CHAPTER XII.

THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE MARQUESS WELLESLEY (concluded) — THE WAR WITH HOLKAR, AND SECOND ADMINISTRATION OF THE MARQUESS CORNWALLIS, FOLLOWED BY THAT OF SIR G. BARLOW, 1804 TO 1805.

succeeds.

THE great Nizam Ally had died at Hyderabad on August 6, 1803, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Sikunder Jáh. Death of This event had no effect upon the result of the war, Nizam Ally. or the obligations of the subsidiary treaty; nor was sikunder Jah the Nizam made answerable for the conduct of his district officers, who behaved traitorously, and were strongly suspected, and in many instances accused, of complicity with the enemy. The governor-general, notwithstanding, bestowed upon the Nizam the fine province of Berar lying west of the Wurdah river. Many other treaties of offensive and defensive alliance were concluded by General Lake, of which Bhurtpoor and other new the Játs, with several minor Rajpoot principalities, were native rendered independent of Sindia and the Mahrattas. A States. subsidiary treaty, concluded with the Gáikwar, provided that five battalions of infantry should be received by him, and districts yielding twelve lacs of rupees were assigned for their payment. At this period, the Gáikwar's State was oppressed with debt, and the expenditure was far above the income; but, under the admirable management of Colonel Walker, the Resident, the turbulent local army, a great proportion of which were Arabs, was paid off and reduced, and the State affairs gradually recovered.

treaties with

Wellesley's

Although the additional year of service requested by the Court of Directors and the Board of Control had expired, the Effects of the Marquess Wellesley still remained in India, and the Marquess events recorded are among the most wonderful in the policy. history of the country. In no portion of the political or military combinations had any weakness been displayed, or check appeared. Sindia's power was broken, that of the Rajah of Berar circumscribed, and the prestige of the capture of Dehly, and the protection of the aged emperor, belonged to the British, who, from Calcutta to Dehly, were now supreme. Holkar, how- Holkar's ever, remained; and it was evident that he could not proceedings. be allowed to continue as he was, a nucleus for all the disbanded soldiery of the north-west, supporting them by indiscriminate plunder. He had already levied contribution in Sindia's territory

to a large extent, and, after his own violent fashion, devastated several of his provinces; and he was evidently watching an opportunity for further action. In the war with Sindia he took no part; and openly rejoiced at the complete humiliation of his rival. Early in 1804, he addressed demands to General Lake

His demands. and General Wellesley, by letter and by his agents, for chouth, and in regard to certain districts in the Dooáb, which he asserted had many years before belonged to his family; and they were made in such threatening terms, and with such arrogance, that it was impossible even to consider them. Holkar had indeed determined, as he expressed it, 'to fight Lake,' and to take the place of Sindia in Hindostan; and the governor-general was equally resolved to repress this fierce outbreak of predatory power. He therefore, on April 16, directed

Military movements against

Holkar.

Monson's injudicious

Generals Wellesley and Lake to attack Holkar's possessions. Owing to famine in the Deccan, General Wellesley was unable to move; but Colonel Murray advanced from Guzerat upon Indoor, and by General Lake's arrangements in the north, Holkar was soon driven south of the Chumbul river. Tonk Rámpoora was taken on May 16, after which the British army retired into cantonments, for the monsoon had commenced early. Colonel Monson was, however, left in the field with advance. a force of five Sepoy regiments and 2,000 horse, partly belonging to Sindia and partly to Jeypoor, as a corps of observation. Monson, wishing to form a junction with Colonel Murray, advanced into Holkar's territory without adequate caution, and without sufficient supplies for his camp. It was at the best a useless, and proved an unfortunate, movement. When he heard of Murray's retirement into position for the rains, he began to retreat himself on July 8, and Holkar followed him with his whole army. On the next three days the column was attacked during its march, and the surrender of the whole demanded. On the 12th, the force reached Kóta, where they had hoped to receive assistance in food, and, in any case, shelter; but the rajah refused both, and the retreat continued. The miserable hardships endured, the repeated attacks and the gallantry displayed by the whole force, are well described in General Monson's narrative of the event, and it was not till August 31 that the shattered remains of the troops reached Agra. This defeat, as it was considered by Holkar, and by many of the native chiefs who were as yet neutral, excited him to fresh exertion. At the head of 60,000 cavalry, 15,000 infantry, and 192 guns, he advanced to Muttra, whence the British force retreated, and he afterwards made an attempt to capture Dehly, which was gallantly and successfully defended

Monson's disastrous retreat.

Holkar continues the war.

Bhurtpore.

He is

General Lake.

by Colonel Ochterlony, from October 8 to the 14th, with a weak detachment of Sepoys under his command. No action Defence of of the war, indeed, deserves greater commendation than Dehly. this very brave and skilful defence of an almost untenable position. Dehly was relieved on October 18 by General Lake; Holkar and Holkar, who avoided an action with him, retired returns to into the Bhurtpore territory, where the rajah, doubtful, after Monson's retreat, of the English supremacy, had broken the treaty with General Lake, and leagued himself with Holkar. On his way, he burst into the Dooáb, burning villages, and plundering the people without mercy; indeed, since the outbreak of the war, Holkar's conduct towards all belonging to, or connected with, the English, had been shockingly cruel and vindictive. General Lake's pursuit of Holkar was persistent and pursued by effective; and on November 12, his forces, no longer able to pursue their march, were found to have taken up a very strong position at Deeg, with their right resting on the batteries of the fort. Here they were attacked by Major-General Battle of Fraser, on the 13th; who fell early in the action, which Deeg. was conducted to the finish, with great bravery, by Colonel Monson. The enemy lost about 2,000 men and eighty-seven guns; and on the side of the British, 643 men were killed and wounded; but the victory was complete. General Lake meanwhile, with his cavalry, was pursuing Holkar's horse, which was moving eastwards with a vast celerity; but they were overtaken near Furrukabad, and routed with a loss of 3,000 men. Holkar fled towards Deeg to join the remains of his broken infantry, and General The fort of Lake undertook the siege of Deeg, which was com- Deeg menced on December 13, and ended in the surrender of that important place, after the storm of the city and outworks, on the 23rd.

captured.

pore.

For the present Holkar escaped; and General Lake, instead of pursuing him, which would have been the better First siege policy, commenced the siege of Bhurtpore, and with of Bhurt very inefficient means. Accustomed to the capture of fortresses by coup de main, and comparatively feeble resistance, he was not prepared, either for the real strength of Bhurtpore, or for the obstinate valour displayed in its defence. Holkar had thrown the whole of his remaining infantry into the fort, and the Játs themselves were brave soldiers. During the progress of the siege, Ameer Khan, on the part of Holkar, made efforts for its relief, but in vain. The Bombay divisions under Major-General Jones joined General Lake's army on February 10, 1805; and a previous assault having failed, another was made on the 20th, when two European regiments, one being the hitherto invincible 76th, the

Unsuccessful

breach.

victors in many a desperate fight, refused to follow their officers; but the 12th Bengal Native Infantry took their place, attack on the and covered themselves with glory. The assault, however, failed; but was renewed next day by the 75th and 76th, though without result, and with terrible loss. Holkar continued to hover around the fort with his cavalry, and to endeavour to intercept convoys; but on one occasion he was routed by Lord Lake, losing a thousand men; and about the same time a detachment of his infantry, 3,000 strong, was attacked and defeated with The Rajah of some loss, by Captain Royal. The Rajah of Bhurtpore, finding no hope from Holkar's efforts, now made overtures for peace, which were accepted. He paid twenty lacs of rupees, and renounced the advantages of his former treaty with General Lake. This result, it must be confessed, was somewhat humiliating, for Bhurtpore remained unshaken; and till its final capture, held the proud distinction of being the only fortress of India which had defied the British arms; but the pursuit of Holkar was an imperative necessity, and it had become doubtful whether he would not be joined by Sindia. Two of Sindia's officers had already joined Holkar; his father-in-law, Ghátgay, who continued to possess much influence over him, urged him to do the same, and he had attacked and plundered Mr. Jenkins, the acting Resident, retaining him prisoner in his camp. This attitude was promptly checked by the advance of General Martindell's force from Bundelkhund, and Sindia's tone now moderated; but he was joined soon after by Holkar himself, and General, now Lord, Lake advanced upon them with his whole army. They did not wait to meet him; but retired upon Kotah, and afterwards to Ajmere, and as the monsoon was commencing, the British troops took up positions for the

Bhurtpore

sues for

peace.

Movements of Holkar and Sindia.

season.

So long as the Marquess Wellesley's combinations had been successful, his authority had not been interfered with; but on the first sign of difficulty, a strong opposition was organised against him in England; the Marquess Cornwallis was solicited to resume the office of governor-general, and he reached Calcutta on July 30. There can be no doubt that by this unfortunate act the war was ultimately protracted, and Lord Wellesley's plans for peace frustrated. He had become disposed to make some cessions to Sindia on which that chieftain had set his heart; and there is no question that he would have prevailed, as Sindia had no real desire for a renewal of war. Ghátgay had been set aside by Holkar, and Sindia was already experiencing in some degree what would have inevitably been his fate, had he irrevocably linked his destinies

Recal of the
Marquess

Wellesley.

Lord Cornwallis succeeds.

condemned

with those of his rival. But the chances of bringing his great policy to a triumphant conclusion were denied Lord Lord WellesWellesley, and he returned to England to find his conduct ley's policy condemned in the Court of Proprietors, by 928 to 195. in England, It was only after a period of nearly thirty years that the but subseverdict was reversed, by a record of his eminent services, quently in upholding the interest and honour of the British empire.' His statue was placed in the India House, and a grant of 20,000l. made to him.

approved

Cornwallis.

project for

Lord Cornwallis arrived in India in very feeble health, and at the most trying period of the year; and he survived Death of only till October 5, 1805. He was proceeding to the Lord upper provinces, in order to carry out the policy which he had intimated to Lord Lake, and died at Ghazeepoor at the age of sixty-seven. His second administration had continued little more than two months. He had been sent to India to repress what was called the frenzy of conquest, which it was said had possessed not only Lord Wellesley, but all the company's servants in India; and as he thoroughly concurred in this policy, he made preparations to carry it out. On September 19, he wrote Lord an elaborate despatch on the subject to Lord Lake. Cornwallis's Sindia was to be conciliated by the restoration of peace. Gohud and Gwalior. The possession of Dehly was deemed unfortunate; and the city should be given up to Sindia, the emperor being removed to Calcutta or some other city near it. The territory acquired west of the Jumna should also be relinquished. On the other hand, should Holkar prove reasonable, all his family dominions were to be restored to him. Lake was then in active negotiation with Sindia, and withheld communication of his instructions until their conclusion. He wrote a spirited remonstrance to Lord Cornwallis, but he had died before it reached him. Holkar, unable to restrain himself, and seeing Holkar he had little hope from Sindia, set out for the Punjab at invades the the head of about 15,000 men. He evaded detachments sent to intercept him; but Lord Lake was in his pursued him with five regiments of cavalry and four of infantry into the Punjâb. Sir George Barlow, the Barlow suc senior member of Council, had succeeded the Marquess Cornwallis. Cornwallis; but this did not interfere with the conclusion of the treaty with Sindia, which was effected on November 22; and the particulars need not be enumerated, as, together with the confirmation of the treaty of Sirjee Anjengaom, all minor subjects of dispute were amicably settled. Holkar had perhaps hoped for assistance from the Sikhs, and to excite their chief, Runjeet Singh, against the British Government; but they were immovable, only

Punjab.

rear, and

Sir George

ceeds Lord