effected revolutions in the Deccan: and another of British, made an entire conquest of Bengal, Bahar, and Oude, in little more than two campaigns. Each of those 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, subservient to the final reduction of their own country. This was even the case of Alexander, who set out with 35,000 men, and left India, with 120,000. Such measures could only be pursued in countries, where the habit of changing their governors, had rendered the governed indifferent to the choice of them. Even the whole number of the combatants on the side of the British, did not exceed 7000, at the battle of Buxar: and of these 1200 might be Europeans. The battle of Plassey was gained with an army of about 3000 men; of whom 900 only were Europeans.

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Lord Clive, who reafsumed the government of Bengal, in 1765, found matters in the state I have just represented. He seized the opportunity of taking possession of the Bengal provinces; the Nabob Jaffier Ally having recently died; and obtained from the nominal Mogul, Shah Aulum (who, together with his nominal vizier, Sujah Dowlah, had, as before related, thrown themselves on the nerosity of the British); a grant of the duanny, or administration of the revenues of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa; 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 also 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 assigned to him, as a proper place of residence.

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 contest in the peninsula, with Hyder Ally, the sovereign of Mysore, leagued with the Nizam or Soubah of the Deccan. Hyder's history is now so well known to the generality of readers in Europe, by means of the several publications that have lately appeared, that it will be unnecefsary to give any thing more than a short abstract of it, here.

Hyder Ally was a soldier of fortune, and the son of a person who served in quality of Killadar, or governor of a small fortress, to one of the kings of Mysore. He is said 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 Mysore army, he dethroned his sovereign, and governed under the title of Regent. Soon after, he extended his dominions on every side, the Carnatic excepted: the fine province of Bednore (or Biddanore) and the Patan nabobships of Cuddapah, Canoul, &c. besides some Mahratta provinces towards the river Kistnah; and the country of the Nairs, and other small states on the Malabar coast, were added to his original pofsefsions; until at last he was at the head of a state, in extent equal to Great Britain, and producing a grofs revenue of four millions sterling. The civil broils and revolutions in the western Mahratta state, particularly in latter times, allowed Hyder to aggrandize himself at its expence; but he, neverthelefs, received some severe 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 side towards Visiapour; and the Nizam, joined by a de

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

tachment of British troops, moved from Hydrabad towards the frontier of Mysore, soon after. Hyder first contrived to buy off the Mahrattas with a large sum 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: so that the English detachment was compelled by necefsity to retire to the Carnatic; on the frontiers of which their grand army was now afsembling. Besides the whimsical character of the Nizam, several other circumstances might conspire 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 dependence 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 seen) by conquest from the French, to whom they were originally granted by a former soubah of the Deccan: so that the grant from the Mogul was merely nominal: besides, the Nizam had been prevailed on to acquiesce 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 superiority in the Carnatic, it had ever been nominal; yet Hyder, who now meditated the conquest 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 considered Mahomed Ally as his rival. It is proper to observe, that in the days of Mahomed Ally's distress, when he possessed only a small part of the Carnatic, he had engaged to cede the fortress of Tritchinopoly, a most important post in the southern division of it, to the king of Mysore, for afsistance then afforded him: but this engagement never being performed, Hyder, as might be expected, adopted the claims and resentments of the prince, whose throne he had taken possession of; and never lost sight of his title to Tritchinopoly. Had the

engagement been fulfilled, it would have had the effect of separating for ever, from the nabobship of the Carnatic, the provinces of Tanjore, Madura, and the rest of the southern provinces.

The war that immediately followed, was productive of some sharp battles on the common frontiers of the Carnatic and Mysore: besides which, a strong detachment of the British army seized on Hyder's province of Coimbettore, a fertile district on the south of Mysore, and commanding a ready way to Hyder's capital, Seringapatam. This was the first war in which the British arms had met with any steady opposition from a prince of the country; for in the affair of Tanjore, in 1749, their arms were triumphant in the end, by the taking of Devicottah, their proper object. The war was continued with various succefs, during the year 1767, 1768, and part of 1769; when Hyder, with a strong detachment of chosen troops, chiefly horse, giving the British army the slip, came within seven miles of Madras, and dictated a peace to the government of that place. This peace was disreputable to the British councils only: since the hands of the Commander in Chief (General Joseph Smith) were tied up, at the very moment, the most favourable for striking a blow; and when Hyder, fearing the general's approach, could purchase his security no other way than by intimidating government into the measure of laying their commands on the general, not to advance; by which measure he might pofsibly have cut Hyder and his detachment to pieces.

The Nizam, very early in the war, had been detached from Hyder's alliance; chiefly by the strong measure of sending a detachment from Bengal, into the heart of Golconda; which made him tremble for his capital, Hydrabad.

The peace left matters much in the same state as before the war: and whatever credit Hyder might have gained by the conclusion of it, was done away by the total defeat which he suffered, in 1771, from the Mahratta army, within a few miles of his capital; into which he escaped with great difficulty, with a small remnant of

of

his army; and afterwards defied the attacks of his numerous enemies, who possefsed neither the skill, nor the ordinary requisites for a siege. Hyder waited in patience, until the enemy by desolating the country, were compelled to leave it. A few A few years peace not only restored matters to their former state, but improved both his revenues and his army, to a degree beyond probability; and at the same time, the distractions that prevailed among the Mahrattas, enabled him to extend his territories at their expence. Such are the effects of firmness, perseverance, and economy.

It may be asked, how the Mahrattas, who are represented as so inferior in point of discipline to Hyder's troops, came to defeat him? It is accounted for by the vast superiority in numbers of the Mahratta army (chiefly horse), which surrounding Hyder's troops, cut off their supplies of provisions, and compelled them to retire towards their capital; through an open country, the most favourable to the attacks of cavalry. Hyder's army was formed into one vast hollow square, and marched, closely surrounded by the Mahrattas; when the advanced front of the square making too hasty a step, separated from the others; and the Mahrattas, pushing through the openings thus made, threw Hyder's whole army into irreparable disorder.

We have spoken before concerning the treaty made with the Nabob of Oude, and the mutual advantages derived to both parties; but particularly to the British, from the mode of defence adopted for Oude, considering it as a common frontier to both states: as also concerning the departure of the Mogul, in 1771; which threw the Corah, &c. provinces, into the hands of Sujah Dowlah.

It may be supposed, that the opposition made to the Mahrattas, when they attempted to take pofsefsion of those provinces in 1772, must have created some disgust. Indeed the British government had long considered the Mahrattas, in the general scope of their designs, as inimical to its interests. In 1773, the Mahrattas crossed the Ganges to invade the Rohilla country. A brigade of the