30 CONQUEST OF BENGAL. 



to bring this important affair to a happy termination. Jaffier 

 was so eager to testify his gratitude, that, notwithstanding 

 his necessities, he bestowed upon Clive, in name of jaghire, 

 the rent due by the company for the territory round Cal- 

 cutta. About this time the latter sent a force against the 

 Circars, which obtained at least their nominal submission, 

 and he also repulsed an attack made by the Dutch ; after 

 which he resigned the government in February, 1760, and 

 sailed for England. 



Meantime the interior was by no means tranquil. The 

 young prince, who, on his father being put to death by the 

 Mahrattas, succeeded to the almost empty title of Great 

 Mogul, renewed his pretensions upon Bengal, and was again 

 seconded by the Nabob of Oude, on whom he had conferred 

 the still imposing rank of vizier. Their combined forces 

 had advanced upon Patna, and gained a considerable advan- 

 tage over the garrison, 'before Colonel Calliaud, now com- 

 manding the English army with the native troops under 

 Meeran, Jaffier's son, could arrive to their aid. He made 

 the attack on the 22d February, 1760 ; and though the In- 

 dian auxiliaries were rendered nearly useless by a very in- 

 judicious position, the British and sepoys alone poured in 

 so effective a fire as drove the enemy off the field, and 

 obliged them to retire to Bahar. Meeran, however, who 

 had received a slight wound, re-entered Patna, and resigned 

 himself to ease and pleasure. The opposite army then 

 conceived the bold design of marching across the country 

 by the shortest route to Moorshedabad, and surprising the 

 nabob in his capital. It is believed, had this enterprise been 

 as promptly executed as it was ably planned, that the object 

 might have been accomplished ; but the chiefs indulged in 

 the usual dilatory habits of an Indian army, and Calliaud 

 had time, by rapidly conveying troops down the river, to 

 reinforce his ally, and deter the enemy from the meditated 

 attack. Returning hastily by the same route, they reached 

 Patna before the English, and, aided by M. Law with a 

 French force, reduced that city to great extremity. Cap- 

 tain Knox, however, marching above 200 miles under a 

 burning sun in thirteen days, relieved it, attacked the enemy 

 by surprise, and obliged them to fall back. 



Meantime affairs in the province of Bengal continued in 





