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About Google Book Search Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at |http : //books . google . com/| \- • ■ . \^^ ■) •> ; ■ ■ '. ., ^ :. ' •! I » ■* * ) • * 'v 1 ' ' ' ' • • . ■ ' Aj''S^H-6 RT i^'--'-v HISTORY OF Englifh Tranfa6tions IN T H E E A S T - I N D I E S. ^m M c AMBRIDGE, tinted for tht Author^ by Fletchxb and Hodsov. Id by J, / j.uoVy Piccadilly ; £. and Ct T>lhJ-lFt ^ the Poultry, London*^ - , : . ' j - 'J: •J J ' ,. ^ « J ' -> ' * ' • ; : A' ' • * i 1 ■' •' •' J-' '{ '. //. /•/ir.Ai•^<■;^ \\/r .'/. thenewyork] 'PUBLIC LIBRARY] ASTOR, LENOX AND T.ILDEN FOUNDATlONaL 1897. % * ■• W « w « « « l» b • k ■ «. •. b k *•! • f b b V b » b b "b » b «. PREFACE. ■ THE treaty of peace, con- cluded at Paris the loth of February, 1763, between the kings of Great Britain, France, and Spain, placed the crown of England in the pof- feflion of an extent of domi- nion, unknown to any former period of our hiftory. This increafe of Empire has opened a field for tranfaclions under our government, equal- ly new and important ; and fome events have taken place V within the limits of the Britifti empire, fince the lafl war, not * very PREFACE. very common in the hi (lory of the world. Some of thofe tranfa6lions appear to be of a nature that will draw after them confe- quences greatly to the preju- dice of the government and people of England^ if not pre- vented by fuitable remedies. And as the knowledge of the difeafe ever feems neceffary « to the cure, the defign of this work is to give a^ fhort (late of the evidence, by which thefe tranfaftions have dif- clofed themfelves to our view. At prefent they lie hid in vo- lumes of fo great a fize, that one may reafonably conclude, it PREFACE. it is but a fmall part of the public who have ex?imined them in fuch a manner, as to draw juft and fatisfaftory con- clufions from them. I HAVE long wifhed to fee fuch a ftate of thefe tranfac- tions, as would anfwer this pur- pofe ; and it is in confequence of nothing of this kind ap- pearing from any other hand, that I have ventured to attempt it. And after the reader has feen the fafis, with the au- thorities on which they are re- lated, he will ufe the liberty which he has a right to ufe, both in the credit he choofes to allow to the evidence itfelf, * 2 and P R E F AC E. and then in drawing his own conclufiotis : my defign being only to give a (hort Hate of feme tranfaftions, which have taken place under our govern- ment fince the late war, and to endeavour to place them in, what appears to me, their true light. And if what I have done (hould only prove an in- troduftion to fuch an invef- tigation, as may make them rightly underllood, and lead to the remedies that may pre- vent the confequences which I have thought would flow from them, then I Ihall con- fider my labour well bellowed. But' if the evidence I have € taken PREFACE. taken to be true, is ill found- ed, or any thing I have iaid unjuft, then I would wifh it all to go for nothing. But I have here prefented nothing to the reader, but what I believe to be true ; and the evidence of the tranfad ions I have related, is the bed I could meet with ; and I am not confcious of re- prefenting any thing with a view to injure any man ; and if I (hould offend I can at leafl fay it was not my defign. I I have related thefe tran fac- tions, wherever I could, in the very words of thofe who had the greateft (bare in their ex* ccution. And if any gentle* man PREFACE. man fees I have miftaken his meaning, or been mifinformed *of fafls, I wifh to correft both, as the caufe I would ferve, however weakly, has no oc- cafion to avail itfelf of any ^mifreprefentation ; and it will be a fervice done to the ^caufe of truth (Ihouldthe pub- Jic call for any future impref- iion) by any gentleman who -will take the trouble of point- ing out a miftake* And not- withflandingthe trouble I have had to pick tliis little work out of the heap of materials about me, I fhall think my felf happy indeed, (hould it be the occa- fion of a thought, to induce thofe P R E F AC E. thofe who command, to in- creafe their knowledge in what they ought to prefcribe ; and thofe who obey, to find a new pleafure refulting from their obedience. The tranfaflions in the Eaft- Indies, making a material part in the period of our enquiry, it may be fatisfafltory to the reader, to run over a brief ftate of the principal occur- rences in that part of the world, from the beginning of the late war. Cambridge, July, 1776. INTRO- ( ii ) hb hv.om ^nd proicjftion to the En* glilh. It was kindly received by the nabcfb, yvhp promifed to fhew the En- glifh greater marks of friendfhip than ever his grandfather had done. But prefently after, when advices were received at Madrafs, of the like- lihood of a war between England ind France, and the governor putting the fortifications of Calcuit^ in % ftate of def^flce, Shiyah DQwlg f^geified his difplcafarc, ami abfolwfily ihrwene4 to attack the Ehgliflv if the governor delayed or ref«fed to dcftroy the wOrk^ he had erefted. The prefident and ca^ncil tbpt?ght it more eligible to, pjomife Qb^i^n^e to the n^ob!s. ord^x^^ tbmtifqw the iifijc of a quant! iwitl^ bim. Riit tli^j! continiaed cstcrting their uowft Wt fleamoua K> ftreogjbie«^.titetf fertifie^- tioiis^ ( Hi ) tions^ and applied to the French to aflift them^ io cafe the nabob fhould attack them. The French only gaf- conaded. Then they fent to the Dutch, but they declinttd giving th^ Epglifh any laffiftancc. On the i8tH of June 1756^ the na- bob's army furrounded the town, Thd 19th they pufhcd on their attack. The 20th they renewed rheir cannon- ading with greater vigour, and Mr. Hoiwell, who had taken che command on Governor Drake^s rttiriitg from the fa^ory, feeing all refiftancc in vain, gave trp his fword to ah officer of the nabob's, and the whole garrifon threw down tlicir arms, and furrendered them- felves priforiers.at difcrction. The faCr i;ory was in a few minutes filled with the enemy, who began plundering every a 2 thing ( iv ) thing they could lay their hands on* In the afternoon the fubah entered the fort, carried in a kind of litter j his younger brother attended him in an- other. Shvy ah Dowla enquired for Mr. Drake, with whom he appeared much incenfed. — Mr. Holwell was carried to him with his hands bound, but upon complaining of that ufage, the nabob gave orders for loofing his hands, and affured him upon the faith of a foU dier, that no hurt fliould be done to the Englifh. In the evening the na- bob left the fort, the charge of it was given to Monickchund, as governor, and in the dulk of the evening, the muflclmcn fung a thankfglving to Allahj for their fuccefs. TheEnglilh were direfted to withdraw to a place, where the foldic.rs were ufu^lly confi^^.d i .' in ( V ) in the ftocks, and while they were wondering what this fhould mean, and laughing at the oddity of it, a party of the nabob's guards came, and or- dered theni into the place called the black hole, a dungeon about eighteen feet long, and fourteen wide, with only two holes, barricaded with iron bars i into this place an hundred and fifty perfons were thruft at eight in the evening, and thjC next morning only twenty- two of them remained alive. It was not believed the nabob had any intention of a maflacre, but mere- ly to confine them for the night, with- out knowing whether the prifon was great or fmall. He received the ac- count of. what happened, without ex- prefling the Icaft concern ; but appeared greatly furprizcd to firid there was not • ^ above )» *j J ( ^ ) ibbve five tfifoufihd pounds in tJk Ifi Oftobet 1 756, Colonel Clive wa« Idit from Madrafs With abotit 2,00^ lartd forces on board AdmiraJ Wattfon's •fqitadron to retake Calcutta, which i/iris abandoned by the nabob's garri. {6ti ^ftei- cichaftgihg a few ftiot with the fhips, GitEAT pirt of the forces that went froit Madrafs on this expedition were not arrived, but the Admiral landed thofe he had on boa:rd, which confiftcd of 250 of the Ring^S' troops^ 456 oi the tortipany's, and 1,206 fepdys, who "cntitnched theiiifclves under the com- mand •"From tKe ecccraht pVcii to die cbmikiittee of die Hoafe of Commons^ty John Cooke, £lq; who in th^is )i%ar 1^56 was fecretary to . the governor and council at Calcutta. Reports^ vol. i. page & ( m ) mand cf Colppel Clivc, wkhii» fom miles of Calctj^ta. In a few days Shvi-r jah Dowla with his army appeared, gnd paffed within half a mile of thQ Englifh, and encamped at the back of Calcutta. On his march he fent Itu ters tp the colonel, intimating hi* wiflies of peace with, the Englifti. Th% colonel fent twp genUenKn tp the ^aJbob'^ catiip at fev^p ia the ev^r ing, who returned ^t eleven, ami affured him they thpt^ght the ndi^\^ was x^ot finecre in his propofals, hw% .-Oicant treachery. Th? colpoel w^iH on bo^d Ad^nir^il W^tfon'^ • (hip that njgixt, .'vyho #fted him Wih fppr EuBdred fcame^ ; they laadpd at ono o'clock ii^ tihp mQroing, wd Sboufc ifxvir 4^ ^lQ9e^ mMChed hh ^ja^ a^ifi0: %hp^^9^>9k'^ Cdwp. Hi» in^: t6ntiei« w?IB $9 h»yse fciatd to cftn^ DOO ( viii ) non and attacked the head quarters ; but when day light appeared, there arofe fo thick a fog, they could not fee three yards before them •, they killed many of the enemy, and loft about 150 of their own men. In the even- ing, Shujah Dowla's army retired about ten miles from the Englifh, and the ftabbb fent a letter to Admiral Wat- fon defiring ^o treat with him on the terms bf a peace; and advice being then received of the war with France, they concluded a treaty without delay. Prefently after this the nabob began to afTift the French with money and men. The Englifli attacked and took Chan- dernagore, againft the-confent of the nabob. And the colohel faid^* they muft either eftablifh IhemfeRcs by ibrce, or be drivi?n out of the country, arid he luggefted the riedeflity 0^ a re- - volution. •( he ) -volution. The committee left th; management of it to him and Mr. Watts, the company's agent at Mux- adavad; and a great diflatisfadion arif. ing at this time among Serajah* Dow- la's troops, it was thought a favoura- ble opportunity for depofing him, and ■* Meer Jaffier was pitched upon to be raifcd to the fubahlhip. Mr. Watts employed Omichund, a black mer- chant, to negociatc the matter with Meer Jaffier. Orliichund infifted, when he was let into the fecret, upon having five per cent, on all Serajah Dowla's treafures, and twenty lacks of rupees, or he would betray the whole defign to the reigning nabob. But when Meer Jaffier and the Englifti gentlemen un- derftood each other, they thought b Omi- * Read Serajah for Shujahin the preceding jages. Onfiichund's demand too high^ for thp nabob's treafures were estimated at forty millions 5 fo two treaties were jQgncd on the part of the Eaglifh, and fent to Mr. Watts, who delivered one to Omichund, wherein his own terms Mvere exprefled, but the other, intended to be. obferved, did not fp much as mention his qame, By this treaty ic was agreedj when the revolution was accompliflied in Meer JafEer*s favour, he Ihould give to the India company one niillion two hundred thoufand pounds ; to the European fulFer^rs, lix l)undred thoufand pounds; the fame fum to the navy and army ; about two hundred and fifty thoufand pounds to the natives of the country; and an hundred thoufand pounds to the Ar-r. menians. Every thing, being agreed, Coloael ClivQ ( »'» ) Clivc marched to attack the nabobs whofe army was entirely dcfcatcdj He was taken prifoner, and his death followed fooa after. * . . • SxRAj AH DovTt A was a young prince of great ambition^ tinftured with ava-» rice, and of violent paffions, and he adopted the fatal policy of making war againft the Englifh, inftead of fol- lowing the example of his grandfather, A Hi Ver di Cawn, who always ap- peared fenfiblc of the advantages arif- ing to his government»by the trade car-. ried on with the Engliih fcttlements in his dominions. And Kiffindafs, who had been his prime minifter to the end ba of • From the account given by Lord Clive to ^he committee appointed by the Houfe of Commons to enquire into the Hate of the Bri- tifli affairs in jthe Eafl Indies. Reports, vol. i. page i6» ( xii ) of his life, had left the court of the young nabob, who liflened to the mif- reprefentations of his courtiers againll the fubjefts of England ; and before they began to repair the works at Cal- cutta, the building of a fummer houfe in a garden, was magnified by the new miniftry into a fortification raifed to oppofe him. But it is not agreed whether the nabob undertook this war, againft the colonies of our country- men, out of refentment at any real or fuppofed affront to his government, or with a view to force from them a greater revenue. The latter was moft likely the real caufe, from the difap- pointment he difcovered at the fmall- nefs of the fum he found in the com- pany's treafury at Calcutta ; and it is probable his courtiers put their mafter upon thefe meafurcs to gratify their avarice. ( xiii y * avarice. But happy would it hav« have been for this prince, had he^ allowed the Englifh to continue under their former regulations ; and liftened to the fupplications they prefentcd to him for that purpofe. For whatever were the motives for the war, the dif- ferent efieds under his grandfather's reign proved it to be impolitic : it an- fwered no end that could be beneficial to the prince's family and government, and the event of it was fatal to himfelf. His minifters might reprefent to him,, and with every appearance of truths that a few Englifti tradclhien, defended only by new made foldiers, were too contemptible for him to fear any con- fcquences from his fending his arms againft them. And all their ftrength at firft, defended by the walls of Cal- cutta, could not refift his forces for a day^ C xiv ) tiay. The Englifti were driveir before him, arid, by a word of his mouth, (hut up like (heep in a fold. But the refcnt* mcnt he difcovercd againft them, gave them nothing to hope from his friend- (hip, and led them to make the defpc- Tate attempt of eftablifliing themfelves by force-, and, unhappily for the prince, they prevailed, and he loft his domi- nions and his life. What an opinion muft the people of the Eaft have of the courage of En- gliftimen, when they faw fuch an hand- ful of them attempt and execute a re- volution, in the government of fo great . a prince? What will not men do when unreftrained by tonfcience, or fear of danger? But was the glory of fuch cnterprizes, cftimated from thofe hours of mens lives, wherein their aftions •appear in their true light, perhaps ♦ . ' Avarice ( XY ) Avarice and Ambition themfelvcv vould not envy their fuccefs, ; Often has it appeared in the hlftory of mankind, when public juftice did* not inflift the punifhment due tO; thofe, who bid defiance to the laws- of allegiance or humanity, that con- fcience has been permitted to do, it. And crimes are fomctimes explained: by their punilhrnent j the guards who had execute:d Serajah Dow la's carelcfs orders againft the Englilh at Calcut- ta, are made the very inftruments of depofing that prince, and of his death, which happened foon after. The battle of Plaffey was on the a6th of J un€ 1 757. Jaffier Ally Khan . with the fprcea under his commapdy.. obfcrved.a .ftn£t neutrality daring the^, epgagcmentj ^nd by thus betraying: his mafter, as had been, before concert-. '( xvi ) «od, the king and company's troops ob- tained a complete viftory over Sera- jah Dowla; and on the 30th of June, Colonel Clive feated Jaffier in the Miffnud, where he continued till 1760, when the following caufes arc affigned for depofmg liim. That he was of a temper extremely tyrannical and avaricious, at the fame time very indolent, and the people about him were flaves and flatterers. He attributed all the ill fiiccefs of his affairs to , imaginary plots and contri- vances againft him, and he facrificed lives without mercy, to the excefs of his jealoufy : and the frequent exe- cutions that were made without the leaft ailigned reafon, made him the * pany's fcrvants who were the prqjefliOFS of it, made no fecrct that there was a prefent promifed them of tweftcy lacks of rupees from Cofllm; who was delirous of making the firft a£t of his power, the aiTaflination of Jaf^ fier, and was very much difpleaf. ed, when he found the Engliih. itif^ tended • Reports, vol. i. p. 146. ( mm ) tcmfcd giving him protedkiori at Cali. cutca. And Cofllm being con vi needy by this revolution, Ik)w lintle the En- glifli regarded the moft facred engage*^ mentSy he began his reign by cncreaC* ing tlie number of his troops, aiKl di£« ciplining them ia the European mai»* ncr ; and efteeming bis capital, Morfhc- dabad, the fcene of his predeceflbr'd- fall, too near the Englifh fcttlcments^ he fet about credting a large fort at Rajahmaul, to make the place of his refidencc farther out of die reach of a people, wIk) might prefcntly End as- many pretences for depofing him,, a$ they bad done for violating their treaties with his father-in-law. All Cc^m's meafares Ihewed his defire to eftablifh himfelf on a foundation lefs precarious than the fricndfhip of the EngUfhv And left the Englifh fhould grow ( XXX ) grow jealous pf his growing power, gnd want to reduce his authority, by fubjeding the fubabftiip to its primi- tive dependency on the mogul, and oblige hina to pay the royal revenues ; he therefore fet every engine to work to inftill notions into the king, of his being in danger from the Englifli, and he fo far prevailed, as to prevent the king's receiving any afSftance from the Englifli, or receiving any part of the revenues of this fubahfliip. This be- haviour of Coffim's incenfed the king, Y^ho declared he would not fufFer him to remain longer in the fubahftxip, thaa he had power to prevent it, and made a voluntary offer to the Englifh of the dcwanny of Bengal. This poft is the collection cf the revenues of all the provinces fubjedt to the nabob, which are to be accounted for with the court of ( xxxi . ) of Ddliy. The nabobs of Bengal, taking advantage of the late commo- tions in the empire of the mogul, af-. fumed this ofncc to themfclvcs, as well as that of the fubdarree, which is the command of the troops, and the charge of the jurifdiftion in the pro- vinces, .the ^xpences of which are paid out of the revenues by the dewan. Besides this offer of the dewanny to the company, which would have brought them about fifteen lacks year* ly, the king offered to confirm to them the lands of Burdwan, Midna- poor, and Chittagong, and to eftablifh the influence of the Englifh not only in thefe provinces, but as far as the city of Delhy itfelf. In return for v/hich the king required their affiflance to fettle him on the throne;, and to reco- ver fuch parts of his territories as wer? m iii< the hands of rebels. And Shujah .Dowla, one of the moft powerful men •of the empire,, was willing to join his .forces with the Englilh to eftabJifli the 'king, who then was in the field near Patna, and unable to profecute his journey xo his capital of Delhy, it i)eing difputed between two parties in ithe empire, who Ihould give .a prince io the throne. The queftion with the company's /ervants was, whether they were more likely toarriveatthe^nds they had in view, by oppofmg the king, Sha Zaddah, eldeft fon of the lafl: mogul, or by propofing an alliance with him, and fupporting his pretenfions to the crown. The committee at Calcutta, thought unanimoufly their intercft laid on the fide of favouring the .king, which wasintended accordingly, and ( xxxiii } and letters fent Shujah Dbwla, prOf* poling his entering into this alliance. The meafures of the Englilh now occafioned great jealoufy to the nabob CoQim Ally Khan. Colonel Cootc was fent to the command of the army, with inftru£lions to forward the refo- lutions which had been agreed on, and foon after he arnVed at the army, Sha Zaddah began his march from Patna ; and was condtifted by Major Carnac to the Carna0a, the river that fepa- rates the province of Bahar from Shujah Dowla's country. The king croffed the river and was met the fame day, a few miles off, by Shujah Dowla* After a feries of difputes, between the Englifh and Coflim Ally Khan, all poffibility of an accommodation e was ( xxkW ) tras cut off by the inhuman murder of Mn Amyatt and the gentlemen of his family and his attendants, as they were returning under the faith of a fafe conduft to Calcutta. And not- withftanding the dire<5tors of the com- pany at home, had acquiefced in the revolution in favour of Coflim, the fervants of the company thought thcm- felvcs juftificd, by his condud:, to de- clare war againft him. Major Camac gave it as his opinion to the council, that it was the leaft atonement they could make for having depofed Meer JafEcr, to endeavour now to rcftorc him to his government. ♦ War was declared accordingly, «tgainft Coffim, f ^uid a proclamation lifued • Appendix No. 67. to tic fecond report. + Jttly 1763* V ( XXXV ) ifTued for the rcftorarion of Mecr Jaf- fier to the fubahihip. Colonel Coote being departed for Europe, the chief command of the zxmy devolved upon Major Adams, then the oldcft major in his Majefty's 84th regiment. The army took the field ^ainit Cofllm Ally Khan -, and conlifted of 650 Europeans, of which about 400 were his Majcfty's, and nine companies of Sepoys, of 100 men each ; befides which, there was a de- tachment of the company's troops of 100 Europeans and a battalion of Sepoys, to join Major Adams, from Midnapore, where they had been fent under Major Carnac,- for the fecurity of the province of Burdwan ; which junction was effedted with the greateft difficulty, on account of the floods. M^or Adams made his way through c 2 every ( xxxvi ) every oppofition to the capital, Mu:r- adabad, which he took by * ftornr. Mcer Jaffier, after concluding a treaty with the governor and council, left Calcutta,* to join the army, attended by Major William Grant as his efcort, and in five days they reached the army, then advanced to Agurdeep. Coflim Ally Khan had been moving down- wards with the main body of his troops. Major Adams received a let- ter from Coflim, faying, he would cut off the Englilh gentlemen in his power, if the major and his army ad- vanced any further. Amongft the prifoners with Coffim were Mr. Ellis, and Mr. Hay ; the major wrote them to purchafe. their liberty of the guard fet over them at any rate. They re- turned for anfwer, that the major ought ♦ July II, 1763J ( XXX vii ) ought not to be attentive to them, for they muft fubmit to their fate ; and defired that no confideration of their fituation, Ihould prevent the army from proceeding in their operations. Oh the 2d of Anguft the two ar- mies met on the plains of Geriah, and came to a general engagement; the enemy broke a part of the Englifh troops, took two pieces of their can- con, and attacked his Majefty's 84tli: regiment in front and rear ; but after an obllinace difpute of four hours, the Englilh gained a complete viftory, and Coflim's army abandoned all their can- non, together with an 150 boats loaden with provifions and (lores. It was re- ported Coffim had fifty thoufand peo- ple in arms, and the whole Englifh ar- my did not amount to more than three thoufand firelocks. The ( xxxviii ) . The Englilh foon after took Patna by ftorm,* after a fpiritcd defence, and then advanced to the banks of the Carnafia, the boundary of the pro* vince; where CoIEun with the fhat* tered remains of his army and trea- fure^ were waiting to complete his bridge of boats over the Ganges, in order to pafs into Shujah Dowla's country, which he entered on the 4th of December. Thus after a campaign commenced and profecuted under in- conceivable difHculties and hardfhips, which inevitably attend being in the field, during the violence of the wet feafon in Bengal; Cofllm Ally Khan was driven out o( the provinces, and fignaHzed his flight by tlie barbarous maflacre, in cold blood, of every En- glifh gentleman, as well civil as mili- tary, * November 6, 1763. ( 3CXIC1X ) tary, Mr. FuUcrton only excepted, and a number of other pcrfons, who were his prifoners, amounting in the whole to near three hundred. Many of thcfe unfortunate perfons, were put to death on the river, in fight of cruel Coffim's army ; and fome being Gen* toos, he had expo&d after they were killed, to birds and beafts of prey, and not fuffcred to be burnt, accord- ing to the rites of their religion. * The king or mogul was now with Shujah Dowla, and the governor and council lent an agent to Shujah to propofe an alliance with him, and to promifc to affift him againft Coffim Ally Khan, or aay othdr enemy who might * Fnna die account §iv«n 1>y Genecal Car- liac and Major Grant to the committee of the Houfe of Commons* ' Reports^ vol. i# part 2^, ( Tcl ) might invade his dominions ;. in return for which they expedled he would de- clare himfelf openly an enemy of Cof-. fim's, and ufe his utmoft cncjeavours. to feize and deliver him up with all his effedts. Major Adams was made acquaint-^ ed with thefe views by difpatches from Calcutta, the 8th of December ; but as he refigned the command of the ar-r my the 9th, intending to embark for Europe,* Major Carnac was informed of the defigns of the committee, and defired to take the command of the army and watch the motions of Coffim, and guard the frontiers of Meer Jaf*- £er's dominions, againft the ftrong Jbody of forces with which Coffim had retired. And if Coffim ftiould prevail 4vith the king and Shujah Dowla,"to joiA * f Major Adams died foon after. I I ( »li ) join his fortune^ tlien Major Carnac was defircd to advance the army to the banks of the Carumnafla^ and oppofe any enemy that might attempt to enter the country, which was now cleared of Mecr JafEcr and the company's ene- mies. In February,*Captain Jennings, who commanded at the camp at Sarfarem, fent intelligence to Calcutta, that the king and Shujah Dowb had refolved to aflift Coffim Ally Klwn in recover- ing the government of Bengal. This account was confirmed by Major Car- nac on his arrival at Patna, and when he reached the camp, he heard their troops were in motion towards the fron- tiers* The prefidcnt and council wrote to Shujah Dowla, that they could not give credit to this report^ confuleriag f the C xfit ) the former Cbhnevflions fobfiftitig hH^ tweeh hitxi and the chiefs of the com- pahy, they were perfuaded he \rould not aft hi fo unequitable a mto-ner. j^ut if tiovevet he IhotiM take Coflim Ally iChah into his friendlhip, they were refolved to keep Bengal free frona trbubles, and would cany the wa-r into- Shiijah Dowla's domihiotis, and defo-i late and l.y wafte hrs country. * Soon aftet this Major Carnac re* ceived the following letter : Frcm Shiijah ul Dcwla^ to the Governor and Council at Calcutta. ^.' Forrr.er kings of Jndoftan, bjr exempting the Englifll company from duties, granting them difftrcrit fettle- ments and fadories, and aflifting them in all their affairs, bellowed greater kindnefs and honour upon them, than either • Reports, vol. i. part 2. Appendix No. 67. i «Wi ) richer qpon the country merchants, or .aoy Qtber Europeans i morepyer of latf iu3 majcfty has gracioufly conferred oft you higher titles ^nd dignities than >ya^ proper, aod jagheers, and other favours -fince; notwithftaoding thefe various .favours which have been (hewn you, you have interfered in the king's coun>- 4:ry, pofleffed yourfelves of diftrifts b?- Jopgiog to the gQvcrnmeoi:, fuch as Burdwan 4nd Chittagong, &c. ai)4 turned out and e/^blifhed nabobs at pleafure, without the cpnfent of thp iipperial court. Since you have ira- prifoiiied dependents upon the court, and expofcd the government of th^ .,king qf kings to contempt and dtf- honour^, (mc^ ypy have ruined ihp trade pf the merchants of the countr^r, ^r^utfed pr<>te<5tioQ to the king's fer- -yaot^, ijy.wr?d |h<; jrw^nses pf the im- f 2 perial ( rihr ) perial court, and cruihed the inhabi- tants by your afts of violence; and fincc you are continually fending frefh peo- ple from Calcutta, and invading dif- ferent parts of the royal dominions, and liave even plundered feveral vil- lages and purgunnas belonging to the province of lUahabad; — to what <:an thefe wrong proceedings be attributed, but to an abfolute difregard to the court, and a wicked defign of feizijig the country to yourfelves ? If you have behaved in this manner in confequence of your king*s commands, or the com- pany's directions, . be pleafed to ac- quaint mc of the particulars thereof, that I may fhcw a fuitable refentment. But if thefe dvfturbanccs have arifen from your own improper defires, defift from fuch behaviour in future; inter- fere not in the affairs of the govern- ment; ;ment; withdraw your people from fcvcry part, and fend them to their own country j carry on the Com pi* ny*s trade as formerly, and confine yourfclves to commercial affairs. In this cafe the imperial court will more than ever aflift you in your bufincfs, and confer its favours upon you. Send hither fome perfon of diitindtion as your vacqueel, to inform me pro- perly of all circumftances, that I m^y afl: accordingly. If, (which God forbid!) you are haughty and difbbe- dient, the heads of the diflyurbers ihall be devoured by tlic fword of juftice, -and you will feel the weight of His Majefty*s difpleafure, which is the type of the wrath of God-, nor will any fubmifllons or acknowledgments here- after avail you, as your Company have of .old been fupportcd by tlie roy?l £*• vours* ^owrs. I have thcrefbre wrote tQ jev^i you will aft as you- thiuk advifeabk; ipeedily fend me yaur anfwjcr/* « This letter was accooipanied .wii|i one to Major Carnac, -wbich, Serajah iDowla fays, he writes him agrecabk to his majefty's care ^for the good of his ;.people, reminding him of the favours ;the kings of Indoftan had granted the Engliih above all other Europeans, or ♦jthe jsierchaats of their owa dominions.; but the Eiiglifli bad turned afide from -their former paths, and been continu- ally marching their troops into the jking's cQumry^ ^nd prefumed ty> r&- ffliove officers of the imperial court, ;and to turn out aod dbbliih ^naboU. He aJks — " What k'md of behavicw is this?" And defires to be informed ;if the Major has hi^ .king':s or his com- ^wft .orders &r ihefc proceedings. Jut ( xlvii ) B'ut if it w^ through thefr ovm intli< " Nations tlvat the Englilh had plunder- ed villages belonging to lilahabady and ftili cmertained their evil defignsy. not^ithftanding the approach of the royal ftandards^ it wis proper they fliould defift from ftich proceedings}:, arid it\ cafe of their otedience, the king's favours ftiould be cofrferrecf ^pon them, otherwifc die guilty and^ difobedient ihouid be utterly deftroy*.- cd.* . T«!E Pfefidcftt and committee wrier Major Carnac : — " We moft contefe ourfelv^s uneafy at the neceffity which yoa • Trdnflates enteried in the Company's re- cords at Calcutta, at a cowfiiltation of the pre- fident and cGuudl, May lo, 1764- 'Epi^stus fays, ** If any one fpcafcs ill cf • thee, coiifidcr whether he has truth on his fide : and if fo, reform thyfelF.** We fhalt fee how the gentlemen take the heathen's adyice» ( xlviii ) you Have been under of afbing upoH the defenlive, and wifh it may £6oa be in your power to cbaoge this plan ; as it is beyond doubt, that all our fuc- ccfles againft the powers of this^^ em- pire, have been owing to stating ^ffen- ^vefyj and always pufhing to the at- tack ; and tMs appears the more ne- cefTary at this* time, as the ill dlfpo- fition of our troops is likely to be in- creafed by nothing fo much as ina£lion« ** If it is poflible for you to take with you a ftock of provifions for a few days, and by fcM'ced marches to bring Serajah Dowla to adlion, it ap* pears to us to be an advifeable mea^ fure. ** If you think this Impracticable, or not advifeable, the next alteration that occurs to us is, to leave a part of the army ftrongly polled at or near Fatna, ( xlix ) Patna, for the fecurity of the city, and cither conduft youjrfelf or fend the re-, mainder of the forces acrofs the river, to march from thence into Shujah Dowla*s country, pufliing diredly for Banaras; by which they would not only ciat off the fupplies which come to Shujah Dowla from that quarter, but probably induce Bulwant Sing to come over to our intcijcf^, and join in diftreffing him on that fide. It. h « at the fame time probable, that upon the appearance of fuch a force, other parties may rife upon his dominions, may be glad to feize fuch an occafipn, to favour fame pretenfions of their own. In cafe of Shujah Dowla's re- turn, we can only fay in general, that we would have the war carried on in lys country." . ^ C 1 ) Early on the gd of May, the united forces of the king, Shujah Dowla, and Goflim Ally Khan, pre- fented themfclves in order of battle before the Englifti canip, near Patna^ Sumro, one of Coffim's generals, with the choice of the infantry, fupported by a large body of cavalry^ made an attack upon the Englifh front; but not being able to advance under fo heavy a fire as they gave them, Sumro brdered his men to lie under cover, to wait for the fuccefs of the aflault upon the rear, where the enemy exerted their principal efforts. Major Carnac had the city of Patna, the camp of Meer Jaffier, who was with him, and his own poft to take care of during the aft ion. The whole army, particularly the Sepoys, behaved with the greateft bravery, and at fuin-fct they repulfcd the ( li ) p the enemy completely, but the major's army was fo fatigued with the labours of the day, and being up iftoft part of the night before, waiting for the attack, that they were not able to purfue. The lofs on the fide of the Englifli was confiderable, and that of the allies. Major Carnac writes the council, muft have been immenfe, as the fire of his troops was very clofe, and extremely well dillributed. When this news reached Calcutta, the council agree* to write Major Car- nac, that they hope he has availed himfelf of the good difpofition of his troops, and before that time driven the enemy out of the country ; and that they entertain no thoughts of treating with Shujah Dowla, having g 2 HQ * At a confultation. May 21, 1764; ( lii ) no conception of any conceflions which It was in his power to make them. — That they have great reafon to believe the nabob, Meer Jaffier, may want to hold his government under the king's authority, and give into any overtures For a negociation, from a vain notion of being independent of their fupport, and therefore defired by no means to allow any correfpondence to be carried on between Meer JafEer and the king;* but in this, and all other meafures, the nabob mull be entirely ruled by the major, whilft the war continues. For fome days after the battle on the 3d of May, the Englilh army ex- pefted to be atacked again by Shujah Dowla*s ; but on the 30th, the whole body of the allies marphed off, and great part of them reached the mouth of • His lawful fovereign, ( Kii ) of the Soanc that evening; and Major Carnac writes the governor and coun- cil, the 1 ft of June, that he had feledled a detachment under the command of Major Champion, to crofs over di- reftly to the Gauzepoor country, with orders to do all the mifchief there they can till the rains are fet in* The preGdent and council write the Major, to profecute the war againft Shujah Dowla, and to put his army in motion immediately, crofs the Soane, and purfue the enemy as far as the Gan- ges, and, if poflible, to come to aftion — to endeavour to take pofleffion of the Gauzepoor country, and colle6t its revenues, to aflift in paying the cxpence of the war -, and to give all manner of protection to the inhabi- ' tants, in order to gain their afFecStions; The 14th of June the council rc- - ^ ceive ( liv ) ceivc an account from Major Carnac, of the mutinous difpofition of many of his troops, with his opinion, that Mcer Jaffier might wilh to be inde- pendent of the company -, as it was very natural he fhould be dcfirous of holding the government of the pro- vinces by virtue of the royal Fir- maun ; the religion, as well as the education of all muffelmen teaching them to regard this as the only regular conftituted authority. Major Carnac receives letters from the king and Shujah Dowla, * with affurances that Coffim Ally Khan Ihould be arretted and puniftied ; to which the major returned for anfwer, that nothing could procure them a re- conciliation with the Englilh but the aftual delivery of Coffim, Sumro, and the defer ters. The ( Iv , ) The detachment under Major Champion, produced the efredt ex- pefted from it — as foon as Shujah Dowla received advice of its having begun hoftilities in the diftrids of Gauzepoor, he retired with his army towards his own country. Major Car- nac defired leave to refign his com- mand. The council fent their per- miffion, and at the fame time requefted Meer Jaffier, to leave the army at Pat- na, and come down to Calcutta, as they wanted to fettle many points with him, of effential confequence to his government and their own. * * From the report of the committee of the houfe of commons, appointed to enquire into the ftate of India aifairs, in 1772 and 3, vol. i. part 2. T R A N S- TRANSACTIONS I N T H E EAST-INDIES. CHAP. I. I. Stipulations between France and England^ relative to the Eaji Indies. 2. The King^s troops enter into the Companfs fervice at the end of the war in India. 3. Mutinous ftate of the arviy — punijhfnent infli£iedfor defer tion. \. TJY the Xlth article of the a3 treaty pf Paris, it was agreed that Great Britain ijhould reftore to France, in the .condition they .then were in, the difFerwit cfa^aries .which B that [ 2 ] that crown poffefled, as well on the coa^^ of Coromandel and Orixa, as on that of Malabar, as alfo in Ben- gal, at the beginning of the year 1 749. And the king of France renounced all pretenfion to the acquifitibns which he had made on the coaft of Coroman- del and Orixa fince that time, and was to reftore all that he had conquered from Great Britain in the Eaft Indies, during the laft war ; and engaged not to creft fortifications, or to keep troops in any part of the dominions of the fubah of Bengal. And in order to preferve future peace, the Englifli and French were to acknowledge Mahomet Ally Khan for lawful na- bob of the Carnatic, and Salabat Jing for lawful fubah of the Decan ; and both parties were to renounce all demands and pretenfions of fatisfac- tion* r 3 r tion, with which they might charge* each other, or their Indian allies, for the depredations, or pillage, com- mitted pn the one fide or on the other, during the war. 2. Agreeable to which, orders were fent out to India, and Colonel Munro fays, in his evidence before the houfe of commons — " In April, 1764, I was under orders from his Majefty*s' fecretaries of ftate and war, to return to Europe with fuch of his Majefty*s troops as did not choofe to inlift into the company*s fwvice. I was accordingly to have embarked with the troops the beginning of May, on board a Mocoa fhip, which was to fail for Europe ; but before I embark- ed, there were two exprefles arrived from Bengal, acquainting the gover- nor and council at Bombay, that B 2 Shujah IT 4 T Shujah D6wb and Coffim Ally Khan had marched into the province of Bengal, at the head of fixty thoufand. men : That Major Adams, who commanded the army, was dead : That the fettkment of Calcutta was in the utmoft confternation, and the company's affairs in the greateft dan- ger ; they therefore requcfted that the governor and council of Bombay ^vould apply to me to go round im- mediately to take the command of the army, with his Majefly's troops, and as many as could be fpared from the prefidency of Bombay. As his Majefty's intention in fending out troops to India, by the orders I bad, was to aflift and defend the company in their different fettlements^ I thought- it would not be anfwering the inten- tion of fending them out, to retura . . and [ 5- ] and leave the company's aS^airs in that Htuation. I therefore complied with' the requeft, and arrived at Calcutta ixrkh his Majefty's troops, and a de* tachment of the company's from Bom- bay, in May 1764. Mr. Vanfittart, -who was then governor, acquainted me, that the army under the command of Major Carnac, fince Shujah Dowla aiid his army had come into the pro- vince, had been upon the defenfive. Mr. Vanfittart requefted, that I would immediately repair with the troops I had carried round from Bombay, to join the army which were in canton- ment at Patna, and take the com« mand of them.'* 3. ** I FOUND the army, Europeans as well as Sepoys, mutinous, deferting to the enemy, threatening to carry off their officers to the enemy, demanding an [ 6 ] an augmentation of pay, demanding' large fums of money, which they faid had been promifedby the nabob, and difobedient to all order: Four hun- dred of the Europeans had gone off in a body, and joined the enemy fomc- time before I joined the army.- This being the fituation the army was in, I fully determined to endeavour to conquer that mutinous difpofition in them, before I would attempt to con- quer the enemy. I accordingly went with a detachment of the king and company's Europeans from Patna, with four field pieces of artillery, to Chippera, one of the cantonments. I think the very day or the day after I arrived, a whole battalion of Sepoys went off to join the enemy. I imme- diately detached an hundred Europe- ans and a battalion of Sepoys, to bring them [ 7 ] .them back to me ; the detachment came up with them in the night time, found them afleep^took them prifon- ers, and carried them back to Chip- pera, where I was ready to receive them. I immediately ordered the of- ficers to pick me out fifty of the men of the worft chara6lers, and who they thought might have enticed the batta- lion to defert to the enemy j they did pick me out fifty ; I defired them to pick me four and twenty men out of the fifty of the worft charaftcrs. — I imme- diately ordered a field court-marlhal to be held by their own black officers, and after reprefenting to the officers the heinous crime the battalion had been guilty of, defired they would immediately bxing me their fentence ; they found them guilty of mutiny and defertion, fentenced them to fuffer death. [ « :] tieath, and left the manner to me ; I ordered, immediately, four of the twenty-four to be* tied to the guns, and the artillery officers to prepare to blow them away. There was a re- markable circumftance : four grena- diers reprefented, as they always had the poft of honour, they thought they were intitled to be firft blown away; the four battalion men were untied from the guns, and the four grena- diers tied, and blown away; upon which, the European officers of .the battalions of Sepoys, who were then in the field, came and told me, that the Sepoys would not fuffcr any more of the men to be 'blown away, I ordered the artillery officers -to load the four field-pieces with grape -flhot, and draw up the Europeans with their guns in the intervals j dcfired the of- - ficers •I ^'3 fic€rs to return at^ the heads of their battalions -, drdefed thtem immediately to ground their aims, and if one of them attempted to move, I would !give orders to fire upon them,'and treat them the fame as if they were Shujah Dowla's army. They did ground their arms, and did not attempt to take them up again, upon which I ordered fix teen more of the twenty-four men to be tied to the guns by force, and blown away the fame as the firft, which was done : I immediately ordered the other four to be carried to a cantonment, where there had been a defertion* of the Sepoys fometime be- fore, with pofitive orders to the com- manding officer at that cantonment, to blow them away in the fame man- ner at the gims, which was accordingly C done. t »o 3 ibfie, and wlif ch put lin end to the ' « ■ ■ . ■ ' ^ ^e repoi^ from t];e fele& committee ap^- poiiiled by the hbufe of commons to enquire into the ftate of the Britifh affairs In the .EnA Indies. Part i. page 40. CHAP. , t INDIA AFFAIRS, C H A P. n. I. Th bank ofBuxaVj beftioeeu the King and Ccmpan/s troops^ and Shujab Dtnvta^s army, a. Number killed* %. ^be Mogul defires the proteSlion of the EngUJb. 4. Overtures of peace from Shujab Dowla. 5. EngUJhpro^^ teSion engaged to Ramnarrain, witb^ drawn J murdered^ and bis treafure Seized. 1. /^N the 22d of Oftobf^r 1764^ v^ Colonel Milftro^ with his army arrhred at Buxaj, afid eiicamped juft within range of th€ IfeK^t of Shujali Dowla's army, and I fo^ttd,- fays the Colonel, ** The greAteft {wt of hi« troops intrenched, N^ith tile Ganges upon their left, aadr ike foflr or viliagc C2 of of Buxar on their rear. I ^fent dut fpifts to know if I could- bring my artillery on the right of their camp, refolving not to attack them on their left, that we might have a better chance to drive them into the Ganges than they fhould us. The ofiicers who were with me, as well as myfelf, thought they only meant to fhew themfelves to ftrike terror into our troops, never imagining they would quit their lines in order to attack us, and as I never heard of a black army J>efore attacking an European army, I returned to our camp wilhing they would come out and attack us, for our army was encamped in order of .battle. On the 23d of Oftober, about «ight 6'clock in the morning, the ene- :my*s right was ia motion ; I thought they meant to. attack us : In a few minutes t 13 1. minutes'we were ready: to receive^ them,* The aftion began at nine, and laftcd till twelve ; the enemy then gave way, went off very flowly : I immediately ordered the line to break into columns, and purfue. Two miles from the field of battle, there was a rivulet, where the enemy had a bridge of boats •, they pierced their boats and funk them be-. fore the rear of their army got over ^ by which means there was about two thoufand of them drowned and flick- ing in the mud : but that was the beft piece of generallhip Shujah Dowla .ihewed that day, becaufe if I could have croffed the rivulet with the army, I would either have taken or drowned his whole army in the Carnaffa, and come up with his treafure and jewels, and Coflim Ally Khan's jewels, which 1 was t u ] I wdk inf(>^9fed amotmted to betwetsn tWQ and three milKons." 2. Tnt Eftgliftt army cbnfifted of little more thin four thoofand men, not above one thoufand were Euro- peans, The riabob*s ai^my were ivq^ lefs than forty thoufand. The killed and wounded in the £ngiifli . army were 847 ; in the nabob's 2000 kill- ed in the field of battle, exGlufirvnc of thofe drowned. The colonel had not furgeons to drefs his own wounded,^ he could not give the woijmded ^ the enemy any affiftance j but he went for fire days together to give rice' and water to fuch as would take it. 3. The day after the bactte^ the mogul, who was a ftate prifencr in Shujah Dowla's camp, wrpt^. Cot(Hiel Munro a letter, giving hirttjoy of the yiftory, and dcfiring the colonel to take 1 15 1 take hiflfi under the protedion of die Englifh, ftnd faid, if he would do thi^ he would give t^ie Engliih Shujah Dowla'? coiintry, or any thing elfc they plc^fed to demand. And on tlip conimander'3 receiving the confent of the governor and louncil of Calcutta, he took the mogUl under prote^ion— ^ he had left Dowla's camp the night before the battle. 4. Upon the Enjglifh army arriving at Banaras, Shujah I^owla fent his minUler with ovcrtuics of peace. The colonel would not lift^n to them un- Icfs the nabob would deliver up to him Coflim Ally Khan and Sumro.. Coffim had ordered many of the Engliih to be mafiacred when they were in h|s power, and Sumro had executed thefe orders, when no man in the nabob's army would do k but himfejjf, — 5u0>fp was r[ .16 ^ •^ »- 'was a German, and a general officer under the nabob-, he had been before a ferjcaiK in the French fervicc, de- fertcd from, thcfn to us, and from us to Coflim Ally Khan. But Shujah Dowla would not agree to give up to the Englifh either Coffim or Sumro; and the colonel faid he would not make peace with him, if he would give him all the lacks in his treafury, unlcfs he would deliver up thofe murderers. Bene Bahadre, the nabob*s minifter, returned again to the Englifh com- mander, and faid, if he would but •make peace with his mafter Shujah Dowla, he would put the Englifh upon a method of laying hold of both Coflim and Sumro. . The colonel would not agree to peace oh thefe terms. Bene •Bahadre then dcfired him to let Cap- 'tain Stables return with. him to the ' •■ nabob*s [ 17 ] nabob*s camp. The nabob, he faid, wanted to fpeak with him, Captaiii Stables underftood the country lan- guage, and agreed to rifque his own life, if he could but be the inftrument of bringing Coffim and Sumro to be made public examples of. He went along with the minifter to the camp, and the anfwer he returned with was, that the nabob would not give up Coffim by any manner of means ; but let him efcape : But if the colonel would fend two or three Englifli gen- tlemen, who knew Sumro, the nabob would aflc him to an entertainment, and in prefence of thofe gentlemen he would order him to be put to death.* 5. The protection of Shujah flood CofSm in better ftead than that of the Englifh did Ramnarrain, three years D before. • Reports, vol. i. page 42* man^ byt very av^iricious, s^nd 1>^ the credit of bcinjg very wealthy, ai}4 this fame Coflim yiriihed much to h^ye him in his power. " He was ajw^ays, fays Sir Eyre Cpptc, * an objeft pf je^ loufy of the nabob's, and even Mccr Jaffier wiihed to have had hpJd of his treafures j however, my Lord Clive had fecured him from any injuiHce of that nature^ and it was deemed a point pf policy to fuppprt Ramnarrain ; and the firft orders I received after the viftory over the Shawzadda, were to niaintain the engagements \yhich had been obfcrved in my Lord Clivc's time, with rpfpeft %q proRding Rajpir i?arr?in from apy viol^n^C pr ifljuftjce on the part of the nabob^-rrThp j>ka of his being in vrcar w^s thp pretext always * Reports, voL i. p. 38, I a 1 itMays* mifly life Of for o^prcftih^ him, bitt t attached to the Englifli intereft. * The committee in their inftruftions to Colo- nel Coote, at Fort William^ April 2i> 1 761, fay — " As Ramnarrain has been remarkably fteady in his alliance with the company^ and received from Colonel Clivc . particular affurance o£ protection J. with refpeft to his.perfon, fortune, and government, we recom- mend to you to fecure him againft all attempts of opprefiion or injuftice i And further,: that the government of Patna may be prefcrved to him, if it be • Sec Major Carnac's ktter, dated at the caunp at Bockypoor^ April 13,, 1761. Reports^ vol. i. p» 153. appendi;c. No. 13. [ -21 ] be his inclination to continkie it.** And Colonel Coote, in his letter to the prefident and council at Fort Wil- liam, July 17, 1 76 1, fays — " Though the nabob was pleafed to offer me five lacks and a half of rupees to turn out Ramnarrain, yet fo determined was I not to deviate in the leaft from your inftrudbions, that however great this offer might appear^ I refufed it.** * But, fays the colonel, in his examina-- tion before the committee of the houfe of commons—" I was ordered by the fcleft conunitcec to withdraw the pro- tcdion to Ramnarrain, which I did accordingly. — He was foon after: murdered^ and his. treafure fciz^d.'* f But to return to the army under Colonel MunxOy now at Banaras. CHAP. * Repofts, voU i.. p- 1^ f U. p. 4^ » . • » • l4 • - • INPIA AFFAIRS, CHAP. III. 1 . Ov^tures of Peace from Sbujab J^frjxla declined. Trea(y concluded with (be Mo^ul. Colonel Munrq quits tbe army — is fucceded by Major Carnac. 2. ^Pro^refs of affairs from January I. npHE nfthpfo, Shujah Dowla, JL pfl|r(?d Captgiii 3ttWe$ 4 fuo> of mpQcy, 10 pr^vgil wiih Colflnd Munro, tp agre^e t^ his jerps ©f pr^ce, wii^pup giving vp Cpffifli Ally Khm tp bq punifiii^d for tin? crw^ltic^ he bad in&i^^4 wpQ5L thf En^ft* But as Colpnpl ^luerp %^^ ^',1 nevw woyld dp this, tli^ |ie?^; tfeiag to.b^ ccmfidereil V3§t ^^^ driving Shujah Dowla intirely out of his country, and the manner of fettling t «4 ] fettling it." " I wrote to the go- vcl-nor and council at tTalcutta, and fent them a letter from the mogul, de- firing me to make no peace with Shu- jah Dowla ; that he would cede part of his country to the Englifh company, and keep the reft himfelf. The go- vernor and council fent me a copy *of a treaty to be executed with the king, which took place accordingly. * Before Colonel Munro quitted the command of the army, Bulwand Sing, collector of the revenues of the na^* bob's country, learning the colonel had rejeded an offer of four lacks of rupees to difplacc him, came to the colonel and begged his acceptance of 80,000 rupees, which is io,oooL and •except that, the colonel folemnly de-' clared * Reports, vol. i. p. 420 [25.1 clarcd he never received a fingle ru- pee, for all the time he was in Bengal, near five years, befidcs the cuftomary prefents, which are of fmall account : and he refufed the offer of more than 300,0001. at different times, for mak- ing alterations in the officers of the government. When Colonel Munro left the army * Major Carnac was fcnt by the governor and council from Cal- cutta, to take the command of it ; thefe gentlemen met upon the road, and the colonel told the major, had he continued with the army, he would avoid coming to any general aftion with Shujah Dowla, as they were then in polTefTion of the greateft part of his country, and his army muft of courfe dilperfe when his money was out. i* E At • January 6, 1765. f Colonel Munro's evidence. Reporcsj vol.i. p. 43. ' At this 4:ime the nabob, Meer Jaf- fier Ally Khan, was taken ill at Moor** fhebad, and finding his difoFder in- creafing every day, he fent for his fe*- tond fon, (the cldeft alive) and grow- ing irrecoverable, he delivered to him a paper of advice, and recommended the Raj all Nundcomer as his minifter^ and ordered Mr. Middleton and the other Englifh gentlemen to be fent for^ 'With all the fervants of his govern- ment, and in their prcfence, defircd erdeis might be given to all the people to obey hi^ fon Najim ul Dowla, m every refpe^ a$ they did him. He expired the 14th of January 1765. C H A R C »7 1 t ' INDIA AFFAIRS. ^ I * • ; . . • < .1 G H A p. n. Ohferyations on Metr yaffier's iRitign, IP wJiSt thisr pfiftcc' &si -vrtel htf dame dutof his^ palace to fiirreh- cJcr himfelf t6 the Englifh comnrtandcr, was the gentling dfftate'^ of hisr mind, it appcaf s Meer Jaificr poflcffed fentW merits \^hidlt woiild afifof d hiiii fto fhiail Ibppoilf under his fufiferiqgs. -^ ** T have fWbffi, facid he; ta the Engfiffi, tb^ be thcii^ faithful frierfrf— I will never f^crvc fronr my engagements. twilj rather fuffer death than draw ifty fwbrd agaiAft thtm, th<)ugh^ f haVe friaids enough to hazard at leaft one' battle in my defence, — But I fee no £ 2 oaths t 28 3 oaths are facred enough to bind the Englilh."* Mr. "Watts, who negociatcd the treaty with Meer Jaffier in 1757, wrote Colonel Clive, -f- that the admiral, the commander of the company's land forces, and the committee and council, were to fign the treaty on their parr, affirming in the name of God^ and of our Saviour, that they would abide by it. The committee at Calcutta write the direftors § — " The igth of May the treaty being engroffed, in the manner Mr. Watts had requefted, c it was returned to be prefented to Meer Jaffier, who, on the 15th of June, • The account given of the revolution to the direftors, by the committee at Calcutta^ in 1762. Reports, vol. i. p. 147. f His letter of the 14th of May. -^/^. p. 104. § Letter, July 14, 1757. Appendix No. 5* Reports^ vol. i. p. loi. C 29 ] June, * in the prcfcnce of Mr. Watts, folemnly faid — " I fwear by God, and the frt^het of God, to abide by the terms of this treaty, whilft I have life." f In the night of the 19th of Oftobcr 1760, the Englilh troops entered the court of his palace and forced him to rcfign his government to Coffim. '* -At a time when there was not the leaft ap- pearance of a rupture or difguft — thus was Meer Jafficr depofed, in breach of a treaty founded on the mod folemn oaths, and in violation of the national faith." § Cossiftr • Reports, vol. i. p. 102. f lb, p. 106. % Letter from Calcntta, rith of March 1762, to the fecret committee of the company in London, figned by Eyre Coote^ P. Amyatt^ John Carnac, W. Ellis, S. Bat/on, H. Vtreljt. — Reports, vol. i. p. ijj. C 90 1 < Cb^siMP Ai£y Ktf A# ^ced tier gf^ Vi^ntyhcksof rtip6c!5-to t^e EngtiSi gentkm^ whower^ t6 bring abotitth« newktioit ill? hk^ fev^r^ afkl fwcrity lacks more for the u& (if th€ (kttAc^ WtfAi? Mcer Ja^r gdive fof Ki* firft advam:ement tc^thc fubaKfRtp^ and ftis^ feftoi-atioii to it^'Hfar cxicetded tte* fam ftipulated wirh Goffirii. Jafiier obtained the' gavernment by' art- agree- ment with the Englilh, tCt betray -tKi^ feigning nabobs Serajah Dowls^ atfthtf battk of Plaiey— 'And by an agree-^ ment with the Englilk he was betnty^ €A by Ms fon-in-law, and forced from his palace and gwernmeiit. Jaffi«r fhewed- a regard to the treaty he had made with the EBglifh, and was re-^ ilx>red to his^ donnfinionsi TheEfn^lfli' broko- • . . f. f Reports^ vol. u appendix 65* C # I htfScc their engageoiieatg md wer^^f veisdy puniAed by the lofs pf iboie 4infbrtunate gentkmen* ^ho ieU vic^i^ dms -to the jcriicltjr of CoSkn, fof who£i^ they vidlated the pubiic faith. Mjeer Jaffier had buried hie ^ddafi: foil before he wd$ depofed, and he feems to h;ive greatly Uinented tbp lois of his ailiftance* whco invplyed ifsi th£4i$culties,o£his govi^iimem., f roqa which Jii? w»5 mXy relieved by tl^ friendly meflenger to all ^ood iwn. r Mejer Jawie**s eld^ft fea left ^ prince who was oaly fix years old when Meer Jaffier died. The governor and council did not choofe to take that line of fucceflioa, contrary to the appoint- ment of Jaffier in favour of his fccond fon, though fome of the gentlemen thought it would be better to have a long long minofity ; but the late nabob having affociated his fon iri the govern- ment, they feared it might have the appearance of another revolution. Th e crimes of which Mcer JafEer was accufed — putting fevcral perfons to death without reafon or juftice — on a ftrift enquiry, were found not to be true J the very perfons faid to have been murdered by him, were all, ex- cept two, found to be living when the matter was examined after his ieftora- tion ; neither had he broke any of his engagements . with the Ehglifh. On the contrary, amity and friendfhip is faid to have fubfifted on his part to cthe time theydepofed him. CHAP. I 33 INDIA AFFAIRS. CHAP. V. I. ^be acttffion of Najim ul Dowh $9 the fubabftip after the death of his .^ father Meerjaffier. 2. ConduS cf the EngUJh gentlemen Jj^nt fo him from Calcutta. 3, Evidence given by an €ig£nty employed to obtain prefents. i.rTpHE prefident an J council at JL Calcutta appointed four gen- tlemen to go up to Muxadavad in the name of the Conopany to wait on Najim ul Dowla the Ibn of Jaffier, Two trea* ties, were (igned by the committee, and when the prince had acceded to them, lie was to be proclaimed nabobs Mr. Middlcton acquainted Najim of their F being [ ^4 ] being on their way, and he fcnt thctnu nifler recommended to him by his "fa- ther to meet them, and the gentlemen arrived the next day ; and, fays the na- bob, in the letter he wrote to the com- mittee at Calcutta, giving an account of what paficd on this occafion, — " I was confident that thel'c my friends and wcll-wilhers would have done me the compliments of condo- lance and comfort me, but they did not to me the leaft thing of this kind ; inftead whereof they began to incunr- ber me with many troublefome things, and at the fame time fent out all the people that w^ere prefent, together with my brother •, and then they told me to fend for Mahomed Reza Cawn from Decca, and fct him up as naib of th6 Nizamut. This troubled me much ; and they told me alfo, that till he was kt [ 35 ] fct up as naib, I muft not fit in the Dewan Connah •, and that I muft live in the fame place, and put a ftop to all public bufinefs. " The above Reza Cawn has had long ago evil intentions on the Niza* mut; my father, therefore, deemed him always as his enemy ; and befides, there is a large fum of money due from him to the fircar. For thefe reafons I thought proper not to acquiefce to any of the above propofals that were made to me. I told them to perufe the pa- per of advice of my deceafcd father, and fee how it direfts, and which I (hall readily follow. In anfwer to this, they replied, that your paper of ad- vice was of no force or virtue •, and every thing muft be done as we think proper. F 2 .« In [ ^ ] *' In this manner they have vexed nie, by fitting almoft every day from the firft of their arrival to their depar- ture. *' They prcfented me with a paper and defired I would fign it. This paper was that which they brought with them, and infifted on me to com- ply with their requeft. I fent for my friends, and one of them acquainted the gentlemen, that whatever paper they wanted to be figncd, they would have no difficulty in it, at the fame time it was proper for all of them to perufe it firft. The gentlemen being much difpleded at this, afked in a very angry manner, who they were that wanted to perufe the paper ? After this, one of my friends, who was near my prCfence, told me to bring the former treaty, and compare [ n 1 compare that with this, and thpn figrv it. At this one of the gentlemen turned out this my friend, and told me if I did not fet up Reza Cawn in his naibfliip, ^nd immediately fign the pa- per, I fhould have no great chance of being in. the poffeffion of the fubadar- ry, and then I fliould be extremely for- ry for it. When I faw him preffing me fo eagerly, and in an unfriendly manner, I thought proper to fign and deliver the paper to them, and they carried it away. *' After this Reza Cawn arrived and fat as naib, and for the better fe- curing his naibfhip, he has diftributed twenty lacks of rupees out of my trea- fury, to fuch perfons as he thought proper, and has made one of the gen- tlemen his protedtor.- This gentleman's bad treatment of mc after my father*s death. [ 38 J d^ath, and Rcza Cawn's ftation, arc to me as if 1 was day and night in a flame/'* 2. Narrative given hy Juggut Seety of the conduct of the deputies. *' When the gentlemen of the coun- cil went to Moorfhebad, and applied themfelves to the regulation of the whole fubadarry, they fent me the fol- lowing meflage by Mootyram. *' Make us fome acknowledgment and we will fettle all your bufinefs accord- ing to your heart's defire, otherwife we fhall be difpleafed and your bufinefs meet with no affiftance, for you for- merly made an acknowledgment x,o Lord Clive, and other gentlemen." I informed them Lord Clive never faid a • No. 84. Appendix, Reports, vol. i. [ 39 J a word on this fubjeft, and that I did not give him even a fingle daum. They lent me a meflage in anfwer as follows : You may not be ac- quainted with it, but your fathers made us acknowledgments; give us five lacks of rupees. I anfwered. Our fa- thers never did give Lord Clive a An- gle daum. They replied, If you would wilh to have your bufinefs go freely on, make us fome acknowledgment. Being remedilefs, I corifented to give one hundred and twenty five thoufand rupees, fifty thoufand immediately, and the reft when T could coiled in my debts from the country. The gen- tlemen agreed to this. " Enquiry having been made, I , Juggut Seet have written thcfe parti- culars, in which there is by no means a word of untruth." A true tranfla- tion> C 40 ] tion, figned George Vanfittart, Per- fian tranflator."* 3. Mootyram, who was employed by the Englifli deputies to treat with the officers to be placed about the na- bob, afterwards gave the following evidence to the new committee at Cal- cutta* ^eftion. What meffage did you carry from the gentlemen to Reza Cawn ? Anfwer. 1 was ordered to a(k for prefents. ^ Did one gentleman fend you in his own name, or in that of the de- putation ? ji. In all their names. ^ What anfwer had you from Re- za Cawn ? J. He ♦ No- 84, Appendix, Rq>ons« vol. L [ 41 ] A He firft faid, « Very well, TU try what I can do ;" but afterwards he faid, ** It was very improper, to afk money of the Sects. It will get me a bad name. ^ What did you fay about ftop- ing their bufinefs, unlcfs they complied with the demand ? yi. I did tell him that the gentle- men would proteft their bufinefs, if they would make a prefent; if not, the bufinefs of the Seets would meet with no protection or countenance. Juggut Seet faid, — ** If the gentle- men will be fatisfied with rings, jew- els, and fuch prefents to the value of twenty five thoufand rupees, I will comply. But on his being prefTed farther, he agreed to give fifty thou- fand, which was not accepted. They G at L 4^ ] at length, in about twenty daysi, con- ' fented to give one hundred and twenty five thoufand rupees. The mon^ was fent in a ftackeree, at which the gen- tlemen were very angry, and faid. Why was it not given to Mootyram, or fent ' more privately. ^ To what amount of the nabob's money came through your hands to the deputies ? yf. One of the gentlemen received through my hands, 237,500 rupees, another 50,000, but what was paid to the other gentlemen I know not, their own ferva^its tranfafted that bu- finefs for them.* In February 1765, Najim was pro- claimed at his capital Muxadavad, and while the deputies were ' there, the • No. 84. Appendix, Reports, vol. i. [ 43 ] the reft of the council received advice from England, of Lord Clive's com- ing out with extraordinary powers from the company.. G2 CHAP. V, [ 45 ] INDIA AFFAIRS. C « A P. VL i. Lord Clive's arrival in India. — The objects in view for the Company, 2. State of things at Bengal^ and the dejigns prof of ed to the Committee. 1. nr^HE loth of ApriljLordClivc JL arrived at Madrafs, and wrote the following letter to Thomas Rous, Efq; one of the directors : Madrafs, April 17, 1765. " Dear Sir, "WE arrived at this place the loth inftant, and fhall proceed to Bengal next Saturday. I muft now enter with you into the politics of India. The particulars of our late fucccfs, and now very flourifhing condition of the company's f 46 r company *s affairs in Indoft^n, you will^ have been informed of at large, before this reaches you. " We have at laft arrived at that critical period, which I have long fore- fccn i I mean, that period which renders it neceffary for us to determine, whether we can or fhali take the whole to our- felves. — Shujah Dowla is beat from his dominion j we are in pofleflion of it, and it is fcarcely hyperbole to fay — to-morrow the whole Mogul empire will be in our power. — A large army of Europeans will eficAually preferve us fovereigns. — You will, I am fure, imagine with me, that aftef the length we have run, the princes of Indoflan muft conclude our views fo be bound- lefs : they have fcen fuch inftanccs of our ambition, that fhey eannoc fuppofe w cif al^k of moderation. The very nabobs [ 47 1 fiabobs whom we might fupport would be cither covetous of our pofleflions, or jealous of our power^ Ambition, fear, avarice, would be daily watching to deftroy us -, a victory would be but a temporary relief to us, for the de- throning of the firft nabob, would be "followed by the fetting up another. — We muft indeed become nabobs our- selves in fa6t, if not in name, perhaps totally fo wifhout diiguife. But on this fubjeft I cannot be certain until. my arrival at Bengal. — Let us, and without delay^. .complete our three European reginients to a thoufand men each •,, thefc, with five hundred light, cavalry, three or four regiments of artillery, and the forces of the country^ will certainly render us invincible. — • In flaort, if riches and fccurirty are the objcdls of the company, this is the . . method. I 48 ] method^ the only method, now for fecuring them." * 2. The 3d of May 1765, Lord Clive arrived in Bengal, and being accompanied to Calcutta, by a depu- tation, took charge of the government. On the 5th of May his lordlhip af- fembled the council at Fort William, when the company*s inftru&ions were read, and the gentlemen appointed to form a feleft committee, to ailift Lord Clive in reftoring peace to the com- pany's affairs, were admitted at the board, and on the 7th of May the committee met for the difpatch of bu- fmefs. Each number took an oath not to reveal, to any perfon whatever, iiny of the proceedings of the com- mittee, before the fame was laid be- fore the council, or till the committee was f No. 82* Appendix^ Reports^ voL L I 49 1 was diflblved, and they adminiftcred the fame oath to their fccrctiry and his afliftant. Lord Clive then informed the committee^ riiat he little imagined, when he cefigned the government of Bengal, five jreais ago, that he fhould ever enter upon it again ; but the late diflrradfced ftate of affairs in India, had alarmed the proprietors of ftoclc, and at one of their maft numerous general courts^ he was unanimoufly defired to lefume the government of BengaL ** The fuccels of the forces which I .had the honour to comnund in thQ fear 17579 completed a revolution in favour of Meer Jafiier; an evwit on which the exiftence of the Eaft India Company at that time depended. The treaty concluded with him was pro- 4u€tive of large advantages to the H nation, I 50 1 . nation, as well as to mdivtdu^ls, and feetfied to infure. the company greater benefits than thejr had ever before en- jo^d, ^^ Mr fucccflbri, foon after my de- partur^t thoi^ht proper to ratfe Coi^ fun Ally Khan to the fybahdiij), the confequences of which^ .whatever was 4he cwkj had been unfortunate/' . *f A very few days are elapfed ftnce -our arrival \ and yet if we confider what has already come to our know- ledge, we cannot faefitate a momenc Ktpon the neoeflity of afiuming the pdwer that is in us of conducing, at 4kfdQft committee, the affairs, both . civil mdmilitary^ of this fettlcmcnt. Vfhsf^ do we hear of, what do we fee, but auarcby, confuiion, and what is WQde,.ati aimofl^Qicral corrupticm ? i( It C 5t ] * It is abfotetdy indifpcnfiblc for the fpecdy fcttlcment of the company's affairs^ that the power fiiould be lodged in the hands of a^ few, or the deigns of the proprietot*s in MicmtiQ n^ tot accept the govermment will be ba^eid and delayed, if not totally eluded, by their fervants. '^T6 eftablifh a country government' —to fecure the commercial intereft--!« and to perpetuate the revenues of the company— to form the military, and ta ^ amend the civil departments, thefe will - be the objefts of our ferious attention. By this committee I ftiall hope to fee thefe important matters completely regulated, before I refign the govern- ment; and you know that my inten- tion is to remain in it no longer than my affiftance may be thought neceflary, H 2 towards - ( 52 ) towards accomplifhing theie great and Salutary purpofcs." * To get into the power of the com- pany the whole Mogul empire, was a great purpofe— to obtain and govern it by an invincible force, f a felutary onci * No. 84. Appendix^ Reports, vol. i. t Lord Clivc's letter to Mr. Rous fro» jVladrafft* CHAP. [ 53 } INDIA AFFAIRS. CHAP. VII. I. ^he Committee write General Camac^ 2. The young naboB arrives at CaU cuita. 3. General Carnac's advice from the amjy^ with Shujab DowkTs Utter and anfiver. THE Committee write the fol- lowii^ lettcp : To Brigadier General John Car-^ nac, commander iR chief of the army. ^ Agueeable to die inftnidions ef die honourable Company, we have this day aflumed the powers of a fe- le£t commitcee, with which we are in^ vefted. And we lend you, as a mem- ber ber of this committee, a copy q£ the company's in&u&icDS, ancLof the oath- we have taken, which we dcfire you to receive from the Company's fervant- upon the fpot, in order that our cor- refpondence may be without refervc. The neceflary meafures you are to pur-- fue, we fubmit tp your direftioftw*'* iEort William, .ik% 7, 1776^ 2. At this time the nabob -Najim uj X>(mh cawe %q Calicutta, and ari-. drefTed the commitioe oil the fiijl^je^tpf the pre&nts obmned firom idm and bis: minifterjs^ p» hk. moeffion v The committee make tbb' minute- on that bufmefs, the i;i^9f*May. — ^VThe fftfts ^v%9ced bjtl^i^btb, wd Q^r cire«Maj6buK;cfl phjer light) and have a ftrong defire to come to you ; and I am perfuisded you will treat noe in a manner befitting your own honour. You liavc fhewn great favour [ 51 3 favour to others j when you heconac acquainted with me, you will fee with your own eyes, and be thoroughly fe;i- fibje of my attachment, from which 1 will never depart while I have life. I am this day the 25th of the moon^ arrived ^t Belgram. Plcafe God in a very fhort time I Ihall have the happi- nefs of meeting with you. As for otlier particulars I refer you to Mouyr-o-^ DQwla." With his ewn hand. " }Ay Frienp, ^' I REGARD not wealth, nor govern- ment of countries ; your favour and » friendihip is all I defire. Fleafe God I will be wi,th you very foon, when you wiU 4o for nie what you think beft.", . General Carnac's anfwer. " Th« receipt of your letter gave me great pleafure. You was before I unac [ 58 ] unacquainted with our cuftoms and dirpofitionsj thanks be to God that you arc now become fenlible of the juftice and upright intentions of the Englilh. — Now that you are pleafed to come to me in a friendly manner, you may depend on the beft reception in my power, fuitabie to our cuftoms, and I will not be deficient in forward- ing whatever is reafonablc for your in- tcrcft; and when your excellency fhall Ihew a real attachment to the Englifli, their friendfhip towards you in return, will be made manifeft to the whole world. — You may with perfeft con- fidence come here as to your own houfe, and to thofe that wifh your welfare; further particulars you will have from Mouyr-o-Dowla/* The 24th of May the General writes the committee : "If [ 59 J " If vrc can make a friend of Shu- jah Dowla, which I really believe we may, provided we ufe with moderation our fuccefs, and do not urge him to delpair, I am firmly of opinion that he, from the extreme regard in which he is held throughout the country, even in his prefent diftrefs, will prove a much better fecurity to our frontier than any one we can put in thcfe do- minions, in his room."* From the camp at Jajaman on the banks of the Ganges, May 27, 1765. • No. 84, Appendix to vol. i. Reports of the committee of the Houfe of Commons. I2 CHAP. [ 6i 1 INDIA AFFAIRS. CHAP. VIIL I. Infiru5licns from the Committee to General Carnac on the terms of Peace with Sbttjab. 2. ^be interview with kim. 3, And with tbe Mogul. I. fTTMIE loth of June the cOiTI* X niittee write to General Car- nac : *' S I R, Your letters of the 26th and 27ih of May afford us great plea^ fure ; the intelligence is important, and the fentiments you exprefs generous, andfuch as we are determined to adopt. We join with you in opinion that every appearance of infult ^nd violence to a perfon [ 62 ] pcrfon of Shujah Dowla*s character, ought to be carefully avoided, in the terms we demand. Among men of honour and fcntimcnt, a peace can only be permanent where the advantages are reciprocal." " Lord Clive, who fets out for the army in four or five days, will be em- powered, in conjunftion with you, to fettle every thing in whatever manner fliall appear moft conducive to the great objeft we have in view. " In flcetching out the preliminaries with Shujah Dowla, the king's honour muft be confulted, ' and his fafety and fubfiftance fecured wherever he choofes to refide. Coffim Allv and Sumro, wc would be glad to have delivered into our hands, if Shujah Dowla will do it voluntarily — or elfe put to death by himfelf 5 but if neither can be efFefted without C 63 J without difgufting him, and thereby^ endangering the ftability of the peace, it muft be left to his own honour." *' In money affairs we muft appear generous and difinterefted ^ and if you ftipulate for any fums to be paid, they ought to be on account of the com- pany, who have fome claim to ail indemnification, and whofe intcreft ought to Tdc our principal objeft* Fort "William, the loth of June, 1765. ** P. &. We would further recom- mend, that you ftipulate with Shujah Dowla for the cftablifhment of fafto- ries, and an entire liberty of trade in every part of his dominions ; but we mean not to fupport this privilege by any military force, jnor to introduce troops or garrifons into his country/* 2- General C 64 ] 2. General Carnac, to the Right . Hon. Lord Clive, and the gentle- men of the Seleft Committee : *' My Lord, and Gentlemen, Hearing that Shujah Powla was drawing near, I fent Cap- tain Swinton with Rajah Sittabroy to meet him. He arrived in the evening on the oppofite fide of the river, and immediately crofled it with his brother- in-law, Salar Jung, and a very few followers, in order to wait upon me. I received him with all poffible marks of diftinftion, at which he orprefied much fatisfaftion. He appears, how- ever, a good deal dejeAed at his prc- fent condition, which muft bear- very hard upon him; and he muft find himfelf without refource^ or being, as he [65 .1 he undoubtedly is, the moft confider. able man in the empire, and of an uncommonly high fpirit, he would not have fubmitted to ftich a conde- fcenfion. It will, in my opinion, greatly add to the Englifli name, throughout the country, our behaving with gcnerofity towards a perfon who has all along born a high reputation in Indoftan." 3. The General writes the com- mittee the 19th of June : — " I JUDGED it moft advifeable to make the bcft of my way to the King, who chofe to halt at Manipur, and there wait for me. — I arrived here yefterday, and immediately waited upon his Majefty, who exprefled much fatisfaftion at Shujah Dowla's being come ih. I am to prefent Shujah K Dowla I 66 ] ; Dowla. to him, tOrinorrow, and I wait • to • •^•% «• ft ». .with the greateft impatience to know how, far ypiu are willing to favour Sbvy ah. Dowla." CC H A P. [ 6; ] :^:N.DIA AFFAIRS. ■ C H A P, IX. .1 i treaties concluded with the Mogul and ' Sbujab Dowla. 2. Tbeir advaniagesJ THE 3d of Auguft 1765, Lord Clive and General Carnac write the fele6t committee^ ,that the day be^ fore they had a conference with Shu- jah Dowla, when he ofiered to pay fifty lacks to the company for indem* nification for the charges incurred by the war. As to the flirrender of Coflim Ally Khan, Sumro and the deferters, it was' out of his power. — Coflim had fought Iheker in the Rohillah country, and Sumro had placed himfelf under the [ 68 ] the prote£tion of the Jauts^ where he was fkrccned both from Shujah Dovda and us. The nth of Auguft, Lord Clive and the General paid a vifit to the King on bufinefs. Hi§ Majefty deli- vered his demands to Lord Clive in the Perflan language. The King was then requcftcd to grant to the company, the dewannee of the provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Orixa : his Majefty figned the fiat, and gave them tliat revenue for ever. The i6th of Auguft, the treaty between Shujah Dowla and the company was concluded, to which the Kinnj alfo fet his feal. The 19th, an inftrument was exe- cuted to the King, in the name of the nabob Najim ul Dowla, for a yearly tribute of twenty fix lacks of rupees, to be paid into the royal trcafury, for his [ 69 J « his holding the fubahfbip of BengaU The company became guarantees for their nabob, and agreed with him for an annual fum, for the expcnces of his houftiold, that he might have no occa- fion to interfere in coUcfting die reve- nues of the provinces to be governed in his name.* The King then figned a Firraaun, for the payment of Lord Clive's jag- heer for ten years, with reverfion to the company. General Carnac hav- ing declined accepting any prefent from the King, his Majefty wrote a letter to the committee, defiring the General might be permitted to receive two lacks as a teftimony of his favour. Lord Clive and General Carnac returned to Calcutta, and the 7th ^of September the committee exprefs their • No. 90, Appendix, Vol. u their high apprpbation of tht^ mea-^ fures they had purfued to flop the efFufion of human blood, and for ob- taining fo extraorcjinary an acquifition- of revenue ai)d influence to the cony. pany>* 2. The 30th of September Lord Clive writes the Court of Dire6lors this account of their fuccefs : " Your reyenues, by means of this new acquifition, Will, as near as I can judge, not fal^ far fhort for the enfu- ing year of 250 lacks. Hereafter they will at leaft amount to 20 or 30 lacks jpore. The nabpb's allowances arc reduced to 42 lacks, and the tribute to the King is fixe4 ^t 26, and your civil and military expences in time of peace, can never exceed 60 lacks, fo that there will be remaining a clear • ••'»■' ' .-- .. ..,.' ,-. gain • No. 98. Appendix, Yol. U ':[ 71 '] ;gaki to the company 6f fii laclss or One Million Six Hundred 'and Pi/ty ^icufand rlfine Kundred Pounds ^SierlmFzycsLT.^* <« What I have given you is a teal, hot an imaginary ftate oFyour revenues, and you may be flire tfiey .will hot falLifhort of my coniputatibn!" *' The afliftance which the Great Mogul had received from your arms and treafury, made Kini readily be- ifow .this grant jupon tlie c6mf)"ariy, . and it is done in the " ihoft effeftiial i riiaiirier ydurcan ^clelire.'' THE'allbwahce For .die' Support of i the nabob^s dignity and power, and ' the tnbute to his WTajetty, muft be re- gularly paid/ the remainder belongs ^o tthe conipany. *^ Revolutions are now no longer "ito be^ppreHcndedj^dia means of'cf- iefting t 7* ] fefling them, will in futui;e be want- ing to ambitious muflelmcn •, nor wHl your fcrvants, civil or military, be tempted to foment difturbances, from whence can arife no benefit to theni- felvcs. — Reftitution, donation money, i&c. &c. will be perfe(9tly abolifhed, as the revenues from whence they ufed to iflue, will be poffefled by ourfelves." " The power of fupervifing the provinces, though lodged in us, fhould not, however, in my opinion, be ex- erted. If we leave the management to the old officers of the government, the company need not be at the cx- pence of one additional fervant ; and though we may fuffcr in the coUeftion, yet we fhall always be able to deteft and puniih any great offenders, and ihall have the fatisfaftion in knowing that the corruption is not among oiilr- felvcs. felves.— ^By this ipcans alfo the abufej inevitably fpringing from, the excr- cife of territorial authority, will be cf- fedbually obviated; there will ftill be a nabob, with ?in. allowance fuitajble, to. his dignity, and . the territorial ju*-^ rifdiftion will ftill be in the chiefs* of the country, afting under him and the. prefidency in- conjunftion, though the revenues will belong to the company.** *' Our reftoring to Shujah Dowla,. the whole of his dominions,, proceeds^ more from the policy of not extending the company's territorial poffeffions,, / than th^ generous principle of attach- ing him for ever to our intereft bjf gratitude,; though this has been the ap- parent, ancj is by many thought to be the real motive. Had v/e ambitioufly attempted ta retain the conquered country,, experience would foon have L proved t 74 1 proved the impra&icability of fuch z plan. The cftabliihment of your ar- my muft have been added to your lift, and more chieffliips appointed. A&s of opprefBon and innumerable abuies would have been committed, and at fuch a diftance from the pnefidency could neither have been prevented lior remedied, and muft infallibly have laid the foundation of anothei; war. Our old privileges and pofieflions would have been endangered by every fupply we might have been tempted to afford in fupport of the new ; and the natives muft have finally tri- umphed in our inability to fuftain the weight of our own ambition, " Confidering the exceiTes we have of late years manifefted in our condu&, the princes of Indoftan will not readi- ly imagine us capable of. moderation, nor t 75 ] , nor can we cxpeft they will ever be at- tached to us by any other motive than fear* Ko opportunity will ever be negleAcd, that leems to favour an at- tempt to extirpate us, though the con* iequences, while we keep our army complete, muft in the end be more fatal to themfelves. Even our young nabob, if left to himfelf, and a few of his artful flatterers, would purfue the paths of his predecefibrs. It is there- fore impoflible to truft him with pow- er and be fafe. If you mean to main* tain your prefent poiTefllons and ad-^ vantages, the command of the army, and the receipt of the revenue, muft be kept in your own hands. ^* If you allow the nabob to have forces, he will foon raifc money j if you allow him a full treafury without forces, he will certainly make ufe of L • it C 7^ I it to \vivkt thd Monittoes or edicr powers, 10 invade tlie opunmy, upon a juppofition that we ftiall not fuifcd the part he takes, and diat fuc- xxk will reftore him to the f\M ext^it of his fovenrignty/^ ** The regulation of the nabob's miniftry, Ac acqiiifitien of the dc- wannec, aiid the honourable ternis on whidi we have conduced a peace wkh the Vizier of the ennpire, have placed the dignity and advantages of the Eft- giifti Eaft India Company on a bafis more firm than our mod fangiiine wifhcs could a few monriis ago have iuggefted. Thefe however altoe will not enfure 5K)ur ftabilky ; liicfe arc bet thie out-works which guard you from your natural enemies, — the nacives of the country: all is not fafe^ danger ftiU fubfifts from nK)re fofniidabk^nc- % • mics [ 77 ] mics within;- — luxury, coraiption, avarice, rapacity ; thefe muft be extir- pated or they will deftroy us, for we cannot expeft the fame caufes which have ruined the greateft kingdoms, ftiall have different effcds on fuch a ftate as ours."* • Lord Clive's letter to the Court of Di- rectors 30th September, 1765. Reports, vol.i. Appcndu-, No. 73. CHAP. [ 19 ] INDIA AFFAIRS. CHAP. X. Inland Trade eftablijhed for the benefit of the Civil and Military Servants^ and Duties for the Company. TO prevent the inconvenience which might arife to the com- pany, from their fervants having now no means of growing rich, but by a deduftion from the revenue of their mafters, the fele£fc committee agreed on the eftablifhment of a fociety for carrying on an inland trade in fait, beetle nut, and tobacco ; and the pro* fits of it to be divided amongft the fervants of the company, civil and military, from the governor and mcnv bcrs of the council, down to the ju- nior . ( Jto ] nior merchants and faftors ; and from the general to the fflf geons in the ^- my.* The committee then laid duties upon thofe articles which the fbciety wer« to. have the excluftve privilege of fupplying the inhabitants with. AncT from a calculation, the fcleft com- mittee fay — " We hope the duties Biay produce a cl^ap rev^mie tcr th« cojmpaay^iOf atlfe^- loojppol. i^erling pier aiinum; and fiiofuld it appear upon fiarxher cxperL^ee of; the trade, that the proBts will- a^mit of an increafe ia thofe xatesf of duties,, we are hereby relblvedr that a» fair and impartial re- prefentatiOa of the ftme Ihall be n^ade loour honoufable mafters in order lo icceive their diraSionsi, as it is pur fiiced; dejtermiDatiOfi^ to render then) ^1 poiTible fatisfadion on this point." • • - > * Reports, vol. i. No. 36. i 8i 1 Lord Clivs in his letter of the 30th of September fays — "I at firft in- tended to propofe, that the company and their fervants ftiould be jointly and equally engaged in the trade itfelf, but upon better confideration, I judged that plan to be unbecoming the dig- nity of the company, and concluded it would be better that they Ihould give the trade entirely to their fervants/ and fix a duty upon it for themfelves, equivalent to half the profits/* The refolution paffed in the c6tn- mittee is thus expreffed — " Beftow- ing all due attention to the circum- ftance of the company's being at the fame time the head and mailers of our fcrvice, and now become in the place of the country government, it is ^reed, that the inland trade in fait, beetle nut, and tobacco, Ihall be fubjedt to a duty M after after the following rates : ^^ Tliir^- fiye per cent, oh ialt» ten per cem. on beetle tmt, and tTwenty-five par cent, on tobacco." The refducion then proceeds to diftribuce the proportion of gain by this trade among thofe who hud the duty upon it, and the inferior fenrants of the Company. Of which Lord Ciivc thus e9q>refles himfelf in theeightcenth paragmph of his letter to the dirc&ion of the 36th of Scptanber : " The advantages propofed for the governor atidxduncil, would undoubt* edly appear extremely large, to thofe who are unacquainted with the riches of Bengal, and the numberlefs oppor- tunities which the company's fervants htve of acquiring money. But 70U9 who are now perfectly informed of the revenites of thtk kingdbms, and the prodigious C ?3 1 prekiigiou$ emohiqijeiita within the reach of gentlemen high in the fefviee* will, I am perfvia4ed» agrae with nlfp, that if Umit plan of the nature prov poied, be not adopted, the governor and council will not fail to acquire much larger fortunes, by other means^ in a much fliorter time.** ** To obviate an objcftion which may ari&, that they may poQibly pro- ceed in the old way of procuring mo- ney, notwithftandingthey accept of thefe allowances, I would have an oath tendered to them, of a$ ftrong and iblemn a nature as can be penned. And to this may he annexed a pen^ty bond, of i50)0ool. to be esceeatcd by the gpvernor, and 50,0001. to be tx^ ecuted by each of the council.'* * M2 Th^ * Lofi Cllve'5 lettef to tke dire^ors^ entered Appendix^ No* 73. to Reports, vol. i. C 84 ] The company's fervants^ had be- fore been engaged in the inland trade of fait, beetle nut, ^nd tobacco.-^ And the manner in which they carried it on, had lail year produced a com- plaint from the nabob, in thefe words — •* The poor of this country always ufed to deal in fair, beetle nut, and to- bacco, but they are now deprived of their daily bread, by the trade of the Europeans." On this complaint, the direftors cx- prefs an high degree of difpleafare to their fervants, at a pradice called Bur- J4iut^ or forcing the people of the coun- try to buy goods beyond the market price, and fay* — "If any of our fer- vants (hall perfiil in carrying on a trade, * Letters between the direftors and the prefident and. council. Reports, vol. i. Ap- pendix, No. 50. C 85 ] trade, which had produced fo many bad confequences, we would have them difmiflfv^d our fervice. We fliall iay nothing further on this trade, till that important fubjeft fhall have been taken up by Lord Clive and the gentle- men of the feled committee, only that paying the nabob two and a half per cent, and charging the country people t;wenty, or perhaps forty per cent, does not obviate our former objcftions arif- ing from the diftrefs of the poor, and the injury done to the country govern- ment, as this charge is as much a mo- nopoly as ever." Lord Clive and the feleft com- mittee, in their proceedings on this bufinefs, enadtthis refolution — " That the inland trade in fait, beetle nut, and tobacco, may meet with no interruption, and for the better regulating the fame, the t 8$ J the committee cf trade may, from cime to time, form by-laws, which after beli^ approved, by the body of proprietors, the committee fhall be empowered to enforce and carry into execution.^' * The 5ch of November the ieleft committee write to the members c^ the committee of trade :— " Gentlemen, "You have rcprcfented to U5, that the fociety for condudting the inland trade, will derive very particular advantages from entrufting the management of their concerns to European agents ; and we have for this reafon confcnted, under certain limitations, to a meafure we coula never otherwiie approve— giving pcr- milEon * Fort wajSam procffitings, i9tli of Sept. I.765* No. 36. Appendix to Reporu> vol. i. ( 87 ) inSBioti to EMTopcsMB^ not in tbe com* pany^s fetvice, to i«fide in differeAC and remote paifs of the country, opens (b large a fidd for abufe and op(»effion^ and is in kielf fooppofite to thcexprefs injunctions of the court of difetlors, fo contrary to the orders we have fo lately iflTued, 4md fo alarming to the natives in general) chat fuch indulgence can only be juftificd by ncceflity/* *' To obviate, therefore, in the beft itianner poffible, the inconveniences to be appp^Hended, we think it our indifpenfible duty, to lay fuch rie- ftraints on the condu^ of the gentle- tt\en who fliall be employed in this fcrvicc, as appears to us beft calcu^ lated to prevent future caufe of com- plaint, and'fecure the peace and re- pok of the country." « To [ 88 ], ** To this end we require that 'all European agents, on whatever fervice employed by the fociety, do fubfcribe the following reftriftions, and bind themfelves in a penal bond of 30,000. rupees to the ftrid obfervance of them, I ft. That they carry on no trade or commerce, either as agents or prin- cipals, except for the benefit of the whole fociety of inland trade. 2d. That they lend no money to any public officers, or other perfons; any way conne6ted with government. 3d. That they aflume to them- felves no judicial power or authority whatever. 4th. That they neither interfere, ^•diredtly nor indiredly, with any bufi- iiefs relative to the government, or, by,; aay means whatever give interruption ta [ 89 ] to the coUeftions, but confine them* felves ftridtly to the fale of fait, to- bacco, and beetle nut committed to their charge, making fuch returns of the produce as the fociety may re- quire.*' ** These, gentlemen, are the prin- cipal reftriftions which we think ne- ceflary, to avoid contradiftion to our own refolutions, and to fecure the company from injury, the minifters from occafion of complaint, and the natives from infult and oppreffion." * After this the gentlemen appointed to condudt the trade of the fociety make this reprefentation to the feledl committee : — N « My • Proceedings of the feleft committee. Fort William, November 5, 1765. No. 42. Ap- pendix to Reports, vol. i. I 90 1 ** My Lord, and Gentlemen, "We think it will be for the advantage of the fociety, that fuch fait as is now on hand, belonging to private traders, ftiould be fold by your agents, till the fait belonging to the fociety gets up 5 we requeft you will grant us permiffion to infert a claufe^ allowing them to difpofe of fuch fait.'* * To this application the feleft com- mittee give the following anfwer, the next day : — " We confcnt that the balances of fait belonging to private merchants, which are now on hand, fliall be dif- pofed of by your agents, at the feveral ftations to which they are appointed, fince you are of opinion this meafure will conduce to the benefit of the fo- ciety ; * No. 43. Appendix to Reports^ voL i. C 91 1 ciety 5 but we muft defire they will not think of extending this privilege beyond the particular article here fpecified." * Fort William, January 9, 1766. The 31ft of this month the fdeft committee write the court pf direc- tors : — " We have in one inftance deviated from your orders for recalling the free merchants. The plan for conducing the joint inland trade, in fait, beetle nut, and tobacco, is fo extenfive, and is a fcheme that appears fo well calcu- lated for your intercft and the public benefit, that inftead of their employing black gomaftahs and agents, we have permitted them to appoint European N 2 agents, • Reports, vol. i. No, 45. Appendix, [ 92 ] agents, for difpofing of the focicty's concerns at certain eftablifhed marts, in different parts of the country/' " And further to affift this valua- ble branch of commerce, and promote the credit of the infant fociety, the governor and council have, at the re- queft of the committee, figned and executed a deed, for the better fccuring to the fbciety, the free and exclufive purchafe and fale of the articles of fait, &c. from the firfl: of September 1 765, to the 30th of Auguft 1766."* The agents appointed by the fo- ciety for delivering out their articles of trade to the inhabitants of the country, being ready to proceed to their ftations the beginning of January, the feleft committee then turn their attention to the • Tenth paragraph of the committee's let- ter to direSLors. Appendix, No. 46,, C 93 ] the interefts of the company as land- owners, of which they give the dircftors the following advice : — " Our proceedings point out to you the increafc of your rents iffuing from the Calcutta lands, and the prof^ pe6t we have of rating them dill higher, without exaftion or oppreflion. It evidently appears to us that great frauds were formerly committed in thefe col- ledions ; with a view of correfting which, we have determined that the leafes granted to the prefent farmers, (hall expire on the ift of September next ; by that time we hope to alcertain their value exadlly, at leaft we (hall then filence the clamour of the inhabi- tants, againft what they deem a mono- poly, by univerfaUy difFufing and ex- tending the benefit arifing from the poifeflion of lands, among the mofl: fublbn* C 94 ] fubilantial and refpeftable banyans and black merchants, living under your protection/* * And of the fanie date the governor and fele<5t committee of JBengal, give this general account of their whole pro- ceeding : — " To us it evidently appears, there 'remained but the alternative, to ad- jvance as we have done, and grafp at the whole power, or ihrink back into our primitive condition of fimple mer- chants ; to abandon our pofleQions, difband our forces, and reft our future hopes on the clemency of princes, who will not eafily forget or forgive the fuperiority we have fo long maintained. In a word, this laft meafure was in it- feif impradlicable j for wc^ muft ob- fcrvc, • Committee's iettcr from Fort Williao^ January 31^ 1766. Appendix, No. 46. C 95 ] ferve, although with much regret^ that the mifcondud of individuals hath rendered the Englilh name fo odious^ that we are no longer fecure than while our hands arc armed for the defence of our lives and properties." • The fcrvants oi the Englifti Eaft India Company in Bengal, have now Ihewn themfelves united together in * the charaders of traders, foldiers, and legiflators ; they only remain to be fcen under their regal dignity. The gentlemen who went from Calcutta to take pofleffion of the de- wannee in the name of the cdmpany^ give the following account of that fokmnity, * Annexed to the Report of the committee of the houfe of commons, appointed to enquire into the Kate of India affairs^ the i ith of May 1772- [ 96 ] foletnnity, in a letter to the fcle6k committee, dated the 30th of April, 1766: — " We thought it by no means ad- vifeable to deviate,' upon flight occa- fions, from the eftablilhed forms and cuftoms of the anniverfary of the Poonah, and therefore accepted, for ourfelvcs and for you, the ufual prc- fents of a drefs and elephant to each ; which fliall be forwarded by the firft opportunity. — This expence hath formerly been charged to the govern- ment, it muft therefore now be brought to the company's account ; but as the amount is very inconfiderable, it is fcarce worth while to introduce any innovation to leflen our dignity in the eyes of the people." * After • Reports, vol. ii. p. 18. [ 97 J After which the feal of their go- vernment bore an infcription, of which the following is a tranflation :— '' The magnificent merchants of the Eaft India Cofftpany, the Dewans of the magnificent provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Oriffa, fervants of the bold King Shah AUum." * * Reports, vol. i. p. 162. O CHAP. '. \ • » [ 99 ] INDIA AFFAIRS* e H A p. xi: The Court of Direilors reply to the Prefix , dent and Seleff. CommiUee at Fort WiU : Ham in Bengalj Mayiy^ I7j66. ** /^^N the 19th of: laft month -we V^y received the fe veral packets in which was your letter of the 30th of September^ one from Lord Clive, and a general letter dated the fame day ^** " As fomc of the moft important affairs have fallen under your manage* ment, which have ever occurred fincc the company had a beings it is with the utmoft: fatisfaftion we obferve withi what zeal and true regard to the in^ tereft of your employers you : have O 2 purfuedi purfued fuch meafurcs, not only iwith rejipe^ tf) the ^ political l>ftem of die country, but the arduous talk of dif- covering, and laying open tp our view^ the infidelity, rapacioufnefs, and mi£- behaviour of our fervants m genend ^ of all which, you may be fully affuftd, we have tl)« highefi: aod mo& gm&ef ul fenfe." *• As ftabflity to, your ^lans for a jpeaceable pofitffion of our aequifi- tibhs, iand a thorough feforniatlon ia bur ferviants in general, are objcSs of the greateft importance, and in which the-prcfence of Lrord Clivc is efientially ncccffary ; we made it our ^naninrKHis and eameft requcft, that iiis 'LoKdftip woiild continue another feafon in 'Ben- gal, and which we here again repeat, in confidence and hope of his Lord- Jhip's reidy acquicfcence to c^n^plctc what c 4ot r ^hat he has iaid fe good a foundatioa^ for, as you will obler ve fe^ the accom- panying trfpficate of a letter pr<>ba- tion of your condud: in general, but as refleftkms that oecur to w on the firft 4 firft view of aflFairs fo totally new to: us. Wc truft entirely to the continue ance of your zealous endeavours to bring this great work to perfedion." " From the fenciments we exprefled in every one of our letters, you . will; eafily judge the great pleafure it gave us, to (be the war with.Shujah Dowla ended fo conformable to our wi£hes« We always efteeined the power of that fubah . the ftrongeft barrier wc could have againft the invafions of the nor* thern powers, and without this we mult have had wars to maintain^ ati an inv« .menfe diftance, . or had them brought down to our own frontiers, or even in- to our own provinces. We are* equal- ly pleafed to fee the care that has beea .taken of all thofe who (be wed their, at* tachment to us in the courfe of the :war« Bulwantfmg's joining us at the i . lime I 103 ] ttxmc trc did, was of fignal fcrvice, and had • adopted ati unheard-of mlnotii prineipliS^ oi afr intereft diftki^i: from ,(he csoMpony. This .principle (hew^ itfelf in^lay^rtg ^ their hoa^ on Qvery thtfigfthcy d^ ^not deem the cpfiipany's pmperty/' ^^ It has be^-ithe principle top on .which our fetvants iiave faUfly q^ica- voured toglois over the crmie^f their proceedings. t '°S ] proceedings, on the accellton of the prclent fubah, and we fear would have been foon extended lo the grafping the greateft fHare in that part of the na- bob's revenues which was not alloted to the company. In ftiort, this prin- ciple was diredly undermining the whole fabrick; for whilft the company were finking under the burthen of the war, our fervants were enriching them- felves from thofe very funds which ought to have fupportcd the war. But to Lord Clive and our Seleft Com- mittee we owe that the company are at lall: confidered as principals in the advantages as well as dangers. " We muft now turn our attention to render our acquilitions as permanent as human wifdom can make them."* P The * No. 74» Appendix toR«poru. I 1 i66 \ The Court of difedtbrs, in their Ict- ter of the fame date to Lord Ctive, cxprefs themfelves thus on the fubjcft of inland trade. ** We think the vaft fortunes ac- quired in the iitland trade, have been obtained by a fcenc of the moil tyran- nic and oppreffive condudt, that ever was known in any age or country; we have been uniform in our iehtinients and orders on this fubjcft from the firft knowledge we had of it, and your lord- Ihip will not therefore wonder, that after the fatal experience we have had of the violent abufes committed in this trade, we could not be brought to approve it, even in the limited and guarded nianner with which it comes to us in the plan laid down in the com- mittee's proceedings.** And [ ^97^ ] And on this fubjef): the direAors write their feleft committee. ** We arc fully fenfible that thcfc innovations and illegal traffic laid the foundation of all the bloodfhed, maf- facres, and confufion which have hap- * * pened of late years : we cannot fuSer ourfelves to indulge a thought towards the continuance of them upon any conditions whatfoever. No regulations can, in our opinions, be formed, that can be effedtual to prevent the like confequences which we have feen« We conflder it as too difgraceful, and below the dignity of our prcfent fitua- tion, to allow offuch a monopoly; and '' were we to allow of it, under any re* ' ftridions, we fhould confider ourfelves as aflenting and fubfcribing to all the mifchiefs which Bengal ha^prefehted Pa to to US for thefe four years pafl; At the fame time we do not mean that the ancient duties upon thefe commodi- ties, which conftitute part of the reve- nues of Bengal, Ihould be abolifhed; but we leave the adjuftment of thcfc duties to your judgment and confider- ation. And here we muft enjoin you to have particular regard and atten- tion to the good of the natives, whofe intereft and welfare are now become our primary care; and we earncftly recommend it to you, that you take the moft efieAual methods to prevent thefe great neceffaries of life from being monopolized by the rich and great among themfelves, and by that means the poor and indigent become liable tp thofe grievances and ex- aftions which we mean to prevent our [ m 3 our own people from being guiT* ty of." ♦ • Paragraph 37. of the Court of Direc- tors let^ to the Sele^ Committee, the 17th of May, 177^* Appendix, No. 46. Reports, vol. ii« CHAPt t 4" i IKBIA AFFAl'RS. CHAP. xn. ^be fttbfiance jof the Commutes JLttter to the Court of Dire^orSt Mtd tkdr Anfaaer. TH £ company's fervants in India had now received their mafters* reply to their important advices of die 30th of September^ * which briefly confiiled of three particulars. The firft. — We have defeated Shu- jah Dowla, who has caft himfelf upon our generofity ; and the Mogul 'being in the power of this prince, we have got the command of all they are able to grant. But policy induced us to allow SKujah Dowla to remain in'pof- fcffidn • 1765* [ ni 3 fefTion of his dominions, that he maf defend us from more dangerous ene- fliies, who would furround our fron« tier were we to take his country under our own governnlent. We have there- fore contented ourfelves with obtain- ing from the King a grant to the com- pany for ever of the de wan nee of the provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Orixa ; which will yield . a clear revenue of 1,650,9001. fterling,'a year. To this article^ the court of direc- tors reply — ** At fuch a crifis, we cannot hefitate to approve your obtain- ing the dewannee for the company.— And, we muft now turn our attention to render our acquifitions as perma- nant as human wifdom can make them/* The fecond article of which the committee informed thedireftors was— ** Luxury, [ «i3 ] «* Luxury, corruption, avarice, and ni»> pacity have got poITeflion of the pofts of your principal fcrvants, who for fome time paft have had the manage* xnenc of your affairs in India." To which the court of direftors fay, — ** This principle was diredly under- mining the whole fabrick. But to Lord Clive and ouf feleft committee we owe, that the company are at laft confidered as principals in the advantages as well as dangers." The third article of intelligence given by the prefidcnt and committee, was, — *' The revenues of the country being now become the company*s property, if their fervants have not fome other way of enriching themfelves, they will do it at the expence of their employers. To prevent this, the. feledt committee have eftablilhed a fociety of trade, with Ct an [ "4 ] an cxclufive right to fupply the native* with their fait, beeie nut and tobacco, upon which we have laid a duty, cal- culated to produce ioo,oool. a year to the company, and the profits of trade we have agreed to divide among the members of the fociety, confiding of the company's civil and military fervants.** To the duty, the court of diredlort fay — ** We do not rtfican that the an- cient duties upon thefe articles, which conftitute part of the revenues of Ben- gal, (hould be abolifhed ; we leave the adjuftment of thofe duties to your judg- ment and confideration." And as to the trade — " We are fully fcnfible that thefe innovations, arifing from the in- land trafEc, laid the foundation of all the bloodlhed,mairacres, and confufion which have appened of late years : we cannot [ "5 ] cannot fuffcr ourfelvcs to indulge a thought toward the continuance of them, upon any condition whatfoevcn No regulations can, in our opinion, be formed, that can be efFeftual to pre- vent the like confcquences, which we have fcen." And to this objedfcion to the inland trade, the court of diredors added inftrufiions to their feleft com- mittee — " To have particular regard for the good of the natives, and pre- ferve them from fevere exadions." But the fervants of the company in India faw the court of dire£tors had received the news of their fuccefs with the warmeft approbation, and had not hefitated to accept of the revenue of the country, and made no dired ob- jedlipn to the continuance of the duty they had laid on fait of 35 per cent. infteadofthea 1-2 formerly paid under Qjz the [ "6 ] the nabob's government. The gentle- men in India bad therefore two very powerful motives to divert them from following thefe advices of moderation towards the natives — The example of their fuperiors, and cuftom. It only now remains to be fcen the part they chofe to a£i« CHAP. '*."^ • ["7 3 INDIA AFFAIRS. CHAP: XIII. I . ^he Jiate ef India when Bengal was brought under the Government of the Englijh. 2. Their Power. Andy 3. The Ufe they made of it. TH E fervants of the India Com- pany had now in their hands the government of Bengal, Bahar, and Orixa •, they retained, it is true, the name of a nabob, but the power was folely their own. In earlier ages it would perhaps have been a matter of great aftonifhment, how a few hundred ftrangers ftiould poffefs thcmfelves of fo great and populous a country, and have the entire fuperiority over all the^ towns and citiea in it^ fome of them containing I "8 ] containing as many people as the city of. London is fuppofed to do at this day. But the hiftory of later ages takes away all furprize at the fmallnefs of the means by which this revolution, great as it is, has been brought about. The empire in which it happened was divided within itfelf, and the caOfes which produced thofe divifions, had alfo prepared the inhabitants for be- coming a prey to their enemies. Na- tural plenty and riches had introduced loofenefs of manners, idlenefs, and a love of pleafurc amongft them. Riches, without integrity or abilities, were the recommendations for - filling the firft offices of the ftate. Avarice laboured for riches, and luxury poured them out on fplendor and pleafure, which became the diftinguiihing marks qf men pf rank and power v ^ di^^^- tcrcfted [ "9 ] tcreftcd regard to their country never appeared in the poft of honour, and the fubjcfts were no further the objeds of care to their governors, than as they adminiftered to their wants : and thefe being the wants of avarice and luxury, they were not to be go- verned by the rules of juttice and moderation. The head of the empire demanded exorbitant tribute of the provinces ; thefe, that lay neareft to to the court, were moft opprefled to furnifh the fupplies of its luxury— the remoter provinces feared the fate of thofe that were nearer at hand ; the fubahs of thefe availed themfelves of the fears of the people, and flattered them with hopes of a lefs burdenfome government within themfelves. The people were excited to purchafe new mafters;^ I 120 ] maftcrs, at the cxpence of rebellions, in which they were headed by the viceroys or ambitious men in the provinces, who again divided into frefh wars with one another, for the power of governing their followers. 2. Thus were they fituated when the fubjefts of England were made parties in their wars. — Condudt gain- .ed confidence, and they foon became leaders inftead of allies. They held out the dominions of princes as a re- ward to their generals and miniftcrs of ftatc, to betray their mafters in coun- cil or in the field. Treachery deflxoyed all union and confidence, and thus broken and divided as they were, they became fubjed to their common ene- my, confiding only of a few hundred of his Majcfty's troops and the com- pany's. When t 121 1 When the mogul was glad to pur- chafe the friendihip of the India Com- pany's fervants, by granting them the revenues of three great and rich pro- vinces, and when the moft powerful prince in the empire^ chofe rather to throw himfelf upon their mercy than continue to oppofe them at the head of a numerous army, it may eafily be conceived with what fubmiflion the defencelefs inhabitants of the country would fubmit to the government of the company's fervants. And the powers and talents which met toge- ther in thofe fervants, were equally adapted to maintain their authority, and to exercife it in the moft efFedtual manner to obtain the general end they had in view — that end was not the lives of the people, but their fortunes. I^or this they fought-, for this they R negociated ; acgociated ; and as foon as they had tlifcharged the more honourable fer-^ vices of die field and the cabinet^ they inamediately turned their atten- tion to that, of traffic, and with a cer- tainty of fuccefs, which no fet of trad- ing men perhaps ever had before. — They were at once fovereigns, tegifla- tors, foldiera, and merchants. — As- fovereigns they could command abfo- lute obedience — as legiflators give themfelves. exclufive rights — and as foldiers they could ufe the burjaut, and buy and fell by force. And not having the ceremonials of dignity to give any interruption to bufuiefs, they united themfelves together in a fociety of trade for their common profit. . 3. They had now. nothing to do but to hit upon fuch neceffaries of life 35 the inhabitants could not want, and I m 1 ^nd they were fure of their money and their jewels. The choice of the ar- ticles of trade fell upon fait, beetle nuts, and tobacco. — They v/ere all managable; they could get the greateft part, if not the whole of them, into their hands -, and cuftom having made thefe things fo neceflary to the people of the country,^ they could not exift without them, at leaft with any de- gree of health and comfort. Within a few weeks, therefore, after they be- came mafters of the country, their agents were diftributed to their pods to deliver out thofe things to the na- tives with one hand, and take their money or their goods with the other, and to return all they got into the common flock of the fociety. Some- thing like this trade had been carried on by many of the company*s fervants, R % before [ "4 ] before the provinces were got intirel^ out of the power of their native go- vernors : but then they only aded as. ftragglers pafling through a country, from the main body of a vidorious army, taking with them what they could get, with fome degree of fear of their fuperiors. But now the fo- ciety knew no fuch reftraint ; the go- vernor and members of council were in power, kings and princes, and the agents they empowered to deliver out fait, beetle nut, atfd tobacco, to their fubjedts, were a regular body fpread over the country, under no other re- ftraint but that of not wronging their employers. Indeed they were forbid to aft in a judicial capacity, or inter- fere in affairs of government : but they had no occafion to do this, for the fight of an Englifliman carried v/ith I m 3 •with it more terror and obedience in the natives than the authority of any civil niagiftrate, or even the nabob hinifelf, who, it was known, only now held his high ftation under the favour of the Englifh company. But it was thought more expedient to leave the colledtion of the company's reve- nue to the native officers, in the name. of the nabob, than for the fervants of the company to exa£t the public taxes themfelves. The French, Dutch, and other Europeans fettled in thefe pro- vinces, might raife a clamour in Eu- rope againft paying tribute - in India diredtly to the Eqglifh; this was avoided by retaining the name of the nabob, and prevented the inconve- nience which might- fooner arife from openly oppreffing the inhabitants in two ways at once. Therefore the black black revenue officers were let loofc to coUedt the duties of the dewan^ in name for the nabob — in fad for the company, the nabob being kept at a fixed allowance; and though fomething might be loft to the company or their fervants by letting the revenue pafs through the hands of the old officers of the government, yet they could be reckoned with at pleafure, and the Englifh had the fatisfaftion in know- ing, this part of the public oppreffions, were not direftly to be charged againfk tliem. This being the mode of conducing the company's bufinefs, their fervants were at greater liberty to attend to their own. — But not forgetting the intereft of their employers, they iffued an edi6t that the leafes of lands, now held of the coinpany, were to termi- natCi t 127 ] Hate, and the farms let over again at an iniproved rent. Some of the old tenants were accufed of having ob- tained their leafes by coUufion— the remedy was eafy — they had only to make them all void at once. And as to the diftincftions^ between one man's cafe and another, it was held a right maxim in all ftates, that private con- venience muft yield to public expedi- ency -, and there were weighty reafons why the general rule fhould not be varied in favour of the company's ten- ants in Bengal — Their lands would let for more now than the tenants paid by their leafes. The reafon of the cafe juftified the determination, and they were let over again to the higheft bidder. The motive afligned for this * ftep to the court of dircftors by their [ 128 ] their prefident and feleft committee was confiftent — it would prevent any complaints againft a monopoly of land. CHAP. I ^»9 1 INDIA AFFAIRS. CHAP. XlV. The fims rtcehtd by the Cumptttiy and ^Mr fervantSj from ibe primes and nairjis in India. THE Company and their fervant^ covdcl now obtain the money of the inhabitants of India, by the various means of rents, revenues, and trade: And the ufc they made of thefe, and their talents as ftatelmen send foldicrs, will beft appear by the jic<:ouni of fums f roved and aeknozv^ kdged /« have been re<;eived^ S Fot . . ■ • • . . ' . * From the general fiate attefted by the Au- ditcr of Indian accounts, annexed to the further fejtort of the Cominittee of Secrecy appointed by the Houfe of Commons, Appendix, No» lo. I '3^ 1 To/ the ufe^ of the Company from May 1761 to April 1771* - From the net revenues arifing from cuftoms in ^< Bengal — — 235^882 From the territorial re- venues, clearof all charges 15,763,828 Gaiined by Indian goods 45 1 ,65 1 Gained by European £oods — — 599,062 ;£ 16,750,423 Reftitution, or money paid the Company for damages and cxpences incurred in their wars. By [ ^31 1 By Meer Jafficriai 757^ 1,200^00 By Coflim in 1760, 62,500 By Mecr Jaffier on re- ^ ftoring him to the govcrnr ment in 1763, — 375fOOO By Shujah Dowla on* making peace wijJi him in 1765, fifty lacks, or 583^333 ^2,220,833 To thefc fums received for the ufc of the Company, are to be added the fums diftributed by the princes and other natives of Bengal to the Com- pany's fervrants,/rom the year 1757 to the year 1766, both inclufive.* • Sec the account annexed to tKe Report- •f the Committee of the Hoafe of Commons^ vol. i. p. 22« I ^2 1 Dawla^ and advanciDg Mccr Jafficr to the go- vernment in 1757, h^lK^5 O4 d^pofii^ Mcer Jaf. fier in favour of CoHm in 1760, 2^00,»69 On refkoring Mecr Jaf. . fterini763, 437>499 l^refcntspecei ved by two conimahders of the army> 62,666 On the acceffion of Najim ul Dowh, Meer Jaffier^ fqn, in 1 76^, ^2$i357 deceived of the king, queen mother^ and one df the princes, in 1765 and 1766, 90*999^ ' Receive^ of Mecr JafRer W i757? — foo^ooo ^ Carry over 2,769,56^ Received' I ^S3 1 Brought o^r ^^76^,^6^ Received ef Mcer Jafii^r again* in iy6% ^oo^OOO^ To thefc fums arc to br added three hundred thoufand pounds for Lord Clive's jaghccr for ten years. And what was made by private trade docs not come within the proofs or acknow- ledgments of the fums before Hated, Lord Clive calculated the duty on fait, beetle nut, and tobacco, would yield an hundred thoufand pounds a year to the Company; this he fuppofed equal to half the profits of the trade itfelf -, and if Lord Clive was as near iQ;tbi% as he was in his calculation of the dewaonee, the fum then re- ceived from the inland trade in ten years. yearsv. wf uld be two millions, whicRt added to the fuiiis proved or. acknow- ledged tf> be received,,makes the whole futn Twenty-four millions Jx hundred und forty tboufandjix hundred and twenty Me pounds, ft erling^ CHAR i« t i3S T I^NDIA APFAIRS, i. 'EffeSs of tbi Englifh government in 'Bengal. 2. Confuttation and letter from the Council at Calcutta on the famine. 3. TheDire£iors letter after 4 be famine^ TO purfuetheiyhokhiftory of Ben- gal, from the time its government and revenues were obtained in 1766, would lead into all ithe contefts which have arifcn between the company and* their iervants on ihc divifion of -the common ipoil of the natives of the country, and this again would lead uft back into the Jiiftoty of new wars, iind 4md open to our view too wide a field; rwe muft therefore content oiarielves to purfue only a fingle line of enquiry — 'The effefts produced by cotie&ing from the country 'lindkr the etnnpany's ^gOYennaent^rthcfum of money we have Cbeu divided between ^them and their .lenrants. . Eabxy in the year 1766, the agents and faftoFS appointed by the com- tpany's fervants for carrying on *tbeir inland frade; took' tl^ir places ^ac their different marts aiid' Amons ; and being the deputes of merchants, whoiyeftctday-iWetTC ibkUers and con- quenm, they of coiiirfe carried with them p^wer^y . ^diich foooi jcnkbiisd ^icm to get into iiieir pdffiili<»n thofe neceflkries c^^ life, which th^ had^ taked^to^themfehresithetrighc caf iap^ piying [ ^^37 I plying the inhabitants of the country with, and when they were once under their command, they were then only to be had on terms in which the confumers had no choice. They were neceflaries of conftant ufe, and the inhabitants of the cities, towns, and villages could not do without them for a day. The people were without remedy — ^without appeal ; the lame fet of men who formed this plan and carried it into execution, were the mailers of their country.-— Their au- thority and the ufe they made of it, addrefied itfelf as forcibly to the fears as to the feelings of the na- - tives • - Th e Englifti ftores began now to cieal out their fait, beetle nut, and tobacco, - to the people for money ; when that .failed, for their goods j when thefe T grew grew fcafce, then the ftruggle lay be- tween keeping what they had, and get- ting what they wanted. — ^Barter, under circumftances of fuch inequality in the dealers, produced, as it neceflarily would ^produce, on one fide extreme penury and want. Thofe who now made the things the Englifli moft wanted^ were preffed on . aill fides— by their own •neceffities, their neighbours, and the agents employed to procure the com- pany*^ inveftments, as the goods fent 'to Europe are called • Thefc importu- nities were united, and urged fo much, fo often, and in fuch ways as to pro^ duce, among the people in the filk bu- finefs, inftances of their cutting off their thumbs, that the want of them might excufc them from following their trade, and the inconveniences to which they were [ ^9 3 were expofed beyond the conjmon lot of their neighbours. While thefc demands for money and goods were fpreading as univer- fally as the ufe of fait, the officers of the government preffed for the taxes with more than ufual eagernefs — • they had now to furnilh a tribute to the King, an allowance to the na- bob, and keep the revenue of thje company at what it had been fixed, before the agents of inland trade be- gan to collect the people's money by warrants of neceffity. The tax* gatherers were let loofe upon the fub- jefts, with as little reftraint as the colledors of taxes could be in any country* The nabob could not caU them to account, had he been ever fo wife and willing to relieve the people. Neither were opprcflions re- T 2 ftrained [ 140 ] ftraifi^d by the Englifh, who alone had the power ; the projeftors of the pre- fcnt mode of government, confoled themfelves with feeing the corruption of the officers lyas not among them- felves ; they waited to punifh great offenders, by receiving back from them in fines^ what they had coUefted from the people more than their due. The company's principal fervants had fet out upon the plan of raifing their for- tunes from the people only by proxy ; but when oppreffion has nothing to fear from jufticc, it is no wonder that avarice fhould lay afide caution, and become principal in violence, and by this means undefignedly furnilh, as it has done, evidence in the Englilh courts of juftice of the conduft of fomc of the company's fervants in India. Many [ HI 3 Many of the natives had been in- fluenced to make lefs oppofition to the growing power of the fubjedls of En- gland in their country, by what they were made to underftand of the Englilh laws — That they allowed every man to call his property his own ; and if any thing was taken fr6m him illegally, neither the prince or his nobles were fuperior to the law ; and men in all cafes were judged by their equals ; and inftead of the rank of the aggref- for being allowed any exemption, it was often made the meafure of the punifhment. As many of the natives as underftood thus much, and they were made to underftand it, wilhed — and who could help wifliing ? — to change a government like theirs, where all they had was at the difpofal of others, to whom they bore no other relation. [ 142 ] relation, than that virtual idea, handed down from thofe ancient times, when kings endeavoured to divide their be- nevolence equally among all their fubjedts, and confidered them&lves as their common fathers, in refemblance of the power by whom kings reign. With hopes of changing for the bet- ter, many perfons in India rejoiced at the profperity of the Englilh, even when they faw them aiming at their government -, they thought the intro- duftion of their laws and cuftoms would follow their power,, and the air of freedom and equality they faw amongft them confirmed their expec- tation; But their hopes vaniihed on hearing, immediately after the Englifh had got poffcffion of the government, that they had iffued orders -r-That leafcs and civil con- C 143 ] contracts were to be made void on a day — That a few perfons only known to them as generals in the army, had laid duties on neceflaries, of more than a third of their value, inftead of the for- tieth penny with which they ufed to be charged* — And that their new govern nors had taken things of daily ufe into their own hands to fell as they pleafed. But the difappointment of the natives flood but a fhort time on the teftimony of report — They faw the Englifli agents and faftors fpreading themfelves over all their country — they faw them en- deavouring to get their money, their jewels, • The gentlemen whofe names are figned to the refolution for granting thefe duties, to the company, were five in number, and on their return from India, were all chofen by the people of England^ to exercife the power of laying their taxes. C 144 ] jewels; and the moft valuable of their goods from them, by means they had never heard of before, Happy would it have been for them had they ken no other efFefts of the Englilh government thantliefc! — But the defires of ambition are not lefs boundlefs for power, than thofe of avarice for riches — The natives were equally the fubjefts of both. And the property of the people not flowing into the hands of their matters fo ra- pidly as fome of themi defired to com- plete their fortunes, and return to JEngland — And feeing the monopoly of fait, beetle nut and tobacco, was dif- proportioned to their defires, for they could not be ufing the burjaut every day, and without it the conteft was ilow and tedious, the natives parting with their pence with the fame Ipar- ing ing hand as the agents parted with their fait. Money in this current came but by drops, it could not quench the third: of thofe that waited in India t» receive it. An expedient, fuch as it was, re- mained to quicken its peace— ^the na- tives could live with little fait, but not without food. Some of the agents faw themfelves well fituated for col- le&ing the ric? into ftorcs, — they did fo. They knew the Gentoos would rather die than violate the precepts of their religion by eating flefh. The alternative would therefore be between giving what they had and dying.-— The inhabitants funk — They that cul- tivated the land, and faw the harvell at the difpofal of others, planted in doubts — fcarcity enfued, — then the mo- nopoly was eaficr managed— the peopltt U took t '4« 1 took to roots and food they ^ad been unaccuflomed to cat. — Skkaeis cn- fucd — ^thc ricc-holdcrs ovecftood their ihaiket — many of the peofJe died be- fore they bought. — In fome diftrii^s the languid living left the bodies of their numerous dead unburied • At length an horrid peftjlence and dread- ful famine raged together. Thofc who fell not in defpair and death, were roufed into furies^ and fear at length opened the inhuman dogrs whick the hand of power had kept doled tor the terms of avarice, whpfe inia- tiable appetites made fuch monfters of its (laves. » It is true, all were not fuch } there were a few who kept themfdvcs free from the general guilt and corraptioiu And in the diftrefs of the natives, tfaofe iervants of the. Company who . h«d^ governed [ H7 '] ^v€med themfelves by juftice and mo- deration, now (hewed the attendants on cfaofe virtues-— humanity and gene* rofity. And the ftme evidence of thcfe traniadions in India, which has taken away all boafting in the name of £nglifliman, has alfo told us, when the natives execrate the Engltih, they ex- cept a few names, and amongft them that of Mr. Haflings. But it is the general condu<5): with which we have to do, and on this head I fhall only trouble the reader with a paifage from one of the Company's letters, an- other of the Committee's, and — An exiraff from the Bengal Selei^ Con- fuhationSj dated the iSth of May^ 1770, coniaining orders for ftoppages to be made out offiipends on aciount of the famine. U 2 <« It t 148 ] - « It appearing to the Committee highly neceffary and reafonable, that the tribute, flipends, and all extraor- dinary iflues whatever, fhould. give place to the more urgent calls of go- vernment." " Resolved, That Mr. Bechcr, refident at the Durbar, be dircded to ivith-hold, at leaft, thirty lacks from the tribute, and other allowances, bc the Englifh who are here know we did not. And we pray them to bid us hold our peace if any Y 2 thing [ i64 3 thing wc advance be contrary to that which they believe. — We be- feech you to hear us patiently and do us juftice. — In the time of our fathers, the Englilh came to our coun- try bearing in their hands a meffage from their Queen, requefting our Sovereign to grant her' fubje6ts free- dom in our country as men of honeft dealing-, our fathers entertained them with all hofpitality, giving them the things they wanted, and taking in ex- change thofe they brought ; they re- joiced in their fi]ccefs, and defired to have habitations amongft us — Our princes gave them land and houfes to dwell in ; and enquiring after their re- ligion and their cuftoms, the Englifh anfwered, they were governed by moft wife and juft laws, and as to their re- ligion, it taught them to believe that all [ i65 ] all men were required to do jufticc and love mercy, not only amongft their neighbours and countrymen, but to the people of every nation under heaven j and this under the force of eternal obligations ; expefting in the life to come, that they who have done good in this, will enjoy endlefs blifs, and they who have done evil, fuffer pain and remorfe for ever. *' From all this, our fathers verily believed, that if any men of this na- tion who came amongft us, fliould of tlieir own improper defires do us mif- chief, and efcape from punifhment in our country, they would be punilhed in their own, who would make us re- paration. And thus crediting their teftimony, our fathers fhewed them kindnefs, and at their defire gave them dwellings, where they fenced and made [ i65 ] made ftrong, — telling us, that thougR they had nothing to fear from us, yet they had from the other ftrangers we had allowed to come amongft us, — that their countries were near each other, and that they had wars together conti- nually. But the Englifti were never to blame : it was the charafter of their nation to be honeft, generous,^ and fin- cere : but as to the people of the other nations, one was vain^ the otlier proudy the third was cruel,, and the fourth cruel and covetous. The French, Spaniards, Portugueze and Dutch, denied all this, and faid they had as juft laws as the Englifh, for they were all taken at firft from the fame origin 5 to prove which, they gave us the book into our hands, and our fathers found in it rules of moft excellent wif- dom, teaching men to live peaceabk and t i«7 1 and quiet lives — to labour with thdr hands -1- to be content with their own — to defire no man's houfe, or land, or money, — but to Ihew kindnefs to all men, efpecially the afflifted, and to forgive their enemies— forbidding any' man's taking a fword in his hand agahift his brother ; and that all mea were brethren, mingled of one blood by the Maker of them all, who our fathers believed to be the author of this book, as it made known to them things furpafling the wifdom of maa — fuch maxims of piety, juftice, vir- tue, and goodnefs, as rendered all the learning of the Eaft but as a glimmer- ing taper in the prefence of the mid- day fun. *' Here our fathers faw the rules of Tight between nation and- nation, man -and man, laid .down in words eafy to be [ i68 ] be underftood by common men, and thefe rules applied in fo many aftual cafes in the diftribution of juftice in the ages that are paft, that it plainly appeared all the kingdoms of the earth were under the government of an al- mighty Being, who had often taken the part of the weaker fons of men, when all their hope was gone, and had hum- bled the land of their oppreffors, tho* the mightieft nations upon earth — ^for wars, peftilence, famine, were the minifters of his |)Ower, and when his mercy was withdrawn from the land of the wrong-doers and impenitent, the earth trembled for fear of his juftice upon its inhabitants. And notwith- ftanding many of his chaftifements, to nations, were miftaken for the nyorks of men ; yet, otherwifc they fivcre in truth i for though they appear- ed [ 169 ] ed to grow as by natural confequence from their crimes, yet God being the author of all the good that was done upon earth, fo neither was there any evil befel the fons of men but xby his permiffion. His threatnings and his promifes were conditional — on obedi- ence hung bleflings, on guilt and im- penitence mifery, and both on God ; and thus the fate of all, refted alone upon the Maker of all. — That he had not placed men in the world, and then left them fatherlefs and forlorn — but the contrary — That he governs them by laws which make the happinefs of every nation, and of every man, to de- pend on what they do and deferve ; and according to thefe laws judging nations here — men hereafter. " When our fathers underftood that the ftrangcrs who had come amongft Z us« I 170 J ns, held themfelves bound by obliga- tions like thefe, they opened their ports, their cities, and their country, to them. But alas ! we have been ftrangely requited for the kindncft of oui* fathers — Fdr, no fooner did the ftran- gers fee the riches they got amongft tis, than they began to defire one another^s things, and to fight who fhould have moft, and hired the loofe and wicked of our people to aflift them in their wars ; they ftained our fields with blood, and put one another to death by torments, before we never heard of — And after many years, and many wars, the Englilh people prevailed, and we trufffed our country would have been at peace. *' But when their wars were at an end, with wonder did we behold the Englifh turn upon as with all their force. —To [ 17' ] >— To our old men it appears but yefr terday fince the Englifh were permit- ted to dwell amongft us-r-to-day our princes ^re ttjeir flaves^ and we in bon- dage to our fathers' guefts, *' Think not, in our acculing the Englifli, we mean to blame the dif- penfations of righteous providence, now fee our land had its crimes to deferve this punilhment — Even fomc of our land, for love of riches, had broken all the ties of friends and made war upon their country, and called down upon us all the chaftife- ments due to the enemies of peace . among the fons of men. — Neither do we accufe all the Englilh, for we have feen amongft them fome of the rich, but more of the poorer fort, who lived in all things as had been told us of chriftian men : they wept for our for- Z 2 rows. I 172 1 tows, protc&cd our women, and gave their bread to the poor of our land, and after living blamclefly among us, fomc have even died in our pre- fence, like the good men defcribed in the book of the chriftians.— Far, far be from us to accufe fuck as thefe; it is the wicked we charge with our wrongs, and they are not lefs wicked becaufe we deferved the chaftifing hand of providence: for to (execute juftice was not their aim, but to take away our riches, and to fubdue oim: country for their profit 5 and to ob- tain thefe they have trodden under their feet the laws of hofpitality, juftice and humanity. They have hired our fubjefts to fight againft their na- tive governors, and have actually re- warded treachery with dominion, and princes with death — And when fomc [ 173 1 fome would have efcaped from their fide back to their native mailers, they were made examples of unheard-of punifhments — Their bodies ftruggling quick with life, were twifted with force and bands about a cannon's mouthy and blafted through the air of heaven — Nay worie, fome were called back from death, untied, beholding other vi6kims thus fufFer in their fight — then tied again themfelves to fufFer the horrid death they hadfeen.—- Bear with our talei ye judges of our caufe ! — we come for juftice iagainft the Englifti, but not for vengeance— while we ac- cufc the authors of the mifchiefs we relate, our hearts cry mercy on their heads.— " But thefe fufFerings of private men only demand the mourning of a few fathers, mothers, filters, wives, and fonsj [ 174 1 fons ; for in every country nature wilf feel when her tpndier ties are r^nt a- funder bv deaths of fmaller violence than the cannon's mputh — But fueh have been our fuflferings,fince the people pf England began to fight againft us, that we have been ready to conclude^ our eaftern fun has warnr^ed our hearts into keener fenfibility of grief and pain, than any other of the fons of men. And grief and pain have followed the footfteps of the Englifli wherever they have come, and from the palace to the poor man's cottage they have made our country an houfe of woe. " Seven years now arc pad: fince the Engliih became our mafters, and all our fufferings by their wars, have been but the prelude to our miferies under their avarice — rpurfuing the end they had in view, they have torn away the work i I ^7B i 'work half finlffeed frdm the hands of horicft induftry,- kft it ftio«ld fall a prey- to thcl fe'cond comer. Our lands, dur labour^, and our all, has been at their difpofal, and behold the fum which by their own fhamelefs confeffion they have taken away ftdm us without pfetenee of trade or honeft fcrvice, but in bribes forced from the hands of treachery ot fear, and exafted by oppreflion and wrong ! — Since we have bctrt undei* the govern- ment of the Englifh, executions have been common among us, without other grounds of juft accufation, than that of with-holding from them what was not their due. — Not difcovering what we poffeffed was a crime the Englifh :punilhed with ftripes — not to yield •what we had was often death— thfc icries of mafiacres srnd murdefs filled our [ i7« ] our dwellings with continual fbuv and day and night our women^ and our children, trembled in our dc- fcncelefs habitations for fear of the Engliih, as young hinds in hearing of the wolf. — The labours of the loom and of the field were equally ieized as their prey, neither he that laboured or he that planted was fure to reap, black defpair took place, a dreadful calm enfued, and famine, peftilence and the Englilh have covered our land with horror and defolation. — The two leaft have abated, but the Englilh ftill re- main to exa£t the fame tribute from the fad furvivors of all this mifery ; and if this be the ftatute of the govern- tnent of England which we have heard this day, it not only applies a part of what has been thus taken from us for the ufe of their nation, but the nobles [ 177 3 nobles and people of England defire their king to have it proclaimed as a ' law, that our country fliall remain in ' the hands of his fubjefts our oppref- fors for years to come. *' But furely the days of our calamity ' "will fpeedily have an end, if the fcrip- tures of the chriftians be true, as true they muft be or the world's undone : for, laying afide our own, the crimes our land has feen committed by a fmall number of ftrangers, is beyond all' price of human facrifice to make at- tenement to offended juftice— that juf- tice, by which a juft Being muft judge mankind hereafter, and nations herCy or juftice be incomplete and undo all rules of right, reafonable and divine. Surely therefore our calamities Ihall not endure for ever, and the kingdom of our oppreflbrs rule over us to the A a end t 178 ] -end of the world. — For, " Thus falA the Lord God, Behold, I arfi againft thee, I will ftrctch out mine hind againft thee, and I will make thee liidft defolate. — I will lay thy cities wkffe, and thou flialt be defolate, and thou flialt know that I am the Lord. — Be- taufe thou haft had a perpetual hatred and haft Ihed the blood of this people by the force of the fword, in the tiftie of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end. — ^Therefore as I live, faith the Lord God, I will pre- pare thee unto blood, and blood iOiall purfue thee : fince thou haft riot hated blood, even blood fhall purfue thee. — Thus will I make thee moft delblite. T-And I will fill thy m6unt:ain"i with flain men r-in thy hills, and Ih thy yallies, and in all tliy riveris ih^ they fall that are flaia with the fwdi'd.—- 1 wiU E 179 J* - ■will make thee perpetual defolationsr^ and thy cities Ihall not return, and ye Ihall know that I am the Lord. Be- caufe thou haft faid, — Thele nations and thefe countries fhall be mine, and we will poflefs them, though the Lord was there. — Therefore, as I live, faith, the Lord God, I will even do accord- ing to thine anger, and according to^ thine envy which, thou haft ufed out of thy hatred againft them.: — ^and I will make myfelf known amongft them when I have judged thee. — And thoii fhalt know that I am the Lord, and that I have heard all thy blefphemics which thou haft fpoken, faying — They are laid defolate^ — they are given us tc confume. — Thus with your mouth ye have boafted againft me, and have multiplied your words againft me : — I have heard them* — Therefore whea jti a 2 iiiC [ i8o 1 the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee deiblate. — As thou didft rejoice at . their defolation, fo will I do unto thee, and they fhall know that I am the Lord.* '' Thus were the difpenfations of God directed in ages paft. And is the Almighty fubjeft to change ? Shall He punifli one nation of wrong-doers, and cruel men with war and defolation, and let another for ever pafs unpunifh- cd, having before them for their gui- dance, the rules of His juftice, and the examples of His judgments, and without figns of penitence, or token of reparation, defpife His govern- ment ? Infinite as he is in forbearance, with nations and with men, fuch par- .tiality would unfettle all the exam- ples His juftice has made of the na- tions ♦ Ezekiel 35. [ i8i ] tions of the earth, who have funk under the ftroke of His judgments, and be diredtly contrary to His deal- ings with the nation moft highly fa- voured by Him, and under the govern- ment of a king after His own heart, ' and yet puniflied with famine year af- ter year, for opprefling a people who by voluntary contraft were their flaves.* If it be true that thofc writings handed down to the chrif- tians are of God, then all that has hap- pened to us in the Eaft, agrees with that reafon and juftice, with which men may believe, the Almighty would govern the world He made. For what more reafonable, than that thofe blef- fings which in our abundance in In- dia we defpifed, ihould be with-drawn from us ? What more juft, than that wc * 2 Samuel 2i» [ i82 J we fhouid be given up to fuffcr wh^ we iflfliJlcd with mercikfis hands even upon our brothers. " On the belief^ therefore,, that the hiftory of the chrifcanais true, let others treat it as they may, we fliall continue to hope that when our nation is hum- bled, and we return into the ways of juftice, mercy and truth, that the Being whofe attributes thefe are, will give us wifdofn to unite an4 be at peace. For he can take away our opprcffors with a word pf his n^outh, and can even ni^ke the cafting of an Indian weed into the <^ean, kindle die flames of war in the land of our deftroyersj and if the A^^Uon of oui: enemies were as nun^rous, as rich, and as proud as we were, when y?e called ourfelves iq- vincible, ftjU we muft believe from our own experience, that the greateft nation [ 183 3 -Tiation under heaven is only like a filly vi&im before almighty jufticc — For we who had millions of men, and our princes millions of money to re- ward them, have been robbed of thofe millions, and hundreds of thoufands of our people killed, by a lefs number >of men than one of our little villages contain^ and yet Providence made thefe men, few as they were, fo ftrong, and we fo weak, by divifions, that they have enflaved us, taken our country for their own, and keep our princes captive to this day. But the time of our deliverance, wetruft, draws nigh J for that deliverance we look to God alone, who can raife up help to us at his plcafure from among the nations of the earth, to whom we publiih the wrongs that have been done us by the Englilh. THE END. ^ ^ /