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befides other great advantages, fuch an extent of territory was to be ceded to the Company, as would at leaft have rendered the government of Bombay equal to the fupport of their own civil and military establishment, without being any longer a conftant drain to Bengal. Under the fever excited by thefe profpects, Bombay entered haftily into a war with the Marattas, without waiting for the counfel or approbation of the fuperior prefidency at Cal

cutta.

The Marattas were already fo much incenfed at the afylum afforded to Ragonaut Row, and ftill more at the affumed interference in their private and family difputes, that they could not fail of an equal promptitude for the encounter. Sadden invafion, however, gave great advantages to Bombay; and the operations of the war being in the beginning confined to the fea-coafts, they derived no lefs from the prompt fervice of their marine and artillery. The fiege of Baroach was diftinguished by the fall of that brave and excellent officer, Col. Wedderburne: a lofs fo feverely felt by the Company, that it may well be queftioned, whether the conquefts made in the war were to be confidered in any degree as an equivalent. The exceffes committed on the taking of that rich city, tarnified the glory which the valour difplayed by the troops would otherwife have merited. The island of Salfette, after a brave defence, was afterwards reduced, but with confiderable lofs. The Bombay marine was highly diftinguished on this occafion, and had a principal fhare in the fuccefs.

Other ac

quifitions were afterwards made on the contineat; but the army, under the command of Colonel Keating, extending its operations too far inland, was defeated by the Marattas.

Upon the new powers granted by parliament to the government of Bengal, and the arrival of the three gentlemen from England, in October 1774, who were to complete and give energy to the fupreme council, a confiderable change took place for fome time in the affairs of India. The newlyarrived gentlemen totally reprobated the Maratta war, as well as fome others which had been lately conducted in other parts; and as totally condemned the conduft of Bombay, as well with refpect to the nature of the measure as to their adopting it without the participation or counfel of the prefidency of Calcutta. The treaty with Ragobah was not only condemned, but difavowed; and Cof. Upton was fent across the continent of India to Poonah, in order to negociate an honourable peace, and a renewal of friendship with the Marattas.

Col. Upton was five months on his journey to Poonah, during which he traverfed feveral of the interior countries of India, which had been hitherto untrodden by Europeans. We fhould have obferved, that the birth of a pofthumous fon to Narrain Row, had fruftrated the defign of Ragonaut, in endeavouring to extinguish his brother's line. The infant was immediately declared Paifhwa; and Saccarum Pundit, with Nana Fur. nefe, were appointed acting minifters and regents, to conduct the public bufinefs in his name. In

the

the mean time, the industry of the agents from Ragonaut and Bom bay, operating upon the ambitious views, and perfonal jealoufies or diffatisfactions of the grandees, kept the government in a constant ferment, and rendered languid, or entirely baffled, the necellary exertions against their foreign enemies.

Though the immediate refent ments of the Marattas at firft raifed difficulties in Upton's negociation, vet, torn to pieces as they were by factions at home, and oppreffed on all fides by enemies abroad, he had the fortune to conclude a peace with them, on terms fo honourable and advan. tageous to the Company, as feems fcarcely to be accounted for even by these bv circumftances. The treaty of Poonah, otherwife called the Poorunder, was ratified on the firft of March, 1776. By this treaty, the island of Salfette, with the territory of Baroach, and fome other districts in the Guzerat provinces, were not only ceded in perpetuity to the Company, but the Marattas agreed to indemnify the authors of the war from its expences, by the payment of about 150,000l. at fixed terms; and for the fecurity of which, lands to a much greater value were affigned in mortgage. They farther agreed to affign a fixed provifion, fuitable to his rank, and even pretenfions, but as a private member of the community. for the fupport of Ragonaut Row; who was in return immediately to quit Bombay, and to fix his future refidence in a remote part of the Maratta dominions, where diflance and fituation would be fome bar to his interfering in the affairs of govern

ment. On the other hand, it was contracted on the fide of the Company, that no protection or affiftance whatever fhould in future be given, either to Ragonaut Row, or to any other fubject or fervant of the Maratta ftate, who fhould attempt to excite difturbance or rebellion in their dominions.

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After conceffions fo exceedingly advantageous and flattering to the Company, and which evidently proceeded from a defire of cementing friendship and good-will, rather than from any abfolute weaknefs or diftrefs, the Marattas feemed to have a right to expect peace, good faith, and good neighbourhood, at leaft, in return.

But the affairs of India were doomed foon to undergo another change, and to affume a new alpect. The three gentlemen who had arrived from England to fill up the fuperintending government of Bengal, and who, along with the governor-general, and another old member of that prefidency, compofed the fupreme council of India, differed almost entirely with the two latter, in their opinions relative to public conduct, and their ideas of the policy to be purfued by the Company. Peace with the country powers, along with an inviolable obfervation of public faith, and a ftrict attention to juftice in all tranfactions with the natives, feemed to be the prin ciples of their fyftem of government. Great heats arose, and frequent differences prevailed in the council; but the new members forming a majority, were for a time enabled to carry all questions. The death of Colonel Monfon in 1776, and of General Clavering in the following year, totally

changed

changed this state of affairs. New measures and new fyftems of policy were adopted, and the old exploded or done away, with a contempt and eagernefs fuited to the heats and vexatious alterca tions which they had formerly excited.

The negociation with the Marattas, and the confequent treaty of Poonah, were entirely the work of the late majority in the fupreme council; and had been conducted and carried into execution, contrary to the known, if not avowed fenfe of the then minority. The public condemnation of the war entered into by the prefidency of Bombay, the difavowing of their treaty with Ragaboy, and the marked contempt fhewn in concluding a peace without their participation or counfel, could not but greatly irritate that body; and ferved to rivet them ftill fafter in their attachment to that extraordinary fyftem which they were purfuing with Ragonaut. They accordingly contrived every poffible obftacle to the performance of the conditions of the treaty; and the fimple act of proclaiming the peace was fo managed, as to throw an affront upon the Maratta go

vernment.

The fubfequent revolution which took place in the politics of the government of Bengal, coincided perfectly with the refentments entertained by the prefidency of Bombay. They accordingly took up, with fresh ardour, their late degraded fyftem, of procuring a revolution in the Maratta ftate; and war, intrigue, and conqueft, became the predominant princi. ples of the Bombay government. Ragonaut Row either was, or

pretended to be, afraid to trust his perfon in the hands of the Marattas. He was accordingly ftill retained and protected at Bombay; whilft his emiflaries and partizans, under the immediate eye of the British refidents at the court of Poonah, were indefatigable in their endeavours to foment diffention in the Maratta go vernment.

In the courfe of the year 1777, Monf. St. Lubin endeavoured to negociate a treaty on the part of France with the court of Poonah; as a Mr. Bolts did about the fame time on that of the Emperor of Germany. Thefe circumftances, particularly the former, afforded a new ground, which was eagerly occupied for the fupport of Ragaboy, and the accomplishment of the wifhed for revolution in the Maratta government. Towards the clofe of the year, a difcontented party at Poonah entered into fome negociation with the Bombay refidents at that court, for the advancement of Ragonaut to power. Their propofals were eagerly embraced at Bombay; the agents were ordered to accede to them, to affure the malcontents of fupport, and to bring the treaty with them to an immediate con

clufion. At the fame time, difpatches were immediately forwarded to the fupreme council at Calcutta, acquainting them with what had been determined, and requiring their acquiefcence and affiftance. It appears from fubfequent events, that the British agents were in feveral inftances egregioufly mifled by the adherents of Ragonaut, or whatever other perfons they communicated with at the court of Pocnah; par

ticularly

ticularly with refpect to the fuppofed French alliance, the ftate of parties, with the number and power of the malcontents: all of them matters of fuch a nature, as demanded the niceft enquiry, and the moft exact information. But their intelligence being fuch as was wifhed, it was willingly credited at Bombay. Jan. 29th, 1778.

The fupreme council greatly approved of, and immediately ratifed, the measures adopted at Bombay. And to enable that pre. fidency effectually to carry the fcheme into execution, fent them an extraordinary fupply of ten lacks of rupees; and refolved to affift them with a military force. But, the governor-general, previous to this intelligence, had drawn up and laid before the council a new treaty of peace, which he proposed to be concluded with the Marattas; and was intended to fupply the defects, which he attributed to the treaty of Poonah. By the conditions now propofed, and which were to be laid down as the only terms that could preferve peace to the Marattas, ey were to give fuch fecurity for the perfonal fafety of Ragonaut Row as he himfelf fhould require. -That they fhould pay a fpecific fum of money to reimburse the Company thofe military charges which might be incurred by the interpofition in his favour: That they should cede the fortrefs and ifland of Baffein in perpetuity to the Company: That they fhould make other fpecified grants and exchanges of lands on the continent: And, that no European fettlement be allowed on any of the maritime coafts of the Maratta

dominions, without the confent of the fupreme council previoufly obtained. The arbitrary and imperious tope of thefe demands in general is f ficiently obvious; but the last feems to be an extraordinary condition to be proposed to a fovereign and powerful itate. This propofed plan of a treaty, as well as the meafures adopted in fupporting the defigns of Bombay, were warmly oppofed in the council, and were carried through by the governor-general's cafting voice only; which was for fome time the cafe with refpect to all the measures purfued for a renewal of the Maratta war. A resolution to the following purport was at firft annexed to the conditions, but afterwards withdrawn: - That the propofals fhould be conveyed by letter to the Paifhwa; that his anfwer be required, without condition or referve, to each article; and that this government fhall take its final refolution to abide by the treaty as it fhall ftand confirmed by his anfwer, or to confider it as annulled and invalidated.

The fuppofed negociation at Poonal with Ragonaut Row's party paffed away; nor is it at all clear that there was any fufficient ground for entertaining the idea. It was not a little curious, that the rage of war feemed to abate in Bombay, in proportion as it was amply endowed with the neceffary means and authority. But if it flackened there, it appeared elfewhere in full vigour. Various fchemes against the Marattas were agitated in the fupreme council; but the grand object of policy, to which all the others were not only fubordinate, but in fome inftances

intended

intended merely as blinds, was long referved, and not only kept back from the knowledge of the prefidency of Bombay, but from that of the fupreme council in ge

neral.

New inftructions were fent to Bombay, containing peremptory demands to be made upon the Marattas; thefe were to fupply the place of the conditions held out in the propofed plan for a new treaty ; the refufal to comply with any one of them was to be confidered and declared as a direct violation of the treaty of Poonah; and they were accompanied with. menaces, which, among all equal ftates, would be regarded as tantamount to a declaration of war. In cafe of non-compliance on the fide of the court of Poonah (which undoubtedly was expected) a wide difcretionary power was given to the prefidency of Bombay for entering into a new alliance with Ragonaut Row, and for engaging in fuch measures with him as fhould appear moft expedient for the retrieving of his affairs. They, however, received an intimation, that Ragonaut was to be regarded in a very fecondary point of view with refpect to fome great objects of policy, which were not explained.

Nothing could more ftrongly fhew the difpofition of the court of Pconah to adhere inviolably to the conditions of the late peace, and even to live upon terms of good neighbourhood and friendhip with the Company, than its fubmitting fo far with refpect to the injurious apprehenfions of the public faith held out by Ragonaut, as to give up the point of his residing in the Maratta domi

nions; and further offering, that if he would refide in Benares, under the English protection, and at that time the moft delightful as well as the moft learned city in India, but where from fituation and diftance he would be rendered incapable of mifchief, they would in that cafe pay an annuity of five lacks of rupecs, amounting to about 60,0001. fterling a year, in ready money, for his maintenance and fupport during life. But this offer could operate nothing in reftraining the ruling paffion for war.

The fupreme council formed the bold determination of fending a ftrong military force, with a confiderable train of artillery, by land to Bombay; being nearly from one extremity of India to the other. In this courfe they were not only to traverfe countries hitherto unexplored, and encounter difficulties of whofe extent and nature no eftimate could he formed, but the greater part, if not the whole of their way, lay through the Maratta countries, which they could not but expect to find hoftile from fuch a violation of territory, independent of the jealoufies already fubfifting, and of the fufpicions which muft unavoidably be entertained with refpect to the objects of fo extraordinary an undertaking.

This detachment fet out under the conduct of Colonel Leflie; and was ftrengthened, befides the ar. tillery, by a regiment of cavalry under Colonel Goddard, and by 300 Candahar horfe, which were fupplied by the vizier, fon and fuccelor of Sujah Dowlah in that title, as well as in the foubahfhip of Oude. The whole effective

force,

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