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tries on both fides of it, is faid to be in their poffeffion: fo that their dominions confist generally of the foubahs of Lahore (or Panjab) Moultan, and Sindy. They are faid to confist of a number of small states, independent of each other in their internal government, but connected by a federal union +.

Timur Shaw, the fucceffor of Abdalla, whofe capital is Candahar, is in poffeffion of Cabul, Seistan, and the neighbouring countries of Perfia; which, altogether, form an extenfive kingdom. The Indus is the general boundary of the Abdalli to the east. This government was erected by Abdalla, one of Nadir Shaw's Generals, when his unwieldy empire, like that of Alexander, fell to pieces on the demise of the conqueror.

Jeynagur, or Joinagur, a mountainous district of no great extent, is fituated on the weft of Agra, and between the districts of Ghod and Mewat. It is governed by a Rajah, whofe capital is Joinagur. His vicinity to the Mahrattas has fubjected his country to frequent ravages, but he has never been totally fubdued by

them.

Joudpour, or Marwar, adjoins to Jeynagur on the fouth-weft, and is, in circumstances, nearly fimilar to Jeynagur; with this difference, that the district is more extenfive, being near 200 miles from northeast to southwest. The river Puddar has its course through this country, which is a part of the foubah of Agimere, and for which Marwar is only another name: Meerta is the present capital.

Oudipour, or Cheitore, the country of the Rana, lies on the fouthwest of Joudpour, and borders on Guzerat and Malwa.

• The celebrated Mr. Jones very ingeniously remarks, "that it is ufual with the Afiatics "to give the fame names to the countries which lie on both fides of any confiderable river," Thus the province of Sindy is divided by the Indus; Bengal by the Ganges; and Pegu by the Irabatty. Probably, the facility of accefs to either fide, by means of a navigable river and an occafional inundation, fubjected each of the divifions, formed by the course of the river, to the conftant depredations of its oppofite neighbour; till neceffity produced a com promife, which ended in joining them in one community.

+ Dowe. Verelft.

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The Rajah, like thofe of Joudpour and Jeynagur, is fubject either to become tributary to, or fuffer the attacks of the Mahrattas, his neighbours. Cheitore was the ancient capital; a place much ce lebrated for its ftrength, riches, and antiquity, when it was taken and defpoiled by Acbar in 1567: Oudipour is the present capital.

Of the countries of Nagore, Pucanere-Jaffelmere,. Amercot, and those bordering on the lower part of the courfe of the river Puddar, we know little of at prefent, except that they form a number of petty rajahships.

The Mahratta states occupy all the fouthern parts of Hindoostan proper, and a great part of the Deccan. Malwa, Berar, Oriffa, Candeish, and Vifiapour; the principal part of Amednagur, (or Dowlatabad) half of Guzerat, and a small part of Agimere, Agra, and Allahabad, are comprized within their extensive empire; which extends from fea to sea, across the widest part of the peninsula; and from the confines of Agra northward, to the Kistna southward ; forming a tract of about 1000 British miles long, by 700 wide.

This extenfive country is divided amongst a number of Chiefs or Princes, whofe obedience to the Paifhwa, or Head, is, like that of the German Princes to the Emperor, merely nominal at any time; and, in fome cafes, an oppofition of interefts begets wars, not only between the members of the empire themselves, but also between the members and the Head. In fact, they are seldom confederated but on occafions that would unite the moft difcordant ftates; that is, for their mutual defence: for few occafions of foreign conquefts or plunder, are of magnitude enough to induce them to unite their armies.

Was I inclined, I want ability, to particularize the poffeffions and fituations of all the Chiefs that compofe the Mahratta ftate. I fhall therefore attempt only to mention the principal ones, or fuch as have appeared on the theatre of the prefent war,

The Paishwa, who is the nominal Head of the whole, refides at Poonah, which is fituated at the southwest extreme of the empire, and within a hundred miles of Bombay. He poffeffes the principal

part

part of Vifiapour, Baglana, Dowlatabad (or Amednagur) the fouthern part of Candeish, and a fniall part of Guzerat. His portion of the Deccan is naturally very strong, particularly on the weft fide towards the fea, where a ftupendous wall of mountains, called the Gauts, rifes abruptly from the low country, called the Concan * fupporting, in the nature of a terrace, a vast extent of fertile and populous plains, which are fo much elevated as to render the air cool and pleasant.

The Paishwah's country, together with that of his immediate dependents and vaffals, extends generally along the coaft from the districts of Goa, to Cambay. Southward, he borders on Hyder Ally; and eastward on the Nizam' and the Rajah of Berar. On the north, he has Sindia and Holkar.

Sindia and Holkar divide by much the largest part of the rich and extensive soubah of Malwa. The former alfo poffeffes the northern part of Candeish, including the city of Burhanpour; and the northeast parts of Guzerat. On the north, his poffeffions in Malwa extend to Narwah, and to within 120 miles of the frontier of Oude +. His capital is Ougein (or Ugein) near the ancient city of Mundu, the capital of the Chilligee Kings of Malwa; and from whom both he and Holkar are faid to be defcended. Holkar's capital is Indoor, about thirty miles on the weft of Ougein. Gungadar Punt poffeffes the district of Calpy, which borders on the Jumna (and, of course, on the new dominions of the Nabob of Oude) eastward; and on Sindia weftward. And Ballagee, brother to Gungadur, has the diftrict of Sagur, which lies between Sindia's eastern boundary and Bundelcund. Neither of thefe diftricts are equal, in extent, to the principality of Wales.

The Berar Rajah, Moodagee Boonflah, poffeffes generally the foubahs of Berar and Oriffa. On the weft, his territories border

Or Cockun.

+ During the prefent war, Colonel Camac penetrated from that fide to the city of Sirong, more than 100 miles within Sindia's frontier.

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on the Paishwah's; on the fouth, on the Nizam's; and on the north, on Mahomed Hyat's (a Pattan Rajah) Nizam Shaw's, and Ajid Sing's. On the east, his territories in Oriffa thrust themselves between the British poffeffions in Bengal, and thofe in the northern circars; fo as to occupy near 180 miles of the country adjacent to the fea, and, of course, to break the continuity of our poffeffions on the fea coaft. Moodajee's dominions are very extensive, being from cast to west 600 British miles, and 250 from north to fouth. He does not poffefs all this in full fovereignty; for Cattack, Ruttunpour, and Sumbulpour are little more than tributary, and are governed by his brother Bembajee. We know lefs of the interior parts of Berar, than of most other countries in Hindooftan; but, by what we do know, it does not appear to be either populous or rich. Nagpour is the prefent capital †, and the residence of Moodajee; and it is fituated about midway between Bengal and Bombay.

Cattack, the capital of Oriffa, is a poft of confequence on the river Mahanada, as it lies in the only road between Bengal and the northern circars; and the poffeffion of this city and its dependencies, gives the Berar Rajah more confequence in the eyes of the Bengal government, than even his extenfive domain and centrical pofition in Hindoostan.

Rajah Nizam Shaw, of Gurry Mundlah or Baundhoo, is tributary to Berar.

Futty Sing Guicawar (or Gwicker) who has been our ally during the Mahratta war, has, by us, been put in poffeffion of Amedabad and Cambay, together with the districts in general bordering on and

These circars, or provinces, were originally denominated from their pofition in refpect to Madras, on which they depend: and the term northern circars has at length been adopted by the English in general.

Shawpour was the ancient capital, according to Ferifhta. The Ayeneh Acbaree fays that Berar was formerly named Werwatit; and it is remarkable that Pliny mentions the same country under the name of Varetate; and fays that it is strong in cavalry and infantry, but keeps no elephants for war.

lying

lying north of the river Mihie; which river ferves as a common boundary between his district of Amedabad, and ours of Broach.

These are the principal of the countries reduced into the form of governments by the Mahrattta Chiefs: but fo habituated are they to rapine and plunder, that few of the neighbouring states, but have, at one period or other, felt and acknowledged their power. Bengal and Bahar were, for a confiderable time, fubjected to a regular tribute; and the Carnatic, Myfore, the Nizam's provinces, the Dooab, Bundelcund, and the fouthern parts of Delhi, have been frequently overrun. However, the power of the Mahrattas appears to have been on the decline, for the last twenty years. Shut out of Bengal, the upper provinces *, and the Carnatic by the British arms, and out of Myfore by Hyder's, their field of action has been much circumfcribed; and the prefent war with the British power has discovered their weakness to all Hindoostan.

Of the five northern circars, Cicacole, Rajamundry, Ellore, and Condapilly, are in the poffeffion of the English; and Guntoor is in the hands of the Nizam. The four firft occupy the sea coast from the Chilka lake on the confines of Cattack, to the northern bank of the Kiftna river; forming, comparatively, a long, narrow flip of country, 350 miles long, and from 30 to 70 wide. The nature of the country is fuch as to be eafily defenfible against an Indian enemy, it having a barrier of mountains and extenfive forefts on one fide, and the fea on the other, the extremities only being open. Its greatest defect is in point of relative fituation to Bengal and Madras, it being 350 British miles from the firft, and 250 from the latter; fo that the troops deftined to protect it, cannot be reckoned on, for any preffing service that may arise at either prefidency. The circars, in point of ftrictness, appertain partly to Golconda (or the Deccan) and partly to Oriffa; and are held of the Nizam on condition of paying him a regular tribute.

Thofe of the Nabob of Oude. † Condapilly circar is written in the revenue books, Mustapha-Nuggur; and Guntoor Mortizanagur.

The

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