INDIA. 



45 



Malory, this battle were commanded by Colonel Clive, and con- 

 ~~* sisted of I**) Europeans, 100 topaises, and 8000 se- 

 poys, with eight six pounders, and two howitzers. The 

 nabob's array was estimated at 50,000 foot, and 50 

 piece* of cannon, besides about 40 Frenchmen. Ac- 

 cording to one account, the fortune of the day was de- 

 cided by Meer Jaffier, who commanded part of the na- 

 bob's army, remaining neuter during the engagement ; 

 but by other accounts, it would appear, that even if his 

 force* had taken an active part, the issue would have 

 been equally favourable to the British. 



.ne treaty between the English and the new na- 

 twcaulM bob,' the latter agreed to pay a large sum into the trea- 

 mlahtH alcutta; and the English guaranteed his do- 



minions. Jaffier, however, after he had acquired his 

 power, seem* to have been unwilling to pay the stipu- 

 lated sum ; and on being pressed by Colonel Clive to 

 fultil his engagement, he meditated the reduction of the 

 British influence. This, and the non-payment of the 

 money, were sufficient pretext-* tor stripping him of his 

 newly acquired dominions ; and to this object the Bri- 

 tish directed their plans, so as to accomplish it with the 

 least appearance of" injustice. 



Before, however, we narrate these plans, it will be 

 proper to attend to the affairs of In :. i in another quar- 

 ter. In the year 1759, the ton and lu-ir.ipp.ir 

 the Mogul appeared in a hostile position on the fron- 

 tier of the province* ; and he afterwards invaded Ba- 

 har with a view of possessing hinwelf of the soubha- 

 darship of Meer Jaffier. A* the English were bound 

 to support him, Clive, who was now governor of Ben- 

 gal, joined hi* army to that of the nabob's, and the al- 

 lies drove the enemy beyond the Carumnasa, In the 

 ante year, and toon after the close of this campaign, 

 the Dutch projected the overthrow of the English esta- 

 blianment* and influence in Bengal An expedition 

 MtamMt A* tn * t purpose was fitted out at Batavia, which in the 

 month of August entered the river of Bengal, with the 

 profs asion of proceeding to the Dutch settlement at 

 ChiiMurah. As Clive was app~ k 



1 



>crthrpw 



: 



. 

 i 



:. 



might Uke advantage of this circumstance, be resolved 

 to call upon that prince to insist on the departure of 

 the Dutch, aa they were within his territories 

 however, he did not do ; and the Dutch landed 

 whole force near Calcutta. In this emergency, 

 was at a IOM in what manner to act ; for the English 

 and Dutch were at peace. As, however, some 

 sive steps were Mceasary, he ordered Colonel Ford to 

 intercept the march of the Dutch ; this was according- 

 ly done with moat complete success. 



In February 1760, Colonel Clive left Bengal for Eng- 

 land ; and about the same time, the dominions of the 

 nabob were again menaced with invasion from the in- 

 terior. A Mahratta army entered the district of Burd- 

 wan, and Shah Allum re appeared on the frontier of 

 Berar. Against the for labob in person led 



an army, partly composed or 'roops, but the 



campaign in this quarter proved unsuccessful. The 

 Mogul was opposed by a British army, commanded by 

 a British officer, but the operation* of the latter were 

 much impeded by the obstinacy of the nabob's ion, 

 who commanded an auxiliary force, so that the Mogul, 

 teated near Patna, escaped into the -outh- 

 ilsof Bengal, where he effected a junction 

 v I'll the Mahratta general who had invaded Burdwan. 

 He was soon, however, compelled to retreat into Be- 

 rar. This campaign, which presented nothing else 

 le, was dosed in July, by the setting in of 



63. 



the rains, and the death of the young nabob, who was History, 

 struck dead with lightning in his tent. '"'Y"' 



By this time, the plans of the British against Meer The nabob 

 Jaffier were complete; accusations of various kinds, dp<cd, 

 besides the non-payment of the money, were brought A> D 176<x 

 against him; and in September 1760, a treaty was Treaty with 

 privately made at Calcutta between the British and the new na- 

 Mei/r Cossiin, son-in-law and general of the nabob. 

 By this treaty it was stipulated that Cossiin, under the 

 title of dewan or deputy to the nabob, should obtain 

 the real possession of the nabobship, and that he should 

 grant to the English, for the pay of the army, the dis- 

 trict* of Burdwan, Midnapore, and Chittagong. It is 

 also said that he promised the projectors of this revo- 

 lution two millions of rupees ; this, however, was ex- 

 pressly denied in the examination before the Select 

 Committee of the House of Commons. Meer Jaffier 

 was soon afterwards brought to Calcutta, and thus de- 

 prived even of the name and appearance of power. 



M t cr Cosseim had nut been long possessed of the na- 

 bobship, when he entered into projects unfavourable to 

 the English; levying high duties on their merchandize 

 contrary to treaty ; and at last massacring the English 

 deputies who were sent to him to adjust matters. The 

 English, therefore, in order to punish him, resolved to 

 restore Meer Jaffier to the dignity from which he had The former 

 been degraded. As a condition of his rc-insuteinent, nabob re- 

 he consented to cede to them the districts already " or ' J ' _ 

 granted them by Cosseim, of Burdwan, Midnapore, and A ' ' ' 



lagong, and also to grant to them ihoe commer- 

 cial privilege* which Cosseim had withheld. ( )n the 

 7th of June 1763, he was proclaimed soubhadar of the 

 three provinces ; and the British government also de- 

 clared war against Cosseim. On the 19th of July, one 

 of Cosaeim's generals was totally defeated by a British w * r with 

 force, half way between Calcutta and NU.'r.hr.labad, ^""o"' 

 and on the 24th the latter place was taken. Advan- 

 cing rapidly after these succe**e*, on the 2d of August 

 they encountered, on the plain of (Jonah, the whole of 

 the hostile force at that time in the lower pan of Ben. 

 gal. It was composed of about 15,000 black cavalry, 

 and 10,000 regularly disciplined sepoys, with 17 piece* 

 of cannon, managed by 170 European*. After an obsti- 

 nate contest of four hours, the enemy were completely who if Je- 

 routed. Cosseim was himself in the province of liahar, feattA 

 and thither the British puriued him. Iti the beginning 

 of October they gained posset t ion of Monghir, and in 

 November of I'atna, Cosseim still flet ing from danger, 

 having escaped into the dominions of the Nabob of 

 Oudc, carrying with him treasure and jewel* to the 

 value of two million* sterling. 



The same year which witnessed the expulsion of P"c of 

 Cosaeim from the three provinces, also produced, in Eu- 'l tf3 ' ** '' 

 rope, a pacification between France and England. By JJ 

 the treaty of peace, France, whose recent acquisitions, 

 as well a* her ancient possession* in India, had been 

 wrested from her, was restored to the factories of which 

 she had been mibtress in the year 17+9, but she renoun- 

 ced any pretensions to the territories which she had 

 recently acquired on the coast of Coromandel and 

 Orissa, and engaged neither to erect fortifications, nor 

 maintain troops in the soubah of Bengal. Mahomed 

 Ali was acknowledged lawful sovereign of the Carnatic. 

 The English sacrificed but a small part of the territory 

 which they had gained; they retained unimpaired their 

 authority at the court* of the Carnatic and Bengal ; 

 they retained, in addition to their old settlements, the 

 newly acquired poasesnon* of the Circar of Maaulipa* 



