MYSORE, CANARA, AND MALABAR. 
71 
of great public utility, such as reservoirs, and canals for watering' CHAPTER 
the ground. Although an active prince, he in a great measure se- 
eluded himself from his subjects (one of the greatest evils that May 20, &e» 
can happen in an absolute monarchy) ; and his chief confident, Meer 
Saduc, was a monster of avarice and cruelty. The people univer- 
sally accuse Tippoo of bigotry, and vain-glory ; but they attribute 
most of their miseries to the influence of his minister. The Brah- 
mans, who managed the whole of the revenue department, were so 
avaricious, so corrupt, and had shown such ingratitude to Hyder , 
that Tippoo would have entirely displaced them, if he could have 
done without their services ; but that was impossible ; for no other 
persons in the country had any knowledge of business. Instead of 
checking thejn by a constant inspection into their conduct, by ex- 
emplary punishment when detected in peculation, and by allowing 
them handsome salari es to raise them above temptation, he ap- 
pointed Mussulman A sophs, or Lord Lieutenants, to superintend 
large divisions of the country; and this greatly increased the evil,* 
• 
for these men, intirely sunk in indolence, voluptuousness, and igno- 
rance, confident of favour from the bigotry of their sovereign, and 
destitute of principle, universally took bribes to supply their 
wants ; and the delinquencies of the Brahmans were doubled, to 
make good the new demands of the Asophs, over and above their 
former profits. Owing to this system, although the Sultan had laid 
on many new taxes, the actual receipts of the treasury never 
equalled those in the time of his father. The Amildars , under 
various pretexts of unavoidable emergency, reported prodigious 
outstanding balances ; while they received, as bribes from the cul- 
tivators, a part of the deductions so made. Although the taxes 
actually paid by the people to government were thus much lighter 
than they had been in the administration of Hyder, the industrious 
cultivator was by no means in so good a condition as formerly. 
The most frivolous pretexts were received, as sufficient cause fox 
commencing a criminal prosecution against any person supposed to 
