HINDOOSTAN. 73 



acknowledged to be the true heir of the Tamerlane race ; but his 

 power is feeble : the city of Delhi, and a small territory round it, is 

 all that is left remaining of the house and heir of Timur, who depends 

 upon the protection of the English, and whose interest it is to sup- 

 port him, as his authority is the best legal guarantee of their pos- 

 sessions. 



We shall now conclude the history of Hindoostan with some ac- 

 count of the British transactions in that part of the world, since 1765, 

 when they were quietly settled in the provinces of Bengal, Bahar, 

 and Orissa, and in the Carnatic, not indeed as absolute sovereigns, 

 but as tributaries to the emperor. This state of tranquillity, how- 

 ever, did not long continue, for in 1767, they found themselves engag- 

 ed in a very dangerous war with Hyder Alley the sovereign of My- 

 sore. This man had originally been a military adventurer, who 

 learned the rudiments of the art of war in the French camp ; and in 

 the year 1753 had distinguished himself in their service. In 1763, 

 having been advanced to the command of the army of Mysore, ho 

 deposed his sovereign, and usurped the supreme authority, under 

 the title of regent. In a short time he extended his dominions on. 

 all sides, except the Carnatic, until at last his dominions equalled, 

 the island of Great Britain in extent, with a revenue of not less than 

 four millions sterling annually. The discords which took place in. 

 various parts of Hindoostan, particularly among the Mahrattas, ena- 

 bled him to aggrandise himself in such a manner that his power soon 

 became formidable to his neighbours ; and in 1767, he found himself 

 in danger of being attacked on one side by the Mahrattas, and on the 

 other by the British. The former were bought off with a sum of 

 money, and the latter were in consequence obliged to retire. Having 

 soon, however, assembled all their forces, several obstinate engage- 

 ments took place ; and the British now, for the first time, found a 

 steady opposition from an Indian prince. The war continued with 

 various success during the years 1767, 1768, and part of 1769, when 

 Hyder, with a strong detachment of his army, passing by that of the 

 British, advanced within a little distance of Madras, where he in- 

 timidated the government into a peace upon his own terms. The 

 advantages gained by this peace, however, were quickly lost by an 

 unfortunate war with the Mahrattas, from whom, in the year 1771, 

 he received a most dreadful defeat, almost his whole army being kill- 

 ed or taken. Hyder was now reduced to the necessity of allowing 

 his enemies to desolate the country, till they retired of their own 

 accord ; after which he retrieved his affairs with incredible perse- 

 verence and diligence, so that in a few years he became more formi- 

 dable than ever. In 1772, the Mahrattas made some attempts to get 

 possession of the district of Corah, and some other parts of the pro- 

 vince of Oude, but were opposed by the British, who, next year, 

 defeated and drove them across the river Ganges, when they had. 

 invaded the country of the Rohillas. On this occasion the latter had 

 acted only as the allies of Sujah Dowla, to whom the Rohilla chiefs 

 had promised to pay forty lacks of rupees for the protection afforded 

 them ; but when the money came to be paid, it was, under various 

 pretences, refused ; the consequence of which was, that the Rohilla 

 country was next year (1774) invaded and conquered by the British, 

 as well as several other large tracts of territory ; by which means the 

 boundary of Oude was advanced, to the westward, within twenty-five 

 Vol. II. i, 



