and in India; but it was, notwithstanding, held as a matter indifpenfably neceffary, not only with refpect to honour, gratitude, and good faith, but to the real interefts of the nation and company, to provide for the Rajah's interefts and poffeffions in fuch a manner by the treaty, as fhould effectually fecure him from the animofity and revenge of Sujah Ul Dowlah, which were well known to be boundless and implacable. When General Carnac was empowered by the prefidency of Bengal, in the year 1765, to negociate the preliminary articles of a peace with Sujah Ul Dowlah, this matter was accordingly particularly committed to his charge; and it was laid down as a fpecific article of his inftructions, 66 To fecure Bulwant Sing in the poffeffion of his country. By the nfth article of the treaty of Illahabad, which was foon after concluded by Lord Clive, although the moft extraordinary favours and advantages were in other refpects granted to Sujah Ul Dowlah, yet he was, moft folemnly bound to continue Bulwant Sing in poffeffion of all the territories he held before the war, fubject only to the payment of the fame revenue as heretofore. Confidering the immenfe objects which Lord Clive had at that time in act and in contemplation, it is no wonder that he did not pay all the attention to the wording of this article, which the prefidency, if it had been in their hands, would probably have done, and which the character of the vizier more especially demanded. The latter, by the terms of the article, feemed to be bound only to Bulwant Sing's perfon, without any exprefs provision being made for the continuance of the zemindaries in the Rajah's family. It appears, however, from Lord Clive's corref pondence, that this was fully understood by all the parties to be the clear intention of the article; and the value and importance which was attributed to it by himself, and confirmed by the acknowledgment of the company at home, as well as by the prefidency of Calcutta, fufficiently fhews that they all received and confidered it in the fame fenfe. Lord Clive paid little attention to the nicety of words in a compact with a man, whom he regarded at this time merely as an inftrument of his own making, and the explanation of which would reft either with himself or the company. In fact, the English by being the mediators of this condition, became virtually its guarantees; and the ties between them and the Rajah, being founded on their mutual interefts and fecurity, were from thence indiffoluble. He looked only to them for protection against the malice and rapacity of a cruel and perfidious tyrant; while, on the other hand, his country afforded them, without any expence, a ftrong and excellent barrier on the fide of Oude, and would, as well as his forces, answer all purposes of war and defence, as effectually as if it were their own. When circumftances ferved, and the proper feafon was arrived, Sujah Ul Dowlah well knew how to turn to account this past error, or negligence in ftating the terms of the 5th article of the treaty of Illahabad; and indeed it is not imposible that he had himself been originally its contriver, and found means for its paffing without examination. The death of Bulwant Sing, in the year 1770, afforded this opportunity; the letter of the treaty was in full prefervation, but its spirit could not then fo clearly appear. The prefidency of Bengal was therefore obliged to interfere with vigour and spirit in fupporting the interefts of the family, by procuring the inveftiture of Cheit Sing, in the government of his father, Bulwant's territories. The negociation upon this affair was committed to Colonel Harper, who acted in it with great honour, and left no room for future doubt or evation. The young rajah, upon this occafion, was obliged to make a prefent of twenty lacks of rupees to the Nabob vi zier, and to increase the annual tribute, from twenty-one and a half, to twenty-four lacks. In the treaty, for the inftrument then perfected between Sujah Ul DowJah and the Rajah Cheit Sing was fo denominated, the former bound himself specifically, that nothing more than what was therein declared, fhould ever be demanded of the latter; and he concluded, in the Mahommedan ftile, by a folemn appeal to God, the prophet, and the Koran, as parties and witneffes to the agreement, and, that between them, and their joint pofterity, there fhould never be a variation therein. Colonel Harper, in the consciousness of an integrity which required no colouring, and which he difdained to illuftrate, informs his employers by letter upon the occafion, that he leaves it to the young Rajah, and to all others who were concerned in or witneffes of the tranfaction, to state what his conduct had been in this bufinefs; only obferving, that he had taken the strictest care, not to diminish our national honour, difintereftedness, and juftice; which he confiders, as having a greater effect, in fecuring the vait poffeffions of the company, than even the force of their arms, however formidable. - Sentiments, not more valuable for the humanity and honour which they breathe, than for the wisdom of the policy which they convey. This conclufive fettlement of the zemindary in the family of Bulwant Sing, was then deemed of fuch confequence to the company's affairs, that the prefident and council of Bengal congratulated the court of directors upon it, as an event highly important to their interefts, and of great moment in its future confequen was again taken up, and a new fettlement made in confirmation of the former. This took place in the year 1773, when Mr. Haftings, then prefident of the council of Calcutta, thought it neceffary to make a progrefs to the court of the Nabob vizier, as well, perhaps, to obtain fome perfonal explanations from him with respect to paft and current matters, as to form thofe new connections and arrangements, with refpect to revenue, troops, and the acquifition of territory, which were foon after difplayed in their effects. Upon this occafion, a new treaty or inftrument, to the fame purport as the former, was concluded and ratified, between the Nabob vizier, and the Rajah Cheit Sing; but with this farther confirmation, and advantage to the Rajah, that the prefident, by himself figning and becoming a party to the prefent, thereby rendered the company actual guarantees, at all future times, to the due performance of the conditions, Indeed the neceffity of fomething ftronger than treaties to bind the faith, and to reftrain the rapacity of the Nabob vizier, became upon that very occafion fully apparent; for notwithstanding the vaft advantages, which, at the expence of his neighbours, as well as of his natural lord, the Mogul, were then thrown into his hands, he was exceedingly diffatisfied with Mr. Haftings, for not permitting him to extort ten lacks of rupees from the young Rajah, as well as to ftrip him of two very ftrong forts, which conftituted the beft defences of his country. Upon this occafion, as on the former, the in ftrument was made eternally binding upon the parties, and upon their mutual pofterity. Upon the death of the Nabob vizier in the year 1775, and the acceffion of his fon and fucceffor Affoff Ul Dowlah, new arrangements took place between the company and that prince, which affected the whole government of his dominions. Among thefe, the fovereignty of Benares, and its dependencies, was entirely given over and transferred to the company; the Rajah Cheit Sing then ftanding exactly in the fame degree of relation and vaffalage to that body, in which he had before ftood with the Nabob of Oude. Nothing could exceed the fatisfaction which this transfer of fovereignty, and entire emancipation from a capricious tyranny, afforded to the young Rajah and his family. They were now placed in the hands of their old friends, allies and protectors, and the most flattering profpects of lafting quiet, fecurity and happiness were in view. Thefe hopes were confirmed, if they could be fuppofed to require any confirmation, by a let ter from Mr. Haftings, who had been appointed to the new and high office of governor general, This letter teemed with fenti ments of regard, honour and juftice, and authorized the British refident at the court of Benares to affure the Rajah that no farther tribute than that already ftipulat. ed, fhould be exacted from him, and that it should not under any future change of government be enlarged. A recommendation. about the fame time, from the governor general and council to the Rajah, that he should raife and fupport body of 2,000 horfe, or rather, perhaps, that he fhould increase the cavalry already on his establishment to that number, as it was in no degree preffed as an obligation, but feems to have been merely propofed as a meafure of common utility, and a provifion against any future and unforeseen danger, could afford no cause of apprehenfion, nor indicate any change in the Rajah's condition. payment, and difcharged it with a worse. The increafing exigencies and expences of a war, which was becoming general throughout India, were not likely to produce any remiffion of thefe demands, when once the ice was broken, and the precedent established. They were annually repeated; while the unwillingness of compliance, and the backwardness of payment, became every year more apparent, and afforded farther It is not denied, that the Ra- room for diffatisfaction. During jah of Benares continued to ad- the many ages in which the Hinhere to the engagements on his doo princes and landholders have fide, by the punctual difcharge of been doomed to fuffer the opprefthe ftipulated revenue, nor that fion and exorbitance of foreign his conduct was in every refpect power, a ftrict concealment of their highly fatisfactory, until new and wealth, and a conftant plea of unexpected demands occafioned extreme poverty, have been the fuch alteration in it, as proved at weak means which they generally length the means of giving um- adopted to elude the extortion and brage to the government of Cal- rapacity of their rulers. The cutta. Upon intelligence of the Rajah of Benares reforted to this war with France, it was deter- established practice; and even fo mined by the governor general and early as the payment of the fecond council, in the month of July year's fubfidy, although he was 1778, that the Rajah Cheit Sing known or fuppofed to be very fhould be required to contribute rich, he affected to borrow money an extraordinary fubfidy of five in fmall fums, and even to fell his lacks of rupees, towards the ex- plate and jewels, as demonstrapences which this new exigency tions of his inability; and was would impofe on their govern- ftill fo flow in his payments, ment during the current year. It that it was found neceffary to may be fuppofed, that the inno- quicken him, by fending two batvation thus propofed, and the talions of fepoys to be quartered danger of the precedent, affected in his dominions, and their pay the rajah much more than the to be charged to his account, unamount or value of the fum de- til he had made good the whole. manded. However that was, the governor general informs us in his narrative, that after many excufes, and proteftations of inability, the Rajah at length confented, with a very ill grace, to the The third year's fubfidy was ftill worfe paid, and the fame remedy, of fending troops to live upon him, was again adopted. The Rajah then carried the plea of inability and poverty fo far, that [4] 4 when when about one lack of rupees had with great difficulty been obtained from him, he wrote a letter himself to the governor general, foliciting forbearance with refpect to the remainder until the following year, when he promifed to pay it along with the ftipulated revenue, While a fubfidy of about fixty thousand pounds a year was extorted with fo much difficulty, it was not well to be fuppofed, that a demand made upon the Rajah to furnish 2,000 cavalry for the fervice of the war, would have been attended with much effect; at leaft, without its being enforced by fome extraordinary degree of exertion. By Mr. Haftings's ftate of the tranfaction, which differs confiderably from that given by the Rajah, he baffled the demand by delay and evafion; he faid that the body of horse which he had already on foot was fully employed in, and abfolutely neceffary to the collection of his revenues, without which he could not fulfil his ftipulations with the company, and that he was utterly unequal to the expence of raifing a new corps. It is farther faid, that the demand was leffened to a thoufand; that he at length promifed to fupply 250; but that neither man or horfe was ever fent. It is to be obferved, that the Rajah's horfe had done good and acknowledged fervice in a former war, So different are the fruits procured by violence, from thofe which are the fpontaneous praduce of good-will and affection. It will fcarcely be imagined, that as thefe unexpected demands ferved fucceffively to weaken the Rajah's opinion of his own fecuri ty, and to leffen his faith in the English, fo likewife, that they did not ferve equally to weaken his attachment, and to loofen his fidelity to the company. It was natural, that he should look for new friends and connections; and that he fhould endeavour to provide fome refource against the days of trouble and danger. Nothing could be more favourable to the encouragement and confirmation of fuch a difpofition, than the general state of India. The difaffection to the English was unfortunately general throughout all that vaft continent; they were in every fettlement, and on every fide, engaged in the most dangerous wars; and while the fucceffes of Hyder Ally feemed to render their very exiflence in the Carnatic more than precarious, they no lefs diminished the reputation and dread of their arms, The countries immediately bordering on, or furrounding the Rajah's territories, were in a state of the most marked difaffection to the company, and fuch of them as were under its government, fcarcely restrained their violence, until a proper opportunity fhould offer for fhaking off its yoke. The company's adminiftration of the affairs of Oude, in concert with his weak fucceffor, ever fince the death of Sujah UI Dowlah, had fpread defolation, tumult and diforder through thofe extenfive dominions. All these things, together with the general alliance and confederacy which was known to be in contemplation for chacing them entirely out of India, ferved to render their affairs ap parently defperate. In thefe circumstances it is not |