24. 24 lacs-240,000.-as the arrears of chouth. The principal elements of local disturbance had, however, been disposed of, and Clive was able to leave Moorshidabad for Calcutta on May About a month later, a commission for the new government of the Bengal possessions arrived from England, which was strangely devised. There were to be ten counsellors, of whom the four seniors were to act as governors for three months each, in rotation; but no provision was made for Clive, and the Council at once elected him president. The fact is, that on the dispatch of the commission, Clive was supposed, in England, to have returned to Madras; and his appointment as President of Bengal was afterwards confirmed. Commission for the government of Bengal. Fresh at Moor shidabad. Although Clive had temporarily adjusted the differences at Moorshidabad, affairs did not continue in a satisfactory dimculties state. The Nawáb's son, Meerun, proved vicious and intractable; and would have sacrificed Rái Doolub, but for Mr. Scrafton's interference. Even with his aid it became impossible for the minister to remain; and he succeeded in obtaining an asylum in Calcutta, and in saving his property, of which the Nawab and his son had designed to deprive him. The excitement of this event had barely subsided, when a new, and to some extent a formidable, danger appeared. The Prince Royal of Dehly, Ally Johur, wearied of inaction, and of the tyranny of his father's vizier, escaped to the Rohilla chief, Nujeeb-ood-Dowlah, who, having been superseded in his office as commander of the forces, as already related in Chapter VII. of this Book, was the vizier's declared enemy. The emperor had conferred on his son the vice-royalty of Bengal, and a league was formed by the prince with the Soobahdar of Allahabad, the Nawab of Oudh, and two powerful Hindoo rajahs, Bulwunt Singh and Soonder Singh, to carry out the invasion of the country. At the close of 1758, their preparations were completed; and the prince entered Behar at the head of 40,000 men, and invested Patna, which was well defended by Rám Narráin, the governor. Meer Jaffier alone would have been totally unable either to relieve Patna, or to oppose the invasion; and but for Clive, the results to him must have been in the last degree disastrous. It does not appear that Clive was distracted by the thought that the province had been really independent of the emperor, and that, as Mr. Mill justly observes, 'he had undoubted right to appoint his eldest son to be his deputy in the government.' Clive had pledged his faith to Meer Jaffier, and did not hesitate to move forward in his behalf. The Prince The prince advances into Behar. Meer Jaffer is unable to oppose him. aid of Meer Effects of advance. It was in vain that the prince, when he heard of Clive's march, sent him letters, promising him large territorial cessions Clive for his assistance; for, on the other hand, Meer Jaffier advances in had received orders from the emperor, written, no Jamer. doubt, by the vizier, to oppose his son, and if possible, to take him prisoner. Clive, therefore, continued his march at the head of 450 Europeans and 2,500 Sepoys, and passing Moorshidabad, sent forward a light detachment under Ensign Matthews, on the arrival of which at Patna, the confederates Clive's abandoned the siege and decamped. The Soobahdar of Allahabad had indeed preceded the general flight; for the Nawab of Oudh, during his absence, had treacherously seized the fortress of Allahabad, and its recovery was doubtful. Forsaken by his allies, the prince would have thrown himself upon Clive's generosity; but as this would assisted by have been embarrassing, Clive dismissed him with a sufficient sum for his expenses. Meer Jaffier's gratitude for this service was, for the present, sincere. He obtained for Clive a patent of nobility from the emperor, with the title of Shoukut Jung, who conferred upon him an appanage, estate, from or jahgeer, of the value of three lacs, or 30,000l., per the emperor. year for its support. This consisted of the quit rent of the lands held by the company, which had hitherto formed part of the general revenues of the province of Bengal. The prince Clive. clire obtains a jahgeer, or The Nawab's the Dutch. Clive reached Calcutta in June, and the troops under Colonel Forde, or such portion of them as could be spared from He returns the Northern Circars, arrived soon afterwards, in time to Calcutta. to check a combination, as some assert, between the Nawáb, or his son Meerun, with the Dutch, who had a settlement at Chinsurah; or, according to other opinions, an effort intrigue with of the Dutch government of Batavia to establish a counterpoise to the English power in Bengal. The latter supposition is hardly tenable, and, therefore, the probability of an intrigue with the Nawab becomes the more possible. Meer Jaffier was Clive's guest at Calcutta in October 1759, when the Dutch fleet of seven ships, crowded with European soldiers, arrived in the river, and he took his departure somewhat arrives in the abruptly, writing afterwards to Clive that he had granted some additional privileges to the Dutch. Holland and England were at peace; but Clive was by no means disposed to admit the presence of any rival European force, and he The Dutch made preparations to resist the Dutch fleet as an commence enemy's. The Dutch were the first to commence hostilities, by seizing some of the company's vessels and grain-boats, A Dutch fleet Hooghly. hostilities. defeated. hoisting their own colours upon them, and burning the storehouses Their fleet is at Fulta. These acts freed Clive from embarrassment. The Dutch fleet was attacked by Commodore Wilson, on November 3, and defeated, six of the ships striking their flags, and one being taken in endeavouring to escape. They had, however, landed 700 Europeans and 800 Malays above Calcutta, and these, after a skirmish with Colonel Forde, formed a junction with their countrymen in Chinsurah, to which place Forde had pursued them. He was doubtful what to do, when Clive's memorable note, written on one of the cards with which he was playing when Colonel Forde's dispatch reached him- Dear Forde, fight them immediately, I will send you the order in council to Forde attacks the Dutch troops, morrow'-decided the question. Forde had only 330 Europeans and 800 Sepoys; but he attacked the Dutch, who, far superior to him in force, were posted in the plain without Chinsurah, and severely defeated them, the European Dutch soldiers being nearly all killed or wounded. The complicity of the Nawáb's son, Meerun, was afterwards apparent; for he suddenly appeared after the action, without cause, at the head of 7,000 cavalry, and there is little doubt, had been prepared to act against the English if the Dutch had proved victorious. The contest and temporary alarm were, however, at an restores the end; Clive restored the ships, and a covenant was made that the Dutch should maintain only 125 Europeans for the protection of their factories; send away all other troops, and that they should pay for the damage and loss they had caused; and under their compliance with these stipulations, the affair ended. Clive Dutch ships. and defeats them. The government of Madras was still in warfare with the French, as has been already related; but it was strong enough to Clive returns relieve any apprehension of danger; none was evident to England. in Bengal, and Clive determined to proceed to England. He had already written his views of the English position in Bengal to Mr. Pitt, and had sketched, with a bold, but true, hand, the probabilities of the company obtaining the whole of Bengal, and extending the British power into India; and it is probable, believing from the political aspect of affairs among native States, that such a contingency might be near at hand, that he considered it his best course to explain these subjects personally to the minister, as well as to the Court of Directors. He, therefore, sailed for England on February 25, 1760. 1 Vide Malcolm's 'Memoirs,' vol. ii. pp. 119-125. CHAPTER XI. OF EVENTS IN THE CARNATIC (continued from Ch. IX.), Ar this period, two fleets, nearly equal in force-one English, of seven sail, under Admiral Pococke; the other French, under the Count d'Aché, consisting of eight ships-were on the coast of Coromandel. Admiral Pococke had been too late to relieve Fort St. David; but he attacked the French squadron on two occasions, and on the last having gained some indecisive advantage, the French admiral escaped to Pondicherry, whence, notwithstanding Lally's earnest remonstrances, he sailed for the Mauritius. The actual, as well as the moral force of Lally's Lally's position, were both much weakened by this event; position. but it was necessary for him to do something to establish Rajah Sahib, the eldest son of Chunda Sahib, whom the French had proclaimed Nabob of the Carnatic: and having entered into an intrigue with the native commandant of Arcot, which belonged to Mahomed Ally, he agreed to deliver up the place for 10,000 rupees; and Lally having marched thither, received a mock capitulation, and entered the town in triumph on October 4, 1758. He had hoped to capture Chingliput; but the authorities of Madras, fully alive to its importance, threw a strong garrison into the fort, and saved it. Arcot itself was of little value; and Lally's only hope appeared to be a successful siege of Madras. His own officers were, however, despairing. There was no money to be had at Pondicherry. Bussy, who had just arrived, could supply none, and all that could be collected was 94,000 rupees, of which Lally supplied 60,000 from his own funds; but, as the Count d'Estaign expressed himself, 'it was better to die by a musket-shot under the walls of Madras, than to starve at Pondicherry,' and under these circumstances the French marched for the siege of Madras in December. Naval action on the Coromandel coast. Madras was fully prepared for the attack, but the forces were not sufficient to check the French advance, and after siege of the occupation of the native town by the enemy, the fort Madras. was closely invested. The siege continued for nine weeks, with considerable loss to both sides, and a breach was effected, which would have been stormed on February 16, 1759, when, on that day, a fleet of English ships, with a reinforcement of 600 King's troops, arrived in the roads. For some time past the French army had been without pay, and were short of provisions, as well as of powder and shot; further prosecution of the siege was, therefore, hopeless, and the French retired on February 17. The English loss on all heads had been 579 Europeans and 762 Sepoys, and that of the French was probably much greater. If Lally had retired upon Pondicherry, it would have been tantamount to a relinquishment of the struggle; but he moved to Arcot, and after come desultory operations by both armies, the English having also taken the field, they went into quarters early in May. To the English the sea was open, and they continued to receive troops and supplies; but the hopes of the French that their long looked-for fleet would arrive with money and stores was disappointed. On September 10, it was attacked by Admiral Pococke off Trincomalee, and dispersed; but a portion of it subsequently reached Pondicherry, and M. d'Aché having landed about 40,000l. in money and diamonds, fleet reaches with 500 Europeans, marines and sailors, could neither be induced nor commanded to remain, and again left India. Meanwhile, Wandiwash had been attacked by the English, who were repulsed with severe loss; and M. Bussy, who had obtained permission to return to the Deccan, to meet Basalut Jung, left that place with the troops which had been made over to him. He had no sooner departed, than the whole French army broke out into mutiny, and he was obliged to halt at Arcot for some days. This delayed his junction with Basalut Jung, who had approached the frontier of the Carnatic; but they met finally on November 10. Basalut Jung, instead of giving money, demanded it, and wished to be made sovereign of the whole Carnatic; all which being impossible, Bussy returned from an expedition which seems to have had no practical object from the first. The French India. Coote takes Before he could rejoin, Lally, who was unable, for want of funds, to keep the whole of his army together, now sent half of it to the south; and Coote, who had arrived at Madras, and who saw his error, determined to take advantage of it. His first operation was the capture of Wandiwash, which surWandiwash. rendered on November 29, and was followed by the fall of Canangooty, on December 10. After this, the movements of both armies continued till January 22, 1760, when they encountered each other near Wandiwash, which Lally was again besieging. The English had 1,900 Europeans and 2,100 native infantry, with 1,250 native cavalry and sixteen fieldpieces; the French, 2 250 Europeans and 1,300 Sepoys, besides Arrival of ships. The French retire. General action. |