Companies, in Europe, in 1754: and Mahomed Ally, fon of Anwar o'dien, (who had fallen in the course of the war,) was left in poffeffion of the Carnatic: or, at least, of that portion of it, which had been recovered to him, by the British arms. The particulars of these wars, will be found in Mr. Orme's hiftory, volume the first. War breaking out in Europe, in 1756, the truce was reduced to a very short period. The first object of the British Councils, was to wreft the northern circars out of the hands of the French ; as their revenue furnished them with the means of paying their army. The fecond was to drive M. Buffy's force out of the Deccan, by means of an alliance with the Nizam, or Soubah. Both of these projects were at this time defeated: the first by the miscarriage of dispatches to India: the second, by the capture of Calcutta, the chief British fettlement in Bengal, in June 1756: and which induced the neceffity of relinquishing every plan of hoftility in the Deccan and Carnatic: in order that a force might be spared, fufficient to accomplish the recovery of fo important a fettlement as Calcutta ; on which the whole trade to Bengal depended.

Aliverdy Cawn, Nabob of Bengal, died in 1756, and was fucceeded by his grandfon Surajah Dowlah. This young man either was, or pretended to be, irritated at the conduct of the English, within his dominions; and was probably, jealous of the rifing power of Europeans in general, in other parts of India. He determined to expel the English (at least) from Bengal: and accordingly took their fort at Calcutta, and compelled thofe among them, who were not made prisoners, to retire. In the following year, an armament from Madras, under Admiral Watfon and Colonel Clive, not only recovered the fettlement of Calcutta, but brought the Nabob to terms. The fword, however, being thus drawn, no permanent fecurity could be expected on the fide of the intruders, unless fupported by power: which could not be obtained, while a Nabob, inimical to their interefts, poffeffed the whole power of the kingdom. Sufpicions on both fides foon brought matters to a crifis:

n 2

crifis: and Jaffier Ally Cawn, an Omrah in high truft and favour with the Nabob, was negociated with; and, on condition of their affifting him in his views towards the throne, engaged to be their future Ally and confederate; for, so much were matters changed by the late effay of their strength, and by the genius and good fortune of Clive, that protection would ill exprefs the current expectation of the British. The famous battle of Plaffey, fought in June 1757, and in which, Jaffier aided the accomplishment of their wishes, by standing neuter, laid the foundation of the future power of the British nation, in Bengal and Hindooftan. From that: time, they became the arbiters of the fucceffion to the Nabobfhip of Bengal; which speedily led to the poffeffion of the powers of government: for Coffim Ally, who had been placed in the room of Jaffier, difliking his fituation, refolved to hazard a change at all events; and this brought on a war, which ended in the expulfion of Coffim, and left the Bengal provinces in the poffeffion of the English, who restored Jaffier to the Nabobship. He had been deposed, on a charge of imbecility, in 1760, and was restored in 1763. Coffim retired to Sujah Dowlah, Nabob of Oude, and prevailed on him to espouse his cause. Sujah had distinguished himself in the celebrated battle of Panniput, in 1761; and is reported to have had a confiderable share in turning the fortune of the day, at the very moment when victory inclined towards the Mahrattas. Whether he over-rated his own talents for war; or mistook the military character and refources of the British, he, however, engaged too rafhly in the war; and the confequences were, a total defeat of his forces, joined with Coffim Ally's, at Buxar, in 1764: and this was followed by the lofs of all his territories, during that and the following year.

Thofe, whose belief has been ftaggered by the accounts of the conquefts made on the Indians and Perfians, by the Grecian, Patan, and Mogul armies, may reconcile their doubts by attending to the events of their own days; in which a handful of French troops,

effected

effected revolutions in the Deccan and another of British, made an entire conqueft of Bengal, Bahar, and Oude, in little more than two campaigns. Each of thofe conquerors, both ancient and modern, after gaining certain advantages, pursued them by means of levies raised in the conquered countries themselves; and thus rendered the vanquished fubfervient to the final reduction of their own country. This was even the cafe of Alexander, who fet out with 35,000 men, and left India, with 120,000. Such measures could only be purfued in countries, where the habit of changing their Governors, had rendered the governed indifferent to the choice of them. Even the whole number of combatants on the fide of the British, did not exceed 7000, at the battle of Buxar and of these +200 might be Europeans. The battle of Plaffey was gained with an army of about 3000 men; of whom 900 only, were Europeans.

Lord Clive, who reaffumed the government of Bengal, in 1765, found matters in the ftate I have reprefented. He feized the opportunity of taking poffeffion of the Bengal provinces; the Nabob Jaffer Ally being juft dead; and obtained from the nominal Mogul, Shah Aulum (who, together with his nominal Vizier, Sujah Dowlah, had, as before related, thrown themselves on the generofity of the British); a grant of the duanny, or administration of the revenues of Bengal, Bahar, and Oriffa; on condition of paying the Mogul 26 lacks of rupees per annum (260,000l.). Thus a territory producing at that time, at least a million sterling, per annum, after every expence was defrayed, and containing at least ten millions of inhabitants, was gained to the Company, on the side of Bengal together with the northern circars, valued at near half a million more, and for which a grant was alfo obtained. Sujah Dowlah had all his territories restored to him, except the provinces of Corah and Allahabad, which were retained for the Mogul;' together with the fortrefs of Allahabad, which was affigned to him, as a proper place of refidence.

6

Although

Although the English were thus firmly and peaceably established in Bengal, in 1765, yet within two years afterwards, they were engaged in a very arduous conteft in the peninfula, with Hyder Ally, the Sovereign of Myfore, leagued with the Nizam or Soubah of the Deccan. Hyder's hiftory is now fo well known to the generality of readers in Europe, by means of the several publications that have lately appeared, that it will be unnecessary to give any thing more than a short abstract of it, here,

Hyder Ally was a foldier of fortune, and the fon of a perfon who ferved in quality of Killadar, or Governor of a small fortress, to one of the Kings of Myfore. He is faid to have acquired the rudiments of war, in the French camps: and in the year 1753, distinguished himself, as their auxiliary, in the plains of Tritchinopoly. About ten years afterwards, being then at the head of the Myfore army, he dethroned his Sovereign, and governed under the title of Regent. Soon after, he extended his dominions on every fide, the Carnatic excepted: the fine province of Bednore (or Biddanore) and the Patan Nabobfhips of Cuddapah, Canoul, &c. befides fome Mahratta provinces towards the river Kistna; and the country of the Nairs, and other small states on the Malabar coast; were added to his original poffeffions; until at last he was at the head of a ftate, in extent equal to Great Britain, and producing a grofs revenue of four millions sterling. The civil broils and revolutions in the western Mahratta ftate, particularly in latter times, allowed Hyder to aggrandize himself at its expence; but he, neverthelefs, received fome fevere checks from that quarter. He was not arrived at the height of his power, when the war between him and the English, broke out, in 1767: but his power was such as to alarm his neighbours, and a resolution was taken to attack him. The Mahrattas under Maderow, entered Hyder's country on the fide towards Vifiapour; and the Nizam, joined by a de

Capt. Robfon's, and M. M. L. D. T.'s Lives of Hyder Ally, &c. &c.

tachment

tachment of British troops, moved from Hydrabad towards the frontier of Myfore, foon after. Hyder firft contrived to buy off the Mahrattas with a large fum of money, and the restitution of some of the places he had taken from them. Next, he negociated with the Nizam, and had the addrefs, not only to detach him from the English, but to draw him over to his party: fo that the English detachment was compelled by neceffity to retire to the Carnatic; on the frontiers of which, their grand army was now affembling. Besides the whimsical character of the Nizam, feveral other circumftances might confpire towards the determining him to act in the manner he did. The grant of the northern circars, and the emancipation of the Carnatic from any dependance on the Deccan, both of which were obtained from the Mogul, by the English; could not but be very mortifying to the Nizam, as having the appearance of a forcible partition of his territories. The circars, however, came into their hands (as we have feen) by conqueft from the French, to whom they were originally granted by a former Soubah of the Deccan fo that the grant from the Mogul was merely nominal: befides, the Nizam had been prevailed on to acquiefce in the measure, by an offer on the part of the English, of five lacks of rupees (50,000l.) per annum, by way of tribute or quit rent. As to his fuperiority in the Carnatic, it had ever been nominal; yet Hyder, who now meditated the conqueft of it, was glad to obtain from the Nizam, a grant, or Sunnud, for the Nabobship of it: and from this time, at least, he confidered Mahomed Ally as his rival. It is proper to obferve, that in the days of Mahomed Ally's diftrefs, when he poffeffed only a fmall part of the Carnatic, he had engaged to cede the fortrefs of Tritchinopoly, a most important poft in the fouthern divifion of it, to the King of Myfore, for affiftance then afforded him but this engagement never being performed, Hyder, as might be expected, adopted the claims and refentments of the Prince, whofe throne he had taken poffeffion of; and never loft fight of his title to Tritchinopoly. Had the engage