our subjects, of whatever race 
 or creed, be freely and impartially admitted to offices in 
 our service, the duties of which they may be qualified by 
 their education, ability, and integrity, duly to discharge. 
 We honour and respect the feelings of attachment with 
 which the natives of India regard the lands inherited by 
 them from their ancestors, and we desire to protect them 
 in all rights connected therewith, subject to the equitable 
 demands of the state; and we will see that, generally, in 
 framing or administering the law, due regard be paid to 
 the ancient rights, usages, and customs of India." 
 
 While measures were being taken in England for the 
 future management of Indian affairs, Lord Canning in 
 India had not been idle. His attention had been directed 
 chiefly towards Oude, the focus of the rebellion; and, by 
 way of punishment to those landowners, or talookdars, 
 as they were termed, who had taken part in the rebellion, 
 he issued a proclamation to the effect that, with the ex- 
 ception of the few who had remained loyal, the lands were- 
 forfeit to the British government. The measure caused 
 great outcry at first, and among its opponents were the 
 upright Sir James Outram, and Lord Ellenborough, Pre- 
 sident of the Board of Control, The introduction of it, 
 however, was so judicious, and its terms enforced in so 
 
212 BISTORT OF mniA, [chap. zxix. 
 
 calm and conciliatory a manner, tliat its wisdom was 
 made apparent to all concerned ; and the submission of 
 the landowners was thus peaceably secured. 
 
 Subsequently, by the aid of the new legislative council — 
 whose appointment was concurrent with the passing of 
 the bill transferring the government of the country from 
 the hands of the Company to the Crown — many important 
 and beneficial measures were introduced, chiefly of an 
 industrial and financial character, the carrying out of 
 which was greatly facilitated by the appointment of an 
 Indian Finance Minister in the person of Mr. Wilson. 
 At the same time, an amalgamation was effected of the 
 Queen's and Company's (Sudder) courts — a measure which 
 the change from the dual to a single government necessi- 
 tated. 
 
 The public works, which had been necessarily suspended 
 during the progress of the mutiny, were resumed upon 
 the restoration of peace and order; and the construction 
 of railways, roads, canals, and public buildings made fast 
 progress. The latter part of Lord Canning's administra- 
 tion, however, is marked by an unfortunate occurrence — 
 namely, a grievous famine which visited the north-western 
 provinces; and notwithstanding the most strenuous exer- 
 tions on the part of the officials and private individuals, 
 carried oft half a million of human beings. 
 
 Lord Canning left for England in June 1862, and was 
 succeeded by Lord Elgin, whose term of office extended 
 over little more than a year. No event of importance 
 marks his brief administration, excepting certain con- 
 spiracies of Mahratta fanatics — the Wahabees of Patna, 
 the Santals of the Bengal frontier, and the Sittanas 
 who dwell upon the borders of Afghanistan and the 
 Punjaub. Though productive of some uneasiness at the 
 time, these occurrences were suppressed without much 
 difficulty by Sir Hugh Rose. 
 
 Lord Elgin was succeeded by the Indian veteran, Sir 
 John Lawrence, who arrived in India early in 1864. 
 The reforms of this governor were eminently of a sanitary 
 character. la the carrying of them out, he well-nigh 
 
1864-1876.] ADMINISl'BAtlON OP SIR JOHN LAWEENCB. 213 
 
 raised a storm among the natives, who, averse to the 
 burial of their dead, were in the habit of casting their 
 corpses into the rivers, to the manifest preijudice of the 
 living. The most stirring occurrence during the adminis- 
 tration of Sir John Lawrence was a war with Bhotan, a 
 hill country to the east of Nepaul (1865). It arose from 
 a dispute concerning the payment of a tribute, which, 
 after the annexation of Assam, was promised in considera- 
 tion of the keeping open of certain passes, called Dowars, 
 at the foot of the Himalayas in this quarter. The opera- 
 tions were badly conducted; and, though the British were 
 eventually successful, it scarcely compensated for the loss 
 of life from the ravages of the climate, and of prestige 
 among the native population. 
 
 The reign of Sir John Lawrence is marked, like that 
 of his predecessor, by a devastating famine (1866). On 
 this occasion, the province of Orissa was the scene of this 
 fearful visitation. Unfortunately, no preparations had 
 been made to meet it; and the sacrifice of life quadrupled 
 that in the north-west — ^reaching the enormous figure 
 of two millions. These visitations served to direct the 
 attention of the government towards the establishment 
 of irrigation works, which should be available in case of 
 drought, and so prevent their recurrence. The matter 
 was seriously taken up by Lord Cranbourne, the Indian 
 Secretary, and engineers were immediately sent over to 
 carry out the work. 
 
 The last years of Lord Lawrence's administration were 
 occupied in petty warfare with Waghurs, Bheels, Kurds, 
 and Afghan tribes. These were in turn reduced; and 
 when Sir John quitted India upon the expiration of his 
 term of office, there was nothing to disturb its peace, 
 except the vexed question of the north-western frontier. 
 His administration might have closed with stirring events 
 had he not prudently abstained from interference in the 
 feuds of the Afghan royal family. And this, upon the 
 death of Dost Mahomed, our faithful ally, he was called 
 upon to do. Nevertheless, resisting every temptation, he 
 adhered to a strict neutrality whereby he drew upon him- 
 
214 mstoBT OF iKDf^ (chap. xm» 
 
 self miicd ctrusure from various quarters. Wbetlier bia 
 policy was a wise one or not, time will ha.vo to show. 
 
 Lord Mayo, appointed by Mr. Disraeli, was Sir John's 
 successor. He had had but little acquaintance with 
 Indian affairs, and the wisdom of the appointment was 
 severely questioned at the time. He, however, undertook 
 the responsibility of Indian government at a period when 
 there was little to do, except to wage a vigorous warfare 
 against the natural obstacles of the country, and zeal- 
 ously, to grapple with the evils of native superstition and 
 ignorance. Under such circumstances, the liberality and 
 genial nature of the noble lord seemed eminently cal- 
 culated to stand him in good stead; and India, doubtless, 
 lost a valued friend when the kindly nobleman received 
 his death-blow (1872) at the hand of an assassin. This 
 melancholy occurrence took place at Torb Blair, while on 
 an official visit to the Andaman Islands. The assassin 
 was an Indian convict named Shere Ally. 
 
 Lord Mayo was succeeded in the governor-generalship 
 by Lord Northbrook. Like Lord Mayo, he fell upon 
 quiet times; yet, like Elgin and Lawrence, he was destined 
 to close with enemieb more deadly than Mahratta or 
 Sikh, or rebel Sepoy — ^namely, famine, and its ally pesti- 
 lence. The visitation referred to was a trying circum- 
 stance; and it was everywhere felt that the administrative 
 capacity of the new governor-general would by it be placed 
 upon its trial. The combat was long and severe; but 
 victory, in tfcie end, crowned his exertions; and henceforth 
 his name must stand high upon the list of those to whom 
 the acquisition and consolidation of our eastern empii*e 
 is due. At the same time, it furnishes a further claim on 
 the part of Great Britain to dominion over the teeming 
 multitudes of the Indian peninsula. 
 
CHAPTEB XX^ 
 
 PBOGBESS OF BRITISH CONQUEST. 
 
 Characteristics of British Progress— Earliest Settlements— Sorat 
 — Factories on the Ganges and the Coromandel Coast — 
 Madras — Bombay — Calcutta — The Camatic — Bengal, Bahar, 
 Orissa — Northern Circars — ^Allahabad and Corah — Malabar— 
 Tanjore— Mahratta Territory— Cochin— Travancore— Ceylon 
 New Mahratta Territory — Burmah— Mysore— Sciude — The 
 Punjaub— Oude. 
 
 Having now traced the history of this important part of 
 the British dominions from its earliest beginnings to our 
 own times, it will be well to take a cursory retrospect, in 
 order that we may be enabled to comprehend clearly the 
 progress of British power in this eastern peninsula. 
 
 There is, perhaps, nothing in the annals of nations, 
 either ancient or modem, which can compare with the 
 development of British sway in India. The conquests 
 of Alexander and of Cortes, in the magnitude of the 
 equipments, the extent of their area of operations, and the 
 brilliancy and despatch with which they were conducted, 
 may outshine the campaigns of Clive and Warren Hastings ; 
 while the dignity pertaining to an Indian governor may 
 bear no comparison with the splendour that surrounded 
 the name of a Boman proconsul. Nevertheless, when we 
 regard the materials with which the conquest was effected, 
 the difSiculties overcome, and the condition of the nations 
 subjugated, the acquisition of dominion in India appears 
 a more marvellous operation than either. " The people 
 of India, when we subdued them," says Macaulay, "were 
 ten times as numerous as the Americans whom the 
 Spaniards vanquished, and were at the same time quite 
 as highly civilised as the victorious Spaniards. They had 
 
216 aiSTORY OP INDIA. 
 
 reared cities larger and fairer than Saragossa or Toledo, 
 and buildings more beautiful and costly than the cathedral 
 of Seville. They could show bankers richer than the 
 richest firms of Barcelona or Cadiz, viceroys whose splen- 
 dour surpassed that of Ferdinand the Catholic, myriada 
 of cavialry and long trains of artillery which would have 
 astonished the great captain." 
 
 Two centuries since, a few inconsiderable stations of 
 an incipient trading-company, whose tenure of existence 
 was dependent upon the favour of capricious monarchs, 
 and the good-will of native princes, were the meagre re- 
 presentative of British enterprise in India; and now her 
 influence is felt and her behests respected throughout the 
 length and breadth of the land— from the Soliman and 
 Hala Mountains to the Irrawady, and from the Hima- 
 layas to Cape Comorin, and far beyond it over the spice- 
 bearing plains of Ceylon! 
 
 The earliest settlement of the English upon the Indian 
 coast was at Surat, at the mouth of the Tapty. For a 
 first real footing in the peninsula, our countrymen are 
 indebted to the liberality of the Shah Jehangier, the son 
 and successor of the great Akbar; who, upon the defeat 
 of a Portuguese squadron by the English under Captain 
 Best, concluded a treaty with the victors (1613) whereby 
 he bound himself to protect the British traders at thftt 
 settlement, and agreed to receive an English ambassador 
 at his court. Towards the middle of the century, this 
 settlement became a presidency, having control over th© 
 establishments in the Persian Gulf and the western coast 
 of India. 
 
 The establishment of a trading station at Surat, was 
 shortly followed by the opening of other factories in 
 various parts — at Madraspatam, Nagapatam, Port St 
 David, Masulipatam, and other places on the Coromandei 
 coast; and at Cossimbazzar, Patna, and Hooghley — 
 which latter lay not far from the spot on which Calcutta 
 now stands — farther northward. 
 
 Madras, under the name of Fort St. George, was 
 established in 1646 by the permission of the Bajah of 
 
Y&OGRESS OF BRITISH COl^QUEST. 
 
 21? 
 
 Chundergiri, who undertook to protect the interests of 
 the British traders, and even constructed a fortress for 
 their defence. 
 
 Like Surat, it eventually became a presidency (1746), 
 having authority over the settlements in Bengal. It grew 
 in time to be a large city and was strongly fortified. Once 
 this important station — and now the capital of the vast 
 pi-esidency that takes its name — ^passed out of English 
 hands, when in 1746, or exactly a century after its foun- 
 dation, it yielded to the attacks of the French commander 
 Labourdonnais. The peace of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) 
 restored it to its former owners; and, excepting when, in 
 1769, the unpardonable carelessness of the authorities 
 permitted our great enemy, Hyder Ally, to steal a march 
 of our countrymen, and to dictate peace within the bounds 
 of its fortifications, our position there has never been 
 seriously threatened. 
 
 BOMBAY. -^ 
 
 In 1668, the East India Company received an accession 
 of territory in the island and town of Bombay, which 
 Charles the Second received as part of the dowry of his 
 
218 HISTORY OP INDIA. 
 
 Spanisli bride. The cession liad been made so early as 
 1661 ; but, difl&culties having arisen concei*ning the terri- 
 torial boundaries, the English did not obtain possession 
 of it until 1664, and the Company till four years later. 
 The claim of the English to this station has never been 
 seriously questioned; and it is now the head of one of 
 the presidencies into which India is divided. For this 
 dignity it is indebted as much to the outbreak of a for- 
 midable insurrection, which occurred in 1683, as to the 
 superiority of its position, and the rapid growth of its 
 population; for the occurrence referred to revealed the ad- 
 vantage which would arise from a transfer of the seat of 
 government thither; and Surat was accordingly deposed 
 from the honourable position it had so long held in con- 
 nection with the British-settlements on the western coast. 
 About twenty years after the acquisition of Bombay 
 by the Company (1698), the English factory there was re- 
 moved from Hooghley to a place twenty miles lower down 
 the river, bearing the name of Govindpore, but to which 
 the English appellation of Fort William was subsequently 
 given. This newly chosen station was destined in time 
 to become the principal commercial emporium of the 
 peninsula; and, under the name of Calcutta, its capital 
 and chief seat of government. In the year 1751 the 
 importance of the place was such, that it was found 
 necessary to strengthen its defences; and, accordingly, 
 the settlement was surrounded by a rampart and ditch, 
 the latter of which received, and still retains, the name of 
 the Mahratta ditch. This precaution, however, was not 
 sufficient to check the advance of an enemy; for, in 1756, 
 or only five years after, Suraj-ud-Dowlah, nabob of Bengal, 
 captured the place, and incarcerated a portion of its garri- 
 son in a shameful prison. Next year it was retaken by 
 Clive and Sir Eyre Coote; and, in 1759, its area was 
 extended by the grant of a district to the south of it, 
 denominated the Pergunnahs, to Clive Since the above 
 untoward occurrence — though oftentimes in danger — ^the 
 English have never been disturbed in their possession of 
 Uiis, the capital city of the empire. 
 
fttOGBBSS Ol* BRITISH COKQUESKt 219 
 
 Hitherto the operations of the English in India, it 
 will be seen, had been strictly confined to the acquisition 
 of commercial establishments; and it is extremely doubt- 
 ful whether ambition would have tempted them beyond 
 this moderate and praiseworthy field, had not the feuds of 
 the native princes, and the operations of their French 
 neighbours, succeeded in drawing them into the vortex of 
 Indian politics. The ambitious cravings of the French 
 governor, Dupleix, led him to despise mere commercial 
 intercourse and to contemplate the establishment of im- 
 perial dominion in this eastern land. He took great care 
 to encourage the overtures made to him by belligerent 
 princes, because they seemed to offer the opportunity he 
 desired; and the English in sheer self-preservation were 
 constrained to enter the arena likewise. 
 
 The success of the French at the outset of the struggle 
 was marked; and Dupleix, as a reward for the services 
 he had rendered his protege, the soubadah of the Deccan, 
 was invested with the viceroyalty of the Camatic. The 
 masterly genius of Clive subsequently reversed this state 
 of things; and the English, having given a nabob to this 
 province, became the virtual rulers of it. The province 
 long laboured under the disadvantage of a dual govern- 
 ment; and, during the wars with Hyder Ally and his 
 son Tippoo, it suffered severely from the ravages of these 
 warlike princes. In the year 1801, Lord Wellesley, the 
 then governor-general, put an end to this anomaly by 
 bringing it within the jurisdiction of the Presidency of 
 Madi-as. The Carnatic then cannot, till a later date, be 
 regarded in the light of a territorial acquisition. The 
 province, however, holds a prominent place, as being the 
 earliest theatre of that action which ultimately established 
 British domination throughout the Indian peninsula. 
 
 About the same time the virtual possession of an ex- 
 tensive tract of country in Northern India fell to the 
 Company in the provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and 
 Orissa. Long before, the influence of the English in 
 this quarter, owing to the number and importance of its 
 factories, had been considerable; and now the inimica] 
 
^^0 flIStOttY OlF INDIA. 
 
 proceedings of its nabob served to give them the privilege 
 of imperial sway. For, having made an unprovoked 
 attack upon the English establishment at Calcutta, in 
 1756, he drew upon himself the retribution his conduct 
 merited. The victory gained over him at Plassey so 
 completely broke the power of the nabob, that from 
 henceforth the Company may be said to have had sove- 
 reign power in this province. Five years after the defeat 
 of Suraj-ud-Dowlah, the dewany or financial management 
 of Bengal was granted by the emperor Shah AUum to 
 the English; but it was not till the year 1765 that the 
 honour with its accompaniments was accepted. The pro- 
 cess withdrew all real power from the hands of Mejum- 
 ud-Dowlah, its nabob, who, with a pension of fifty lacs, 
 or nearly half a million sterling, now held a mere puppet 
 state in his capital Moorshedabad. Since this transac- 
 tion, the English have retained imperial sway in these 
 three important provinces. 
 
 The next acquisition of the Company was that of the 
 Northern Circars — a, maritime district lying between 
 Bengal and the Carnatic — ^which was annexed in 1768. 
 The cession of this territory had been obtained by Clive 
 from the emperor in 1765, contemporaneously with the 
 grant of the Bengal dewany; but, inasmuch as it was at 
 that time in the hands of the nizam, the present was a 
 merely nominal one. In 1768, however, his sanction was 
 obtained by force of arms; and the territory then passed 
 by treaty into British hands. In 1816, the province was 
 overrun and plundered by the Pindarees. It has, how- 
 ever, remained an integral portion of the English posses- 
 sions to this day. 
 
 In 1797, the fortress of Allahabad, situated at the 
 confluence of the Ganges and Jumna, and commanding 
 an extensive district to the south of Oude, was given up 
 to the English by the vizier of that province. This im- 
 portant stronghold had owned many masters. In 1758, 
 it was seized by the vizier; but> upon his defeat at Corah 
 in 1765 by General Camac, it Was, together with the 
 difltrict of Corah, restored to the emperor. Seven years 
 
PBOOBESS OF BRITISH CONQUEST. 221 
 
 later (1772), these districts were offered to the Mahrattaa 
 as the purchase of immunity from their depredations; for 
 having overrun Rohilcund and the Douab, this people 
 had seized upon the imperial city of Delhi. The Com- 
 pany objected to the arrangement; and the transfer was 
 therefore not effected at the time. Its acquisition by the 
 English added but little to their territory. Its strategic 
 value, however, was considerable. 
 
 In 1792, Tippoo Sahib, as a peace-offering, ceded to the 
 Company Malabar, Salim, and other places by which 
 the territorial area of the English was enlarged by some 
 25,000 square miles. This cession, however, was a mere 
 anticipation of an arrangement by which the entire 
 dominion of Mysore was afterwards added to the posses- 
 sions of Biitain. 
 
 In 1800, the boundary of the Madras presidency waa 
 pushed beyond the Camatic. The Kajah of Tanjore, 
 an ancient Mahratta state situated to the south of the 
 Cauvery, died childless in 1787; and a dispute having 
 arisen respecting the succession. Lord Momington placed 
 its affairs under British control. The state of Surat, like- 
 wise, whose affairs had hitherto been administered by the 
 nabob's government and the Company's officers, was 
 brought entirely under British control. 
 
 In 1803, by treaties which followed upon the great 
 Mahratta war, a considerable extent of territory was 
 added to the Company's dominions. Cuttack, to the 
 south of the Mahanuddy, and the northern half of the pro- 
 vince of Berar, with the strong fortress of Ahmednugger, 
 were ceded by Rughojee Bhoslay, rajah of the latter; 
 while the'great Mahratta chieftain, Scindia, was compelled 
 to abandon the Douab — the country lying between the 
 Ganges and Jumna — with Delhi, Agra, Meerut, and other 
 places, considerable portions of the districts of B.ajpoO' 
 tana, the Deccan, Gruzerat, and Kandeish. The Peshwa's 
 possessions in Bundelcund had previously been ceded 
 to the Company. The hold of the English upon Berar 
 was but a temporary one, as it was immediately after- 
 wards attached to the dominions of the nizam. 
 
223 BISTORT OF IKBIA. 
 
 In 1808, the government of the provinces of Cochin 
 and Travancore, hitherto merely subsidiary, came into 
 the possession of the Company. Three years -previously, 
 an arrangement had been made by which the rajah was 
 guaranteed possession of the provinces upon condition of 
 his promptly paying the subsidy as arranged. The pay- 
 ments, however, came in very irregularly, and the terms 
 of the treaty being violated thereby, the arrangements 
 for the transfer of the dominions to English rule were 
 carried out. 
 
 The Ghoorka war, which occurred in 1814, added the 
 pro\'ince of Kumaon and other territory to the Company's 
 dominions, and pushed British territory northward to the 
 Himalayas. At the same time, the dominions of many 
 of the Mil chiefs were brought under British jurisdiction. 
 
 In 1815, the kingdom of Kandy in the centre of Ceylon 
 was, at the request of its chiefs, annexed to the dominions 
 of Great Britain. The coast provinces had been captured 
 from the Dutch and annexed some twenty years earlier, 
 in 1796; and thus the entire island of Ceylon was brought 
 beneath the British sway. 
 
 By a treaty made with the Mahratta chief Holkar, in 
 the year 1818, certain districts in Rajpootana were added 
 to the Company's territories; while the residue of his 
 dominions was placed under British protection. 
 
 Such acquisitions as these lately referred to are, how- 
 ever, dwarfed into insignificance when compared with the 
 large area of territory which, in 1818, came into posses- 
 sion of the British; for then the successful termination 
 of the second Mahratta war added the extensive dominions 
 of that nation to the Company's territories. 'Upon the 
 capture of Sattara, the capital of the confederation, the 
 termination of the Peshwa rule, which had been main- 
 tained for about a century by a succession of able princes, 
 was declared. The Peshwa territory was occupied and 
 divided into foiir districts, to each of which a governor 
 was appointed. The aggregate result of the Mahratta 
 overthrow was the acquisition of the district and city of 
 Poonall — th^ seat of the Peshwa government; the 
 
PBOORESS OF BRITISH CONQUEST. 223 
 
 Sangur Territory, North Circars, Kandeish, and other 
 districts taken from the Peshwa; and Ajmere and a 
 portion of Rajpootana obtained from Dowlat Rao Scindia, 
 altogether comprising the enoimous area of 60,000 square 
 miles. The district of Sattara was reserved for the heir 
 of the illustrious Sivajee, who had long been held in 
 durance by the powerful Peshwa. 
 
 The successful termination of the Burmese war, which 
 broke out in 1825, gave Britain dominion beyond the 
 confines of the Indian peninsula; for, by the treaty of 
 Yandaboo, concluded in 1826, the provinces of Assam, 
 Arracan, Tavoy, and Tenasserim, with an aggregate area 
 of 80,000 square miles, were added to the Company's 
 possessions. At the earnest request of its inhabitants, 
 the district of Pegu was annexed in 1853, at the close of 
 the second Burmese war. 
 
 British dominion in India was largely extended by the 
 acquisition, in 1832, of the administration of the govern- 
 ment of Mysore. The defeat of Tippoo, and the capture 
 of his capital, Seringapatam, had placed this province and 
 its dependencies at the mercy of the victors. With 
 amazing liberality, the governor-general, Lord Morning- 
 ton, declined to annex his territory which the right of 
 conquest gave him. He chose rather to reduce the 
 Mysorean dominion to its original dimensions, by restoring 
 to the Nizam and the Peshwa the conquests of Tippoo 
 and his predecessor, and devoting another portion to the 
 extension of the British frontier in this quarter; while 
 the ancient dominion of Sivajee was bestowed upon the 
 real rajah, who at the time was a mere boy. As the 
 young prince grew up, he betrayed a marked inaptitude 
 for the duties of government; and when, in 1811, he 
 ari'ived at man*s estate, and was invested with uncontrolled 
 authority, the afiairs of the state, hitherto prosperous, 
 fell into the direst confusion. Disregarding the repeated 
 warnings of his English allies, he pursued a life of ex- 
 travagance and frivolity; and his subjects, groaning under 
 his exactions, and wearied with his misgovemment, broke 
 out into rebellion. The oondition of the province had 
 
224 HISTORY OF INDIA. 
 
 become a serious danger; and, in tte interests of peace, 
 the government of India took upon themselves the man- 
 agement of its affairs (1832). This transaction gave the 
 British the virtual possession of Mysore. 
 
 In the same year (1832) the little state of Cachar in 
 the north-east of Bengal was added to the dominions of 
 Britain. 
 
 The war with the Ameers of Scinde, conducted in 1843 
 by Sir Charles Napier, added the riverain district ol 
 Scinde to the dominions of the East India Company. The 
 British troops, having defeated the Ameers at Meanee, 
 took possession of Hyderabad, which fortress they garri- 
 soned. Such of the Ameers or princes as fell into the 
 hands of the English were subjected to an honourable 
 imprisonment in Bombay, or sent on parole to Beloochia- 
 tan. Thus an extensive tract of country became an 
 integral portion of the Company's dominions, and gave to 
 the English territory beyond the Indus westward. 
 
 In 1846, the defeat of the Sikhs at the decisive battle 
 of Sobraon, threw that people upon the mercy of their 
 English adversaries; and Sir Henry Hardinge appropriated 
 that portion of their territory which lay upon the eastern 
 side of the Sutlej, including the Jullunder Douab, or the 
 district lying between the Sutlej and Beas; and thus the 
 Sikh States, an extensive district, was added to the 
 English dominions in Northern India. 
 
 When the Mahratta provinces were annexed to the 
 Company's dominions in 1819, the district of Sattara, 
 which represented the ancient domains of Sivajee, was 
 placed under the authority of a descendant of the illus- 
 trious founder of the Mahratta polity. In 1848, the 
 rajah died childless. Previous to his decease, he had 
 adopted an heir. The Indian government, however, re- 
 fused to recognise the principle of adoption, and the state 
 was held to have lapsed to the British. Territorially 
 speaking, Sattara was of no very material value to the 
 Company. Its moral importance, however, by vii'tue of 
 its associations was considerable. 
 
 In the same year, 1849, afar more considerable increase 
 
PROGRESS OF BRITISH CONQUEST. 325 
 
 In the area of British territory in India was made by the 
 annexation of the extensive province of the Punjaub. 
 Its inhabitants, the Sikhs, having a second time challenged 
 the might of Britain, were totally overthrown at Goojerat 
 by Sir Hugh Gough; and Lord Dalhousie — less scrupulous 
 than his predecessor — boldly annexed the whole province. 
 By this accession of territory, the entire north-eastern 
 corner of the peninsula was brought under British 
 rule. 
 
 In 1853, the province of Berar, whose capital was 
 Nagpore, became British territory. It had, upon the 
 close of the Mahratta war, been annexed to the dominions 
 of the nizam. The affairs of the province, however, were 
 80 grossly mismanaged, that, upon the death of Bughojee 
 Bhoslay in 1853, it was added to the Company's posses- 
 sions. Thus the area of British dominions was increased 
 by some 75,000 square miles. 
 
 The last territorial acquisition of the English in India 
 was that of the province of Oude, which took place in 
 1856. The annexation, it will be remembered, was a 
 consequence of the bad government of its king. The 
 process, which has been the subject of much severe com- 
 ment, added little short of 30,000 square miles to the 
 British dominions, and virtually brought the entire 
 peninsula beneath our sway; for although two-thirds of 
 Hindustan only is at present under the direct rule of our 
 sovereign, the connection of the remaining portion is of 
 such a nature that the independence of the states com- 
 prising it is but nominal. 
 
 Of the progress of British sway, the history of India 
 is a mere chronicle. The commercial enterprise of our 
 countrymen during the Tudor period gave us a first 
 footing in-this eastern land. The career of Clive substi- 
 tuted empire for mere sufferance; and upon the foundation 
 which his genius laid, the vast fabric of British dominion 
 arose. The process was very gradual at first; but during 
 the last half century its development has been altogether 
 as rapid. The occurrences of the year 1857 placed the 
 edifice in the greatest jeopaidy; for it was within the 
 
 F 
 
226 HISTOBT OF INDIA. 
 
 bounds of probability that British power in ^dia would 
 cease. This, however, was not to be. The patience and 
 perseverance of our countrymen, and the loyalty of the 
 general body of the population averted the threatened 
 calamity; and this splendid empire — now under the 
 direct rule of Her Gracious Majesty — ^is reserved to 
 us for our honour, it is to be hor^^> and the welfiuv 
 of its people. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 THE LEADING INDIAN STATES. 
 
 Break-np of the Mohammedan Empire — The Emperor*s Territory 
 — The Province of Oude — Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa — The 
 Deccan or the Nizam's Dominions — The Camatic — The 
 Mahratta Country — Its Kise and Condition — Mysore — Minor 
 States. 
 
 About the middle of the eighteenth century, when the 
 administration of Anglo-Indian affairs was in the hands 
 of Clive, the greater part of the Indian peninsula had 
 ceased to own the sway of the Emperor of Delhi or Great 
 Mogul. The vast empire of Aurungzebe was no longer 
 a homogeneous territory. The integrity of the ancient 
 dominion, which his genius had baiely served to maintain, 
 could no longer, under a succession of feeble princes, be 
 upheld; and the soubadahs, nabobs, and rajahs, who, as 
 viceroys — • Mohammedan and Hindu — had ruled the 
 various provinces into which the empire was divided, 
 began one by one to assert an independence of the im- 
 perial court of Delhi. " Wherever," says Macaulay, " the 
 viceroys of the Mogul retained authority they became 
 sovereigns. They might still acknowledge in words the 
 superiority of the house of Tamerlane; as a Count of 
 Flanders, or a Duke of Burgundy might have acknow- 
 ledged the superiority of the most helpless driveller 
 among the later Carlovingians. They might occasionally 
 send to their titular sovereign a complimentary present, 
 or solicit from him a title of honour. In truth, however, 
 they were no longer lieutenants removable at pleasure, 
 but independent hereditary princes." 
 
 In this way arose most of the principalities with whose 
 several concerns we h^y^ had to deal. Roughly speaking, 
 
228 HISTORY OP INDIA, 
 
 at the period above referred to, the Indian peninsula 
 may b© said to have been thus divided : — The Emperor's 
 Territory, represented by Delhi; Bengal, Bahar, and 
 Orissa; the Deccan, Carnatic, Mahratta Country, and 
 Mysore. 
 
 The Emperor^s Territory had, as has been remarked, 
 shrunk into insignificance when we compare its present 
 with its ancient area and influence. Established in 1193 
 as the seat of Mohammedan government by Kuttub-ud- 
 Deen, the deputy of the Afghan prince Mohammed 
 Gaury, the city of Delhi continued to be the virtual 
 capital of India, and the seat of government of the 
 various races of sovereigns into whose hands the imperial 
 sway successively fell. The splendour and magnificence 
 of the imperial city, and its great political importance, 
 long rendered it an object of incessant attack from the 
 Ma]brattas, Afghans, Persians, and other neighbouring and 
 warlike people. In 1^60, the city and all it represented 
 became a bone of contention between the Mahrattas and 
 the Afghan general Ahmed Shah Abdally. The decisive 
 action of Paniput broke for a time the might of the 
 Mahrattas, and secured the prize to the Afghan king. 
 
 The last representative of the royal line of Aurung 
 zebe was no more, having been put to death by his 
 treacherous vizier Shaub-ud-Deen. His son, a fugitive 
 in Bengal, had indeed proclaimed himself emperor, and 
 issumed the bombastic title of Shah AUum or King of 
 the World; but the imperial dominions, once so extensive, 
 were represented by a few unimportant districts around 
 the city of Delhi. Such of its territory as had escaped 
 the usurpations of its viceroys were in the hands of 
 Ahmed Shah, whose conquests in this part of India had, 
 in a measure, restored to the Afghan crown the ancient 
 dominions of that nation in this country. 
 
 The province of Oude, long an immediate dependency 
 of the Mogul, was early governed by a deputy of the 
 citiperor, who was styled the vizier. At the date of the 
 great battle oi Paniput, which decided the fate of the 
 
THE tEADIlTG INDIAST STATES. 229 
 
 imperial city, the honour was vested in Siifcliir Jung. 
 This ruler, having quarrelled with his lord, the emperor, 
 concerning the cession of the Punjaub to Ahmed Shah, 
 retired to his province, bade defiance to his superior, and 
 reigned in complete independence. The connection of 
 Oude with the empire was henceforth merely a nominal 
 one, and may, to all intents and purposes, be regarded as a 
 distinct and separate kingdom owning the sway of Sufdur 
 Jung — or rather of his son, Sujah-ud-Dowlah. 
 
 The province of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa— if we 
 except the district of Rohilcund, an independent and 
 powerful Afghan state that lay to the north-west of 
 Oude — completes the district of Northern India. It had 
 originally formed a portion "of the imperial dominions, 
 having been, so early as the year 1576, brought under the 
 sway of the court of Delhi by the great Akbar Khan. 
 At the time of which we speak it had become an inde- 
 pendent province under the government of an English 
 nominee, Meer Jaffier, the successor of the defeated nabob, 
 Suraj-ud-Dowlah. The virtual sovereignty of this pro- 
 vince was, however, destined soon to pass into the hands 
 of the English. 
 
 The Deccan, or the Nizam's Dominions, as it may be 
 
 termed, was brought within the pale of the empire by the 
 same master-hand that compelled the foregoing province 
 to beiid to the sway of the imperial court. Its distance 
 from the capital, however, and the warlike operations of 
 the neighbouring Mahratta tribes, had rendered it exceed- 
 ing diflficult of control. During its connection with the 
 empire, which was maintained until the death of Aurung- 
 zebe in 1707, its affairs were managed by a viceroy, known 
 as the soubadah or nizam. At' the time of the above 
 occurrence it was under the rule of Nizam-ul-Mulk 
 (Regulator of the State, as his title implies), whose capital 
 was Hyderabad. Nizam-ul-Mulk may be regarded as thd 
 first of a line of independent sovereigns, bearing the title 
 of the nizam. The influence of the French under M, 
 
HISTORY OF INDIA. 
 
 Bussy Had secured its government, first to Nasir Jung, 
 and now to Salabat Jung, his brother. But the territory 
 which once had extended northward to the banks of the 
 Nerbudda and Mahanuddy, did not now reach beyond 
 the Godavery — ^its northern districts having lately fallen 
 into the hands of the Mahrattas; while the Carnatic, 
 which so recently as the time of Nizam-ul-Mulk had 
 been included within its boundaries, was now under the 
 independent sway of Mahomed Ally. The independence 
 of the Eajah of Kumal, of the Rajah of Vizagapatam, 
 whose territories lay between the Godavery and Pennair, 
 and other chiefs, sensibly curtailed its area towards the 
 south. It therefore now consisted of the southern por- 
 tion of the old Deccan only. 
 
 The Carnatic which lay between the Eastern Ghauts 
 and the Bay of Bengal had, as has been said, been de- 
 tached from the dominion of the nizam, and was now 
 under the rule of Mahomet Ally, whose independent 
 government was secured by the English. His dominions, 
 which were bounded northward by the Pennair river, and 
 southward by the principality of Tanjore, were curtailed 
 by the presence within their boundary of several indepen- 
 dent Hindu principalities, among which may be men- 
 tioned that of Arcot, in the possession of Chundah Sahib, 
 a nominee of the French. 
 
 The Mahrattas owned an extensive tract of country in 
 Western India, between the imperial dominions and the 
 nizam's territory, embracing Malwah, Guzerat, Kandeish, 
 Berar, and further southward Aurungabad, Bejapore, Tan- 
 jore, etc., which latter province had been wrested from 
 the emperor and the ni^am. Their territory, however, 
 was by no means a homogeneous one, being divided among 
 certain chieftains who held a kind of independent sway 
 within the bounds of their several dominions. Among 
 these Scindia, Holkar, the Guicowar, and the Peshwa, 
 the nominal head of the confederation, may be mentioned. 
 
 This extensive territoiy they had gained for themselves 
 
THE LEADING INDIAN STATES. 231 
 
 by their bravery and superior military talent. At first a 
 mere mercenary tribe, hiring themselves to belligerent 
 priiices, they were created a nation by the warrior chief- 
 tain Sivajee. The territory of Jhansi, and some estates 
 of lesser importance granted to the Peshwa by the Bajah 
 of Bundelcund, was the humble starting point for that 
 extension of territory which, in due time, made them a 
 power of the first order in the Indian peninsula, and 
 secured them a tributary recognition from most of the 
 Indian states. 
 
 Of this remarkable people Macaulay eloquently saya : — 
 " It was under the reign of Aurungzebe that this wild 
 clan of plunderers first descended their mountains; and 
 soon after his death every corner of his wide empire 
 learned to tremble at the mighty name of the Mahrattas. 
 Many fertile viceroyalties were entirely subdued by them. 
 Their dominions stretched across the peninsula from sea 
 to sea. Mahratta captains reigned at Poonah, at Gwalior, 
 in Guzerat, in Berar, and in Tanjore. Nor did they, 
 though they had become great sovereigns, therefore cease 
 to be freebooters. They still retained the predatory 
 habits of their forefathers. Every region which was not 
 subject to their rule was wasted by their incursions. 
 Wherever their kettle drums were heard, the peasant 
 threw his bag of rice on his shoulder, hid his small 
 savings in his girdle, and fled with his wife and children 
 to the mountains or the jungles, to the milder neigh- 
 bourhood of the hyaena and the tiger. Many provinces 
 redeemed their harvests by the payment of an annual 
 ransom. Even the wretched phantom who still bore the 
 imperial title stooped to pay this ignominious black-mail. 
 The camp-fires of one rapacious leader were seen from 
 the walls of the palace of Delhi. Another at the head 
 of his innumerable cavalry descended year after year on 
 the rice-fields of Bengal. Even the European factors 
 trembled for their magazines. Less than a hundred years 
 ago, it was thought necessary to fot"tify Calcutta against 
 the horsemen of Berar; and the name of the Mahratta 
 ditch still preserves the memory of the danger." At the 
 
232 HISTORY OF INDIA. 
 
 time we have chosen for review, the office of Peshwa was 
 held by Ballagee Rao. 
 
 To the south of the nizam's dominion, and extending 
 beyond the plateau of the Deccan, lay the territory of 
 Mysore, an ancient state whose connection with the im- 
 perial government was never more than a nominal one. 
 The emperor Aurungzebe had invaded the territory and 
 placed it under tribute ; but it never was submissive to 
 the authority of the Delhi court. Maintaining an inde- 
 pendent government, it was ably managed; and but for the 
 repeated assaults and exactions of its restless neighbours 
 the Mahrattas, would have been among the mo«t driving 
 of the Indian principalities. I'he Mysorean dominions 
 were greatly extended by Hyder Ally, who, at the period 
 under consideration, notwithslanding that a legitimate 
 sovereign occuoied its chrone, was supreme in this power- 
 tal province. 
 
 In addition to the above states — which, until the annex- 
 ing and absorbing process of the English was applied to 
 Indian territory— may be regarded as the main divisions 
 of the peninsula, there lay in the north Rohilcund, already 
 mentioned, independent of the court of Delhi, and in- 
 habited by a hardy Afghan race, with a chief named 
 Shahab-ud-Deen at its head; Rajpootana, or a confedera- 
 tion of Rajpoot states, which were nominally tributary 
 to, but virtually independent t'f the emperor, and too 
 powerful for the effective domination of the Mahratta; 
 the country of the Jats, situated to the east of the 
 Rajpoot states, and extending thence to Agra. Their 
 capital was Bhurtpoor, one of the most powerful fortresses 
 in India ; and they were at this period governed by a 
 famous chieftain named Sooraj Mul; Bundelcund, to 
 the south-east of the Bhurtpoor territory, with Rewar. 
 Bhopal, upon the eastern boundary of Malwah, and some 
 others. To the south were Tanjore, connected, as has 
 already been remarked, with the Mahrattas, but owning 
 ftu independent rajah of its own — a descendant of a 
 
VRE LtAi>i£ro iir&iAir stAVsa. id9 
 
 brother of Sivajee; Cochin, a small and animportant 
 maritime state to the north of Travancore, with a rajah 
 under the tutelage of the Dutch. These, with the states 
 and t-oyritcries belonging to the various European nations 
 — the English, French, Portuguese, and Dutch — ^made up 
 the entire peninsula. 
 
 The following table of contemporary rulers may be 
 found of service in relieving the student of the wearisomo- 
 ness of research, and enabling him roughly to discover ai 
 ft glance the hands that directed the governments of i^ 
 seToral states during tlie period of English oou^oesi 
 
SS4 
 
 TABLE Of OONXBMPOBARY 
 
 hati. 
 
 Delhi. 
 
 OOSB. 
 
 BraoAi^Kxa 
 
 TnDaooAir. 
 
 1719 
 
 Mahomed Shah. 
 
 •• •• 
 
 •••••• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 US2 
 
 .. •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 M •• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 5743 
 1748 
 
 Ahmed Shah. 
 
 SafdarJimg. 
 
 •• •• •• 
 
 •• M M 
 
 HosaiAir Jang. 
 
 1^49 
 
 •• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 •••••• 
 
 .. .. 
 
 •• •• \ 
 
 SaUbntJung.^ 
 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 
 M 
 
 «• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 M M •• 
 
 1761 
 1764 
 1766 
 1757 
 
 Aiumge«r II 
 
 :: :: 
 
 Shajdi-Qd-Dow. 
 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 
 M •• •• 
 
 BinS-ttd-Dowlah.* 
 MeerJafflerOtr«<)i 
 
 175» 
 1760 
 1761 
 1762 
 1764 
 1765 
 
 1771 
 
 Shah AUum. 
 • • •• 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 
 Mei-Ooedi. " 
 
 Nujm.ud-DdwUU». 
 Srf-ad-Dowlab. 
 
 •• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 NinmAUy. 
 
 •• •• 
 
 »• M 
 
 • • •• 
 
 • • •• 
 
 1772 
 
 •• •• 
 
 •« «• 
 
 •• •• •• 
 
 • • •• 
 
 1773 
 J 775 
 
 •• •• 
 •• •* 
 
 ABof-ud-DowIah. 
 
 •• •• •• 
 
 • • •• 
 
 • • •• 
 
 1783 
 1788 
 
 *• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 •» •• •• 
 •• •• •• 
 
 • • •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 1790 
 1793 
 1795 
 
 •• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 C» M •• 
 
 • • '•• •• 
 
 • • •• •• 
 
 • • •• 
 •• •• 
 
 • • •• 
 
 1796 
 
 .. .. 
 
 •• •• 
 
 •• •• •« 
 
 •• •• 
 
 1797 
 
 •• •• 
 
 VifflVr AUy! 
 
 • • •• •• 
 
 • • •• 
 
 • • •• 
 
 1798 
 
 •• •• 
 
 Suadut Allj. 
 
 • • •• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 1801 
 1803 
 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 • • •• •• 
 
 HikoliderJdi. 
 
 1805 
 
 •• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 • • •• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 .»»_ 
 
 •• •• 
 
 •• •• 
 
 •• •• •• 
 
 M •• 
 
 1807 
 
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 1818 
 
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 1821 
 
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 1828 
 1829 
 
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 SlaiU^od-Dowlah 
 
 1838 
 1842 
 
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 1844 
 
 1848 
 
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 1866 
 
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 1862 
 
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 1864 
 
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 1869 
 187S 
 
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SOVEBEIONS AND GOVEBNOBa 
 
 OABNATia 
 
 Dost Ally Khan. 
 Aawur-ud-Deen. 
 
 Chundah Sahib. 
 
 Mahomet Ally 
 
 W&llahJah. 
 
 Ooradn t-ul-Omrah 
 
 •• •• 
 
 Thx Uabkattab 
 (Pkshwab). 
 
 i - 
 
 Mandoo Bao. 
 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 •• •• 
 
 MarrainBao 
 • • •• 
 
 Rughoba 
 •• •• 
 
 Mahdoo ttao. 
 
 Chimnajee. 
 Baiee Bao. 
 
 Urwoma, 
 
 HyderAUj. 
 
 Tippoo tjahib. 
 
 - '■{ 
 
 
 LovdLCttva 
 
 W«rren Hastings. 
 •• •• •• 
 
 Marquu Comwallis. 
 Sir John Shore. 
 
 Lord Momington, or 
 Marquis Weliesley. 
 
 Marqais Comwallis. 
 Sir George Barlow. 
 Lord Minto. 
 Earl of Moira, or 
 
 Marquis Hastings. 
 Lord Amherst. 
 Lord W. Bentinck. 
 
 Lord Au<^land. 
 Lord EUenborough. 
 Sir H. Hardinge. 
 Lord Dalhousie. 
 Lord Canning. 
 Lord Elgin. 
 Lord Lawrenoei 
 Lord Mayo. 
 Loid Northbiooli. 
 
 Dati. 
 
 1719 
 1782 
 1743 
 1748 
 1749 
 
 1761 
 
 1764 
 1756 
 1757 
 1759 
 17d£ 
 1761 
 1762 
 1764 
 1766 
 
 •f 
 1771 
 1772 
 1773 
 1776 
 1783 
 1786 
 1790 
 1793 
 1795 
 1796 
 
 1797 
 1798 
 
 1801 
 1803 
 1805 
 
 tf 
 1807 
 
 1818 
 
 1821 
 1828 
 1829 
 1836 
 1842 
 1844 
 1848 
 1856 
 1862 
 1864 
 1869 
 187t 
 
INDEX. 
 
 AoHMinT, Sir B., 141 
 
 Adam, Mr., 153. 
 
 ▲dam's Bridge, 20l 
 
 Adam's Peak, 20. 
 
 Agnew, Mr., 179. 
 
 Agra, 23, 24, 195, 203, SSL 
 
 Ahmedabad, 108. 
 
 Ahmedimgger, 182, 221. 
 
 Ahmed Shah, 55, 78, 228, S28k 
 
 Ahwaz, 189. 
 
 Ajmere, 223. 
 
 Akbar Khan, 52, 229. 
 
 Akbar of Cabul, 168, 169, 17L 
 
 Albuquerque, Alfonso, 68L 
 
 Alexander the Great, 40. 
 
 Aiipore, 207. 
 
 Aliverdi Khan, 74, 78. 
 
 Aliwal, 25, 177. 
 
 Allahabad, 23, 101, 196, 198, 205, 221 
 
 Alla-ud-Deen, 50. 
 
 AUumbagb, 204, 205. 
 
 Altumish, 50. 
 
 Alumgeer, 86. 
 
 Alvarez Cabral, 57. 
 
 Amboyna, 142. 
 
 Ameer Khan, 141, 144, 146, 148. 
 
 Ameers of Scinde, 172, 224. 
 
 Amherst, Lord, 153, 155, 15& 
 
 Amritsur, 141. 
 
 Anderson, Lieutenant, 179. 
 
 Anwur-ud-Deen, 67. 
 
 Appa Sahib, 145, 148, 1491 
 
 Aravelli Mountains, U, 
 
 Arcot, 69, 85, 111, 280. 
 
 Argaom, 135. 
 
 Arikera, 121. 
 
 Arraoan, 25, 155, 888 
 
 Aryans, the, 81. 
 
 Assam, 153, 156, 289L 
 
 Assaye, 132. 
 
 Asof-ud-Dowlah, 108, 11(L 
 
 Auckland, Lord, 164, 106^ llflL 
 
 Aurungabad, 28, 280. 
 
 Aumngzebe, 5^ 68^ 88L 
 
 Ava, 158. 
 
 Awah, 206. 
 
 Babkr, 61. 
 
 in. 
 
 B^Jee &Mt,*I81, 14C 
 Banda. 148. 
 BangaloriLlSL 
 Baiq^ GtoUa, 14?. 
 Barlow, SirO^ 188, 188, 14IL 
 Barnard, Sir H., 194,8081 
 Bamckpon, 108. 
 BarwaU. Mr., 101 
 
 ,107.100,1811 
 BataTia, 148. 
 Bayley, Mr., 150. 
 Begum Cotee, 20^ 
 Begum of Oude, 207. 
 Begums. The, 103, llflw 
 Bejapore, 22, 27, 230. 
 Benares, 23, 24, 103, 115, 186, 198l 
 Bengal, 22, 219, 229. 
 Bentinck. Mr., 129, 156, 157, 161, Ml^ 
 Berar, 28, 185, 221, 225, 280L 
 Berhampore, 193. 
 Bhawulpore, 29. 
 Bheels, The, 34, 218. 
 Bhurtpore, 136, 15fli. 
 Bbopal, 28, 232. 
 Bhotan, 213. 
 Bithoor, 196, 198. 
 Black Hole, The, 76. 
 Bolan Pass, The, 166, ITA. 
 Bombay, 22, 61, 217. 
 Brahm, 36, 37. 
 Brahma, 36. 
 Brahmins, 39, 192. 
 Brahminical Poems, Tbe, 41 
 Brown, General, 149. 
 Buddhism, 40. 
 Budlee Serai, 200. 
 Bundelound, 29, 140. 821, 881, 881^ 
 Bura Penu, 40. 
 Burmah, 25. 
 Burmese, The, 153. 
 Bumes, Lieutenant^ 16^ 165^ ML 
 Bnshire, 188, 189. 
 Bussy, 68, 73, 84, 111, 888. 
 Bnxar, 89. 
 
 CABin.,164. 
 Caohar, 224. 
 Calcutta, 11, 198, 218. 
 Calliaud, Captain, 81, 86. 
 <%aubay, 27. 
 Campbell, Sir A., 155. 
 Campbell, Sir C, 201, 204, 806^ 8081 
 Oanua,18. 
 
 Oknning, 187, 189, 811, 818. 
 Ouioal,63. 
 
 Oarnao, M^or, 86, 91, 111, 881 
 Gamatio, 81, 128, 819, 230. 
 ORahmere, 18, 29, 177. 
 Carte, 89. 
 
 Okwnpore, 84. 195, 196, 197, 180, 801 
 Central ProTiooea, 84. 
 Ceylon, 20, 26, 822. 
 Cnandemagora, 28, 61 TT. 
 Ohani Koowvr, 171 
 145, 141 141 
 
SS7 
 
 OMiihiit, I9f. 
 
 OhiiiraTa,84. 
 
 Christians, Tbfl^ fL 
 
 Chanar, 110. 
 
 Cbttndah Sahib, 6«. W, 980. 
 
 Chundoo Jjall, 186, 
 
 Chutter Singh, 180. 
 
 Gircars, The, S3. 91, 96, 220. 222. 
 
 Clire, 68, 72, 76, 77, 80. 88, 86^ 00, M. 
 
 218, 225, 
 Cochin, 27, 222, 232. 
 Colombo, 26, 41, 
 Combermere, ViBOOunt^ lS6b 
 Concan, 18. 
 Conflans, M., 82i 
 Coorg, 159. 
 
 Coote, Sir E,, 85, 111, S1& 
 Corah, 101, 220. 
 Cornelis, 142 
 Comwallis, Lord, 118^ UO, in, 189 
 
 123, 138. 
 Coromandel, 19. 
 Cossimbazzar, 210 
 Ciiddalore, 118. 
 Cutch, 26, 27. 
 Ciittack, 221. 
 
 Dalhovsib, Lord, 179, 1S8» 185, 187 
 
 225. 
 Dara, 53. 
 
 Darius Hystaspes, 45. 
 Deccan. The, 17, 22, 221, 229. 
 Deeg, 136. 
 
 De Grand, Captain, 207. 
 Delhi. 25, 134, 136, 183, 204, 221, 877, 
 
 278. 
 Delhi Slave Kings, 60. 
 Devicotta, 66. 
 Dewany, 100. 
 Dhwalagiri, 12, 
 Dhondia, 130. 
 Dhoiidoo Punt, 196. 
 Dhuleep Singh, 177. 
 D;<az, Bartholomew, 67. 
 Dilkooshee Palace, The, 204 
 Donabew, 155. 
 Dost Mahomed, 165. 
 Douab, The, 15. 
 Dowlatabad, 28, 82. 
 Dubba, 173. 
 Dupleix, 64, 70, 219. 
 
 East India Company, 60, 118. 
 Edwardes, Lieutenant, ISflt 
 Elgin, Lord, 212. 
 Ellenborough, Lord, 170, IT4 
 Elphinstone, General, 168. 
 Elphinstone, Mr., 147, 160. 
 
 Fask, General, 105. 
 VeroEopors. 194, 90L 
 IwoMshab, 8M9& 
 
 ,FrliM% 
 OoUuM, 
 
 19. 
 
 Fort St. Darid, 01, 64, SI, tit 
 
 Fort St. Georg9, 210. 
 
 French Fosaeasionsg 80l 
 
 Fulta, 84. 
 
 Fumawees, Nana, 108, 191, 194, 181. 
 
 Puttighur, 195. 197, 205. 
 Fyzabad, 25, 116. 
 
 Oamobs, Plain of, 14 
 Gardner, Colonel, 144. 
 Garrons, The, 33. 
 Gaurian Dynasty, Thfl^ Ml 
 Gawilghnr. 186. 
 Ghatgay, 130, 187. 
 Ghauts, The, 1& 
 Ghazy Beg, 60. 
 Ghazy-nd-Deeo, 7L 
 Gheria, 72. 
 Gholab Singh. 177. 
 Ghora Cotee, 18. 
 Ghoorkas. 143, 144. 
 Ghufoor Khan, 148. 
 Ghttznee, 166, 171. 
 Ghuznevy Dynasty, The, 4ft, 
 Gilbert, General, 176, 182. 
 Gillespie, Colonel, 139, 148, 141 
 Goa. 58. 
 
 Goddard, General, 103. 
 Godeheu, M., 70, 
 Gk>dwin, General, 184. 
 Goojerat, 25, 181, 226. 
 Golconda, 28. 
 Gotama Buddha, 39. 
 Gough, Sir H., 176, 181. 89L 
 Grant, Sir H., 205. 
 Greathead, Colonel, 208. 
 Guicowar, The, 230. 
 Gandwayna, 24, 28. 
 Gnnga Dhow, 147. 
 Guntoor, 97. 
 Guzera^^, 27, 221, 230 
 Gwalior, 28, 108, 169. 
 Gwalior. Bajah of, 17& 
 
 Hardinge, Sir H., 177. 
 
 Harris, GeneraL 
 
 Hartley, Colonel, 109. 
 
 Hastings, Maniuis o^ 148, 145, 151, 
 
 162, 153. 
 Hastings, Warren, 100, 10% 108, 118, 
 
 114, 116. 
 Herat, 188, 189. 
 Highlands of Central India* Id. 
 Hill, Major, 184. 
 Himalayan Region, The, 11. 
 Hindus, The, 81 
 Hinduism, 35. 
 Hislop, SirJ., 146, 148. 
 Hodson, Lieutenant, 202. 
 Holkar, 107, 194, 181, 181^ 144, 148^ 
 
 980,9801 
 
sss 
 
 Holt, General, IW. 
 
 HolweU, Mr., 80, 87. 
 
 HoogUey, 61, 216 
 
 Hoomayoon, 52. 
 
 Hyderabad, 23, 28, 169, 184, S29. 
 
 Hyder Ally, 95, 99, 109, 110, 112, 882. 
 
 Ihambabarba, 206. 
 
 Indore, 29. 
 
 InduEh, Plain of the^ 16L 
 
 Infanticide. 
 
 Jains, The, 40. 
 Janoojee Bhoslay, 04» 
 Jats, The, 232. 
 Java, 142. 
 Jawud, 149. 
 Jehangier, Shah, 58> 
 Jehan, Shah, 53. 
 Jellalabad, 169. 
 Jeswunt Bao Bhow, 149. 
 Jeypore, 28. 
 Jhansi, 23, 185, 196 
 Jhelum, 199. 
 Jubbulpoie, 162. 
 Jugdispore, 207. 
 Julluiiaa, 199. 
 Jullundar Douab, 177. 224 
 Juggernaut, Car of, 88. 
 Julal-ud-Deen, 50. 
 Jung Bahadur, 205. 
 
 Kaiser Bagh, The, 206 
 Kallee Muddee, 205. 
 Kalpee, 207. 
 Kandahar, 165, 166. 
 Kandeish, 22, 221, 222, 23a 
 Kandy, 222. 
 Karoon, 189. 
 Katmandoo, 144. 
 Kavanriagh. 204, 208, 
 Keaiie, Sir J., 166. 
 Keikobad, 50. 
 Kerr, General, 146. 
 Khan Bahadur, 206. 
 Khan Mirza, 189. 
 Khilghee Dynasty, The, Sa 
 Kholus, The, 34 
 Kooshab, 189. 
 Khonds, The, 34, 40. 
 Khurdlah, 125. 
 Khyber Pass, The, 169, 170, 
 Kimoor Mountains, The, 18. 
 Kishen Daa 75. 
 Kistna, The, 17. 
 Knox, Captain, 89. 
 Koer Singh, 206, 207. 
 Eojuk Pass. The, 166L 
 Kolapore, 27. 
 Eoles, The, 34, IStL 
 Eorewahs, 84. 
 Koiiygaoia, 147. 
 
 Kiidiii%87. 
 Kdiatteyu, 881 
 Knmaon, 14, 9SS. 
 Kanchinjonga, 14k 
 Kurds, The, 218. 
 Koreem Khan, 145, Itfl 
 Kosm Malik, 49. 
 Kuttack Mehals, The, 8t, 
 Kuttub-ud-Deen, 50, 228. 
 
 Labourdonnais, M., 64, SVf. 
 Lahore, 24, 177, 178, 199. 
 Lake, General, 134. 136. 
 Lall. Singh. 175, 176, 17& 
 LaUy, M., 81, 84. 
 Lambert, Captain, 183. 
 Lancaster, Captain, 60. 
 Laawarrde, 136 
 Law, Mr., 98. 
 Lawrence, Major, 67, 70- 
 Lawrence, Sir J., 212, 218. 
 Lawrence, Sir H., 197, 208 
 Layard, Sir E., 207. 
 Lepchas, The, 33. 
 Leslie, Colonel, 107. 
 Littler, Sir J., 176L 
 Loodiana, 25, 177. 
 Loshais, The, 33. 
 Lucknow, 25, 197, 199, 204. 
 Lukshmere Bye, 208. 
 
 MACNAtroHTEN, Mr., 1691 
 
 Macpherson, Mr., llOi. 
 
 Madras, 23, 81, 216. 
 
 Madura, 81. 
 
 Maha Bundula, 168 
 
 Maharajpoor, 172. 
 
 Mahdoo Rao, 106. 
 
 Mahe, 110, 
 
 Mahmoud, 48. 
 
 Mahomed Ally, 67, 71, 281 
 
 Mahomed Shah, 54. 
 
 Mahomet Reza Ehan, 104 
 
 Mahrattas, 53, 106, 109, 136, 188, I4& 
 
 146, 150. 
 Mahratta Ditch, The. 75, 218, 28L 
 Malabar, 18, 121, 221. 
 Malacca, 25. 
 
 Malcolm, Sir J., 148, 149t. 
 Malwar, 16, 207, 230. 
 Manaar, Gulfof, 20. 
 Mangalore, 113. 
 Martaban, 25, 164, 183. 
 Martinifee, The, 206. 
 Masalipatara, 61, 67, 88. 
 Matthews, General, US. 
 Mayo, Lord, 214 
 Maxwell, Lieai.-Colonei, lOk 
 Meanee, 178. 
 Meanmeer, 194 
 Medows, General, ISL 
 li«eriUlu]n,121 
 
]learOoMliii,M.S7,8». 
 
 If eer Jaffier, 78, 79, 83, 87, 88^ t2fl|, 
 
 Meer Muhdun, 79. 
 
 Meerun, 88, 87. 
 
 Meerut, 23, 193, S2L 
 
 Megasthenes, 47. 
 
 Mehidpore, 148. 
 
 Mejum-ud-Dowlah, 22(lL 
 
 Menu, Code of, 36. 
 
 Mergui, 25. 
 
 Metcalfe, Mr, 141, 167, 16S. 
 
 Minto, Lord, 139, 142. 
 
 Mitchel, Colonel, 193. 
 
 Modud, 49. 
 
 Moguls, 61, 227. 
 
 Mohammedans, 40. 
 
 Mohammed Ganry, 40, S2BL 
 
 Mohammerah, 189. 
 
 Moira, Earl of, 143. 
 
 Moodajee Bhoalay, 109 
 
 Moodkee, 25. 
 
 Moolraj, 179, 180. 
 
 Monson, Colonel, 1361 
 
 Moorshedabad, 22, 79, 
 
 Moosee Bagh, 206. 
 
 Morud, 53. 
 
 Momington, 24, 179, 180, 181. 
 
 Moulmein, 25. 
 
 Moulvie of Fyzabad. The^ 207, 808. 
 
 Mozufiar Jung, 66, 
 
 Muazzim54, 
 
 Mubarick, 50. 
 
 Miiir, Colonel, 109. 
 
 Molgolwar, 199. 
 
 Mundane Egg, Th«, 8& 
 
 Mundiscor, 205. 
 
 Munro, Sir H., 89, 111. 
 
 Mutohie Bhowan, The, 19T. 868 
 
 Muttra, 24, 195. 
 
 Hyaore. 27, 228, 8S4, SSL 
 
 Nadik Shah, 54. 
 Nagpore, 24, 185, 226. ^ 
 
 Nana 3ahib, 196, 205, 807, 808. 
 Nai\Jore, 110. 
 
 Napier, Sir 0., 178, 188, 188, 884 
 Narrak, 41. 
 Natir Jung, 66^ 8S9. 
 Neale,.GeneraI, 198, 199, SOft. 
 NearchuB, 47. 
 Neemuch, 195, 205. 
 Neilgherriea, The, 19, 
 Nepaul, 30, 143. 
 Nicholaon, Brigadier, SOL 
 Nizam Ally, 82, 94, 96, 108L 
 Nizam-ul-Mulk, 64, 66, 8881 
 Northbrook, Lord, 814. 
 North-west Provinoeiu The. 88. 
 Nott, General, 170. 
 NuJum-nd-Dowlah^ 00 
 Nunoomar, 104, lOS. 
 
 OcHTEBiiOKT, QeiMn|, lil^ lii^ IHk 
 
 Omichund, 78, 80. 
 Oosoor, 97. 
 Orissa; 213, 219, 229. 
 Ottde, 16, 26, 128, 185. 198, 19S, 88B,Sn 
 Ou8ely,SirO.,101,188. 
 Oatram,SirJ.,178,189,! 
 811. 
 
 Paoet, Sir B., 164 
 
 Palk's Straits, sa 
 Palmer and Ca, 158, 188 
 Paniput, 25, 228. 
 Paroees, The, 41. 
 Patan Dynasty, Theu 6Q|. 
 Pedrotallagalla HilL 84 
 Pegu, 25, 183, 288. 
 Penang, 26. 
 Perron, M., 184. 
 
 Peshawur, 48, 194, 199. 
 
 Peshwa, 24, 26, 166, 222, 884 
 
 Pindarees. The, 141, 144, 148, 154 
 
 Plassy, 78, 220. 
 
 Pococke, Admiral, 84. 
 
 PoUook, General, 169, 170, 17L 
 
 Pondicherry, 30, 63, 65, 85. 
 
 Poonah, 23, 32, 107, 222. 
 
 Popham, Colonel, 108. 
 
 Portuguese Poasesaioiu^ Ih*, 84 
 
 Porus, 46. 
 
 Pottinger, Mr.. 165. 188. 
 
 PrimitiTe Tribes, The, 84 
 
 Prame, 28^84 
 
 Pnnjanb, The, 16, 84^ 144174in'.a4 
 
 829. 
 Pareshnun Bhow, 18L 
 Poiganualu^ Hm^ 818 
 
 Ra JAXUMDRT, 88. 
 
 Bi^pootana, 89, 821, 88L 
 
 Baiaa,84 
 
 Bamesersm lalandi, 84 
 
 Bam Narrain, 84 
 
 Bamnngger, 180. 
 
 Rangoon, 25, 154, 184 
 
 Reman Shah, 127. 
 
 Bennie, Oommodow^ 184 
 
 Rewar,838. 
 
 Roe.ShrT.,64 
 
 Rohiloond, 16, 84 89, 181, 828, 884 
 
 RohiUas, lOL 
 
 Rose, Sir H., 206, 807, 804 814 
 
 Royal, Captain, 187. 
 
 Rnghoba, 106, 108, 104 
 
 Rnghojee, BhoeUy, 188, 186, 881, 818 
 
 Bunjeet, Singh, 188, 140, 144, U4 184 
 
 Bnnjoor Sin^, 17^ 177. 
 
 Rnxeea, Sultan*, 64 
 
 Biroti» TH 18l> 
 
240 
 
 OTDSZ. 
 
 Salavat Joftg, 68^ 78, $B, SM. 
 
 8a^lbye;i99: v ' 
 
 Sale, General, 169, ITlt Hft. 
 
 Salim, 221. • ^ 
 
 Salkel4, 201, 20& 
 
 Salsette, 106, lOa 
 
 Sangur, 24, 205, 222. 
 
 Santals, The, 34, 212. 
 
 Sattara, 22, 27, 182, 222, 224. 
 
 Savanoor, 78. 
 
 Scinde, 224. . 
 
 Sciridia, 107, 124, 181. 144, 17^ 207, 
 
 221, 223, 230. 
 Scylax, 45. 
 Sealcote, 199. 
 Seetabuldee, 148. 
 Seleucus, 47. 
 Semiramis. 46. 
 Beringapatam, 28, 27, 111, ISl, Wf* 
 
 142, 223. 
 Sesostris, 44. 
 Severndroog, 72. 
 Shah Allum. 54, 86, 88, 220, 228. 
 Shah Jehangier, 62, 216. 
 Shah Suja, 141. 165, 167, 171. 
 Sheer Mly, 180. 
 Sheer Shah Soor, 52. 
 Sheer Singh, 180, 181, 182. 
 Shiva, 37. 
 Shove, Sir J.. 124. 
 Sikhs, The, 41, 140, 174, 176, 179, 209, 
 
 224. 
 Sikh States, 29, 224. 
 Sikundur Bagh, The, 204, 
 Sikuudur Jah, 135 
 Sinde, 16, 22. 
 Singapore, 25. 
 Sirjee Anjengaom, 186. 
 Sitanas, The, 212. 
 Sivajee, 63, 74, 224, 230. 
 Smith, Colonel, 96, 97 
 Smith, Sir H., 177. 
 Sobraon, 26, 177, 224. 
 Soomoonang, 14. 
 Boudras, 39. 
 Suuthern India, 19. 
 Staunton, Captain, 147. 
 Stevenson, Colone^ 184, 136. 
 Strabobates, 46. 
 Straits Settlements, 26. 
 Stuart, General, 113, 127, 205, 
 Sufdur Jang, 228, 229. 
 S^jahud-Dowlah, 102, 229. 
 Snnderbunds, 16. 
 Sun^-ud-Dowlah, 76, 77, 21% 229. 
 Sarat, 22, 61, 216, 221. 
 Butlej, 176. 
 Battee, TK lOL 
 
 tAinBiuura,n> 
 
 Tknjor^ Sn, 280, SSI 
 
 Itotia Topee, 206. SOV, 
 
 Tavoy, 228. 
 
 TkxUes, 46. 
 
 Teetoo Meer, 168. 
 
 Teignmouth, Lord, lS8w 
 
 Tej Singh, 175. . 
 
 Tenaaserim, 25, 28, 164, SHL 
 
 Thomas, Brigadier. 208. 
 
 Thuggee, Th«, 161. 
 
 Thugs, The. 161. 
 
 Tipperah, 30. 
 
 Tippoo Sahib, 113, 120, 188, SSi, I 
 
 Tirhcwt, 16. 
 
 Toghluok Dynaafy, The^ 501, 
 
 Tool^ee Angria. 
 
 Toolsee Bye, 148. 
 
 Torritorio, Cape, 201. . 
 
 Tranquebar, 80. 
 
 Travancore, 222. 
 
 Triohinopoly, 23. 
 
 Trimbuckjee DalngUa, 148^ Ufc 
 
 Trimm*ti, 86, 38. 
 
 Trincomalee, 26, 84, 98. 
 
 Umballa, 176, 198, IM. 
 
 Vaishtas, The, 89. 
 Valoo Tumbee, 142. 
 Vansittart, Mr., 86, 891 
 Vasco de Gama, 67. 
 Vedras, The, 86. 
 Vellore, 139, 
 Vieramaditya, 47. 
 Vindhya Hills, 1& 
 Vishnu, 87. 
 
 Waoherms, The, Si. 
 Waghnrs, The, 218. 
 Wahabees, The. 212. 
 Wandiwash, 81, 85, 111, 
 Wasil Mahmoud, 149. 
 Watson, Admiral, 76. 
 Wellesley, General, 182. 
 Wellesley, Marquis, 128, 187, SUk 
 Wellesley Province, 25. 
 Wheeler, Sir H., 196. 
 Whish, General, 181. 
 Willoughby, Lieutenaat^ 198. 
 Wilson, Mr., 212. 
 Wood, Colonel, 97. 
 Wood, General, 144. 
 Wurgaom, 108. 
 Wyudham, 205. 
 
 Yamdaboo, 165^ tm. 
 
 ZKViMVABSe Tha^ IHL 
 ZengUs Khan, 681, 
 
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