102 
HINDO 
about the fame time, a document was obtained at Pondi¬ 
cherry, and transmitted by the government of Bengal to 
the fecretary of Hate, that clearly demonftrated the mode 
by which the French intended to carry their defigns into 
eft'efr. M. Perron, as before obferved, was dill in pof- 
feffion of Delhi, and the perfon of theTuperannuated em¬ 
peror ; the fanftion of this miferable fhadow of the de¬ 
parted authority of the Great Mogul, was to be made a 
plea with the natives of India for the French to com¬ 
mence a war againd the Englifh, under the pretext of af- 
ferting the fovereign rights, and pecuniary claims, of that 
unhappy prince, to whom M. Drugeon, the French fu- 
perintendant of the palace, at that very time fcarcely al¬ 
lowed fufficient to fupport exidence. But the projects of 
this infidious enemy were counteracted by fuperior wif- 
dom ; and ultimately rendered abortive by the unexpected 
rupture of the peace ot Amiens. 
There cannot exift a doubt, that the prompt and poli¬ 
tic precautions adopted by the government-general, mult 
have completely difconcerted the fchemes of the chief 
conful, who certainly intended, when matters were ripe 
for a new war with England, to direft his firlt operations 
again!! India. But a fortuitous and unexpected train of 
events, produced a rupture between the Englifh and Mah- 
rattas, which happily terminated in the total annihilation 
of the French force in India,’ and greatly diminilhed the 
refources and power of the principal feudatory chieftains 
of the Mahratta dates. The Peifhwa, or reprefentative 
of the fupreme power of the Mahratta confederation, to 
whom all the fubordinate princes, whatever they per¬ 
formed, undoubtedly profelfed allegiance, had, for a con- 
fiderable time, been haraffed by two rival factions, one 
headed by Scindia, the other by Hoikarr Thefe chieftains 
contended for the privilege of exercifing fovereign fway, 
in the capacity of nominal minider to their rightful mo¬ 
narch, but really with an intention to ufurp the para¬ 
mount power cf the date. Great Britain was, at tin's 
juncture, in clofe alliance with the Peifhwa, as the legiti¬ 
mate head of the Mahratta nation; and, during the for¬ 
mer Myforean war, afted in concert with that prince to 
oppofe the common enemy. The Peifhwa being at length 
didrelfed by the violent encroachments of Holkar, who 
had -gained an advantage over his rival, earnedly befought 
the Englidi to preferve his throne. This was a claim which 
judice could not refufe, and which policy drongiy recom¬ 
mended. By drengthening our alliance with the Peifhwa, 
We gained advantages of the utmod importance to the Bri¬ 
tifh intereds ; the influence which the government might 
ekpeft to acquire in the Mahratta councils, would thence¬ 
forward preponderate over that of the French, who hitherto 
maintained a decifive afcender.cy. The Englidi would 
confolidate their power on the coad of Malabar, fhut 
the port of Surat, and raife thus a barrier againd the ene¬ 
my on that fide of India where the lsodile attempt which 
was in embryo, and of which the governor-general was 
ferioufly admonifhed would certainly have been made. 
To the propofal, therefore, of the Peifhwa, cur govern¬ 
ment acceded ; and the negociations confequent on this 
propofal terminated in the treaty of Baffeen, which was 
ratified on the lad day of the year 1802. 
. By this treaty the Britifh government engaged to fup- 
pjy a fubfidiary force, confiding of fix battalions, to fup¬ 
port thole rights of the Peidiwa, which were never quef- 
tioned by. Scindia, by Holkar, or by any other chief or 
date whatever. Aware of the propenfity which every 
native prince of India entertains, to aggrandize himfelf, 
when fortune places at his difpofal a force adequate to 
the purpofes of aggreffion, and apprehenfive that vin¬ 
dictive motives might indigate the Peifhwa to hodiiities 
againd his former oppreffors, the governor-general in¬ 
serted two claufes in the treaty, redacting the Peidiwa 
from ufing Britifh influence, or employing Britifli arms, 
jn the profecution of ambitious or imjultiiiable objeCts. 
One of the articles exprefsly dipulate6, that “ tlie fubfidi¬ 
ary force is not to be employed againd any of .the princi- 
z 
O S T A N. 
pal branches of the Mahratta empire-5” and by the other, 
the Peifhwa engages “ not to commit any aft of hodility 
or aggredion, againd any of the principal branches of the 
Mahratta empire, or againd any power whatever.” The 
treaty, therefore, is not only in its nature innocent to¬ 
wards the other members of the Mahratta empire, but 
tends to imprefs them, and all the courts of India, with 
the determined refolution of the Engiilh government, to 
reprefs every fcheme of aggrandizement that might be 
formed againd the rights and poffefiions of thofe very 
chieftains, and of all other governments. The didrifis 
which were appropriated by the Peifhwa, for. the payment 
of the fubfidiary troops fupplied by the Britifli govern¬ 
ment, were thofe to which no other date had any claim,; 
and thefe happened to be by.far the mod convenient for 
the Englidi, being fo fituated as to prevent the French 
from penetrating, either clandedinely. or by force, into 
Hindobdan. So circumfpeft was the governor-general to 
avoid giving any juft caufe of umbrage to the feudatory 
Mahratta chieftains, that, as foon as the treaty was rati¬ 
fied, Holkar and Scindia were feverally invited by the 
Britifli government to become parties in this defenfive en¬ 
gagement; which held out to them the permanent and 
tranquil pofl’efiion of all their hereditary dominions, and 
even of thofe countries which Scindia had acquired by 
conqued in Hindoodan. 
When the ratification of the treaty of Baffeen was an¬ 
nounced, in a letter from the Britifh refident at Poonah, 
to Scindia, dated the 9th of January, 1803, that chieftain 
exprefled, in reply, his perfeCt fatisfaclion and acquief- 
cence in the defenfive alliance that had been concluded 
between the Britifh government and the Peidiwa ; and 
even admitted the neceffity of fuch a co-operation, making 
a formal and public declaration, that “ he had 110 inten¬ 
tion to impede the performance of the arrangements lately 
concluded between the Peifhwa and the Britifli govern¬ 
ment ; but that, on the contrary, he fliould defire to per¬ 
fect the amity which then exifted between the Peifhwa, 
the Britifli government, and his own dates.” Yet, not- 
witlidanding this pacific declaration, Scindia maintained 
his menacing pofition, and continued to augment his 
forces. O11 the arrival in his camp of colonel Collins, the 
Britifh minider, he perfided in evading explanation by 
every pofiible pretext. At length, on the occafion of a 
formal audience, when clofe prefied for a categorical avow¬ 
al of his projects, Scindia broke up the conference with 
this public declaration to the Britifh minider—“ You (hall 
hereafter be informed whether we fliall have peace or war.” 
If any doubt had before exided of Scindia’s hodiie inten-~ 
tions, this infolent menace, togetlier'vvith the junction of 
the army of the rajah of Berar, a prince whom Scindia 
had perfuaded to unite againd the Englidi, mud have re¬ 
moved them. The more the Britifli minider conceded, 
the more • infufrerable became the arrogance of the Mah¬ 
ratta ciiieftains. The marquis of Wellefley,. therefore, 
peremptorily called upon the confederate chieftains, if fin- 
cere in what they profefied, tQ evince that fincerity by the 
ieparation of their armies on a certain day, and retiring 
to their refpeflive territories. A refufal to comply with, 
this defire, brought the matter to a crifis; negociation 
ceafed, and the event was referred to the decifion of the 
fvvord. 
The vad plan of operations to which the feveral armies 
of the Bengal, Madras, and Bombay, edablifliments, were 
to be applied, was to commence by a general amd com¬ 
bined attack, as nearly as pollible at the fame time, and 
before the periodical return of the rains,- on the united 
army of the confederates in the Deccan ; on Perron’s eda- 
biifliment in the Douab ; and on every affailable point of 
the vad territories of Scindia, and the Berar raj all, in Hin¬ 
doodan. On the plains of Delhi, amidd the mountains- 
of the Deccan, on the diores of Cattack, and in the fer¬ 
tile province of Guzerat, were the banners of England 
at once to be difplayed. To thele great and various ob¬ 
jects, therefore, four armies were in readinefs to march. 
, The 
