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EXPLANATION of the COLOURING of the MA P.

The Colours are used to point out the Boundaries of the States now actually existing in Hindooftan, and thefe are divided into five Claffes, (viz.)

CLASS I.

The BRITISH POSSESIONS; or those of the EAST INDIA COM-
PANY, diftinguished by
RED.

II. The POWERS in ALLIANCE with the COMPANY, by YELLOW. III. The POWERS at WAR with the COMPANY, by GREEN. IV. States TRIBUTARY to the POONAH MAHRATTAS, by BLUE. V. NEUTRAL STATES, by PURPLE and ORANGE. As the two principal of these (the NIZAM and MOODAJEE BOONSLAH) lie contiguous to each other, one Colour would not effect fo clear a Dif tinction between their particular Boundaries, as was required.

The following are the Territories comprized in each Clafs.

I. BRITISH POSSESIONS.RED.

1. Bengal and Bahar, with the Zemindary of Benares.
2. Broach, &c. Purgunnahs, and Salfette.

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1. Moodajee Boonlah, the Berar Mahratta. ORANGE.
2. Nizamfhaw of Gurry Mundlah, his Tributary.

3. Bazalet Jung. Adoni.

4. Nudjuff Cawn. Agra.

5. Jats. Mewat, &c.

6. Seiks. Moultan and Sindy.

7. Part of Bundelcund.

8. Nizam Ally, Soubah of the Deccan. PURPLE.

9. Shaw Allum.

10. Zabeda Cawn.

Delhi.
Delhi.

11. Pattan Rohillas. Furruckabad.

12. Adjid Sing. Rewan,

13. Abdalli. Candahar, &c.

14. Singboom.

15. Travancore.

INTRO

INTRODUCTION.

GEOGRAPHICAL DEFINITION

OF

HIND OOST AN;

With its general Divifion into PROVINCES OF STATES.

Y HINDOOSTAN, Europeans in general have understood

B the tract between rivers Ganges and Indus, on th

the tract lying between the rivers Ganges and Indus, on the eaft and weft; the Thibetian and Tartarian mountains on the north; and the sea on the south. But, strictly speaking, the extent of Hindoostan proper is much more circumscribed than these limits convey an idea of. For, although it has indeed the Indus, and the mountains of Thibet and Tartary for its western and northern boundaries; yet, on the fouth, according to the Indian geographers, it is bounded by the countries of the Deccan; so that the whole peninsula * to the south of a line drawn nearly from Balafore

I have called this tract the peninfula in conformity to the general practice; for, properly fpeaking, the term can no more be applied to it, than to Turky in Europe.

B

to

to Broach, is not reckoned Hindoostan.

On the other hand, the Ganges was improperly applied as an eastern boundary, as it interfects, in its general courfe, fome of the richeft provinces of the empire; whilft the Burrampooter, which is much nearer the mark, as an eastern boundary, was utterly unknown. The addition of these lands to the geographical definition of Hindooftan, bear, however, a trifling proportion to thofe taken from it in the peninfula. In this circumfcribed ftate, its extent is about equal to France, Germany, Bohemia, Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, and the Lowcountries collectively; and the peninfula is about equal to the British islands, Spain, and Turky in Europe.

I shall not attempt to trace the various fluctuations of boundary that took place in this empire, according as the feat of government was removed from Gazna to Delhi, to Lahore, to Agra, or to Canoge, as suited the politics of the times. It is fufficient for my purpose to imprefs on the mind of the reader, that the provinces of Hindooftan proper have feldom continued under one head-during a period of twenty fucceffive years, from the earliest history, down to the reign of Acbar in the 16th century. Malwa, Agimere, Guzerat, and Bengal, were, in turn, independent; and fometimes the empire of Delhi was confined within the proper limits of the province itself. Nothing less could be expected, where some parts of the empire were 1000 miles diftant from the feat of Government and accordingly, the History of Hindooftan is one continued leffon to Kings, not to grasp at too much dominion; and to mankind, to circumfcribe the undertakings of their rulers.

During the long reign of Acbar in the 16th century, the internal regulation of the empire was much attended to. Enquiries were fet on foot, by which the revenue, population, produce, religion, arts, and commerce of each individual district was afcertained, as well as its extent and relative pofition. All these interesting and useful particulars, were, by Abul Fazil, collected into a book called the AYENEH ACBAREE, or MIRROR of ACBAR; and which, to this

day,

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day, forms an authentic register of these matters. Acbar began by dividing HINDOOSTAN PROPER into eleven soubahs * or provinces, fome of which were in extent equal to large European kingdoms. The foubahs were again divided into Circars, and these sub-divided into purgunnahs. If I was to apply English names to these divifions, I should style them kingdoms (or vice-royalties) counties, and hundreds +. The names of the eleven foubahs were Lahore, Moultan (including Sindy) Agimere, Delhi, Agra, Oude, Allahabad ‡, Bahar, Bengal, Malwa, and Guzerat §. A 12th foubah, that is, Cabul, was formed out of the countries contiguous to the western fources of the Indus, and included Candahar and Gazna; and three new ones were erected out of the conquefts in the Deccan: viz. Berar, Candeifh, and Amednagur; in all fifteen.

A flight inspection of the map will afford more information respecting the relative pofitions of these foubahs to each other, and to the adjacent countries, than whole fheets of writing. It may be neceffary, however, to make a few remarks on the boundaries of those soubahs that bordered on the Deccan, in order to understand the extent of the new conquefts.

Guzerat, then, extended fouthward to Damaun, where it touched on the district of Baglana, a divifion of Amednagur.

Malwa extended to the fouth of the Nerbudda river; and an angle of it touched on Baglana and Candeifh on the fouth-weft and fouth, and on Berar on the eaft. The Nerbudda formed the rest of the fouthern boundary of Malwa, and alfo of Allahabad. The government of Bengal extended to Cattack || and along the river

It is probable that Acbar might have changed the boundaries of fome of the old foubahs, by adding or taking away certain circars, by way of rendering each province more compact, and the provincial capital more centrical to the feveral parts of it.

Few circars are of lefs extent than the largest English counties.

Called alfo Illahabad.

Guzerat is by fome of the Hindoos confidered as lying without the limits of Hindooftan. Vide Berar Rajah's letters.

Called alfo Cuttack.

B 2

Maha

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