HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



199 



accessible to the troops of Holkar, 

 were the immediate objects of his 

 treacherous designs. But even the 

 amicable dispositiou of that chieftain 

 would not have afforded to thcBritish 

 government, or to its allies, any se- 

 curity against the predatory incur- 

 sions of his forces The charge and 

 expence bi longing to IJolkar's nu- 

 merous troops greatly exceeded the 

 precarious resources of his usurped 

 domiTiion, and had, hitherto, been 

 defrayed by the profits of indiscri- 

 minatt; plunder; the continuance of 

 the Same syst; m of predatory warlare 

 (directed against such territories as 

 were most accessiblf, and had not 

 yet been desola'ed)aiiorded to his 

 tuitiultuons follo'.vcrs, the best and 

 indeed the only prospect of relief, 

 from the distress to which they were 

 exposed, by the inability of their 

 leader to provide for their subsist- 

 €nce. 



The combined causes of war and 

 unfavourable seasons had lately con- 

 tributed to spread desolation over 

 the greater part of the Declcan, and 

 the southern provinces of Hindos- 

 tan ; Molkar's irregular and lawless 

 troops must therefore shortly have 

 been comi)elled, for bare subsistence, 

 to have violated the territories of the 

 British government, or of those 

 states for whose defence the compa- 

 ny was bound to provide. 



The plunder of the opulent city of 

 Jeynaghur, which Mould probably 

 have been the first object of his de- 

 predations, would have afforded to 

 Uolkar a great accession of pecuni- 

 ary resource ; would have enabled 

 him to retain a formidable force on 

 foot ; and would, consequently have 

 augmented his means of plunder and 

 devastation. 



Adverting to all the foregoing 

 facts and circumstances, it cannot 



be denied that every principle of 

 justice sanctioned, while every con- 

 sideration of policy demanded, the 

 immediate adoption, on the part of 

 the British government, of such mea- 

 sures, as might be necessary to frus- 

 trate the hostile designs of Jeswunt 

 Kao llolkar, and ettectually to se- 

 cure the liriti^h government and its 

 allies against the unprovoked aggres- 

 sion of that restless freebooter. 



Under these circumstances, the 

 British government, according to the 

 invariable principles of its pacific 

 character, endeavoured, by means of 

 amicable negociaiion, to induce Jes. 

 wunt Rao Holkar to relinquish his 

 premeditated plans of hostility, and 

 to retire with his troops within the 

 limits of his own dominion ; until, 

 at length, every conciliatory effort 

 having completely failed, and Holkar 

 having actually began to plunder the 

 Jeynaghur territories, an appeal to 

 arms became int'vitable. 



The justice and policy of the mi- 

 litary operations which endued being 

 already established by the foregoing 

 facts and observations, we shall 



now consider, 



Secondly, the moderation and for- 

 bearance manifested by the British 

 government, towards Holkar,. 

 throughout the negotiations, and oc- 

 currences, which preceded the com- 

 mencement of actual warfare with 

 that chieftain. 



Notwithstanding the equivocal con- 

 duct of Jcsvvimt Kao, towards the 

 British governnient, and the depre- 

 dations committed by him on the ter- 

 ritories of the nizam ftlie intimate ally 

 of the company) during thtf course 

 of the war between the British pow- 

 er and the confederated Mahraifah 

 chieftains, Dowlut Rao Scindiah and 

 the rajah of Berar, no attempt was 

 made, on the part of the British go- 

 O 4 vcrument. 



