eastern part of the province of Delhi. The Jates, or Jats, a Hindoo tribe under Soorage-Mull, established themselves, and founded a state in the province of Agra. The Deccan and Bengal we have already seen usurped by their viceroys, the Nizam and Aliverdy: Oude was seized on by Seifdar Jung (father to the late Sujah Dowlah, and grandfather to the reigning Nabob of Oude, Azuph Dowlah): Allahabad by Mahomed Kooli: Malwa was divided between the Poonah Mahrattas, and several native princes, and zemindars: Agimere reverted of course, to its ancient lords, the Rajpoot princes: and the Mahrattas, who had of late been making large strides towards universal plunder, if not to universal empire, possessed, in addition to their share of Malwa, the greatest part of Guzerat, Berar, and Orifsa; besides their ancient domains in the Deccan and were alternately courted and employed by different parties, and were become the Swifs of India; with this deviation from the custom of the European Swifs, that they usually paid themselves, instead of being paid by their employers. Abdalla, as has just been said, having established his new kingdom very early in this reign, entered Lahore and Moultan (or the Panjab) with a view to the conquest of them. The whole country of Hindoostan proper, was in commotion from one extreme to the other: each party fearing the machinations or attacks of the other; so that all regular government was at an end, and villainy was practised in every form. Perhaps, in the annals of the world, it has seldom happened that the bonds of government were so suddenly dissolved, over a portion of country, containing at least 60 millions of inhabitants.

The Nizam died at a very advanced age, * in 1748, and was succeeded by his son Nazirjung, in prejudice to the rights of his eldest son, Gazi, vizier to the nominal emperor. The contests that followed soon after, between Nazirjung and his nephew

He was 104 years old. He left five sons; Gazi o'dien, Nazirjung, Salabidjung, Nizainally (the present soubah of the Deccan, and the only survivor) and Bazalet Jung.

Muzzuffer Jung, for the throne of the Deccan; and between the families of Anwar o'dien and Chunda Saheb, for the nabobship of Arcot, one of its provinces, occasioned the French and English to engage as auxiliaries in the wars that happened in consequence of them. In the first, the French alone interfered: in the latter, both nations; the English espousing the cause of the family of Anwar o'dien. These wars lasted till the year 1754; and ended, after much bloodshed by battle and assassination, in fixing Mahomed Ally, second son of Anwar o'dien, in the government of Arcot; and Salabidjung, son of the late Nizam-al-Muluck, in the soubahship of the Deccan: the original disputants being either assassinated, or killed in battle. By this result, the English gained the point of establishing their security, and their influence, in the Carnatic: and the French, in addition to the solid advantage of getting possession of the northern circars,* valued at half a million sterling of annual revenue, gained the splendid but uncertain privilege of influencing the councils of the Nizam, by attending his person with their army, commanded by the celebrated M. Bufsy.

The Mogul empire was now become merely nominal: and the emperors must in future be regarded as of no political consequence, otherwise than as their names and persons were made use of, by different parties, to forward their own views. That the name and person of the emperor were of use, as retaining a considerable degree of veneration among the bulk of the people, in Hindoostan and the Deccan, is evident, from the application made at different times for grants of territory, forcibly acquired by the grantee, but which required the sanction of the lord paramount, in order to reconcile the transaction to the popular, or perhaps, vulgar opinion. Thus every usurper has endeavoured to sanctify his usurpation, by either a real or pretended grant from the emperor: and others,

The geographical position of the circars, and the origin of the application of the term northern, to them, will be found in the latter part of this Introduction.

by obtaining possession of his person, have endeavoured to make their acts pafs for his. Another remarkable instance of the effect of popular opinion, is, that the coin throughout the whole tract, known by the name of the Mogul Empire, is to this day, struck in the name of the nominal emperor.

In 1753, the Emperor Ahmed was deposed by Gazi,* after having reigned about 6 years. In the preceding year, the Mahrattas had been called in, to afsist in reducing the Jats, who were in possession of Agra, and become troublesome neighbours to the emperor: and in the present year, the Berar Mahrattas established themselves in Orifsa, by cefsion from Aliverdy, Nabob of Bengal: who was also compelled, for a short time, to pay them a tribute for Bengal and Bahar: amounting to one-fourth of the clear revenue. This, together with the Mogul's former permifsion to collect the arrears of revenue due to him, is the foundation of their claims on Bengal and Bahar; and which they have never relinquished, although the times may have been unfavourable to their afserting them.

Allumguire II. grandson of Bahader Shah, was placed on the nominal throne by Gazi, with the concurrence of Nidjib Dowlah, a Rohilla chief, and commander of the army. Abdalla of Candahar, was at this time in pofsefsion of Lahore, and threatened Delhi. In 1756, the emperor, to get rid of Gazi, invited Abdalla to Delhi; who accordingly came, and laid that unfortunate city under heavy contributions; not even sparing the sepulchres of the dead: but being baffled in his attempt on Agra (held by the Jats) he proceeded no farther eastward, but returned towards Persia, in 1758. The emperor and his family were now reduced to the lowest possible state of royalty: alternately soliciting the afsistance

* It is necessary to observe, that the Gazi o'dien in question, is not the person whom we have seen before, in the capacity of vizier to Mahomed Shah; but his son. But this is the Gazi, who is so famous, or rather infamous, for afsafsinations and crimes, of almost every kind. The elder Gazi perished in an attempt to recover the possession of the Deccan from his younger brother Salabidjung, in 1752.

of Abdalla, and of the Mahrattas; and as much in dread of their allies, as of their enemies.

In 1760, Allumguire was deposed and murdered by Gazi. His son, the present emperor, who took the title of Shah Aulum, was then engaged in a fruitless attempt to reduce the Bengal provinces. He had succefsively thrown himself, on the Mahrattas, Nidjib Dowlah, and Sujah Dowlah, for protection and assistance; but without success. Mahomed Kooli of Allahabad, however, received him and it was by means of an army furnished by that chief, and by Bulwantsing, zemindar of Benares, that he was enabled to enter the Bengal provinces, where he was joined by some refractory zemindars of Bahar, and made up altogether a force of about 60,000 men: but notwithstanding his numbers, they were so ill provided, that he ended his expedition (in 1761) by surrendering himself to the British (who had taken the field as allies to the Nabob of Bengal): and they, having at that time no inducement to connect their fortunes with his, he applied with more success to Sujah Dowlah, who, in Mahomed Kooli's absence, had seized on Allahabad.

Abdalla had visited Hindoostan no less than 6 times during the late reign; and appeared to have much more influence in the empire than Allumguire had. His sixth visit, was in 1759 and 1760; when Delhi was again plundered and almost depopulated; although during the time of Aurungzebe, it was supposed to contain two millions of souls.

The Mahrattas in the midst of these confusions and revolutions, daily gathered strength. We find them engaged in every scene of politics and warfare from Guzerat to Bengal; and from Lahore to the Carnatic. Pofsefsed of such extensive domains and vast armies, they thought of nothing less than driving out Abdalla, and restoring the Hindoo government throughout the empire. Thus the principal powers of Hindoostan were arranged in two parties; the Hindoos and Mahomedans: for the Jats joined the Mahrattas;

and Sujah Dowlah, with the Rohillas, and other Mahomedan chiefs of lefs note, joined Abdalla: and a battle ensued in the old scene of warfare, the plains of Carnawl and Panniput. There were said to be 150,000 Mahomedans, and no less than 200,000 Mahrattas, whose cause the Jats deserted, before the battle. This was the most important struggle that had taken place, since the contests between Aurungzebe's sons, in 1707. Victory declared for Abdalla, after a battle more obstinate and bloody than any that the records of Hindoostan can probably shew: the carnage of the day, and the number of Mahratta prisoners taken, were almost incredible; and great deeds of valour were performed on both sides. This battle was decisive of the pretensions of the Mahrattas, to universal empire in Hindoostan. They lost the flower of their army, together with their best generals: and from that period (1761) their power has been sensibly on the decline.

Abdalla's influence at Delhi was now unlimited; and he invited Shah Aulum thither (then engaged in Bahar, as abovesaid) promising to seat him on the throne of his ancestors. He, however, did not venture to trust himself in the hands of Abdalla: who therefore, as his presence was required in Lahore, where the Seiks were on the point of overpowering his garrisons, set up Jewan Buckt,* the son of Shah Aulum, for emperor, under the tuition and protection of Nidjib Dowlah; from whom he exacted an annual tribute. Thus, in fact, Abdalla became Emperor of Delhi: and if his inclinations had led him to establish himself in Hindoostan, it is probable that he might have begun a new dynasty of emperors in his own person. He meant, probably, at some future time, to pursue his designs, whatever they were, either for himself or for the heir of the house of Timur, to which he had allied himself by a match with one of the princesses. His son and

This is the person who visited Mr. Hastings at Lucknow, in 1784. He was about 13 years old at the time of Abdalla's last visit to Delhi.