H I N D O 
trenfury; that Re fhould al fo di fcard the prime minifter Nund- 
comar,.and receive in his place a perfon appointed by the 
council, who was to aft in the double capacity of minifter 
and governor to aflift and inftruft him. The council were 
mlfp to have a negative upon the nomination of all the 
fuperinfcendants and principal officers employed in col- 
lefting or receiving the revenues; that he fhould take 
their advice, and have their confent to fuch nominations 
whenever they thought proper to interfere in them. Pie 
was alfo to receive their complaints, and pay a due at¬ 
tention to them, upon the mifbehaviour of any of the 
officers, who either were appointed already, or fhould be 
in time to come. 
With thefe extravagant requifitions the young nabob 
was obliged to comply; though he had difcernment 
enough to perceive that he was only a flaye to the council 
of Calcutta. Though obliged by treaty to difmifs Nund- 
comar from the office of prime minifter, he Hill continued 
to fhow him favour; until at laft he was charged with 
carrying on a treafonable correfpondence with Sujah ul 
Dowlah, for which the nabob was enjoined to fend him to 
Calcutta to take Ins trial. 
Thefe extraordinary powers, exerted by the council of 
Calcutta for fuch a length of time, could not but induce 
their Superiors to circumfcrib them in fome degree, by 
appointing others who Ihould aft independently even of 
this council, and who might be fuppofed to be actuated 
by more upright and honourable principles than had 
hitherto been manifefted in their conduct The great 
charafter which lord Clive had already gained in the 
eaft, jultly marked him out as a proper perfon for adjufting 
the affairs of Bengal. On the 3d of May 1765, he arrived 
at Calcutta, with full powers as commander in chief, 
prefident, and governor of Bengal. An unlimited power 
was alfo committed to a l'eleft committee, confifting of 
his lordfhip and four gentlemen, to aft and determine 
every thing themfelves, without dependence on the council. 
It was’, how r ever, recommended in their inftruftions, to 
confult the council in general as often as it could be done 
conveniently; but the foie power of determining in all 
cafes was left with them, until the delinquencies in Ben¬ 
gal fhould be thoroughly fettled. By thefe gentlemen a 
plan of reformation was inftantly let on foot; by which, 
however, violent difputes were occafioned : but the com¬ 
mittee, difregarding thel'e efforts, exerted their authority 
to the full extent, feldom even acquainting the council 
with their tranfaftions, and never allowing them to give 
their opinion on any occafion. Lord Clive now demanded 
from a deputation of the council, the prefents they had 
received in their corporate capacity from the nabob; but 
•they refuted, by retorting, “ that, when his lordfliip fhould 
pay to the company what furns he had received from the 
father, they would willingly reftore what had been given 
to them by the fon.” Thefe gentlemen in the fame breath 
refigned the company’s fervice ; fo that the noble governor 
■could not enforce obedience to thefe commands. 
Soon after this regulation of the company’s affairs at 
Calcutta, lord Clive repaired to Allahabad, to pay his 
obeifance to the emperor Shah Aulum. And here, by 
the l'uperior judgment and policy of his lordfliip, a lega_l 
claim was for the firlt time (A. D. 1765) derived to the 
Englifh, of the important province of Bengal, and its 
dependencies, which the neceffities of the emperor induced 
him to make over in perpetuity to the Englifh, on con¬ 
dition of their undertaking the fafe proteftion of his 
perfon, and fecuring to him a fufficient and liberal efta- 
bliffiment for his houfehold and attendants at Allahabad, 
where he agreed to fix his relidence, until the Englifh, 
with his other allies, could find a favourable opportunity 
to regain for him the poffeffion of his capital, and his 
remaining empire. On the other hand, an agreement to 
pay annually fix and twenty lacs of rupees, or four 
hundred and forty thoufand pounds, as the royal revenue 
for the province, was given under the feal of the company 
to the emperor. Lord Clive then returned to Calcutta, 
. Vol. X._No. 644, 
O S T A N. - 97 
leaving general Smith to attend the emperor, but who 
was in faft his ruler; for the general refuted in the 
fortrefs, and his majefty in the town ; and the found of 
the imperial nobut, or Mogul band, being difagreeable to 
general Smith, he forbade it to play; nor did the fallen 
emperor peril It after fuch forbiddance. In this degraded 
condition he remained for feveral years ; until, feeing 110 
hopes of being reinitiated by the Englifh, he threw him- 
felf on the friendfhip of the Mahrattas, who Seated him 
on the throne of Delhi, as related in the former part of 
this article. 
Tims the Eaft-India company acquired the fovereigr.ty 
of a territory equal in extent to the molt flourifhing 
kingdom in Europe, By all this, however, they were fo 
far from being enriched, that the diforder of their affairs 
and the peculations of their lervants attrafted the atten¬ 
tion of government, and warranted the Britifh admi- 
niftration in depriving them of their territorial pofleffions, 
and fubjefting the province of Bengal to the authority of 
the crown, and the jurifprudence of the parliament of 
Great Britain. For the many cogent reafons of this tran- 
fition, fee the article England, vol. vi. p. 744.-753-766: 
and for the civil polity, various charters, and Statutes, 
whereby the Eaft-India company has from time to time 
been governed, fee the article Company, vol. iv. p. 87 5-SS 3. 
Lord Clive, upon his return to Calcutta, immediately 
prepared to new-model all the inferior jurifdictions of 
the provinces he had thus obtained in perpetuity to the 
Englifh, with a view of advancing the rentals, and in- 
creating thereby a great acquifition of property to indi¬ 
viduals, while it considerably advanced the revenues of 
the company. To give full fcope to this new fyftem of 
increafing the value of land, his lordfliip divided the 
provinces into feven diftrifts, at each of which an Englifh 
council was appointed, to infpeft arid ccntroul the ze¬ 
mindars and farmers. But the plan was fo novel, the 
advance fo exorbitant, and the regulations fo incompatible 
with the former ufages of the country, in which there 
had been no deviation fince the acceflion of the Mogul 
dynafty, that a general confternation prevailed throughout 
every dift rift, and the lands went uncultivated. The diftrefs 
which followed is unfpeakable. Plague and famine entiled ; 
the horrors of inevitable death were pourtrayed in every 
countenance; and many of the firft families among the 
Moguls and Hindoos perifhed in this calamity. See the 
article England, vol. vi. p. 745-753. 
We have already noticed, under the reign of Shah 
Aulum, the conqueft of the Rohilla country by the vizier 
Sujah ul Dowlah, aflifted by an Englifh army under the 
command of colonel Champion; an event which began 
with, and gave a ftriking feature to, the administration of 
Mr. Haftings. This projeft was formed by the vizier, in 
order to repair the lofles' he had fuftained by the war in 
fupport of Meer Coffim, as related above. The Rohilla 
country was inexhauftible in its riches, of which the 
vizier had informed himfelf, while he and his family were 
afforded an afylum at that court; and the ungrateful 
Sujah ul Dowlah, confident of fuccefs in feizing the 
country, provided he could bring over the emperor and 
the Englifh to fupport him therein, reforted to the fure 
means of fecuring their aid, by the proffer of money, and 
a liberal participation in the fpoil. In the beginning of 
February 1774, he folicited the emperor to take the field, 
and join with him in the attack of the Rohillas ; on which 
condition he promifed to pay down immediately two lacs, 
of rupees for the expence of preparation, ten thoufand 
rupees every marching day, and five thoufand each halting 
day. He agreed alfo to refign half the conquered country 
to the royal difpofal, when he fhould have fatisfied the 
Englifh for their afliftance. The emperor at firft gave his 
affent; but his inclinations foon revolted at the idea of 
becoming a principal in fo nefarious an expedition ; and 
he is even laid to have informed the Rohillas privately of 
the plan laid for their deftruftion. He was notwithstanding 
prevailed upon to march a Short distance; and, crofting 
C c the 
