Chronological Table. 1 69 



1738. — Mr. Freke, Governor of Fort William, was succeeded by Mr. Cruttenden, 

 who was succeeded in the following year, by Mr. Braddyth. — E. I. Chron. 



i739. — Nadir Shah entered and plundered Delhi. 120,000 persons were massacred. 

 — Stewart, Hamilton, and others. 



Shuja Addeen Khan, Nawaub of Bengal, died, and was succeeded by his son, 

 Serferaz Khan. — Stewart. 



1740. — Nadir Shah, after dreadful exactions and tyranny, departed from Delhi. — 

 Stewart. 



Serferaz Khan attacked by Ally Verdy Khan, and slain in battle : succeeded by 

 the latter. — Stewart. 



Thirty thousand insurgent Chinese massacred by the Dutch at Java. — E. I. Chron. 



From 1735 to 1740, the United East India Company exported £938,970 of goods, 

 and £2,459,470 of bullion.— Grant. 



1741. — The Mahrattahs invaded Bengal, to demand the Chout of that province. — 

 Stewart. 



1742. — A ditch was dug round a considerable part of the boundaries of Calcutta, 

 to prevent the incursions of the Mahrattahs. — Hamilton. 



1743. — The Mahrattahs, with a new army, under Ragojee Bhosela, again invaded 

 Bengal. The Nawaub Ally Verdy Khan drove them back, but his loss, in revenue, 

 was immense, from their plunder, and the devastation they had iuflicted during their 

 incursion. — Stewart. 



1744. — Now commences a new era in the affairs of Europeans in India, from the 

 struggles that eusued between the rival interests of the two nations, on the procla- 

 mation of war between England and France, on the 21st May, 1744. Since the 

 junction of the two English Companies, in 1 70S, the trade had been progressively 

 improving, and the establishments in India quietly advancing ; but little had occur- 

 red politically worthy of remark, for the long period of 36 years. From this date 

 events crowd on the notice of the chronologist. 



Previous to the breaking out of the war, in February, it was agreed, at a general 

 court of the East India Company, to lend the Government one million of money, at 

 three per cent., as an equivalent for the prolongation of the charter, for 14 yeiirs, 

 (from 1769 to 1783,) to commence from Michaelmas, 1744, which was confirmed by Act 

 of Parliament of the 17th of George II. — E. I. Chron. 



On the declaration of war, a British squadron, under Commodore Barnett, appear- 

 ed in the Indian seas. — Or me. 



Nicolas Morse, Esq., succeeded to the Government of Madras. — Dalrymple. 



174.5. — The British squadron appeared off Pondicherry ; but the Nawaub of Arcot, 

 Anwar-ad-deen, at the instigation of Monsieur Dupliex, the French Governor, (who 

 had succeeded to the supreme command of the French settlements, in 1742,) insisted 

 on no hostilities being then committed. — Orme. 



The united East India Company, from 1740 to 1745, exported £1,105,750 of goods, 

 and £2,529,108 of bullion.— Grant. 



1746. — Commodore Barnett died. His successor Mr. Peyton engaged, without 

 any decisive result, a French fleet, arrived tmder M. De la Bourdonuais. In Sep- 

 tember, the French landed a force at Madras, which town, after a bombardment 

 of two days, capitulated. Nothing could be lower than the English military power, 

 spirit, and science, at this period, in India. The Madras garrison consisted only 

 of 300 men, of whom 34 were Portuguese " vagabonds," or deserters and negroes ; 

 60 were sick and ineffective, and only 200 soldiers fit for duty. The officers were 

 three lieutenants, of whom two were foreigners ; and seven ensigns, who rose from 

 the ranks. Only one lieutenant and one ensign were deemed efficient officers.— Mill. 

 Orme. E. I. Chron. 



Mr. Braddyll, Governor of Fort William, succeeded by Mr. Forster, who was 

 succeeded by Mr. Dawson the following year. Fort St. David became the presi- 

 dency, by the surrender of Madras.— Dalrymple. 



1747. — Fort St. David invested by the French, who retired on the return to the 

 coast of the British squadron, under Capt. Peyton. — Orme. Mill. 



1748. — Major Lawrence, subsequently celebrated in the coast army, arrived in Ja- 

 nuary, from England, with a commission, to command the Company's forces. Also 

 Admiral Boscawen, with 13 men of war, and 17 other ships, with a considerable 



magnificent steeple of the English church, sunk into the ground without breaking. It is computed, 

 that 20,000 "ships, barks, sloops, boats, canoes, &c. have been cast away. Of nine English ships, 

 then in the Ganges, eight were lost, and most of the crews drowned. Harks of 60 tons were blown 

 two leagues up into land, over the tops of high trees : of four Dutch ships in the river, three were 

 lost wiih their men and cargoes. 300,000 souls are said to have perished. The water rose forty feet 

 higher than usual, in the Ganges." N. B. The steeple of the church was described to have been 

 lofty and magnificent, and as constituting, before this period, the chief ornament of the settle- 

 ment. — Sketches of Bengal. 



