52 



INDIA. 



HUtory. ed of the My*ore territories, Lord Wellesley placed the 

 S - PP V~' descendant of the ancient Hindoo family of Mysore; 

 and, as he was an infant, a Bramin of great ability and 

 reputation was appointed his minister. Two treaties 

 were Ibrimd with this prince. The first related to the 

 partition of the Mysore ; the second to the relations 

 which were to subsist between the prince and the Bri- 

 tish government. By this last treaty, the British were 

 to maintain a military force for the defence of the king- 

 dom of Mysore against all external enemies ; and the 

 Rajah agreed to pay an annual subsidy of seven lacks of 

 pagodas, for the support of this force. In case the Ra- 

 jah failed in executing his part of the treaty, or its ap- 

 pearing probable that he might, the British govern- 

 ment were either to introduce such regulations in the 

 management of the .revenues^ or to assume such parts 

 of the country of Mysore, as appeared necessary to ren- 

 der the funds fixed for the maintenance of the troops 

 efficient and available. The Rajah also agreed to per- 

 mit the British to garrison with its own troops such 

 fortresses in Mysore, as it might think necessary to en- 

 able it to fulfil its engagements of defending that king- 

 dom. 



Treaty be- On the 12th of October 1800, a new treaty was 



twccn'the formed between the Nizam and Lord Wellesley, by 



Nizam and which the former agreed, in consideration of a larger 



British. British force being kept for his defence, to cede, in or- 



der to secure the payment of this augmented force to 



the British, in perpetuity, all the territories which he 



had acquired by the treaty of Seringapatam in 1792, 



and the treaty of Mysore in 1799; and the British 



bound themselves to prevent any power from invading 



the territories of the Nizam. 



It has been stated, that the British government had 

 reserved a considerable portion of the territories which 

 they had conquered from Tippoo, to be given to the 

 Paishwah, on certain conditions; but he, having refused 

 Suteofthc to accede to the terms proposed, the reserved territory 

 Mahratut. was shared between the British and the Nizam. Lord 

 Wellesley was still desirous of connecting the Paish- 

 wah more closely with the British; and a favour- 

 able opportunity to accomplish his wishes occurred in 

 the beginning of the year 1801. At this time a war 

 took place between Holkar and Scindiah, which oblig- 

 The Paish- ed the latter to remove from Poonah, and consequently 

 wah obliged weakened his influence with the Paishwah. The latter 

 ^J2J seemed disposed to form an alliance with the British; 

 and indeed his territories were in such a weak and un- 

 settled state, that an alliance with them was highly de- 

 sirable. Hordes of banditti were daily pouring in from 

 Malwah and Hindostan, to contend at Poonah for the 

 sovereignty of the Mahratta empire. In 1802, the 

 Paishwah, under these difficulties, united himself with 

 Scindiah ; but his army sustained a signal defeat near 

 Poonah, on the 25th of October. The Paishwah was 

 now more anxious than ever to place himself under the 

 protection of the British ; accordingly, a definitive trea- 

 ty of alliance was concluded on the 31st of December, 

 Treaty of at Bassein, where the Paishwah resided under the pro- 

 Bancin. tcction of the British. By this treaty, the British go- 

 vernment bound itself to furnish to the Paishwah six 

 battalions of native infantry, with a suitable train of ar- 

 tillery ; and for the payment of this force, the Paish- 

 wah agreed to cede territory to the amount of 2fi lacks 

 of rupees. All his claims on Surat, and the English 

 districts in Guzerat, were given up. 



The Brituh In order to support this treaty, which included the 

 restore the restoration of the Paishwah to his throne at Poonah, 

 PaUhwah. the army of Fort St. George, under the command of 

 A.D. 1801. General Stewart, advanced to the bank of the Toom- 



buddra, and General Wellesley was detached in' front ; 

 the latter advancing in co-operation with the subsidiary 

 force in the Decan, commanded by Colonel Stevenson, 

 through the southern parts of the Paisnwah's territo- 

 ries, reached Poonah on the 20th of April. The troops 

 of Holkar fled at his approach ; and the Paishwah, who 

 had left Basseiu, when he learnt that the British forces 

 were coming to his aid, entered Poonah, and was re- 

 seated on his Musnud, on the 13th of May. This mea- 

 sure was effected without any opposition : and all the 

 principal Mahratta chieftains, who are the more immr- 

 diate feudatories of the Paishwah, joined their troop ; 

 to those of General Wellesley, and advanced with him 

 to Poonah, where they paid their obeisance to the 

 Paishwah. 



As Holkar had fled on the advance of General Wel- 

 lesley, it was hoped that the Paishwah would be allowed 

 to sit quietly on his -Musnud. These hopes, however, 

 were soon disappointed; for Scindiah, after remon- 

 strating against the advance of the British troops to 

 Poonah, and finding his remonstrances disregarded, 

 marched towards the frontiers of the Nizam. Lord Wel- 

 lesley at first endeavoured to negociate with Scindiah, 

 but not succeeding, he vested the officers in command 

 of the armies in Hindostan and the Uecan, with the 

 fullest civil, military, and political powers. General 

 Wellesley was authorised to negociate treaties with 

 Scindiah, Holkar, or the Rajah of Berar; and Lord 

 Lake, who was at the head of the Hindostan army, was 

 directed, in the first place, to reduce the formidable and 

 independent French authority which had been esta- 

 blished there ; and then to occupy the whole country, 

 forming the Dooab, between the Jumnah and the 

 Ganges, to the mountains of Cumaoun, and also to take 

 possession of Delhi, Agra, and a chain of posts on the 

 right banks of the Jumnah, from the mountains of Cu- 

 maoun, to the province of Bundelcund. 



The first operation of the war was the reduction of 

 the fortress of Ahmednagur, on the 8th of August, by 

 General Wellesley ; this success was followed up, both 

 by him and by Lord Lake, by the most splendid 

 and decisive victories, especially those of Assaye and 

 Arghaum by the former, and those of Delhi and 

 Laswaree by the latter. The battle of Assaye was 

 fought near that town, which is situated in the 

 province of Berar, on the 23d of September. Gene- 

 ral Wellesley's army consisted of 4500 men, of which 

 number 2.500 were Europeans : the armies of Scindiah 

 and the Rajah of Nagpoor amounted to 30,000 men. 

 The battle was obstinate, but at length the allied 

 troops gave way and fled in great confusion: 1200 

 of them were killed on the field; 98 pieces of can- 

 non, seven standards, their camp equipage, a large 

 quantity of ammunition, &c. were taken. General 

 Wellesley immediately followed up his success ; and on 

 the 28th of November was fought the battle of Arg- 

 haum, equally splendid and decisive in its results with 

 the battle of Assaye. These defeats led both Scindiah 

 and the Rajah to solicit peace ; and the latter, imme- 

 diately after his principal fortress, Gawelghur, was re- 

 duced, made peace with General Wellesley. In the 

 treaty he was compelled to submit to very unfavourable 

 terms : tfce province of Cuttack, and that part of the 

 provinces of Berar to the west of the Wurdah, which 

 belonged to him, were ceded to the British ; he also 

 promised not to permit, for the future, any person be- 

 longing to a European or American state, at war with 

 Britain, to be in his service. 



Scindiah thus beaten and deserted by his ally, sued 

 for peace, which was granted him in December 1803. 



IlislMV. 



War with 



Scindiah. 



Splendid 

 success of 

 the British. 



Treaty with 

 Scindiah. 

 A.D. 1803. 



