H I N D O O S T A N., 
§s 
as much more to he continued. He hoped, however, if 
they intended to dethrone him, that they would not leave 
him to the mercy of his fon-in-law, from whole treachery 
he feared the word; but wilhed they would carry him 
from the city, and give him a place of fafety in Calcutta. 
This laft requeft of the nabob was conltrued in the light 
of a voluntary refignation. Our troops took poffeffion of 
the palace; Meer Coflim was raifed to the mul'nud ; and 
the old nabob hurried into a boat with a few of his do- 
meftics and neceflaries, and fent away to Calcutta in a 
manner wholly unworthy of the high rank he fo lately 
held, as was' alfo the fcanty 1'ubfiftence allowed him for 
his maintenance at Calcutta by his fon-in-law. Thus was 
Jaffier Ali Khan depol’ed, in breach of a treaty founded 
on the moll folemn oaths, and in violation of the national 
faith.” 
According to this account, the fervants of the com¬ 
pany, who were the projectors of the revolution, made no 
fecret that there was a prefent promifed them of twenty 
lacks of rupees from Meer Coflim, who was defirous of 
making the firft act of his power the aflaflinationof Jaffier, 
and was very much difpleafed when he found that the 
Engiilh intended giving him protection at Calcutta. 
It could fcarcely be l'uppoled that Meer Coflim, raifed 
to the naboblhip in the manner we have related, could be 
more faithful to the Engiilh than Meer Jaffier had been. 
Nothing advantageous to the interefts of the company 
could indeed be reafonably expeCted from fuch a revo¬ 
lution. No liiccefl.br of Meer jaffier could be more en¬ 
tirely in fubjeCtion than the late nabob had been, from 
his natural imbecility. .This laft conlideration had in¬ 
duced many of the council at firft to oppofe the revo¬ 
lution ; and indeed the only plaufible pretence for it was, 
that the adminftration of Meer Jaffier was fo very weak, 
that, unlefs he was aided and even controuled by fome 
perfons of ability, he himfelf mult foon be ruined, and 
very probably the interefts of the company along v/ith him. 
Meer Coflim, however, was a man of a very different dif- 
pofltion from his father-in-law. As he kneyv that he had 
not been ferved by the Engiilh out of friendlhip, fo he 
did not think of making any return of gratitude ; but, 
inftead of this, confidered only how he could moft eafily 
get rid of fuch troublefome allies. Fora while, however, 
it was neceflary for him to diflemble, and to take all the 
advantage he could of the power of his allies whilft it 
could be ferviceable to him. By their affiftance he cleared 
his dominions of invaders, and ftrengthened his frontiers 
againft them ; he reduced, by means of the lame affiftance, 
the rajahs or independent Indian chiefs who had rebelled 
in the time of his prpdecefl'or, obliging them to pay the 
ttfual tribute ; by which means he repaired his finances, 
and thereby fecured the difcipline and fidelity of his 
troops. Having thus, by the affiftance of the Engiilh 
forces, brought his government into fubjedlion, he took 
the moft effectual means of fecuring himlelf againft their 
power. As the vicinity of his capital, Muxadabad, to 
Calcutta, gave the Engiilh fadlory there an opportunity 
of infpefling his aftions, and interrupting his defigns 
when they thought proper, he took up his refidence at 
Mongheer, a place two hundred miles farther up the Gan¬ 
ges, which he fortified in the beft and moft. expeditious 
manner he could. Being very fenfible of the advantages 
of the European difcipline, he refolved to form his army 
en a new model. For this purpofe he collefted all the Ar¬ 
menian, Perfian, Tartar, and other foldiers of fortune, 
whofe military character he fuppofed might ferve to raife 
the fpirits of his Indian forces, and abate their natural 
timidity. He alfo carefully collected every wandering 
European who had borne arms, all the fepoys who had 
been difmifled from the Engiilh lervice, diftributing them 
among his troops, in order to teach them the Engiilh ex- 
ercife. He changed the falhion of the Indian mulkets from 
matchlocks to firelocks ; and, as their cannon were almoft 
as deficient as their fmall arms, he procured a pattern of 
one from the Engiilh, by which lie foon formed a train of 
VOL. X. No. 6^-3. 
light artillery : and, having thus done every thing in his 
power to enable himfelf to withftand the Engiilh by force 
of arms, he refolved alfo to free his court from their 
emiffaries, by imprifohing or putting to death every per-' 
fon of any confequence in his dominions who had lliown 
any attachment to their intereft. 
His next ftep was to free himfelf from fome of thofe 
reftraints which his predeceffor Meer Jaffier, and even he 
himfelf, had been obliged to lay upon the trade of the 
country, in order to gratify the avarice of his European 
allies. At his acceffion indeed he had ceded to the com¬ 
pany a tradl of land worth no lefs than 700,0001. annu¬ 
ally, befides 70,0001. a-year on other accounts. All this, 
however, was not fufficient ; the immunities granted 
them in trade were of ftiil worfe confequence than even 
thole vaft conceffions. He knew by experience the dif- 
trefs which thefe immunities had brought upon his pre- 
decefl'or, and therefore determined to put an end to them. 
In purfuance of this refolution, he began, in the year 
1762, every where to fubjeft the Engiilh traders to the 
payment of certain duties thoughout his dominions ; and - 
required that their difputes, if beyond the limits of their 
own juiildidlion, fliould be decided by his magiftrates. 
This gave fuch an alarm at Calcutta, that, in November 
1762, the governor Mr. Vanfittart waited on him in per- 
fon at Mongheer, in order to expoftulate with him upon 
the fubjedt. The nabob anfwered his remonftrances in 
the following manner: “ If (faid he) the fervants of the 
Engiilh company were permitted to trade in all parts, and 
in all commodities, cuftom-free, as many of them now 
pretend, they mull of courfe draw all the trade into their 
own hands, and my cuftoms would be of fo little value, 
that it would be much more for my intereft to lay trade 
entirely open, and colleft no cuftoms from any perfon 
whatever, upon any kind of merchandile. This would 
draw a number of merchants into the country, and in- 
erfafe my revenues by encouraging the cultivation and 
manufacture of a large quantity of goods for fale, at the 
fame time that it would effectually cut off the principal 
fubjeft of dil'putes which had difturbed the good under- 
ftanding between us, an object which I have more than 
any other at heart.” 
' By thefe intimations Mr. Vanfittart was very much diff 
concerted ; nor indeed was it in any perfon’s power to cle- 
vile a plaufible anfwer. What the nabob had threatened was 
evidently in his power; and, though he had laid the trade 
entirely open, no reafonable fault could have been found 
with him. The proceeding, however, tended evidently 
to deftroy the private trade carried on by the gentlemen 
of the factory ; and even to prejudice, 'as they faid, that 
of the company itfelf. Mr. Vanfittart therefore thought 
proper to lubmit to certain regulations, by which the 
trade of the Engiilh was put under fome reftriftions. 
This new agreement, being inftantiy put in execution 
on the part of the nabob, excited the utmoft indignation 
at Calcutta. On the 17th of January 1763, the council 
pafled a refolution, difavowing the treaty made by the 
governor, and affirming that he affumed a right to which 
he was by no means authorized ; that the regulations pro- 
pofed were diffionourable to them as Englillimen, and 
tended to the ruin of all public and private trade; and 
that the prefideiit’s iffuing out regulations independent of 
the council, was an ablolute breach of their privileges. 
They fent orders therefore to all the factories, that no 
part of the agreement between the governor and nabob 
lhould be fubmitted to. Application was again made to 
Meer Coflim to perfuade him to a third agreement; but, 
before the fuccefs of this negociaticn could be known, 
hoftilities commenced on the part of the Engiilh. By 
their troops in the factory of Patna, the city was fud- 
denly attacked on the 25th of June 1763, and inftantiy 
taken, though it was defended by a ftrong garrifon, and the 
fortifications had been newly repaired. The governor and 
garrifon fled out into the country on the firft appearance 
of danger; but, perceiving that the victors tcok no cafe 
B b tij 
