98 



THE PREDECESSORS OF THE 



Mahomed Ali was thus established as Nabob of the Carnatic 

 without a rival, and in consideration of the services rendered 

 him by the English, he conferred upon them districts in the 

 vicinity of Madras yielding an annual revenue of upwards of 

 four and-a-half lakhs of pagodas, and including nearly the 

 same territory as that which now forms the Collectorate of 

 Chingleput. This grant of the Company's jaghire, as it was 

 called, was confirmed by a firmaun from the Mogul, dated 

 the 12th of August 1765. 60 



On the 12th November 1766 a grant was obtained from 

 the Nizam of the Circars of Rajahmundry, Ellore, Moosta- 

 furnugger, Siccacole, and Moostizanugger, or (runtoor, and 

 a treaty was entered into, whereby the Company, in return 

 for the gracious favors received from His Highness, agreed 

 to furnish the Nizam with a subsidiary force when required, 

 and to pay nine lakhs a year when the assistance of their 

 troops was not required. 01 



These acquisitions gave rise to violent contentions at 

 Madras as to the extent of the jurisdiction of the Mayor's 

 Court, one party construing the word factory in the most 

 extensive latitude, the other taking it in its literal and strict 

 sense. The Council took the latter view, and in writing to 

 the Court of Directors on the subject observed : "If the 

 Charter should be understood in the extended sense, including 

 not only all the old districts, but the newly acquired Jaghire 

 and all the Circars, and consequently that we should be required 

 to govern and manage these countries according to the laws of 

 England, we hope Your Honours will pardon us if we frankly 

 confess that we are utterly unable to undertake such a task. 

 It would be introductive of more disorder and confusion than 

 we can now describe ; but as we do not think that the 

 Charter can by any natural construction be extended thus far, 



60 Aitchison's Treaties, vol. v, p. 181. 



61 Aitchison's Treaties, vol. v, p. 2. 



