difficult to keep arms long unemployed in the hands of thofe who have been accustomed to use them with great effect and advantage, Such a restraint requires a ftrong and immediate controul; and is not easily practicable under a remote government. The abundant means of war in the hands of the Company's fervants, naturally tended to its production; and it will not be doubted that conqueft and the overthrow of ftates are attended with circumstances, which promife a full gratification to fome of the strongeft paffions of the human

mind.

The wantonnefs and injuftice attributed to fome wars undertaken in India, had (to the honour of the public feelings, whether the charges were ill or well founded) been for fome time a matter of general execration in England. The cenfures paffed in fome inftances by the Company, if they did not fully confirm, at least afforded a general fanction to the charges. We have heretofore had occafion more than once to take notice of the caufes which tended to leffen the authority of the Company over its fervants in India, and neceffarily their reverence for their employers, and obedience to their commands. But the company itself, in its ruling and governing powers at home, did not efcape a large portion of public centure, derived from the imputed exorbitances of their fervants abroad. They were charged with a general indecifion, a deficiency of fpirit and vigour, and even fome apparent contradictions in their conduct and measures; that they did not fufficiently exercife the authority which they poffeffed; that

they were content to reprove where they fhould punish; and that they trufted to the future obedience of thofe who had already been guilty of the moft glaring, pernicious, and even contemptuous acts of difobedience.

In full proportion to the fanguine hopes entertained upon the profperous appearance of things at the time that the French power was annihilated in India, was the confternation and aftonishment which ftruck the nation at that unexpected and unaccountable re volution which so soon after took place in the affairs of the Company; and which, fhaking the British ernpire in the Eaft to its center, threatened no lefs than the ex< tinction of the English name in that quarter of the globe. The conduct of the Company and of its fervants, became naturally fubjects of public and private difcuffion. Parliamentary enquiries were inftituted, and have been long continued. Various reports from the committees have been laid before the Houfe of Commons; but fuch is the complex nature and immenfity of the matter, the endless variety of the evidence, with the difficulties arifing from the remotenefs of the fcene of action, and the delays incident to parliamentary proceedings, that the enquiries have not yet drawn to a conclufion. The fubject therefore ftill remains in obfcurity.

In tracing thofe transactions and events upon the fpot, which led to fo unexpected and alarming a change in the British affairs, it will be neceffàry to take a retrospective as well as immediate view of affairs in India.

The Marattas and Hyder Allv [4] 2

were

were the only native powers in India which could afford any caufe of alarm to the British interefts. The one was the more powerful, and the other, from his great perfonal abilities and qualities, capable of being the more dangerous an enemy. It feemed to, be the political intereft of the Eaft India Company to foment the natural enmity which fubfifted, and the accidental feuds which were continually arifing, between thofe two neighbouring and rival ftates; obferving not to become any farther a party in their difputes than might occafionally be neceffary for the prefervation of fuch a balance between them, as would prevent either from growing too great by the ruin of the other. It would feem that by fuch a policy the animofity of thefe two formidable powers would in the end, by the exhaufture of their ftrength and activity, prove the means of eftablishing the general tranquillity of India.

The warlike nation of the Marattas are the only people in India who at all times refused the Mahomedan yoke. The immenfe power and fuperiority of their enemy, laid them under a neceflity of leeking refuge in the inacceffible faftneffes of that vaft range of mountains which cover fo great a part of Hindoftan. The long war which, under the conduct of their illuftrious leader Sevagi, they fuftained against the immenfe power and great abilities as well as treachery of Aurengezebe, would, in other parts of the world, have afforded a fplendid portion of hiftory. The mountainous countries which they occupied for defence, would, in any ftate of

1

culture, have been unequal to their maintenance, and were totally incapable of affording the fupplies neceffary for the profecution of the war; but the length, obftinacy, and various fortune of the conteft, ferved to infpire the contempt as well as neglect of agriculture. The rich furrounding lower regions, which had all fubmitted to the Mogul power, were of courfe compelled in their turn, as they happened to be more or lefs effectually guarded, to fupply all the neceffities of the Ma rattas, and to provide the means of war as well as of fuftenance.' From thefe caufes, and the inveterate habits incident to them, arofe that marauding and predatory difpofition which, in the ufual and natural course of things, ftill prevails, although the caufes have ceafed. The Marattas boast a high antiquity; and their language, which is a peculiar dialect of the Hindoo, and acknowledged to be among the most ancient in India, fufficiently juftifies that claim. Thus appears the error of confidering them as a lawless banditti, or a fortuitous affemblage of freebooters, united merely for the pur pofes of rapine.

The Maratta empire grew to be the greatest in India, through the decline and upon the fall of that of the Grand Mogul. Their dominions were vaft, their refources great, and their armies brave and numerous. Their conjunctive revenues were estimated at no lefs than feventeen millions fterling, and their immenfe cavalry at three or four hundred thoufand. But this great power was weakened and rendered inert by being portioned out among a number of princes. They

all,

volved to his younger brother, Narrain Row. Their uncle, Ragonaut Row, otherwife known in this country by the name of Ragaboy, had for fome years lain in clofe confinement, for repeated plots to seize upon the government. Madai Row being aware of the youth and inexperience of his brother, and dreading the infidious craft and intrigues of Ragonaut, though in confinement, thought that gratitude might operate more powerfully in reftraining the effect of that factious and turbulent fpirit than the walls of a prifon. He accordingly releafed Ragonaut, placed him in an honourable fituation in the government, and joining the hands of the uncle and nephew, as he lay dving, adjured the former by every human and facred tie and authority, to aid the youth and inexperience of the latter by his advice, affiftance, and protection.

Ragonaut, in discharge of the truft repofed in him, procured, within less than a year, the affaffination of his nephew; hoping to fecure the Paifhwafhip in his own family, by the extinction of that brother's line, whose abilities had rendered him its founder. The confequences were in fome de. gree fuch as he merited. The acting powers of the ftate in his hands, along with his perfonal influence, and the weight of a faction which he headed, were all incapable of refifting that general indignation which fo execrable a deed excited among the Marattas. He with difficulty efcaped the public vengeance, by abandoning his country, and flying for refuge to Bombay. The protection afforded to him, with the attempts

made, and the continued intrigues and plots carried on for forcing him into the government of a great people, in direct contradiction to their own will and liking, laid the foundation for all thofe wars and troubles which have fince taken place between the English and the Marattas.

Notwithstanding the loffes fuftained from without, through their inteftine diffentions and domeftic troubles, the Poonah Marattas are ftill a great and powerful people; their dominions, including those of the tributary and feudatory princes immediately depending on them, are of a wide extent; and they can bring numerous and powerful armies into the field. But thefe being compofed almost entirely of cavalry, are neceffarily fubject to the defects to which that powerful arm of military force is liable when employed fingly; and being conftituted on the fame principles with the ancient feudal armies of Europe, they are likewife fubject to all the difadvantages of that fyftem. They rush eagerly into the field, at the call of their refpective chiefs, and fweep every thing before them like a tempeft in their progrefs; but it is the univerfal practice of the Marattas, as foon as the expedition is ended, to return home with the fpoil; fome bodies only excepted, which are peculiarly deftined to attend the perfons of their princes. They may, however, be fummoned again in a few days, and will affemble with the fame alacrity as before. It may be easily feen what great advantages this conftitution of their armies, together with the want of infantry, muft afford to the unceasing efforts

of

of regular forces; while, on the other hand, the latter can scarcely hope to protect open countries from their ravages. The wars of the ancient Parthians throw no fmall light on the oppofite advantages and difadvantages in both cafes. The prefent ufe of artillery, however, inclines the scale heavily on the fide of a mixed and regular force.

The Rajah of Berar ftands next to the Poonah Marrattas, with refpect to power and extent of dominions; and is in fact too great and independent to owe any farther acknowledgement to that court than what his immediate interefts dictate, and the remains of ancient attachment might poffibly excite. He has befides claims to the fucceffion of that fovereignty, which tend strongly to difunion, he being lineally defcended from the family of the Ram Rajah; and the deposed elder line, as is apprehended, now extinct.

Sindia and Holkar, who are fuppofed to be defcended from Hindoo kings of the highest antiquity, alfo poffefs very confiderable and valuable territories. Thefe princes have entered deeply into the late and prefent politics of the court of Poonah, and find it more flattering to their ambition, and more conducive to their fecurity and in terefts, to participate in the general greatness of the empire, and to prefide at the head of that ariftocracy, which, fince the affaffination of Narrain Row, guides all its councils, than by taking any advantage of its temporary weaknefs, to aim at a precarious independency, under the reftrictions of a circumfcribed power in their own dominions, We have already

fhewn, that the numerous other Maratta itates are guided by circumftance and occafion, in their attachment to or dependence on the court of Poonah. Upon the whole, it does not appear that any general principle of union, excepting that of felf-defence, fubfifts at prefent among the Maratta states; and it would therefore feem, that nothing less than fome coinmon danger reaching to the whole, could direct their united powers to any one point of action. Happy it is to the European and Mahomedan interefts in India, that the force of this vaft and warlike empire is fo divided.

It will here be necessary to takę fome notice of the fituation in which the Company stood for fome years back, with refpect to their other powerful and formidable neighbour Hyder Ally. When that bold and enterprizing prince brought the war, which had been commenced against him, to a fortunate iffue in the year 1769; and when, in the height of fuccefs, he perfonally dictated equitable terms of peace to the Company at the gates of Madras, a treaty of friendhip and alliance was then, in the firmeft manner, concluded between the late contending parties. By this treaty it was ftipulated, that the contracting parties fhould mutually affift each other against any enemy that fhould attack either; a claufe evidently pointed against the Marattas, and undoubtedly fo understood and verbally explained on both fides, although any particular fpecification of them in the written inftrument was prudently omitted.

Hyder, with that fagacity and forefight which distinguishes his [4] 4 cha