died in the year 1725, and his son-in-law, Shujah-ood-deen, was nominated in his stead-but to Bengal and Orissa only, Behar being separated from the viceroyalty. During his administration, the settlement of the Ostend India Company at Bunkipoor-against which the English and Dutch had protested—was attacked by a force sent by the viceroy under the orders of the emperor, and the company's representatives obliged to withdraw permanently from Bengal. On the death of Shujahood-deen, who had governed Bengal with considerable ability for fourteen years, he was succeeded by his son, Serefraz Khan; but his government was weak and of short duration. Aliverdy Khan, an Afghan officer, commander of his father's troops, intrigued against him at Dehly, outbid him with the emperor, and finally secured a patent of appointment for himself. Under these circumstances, both parties resorted to war, and in an action which ensued in the month of May 1740, Serefraz Khan was totally defeated and killed. Two days afterwards the conqueror entered Moorshidabad in triumph, and took possession of the government without further opposition. He sequestered the proconfiscated. perty of the ex-viceroy's family, and, as was the custom of the period, remitted it to Dehly; and 1,000,000l. sterling in coin, and nearly that amount in jewels and other valuables, is evidence of the wealth which in those days was derivable from such an office as an imperial viceroyalty. His wealth is Vigour of Aliverdy's reign, for it can be called little else, was a vigorous one. He drove out of his territory all partizans of Serefraz Khan's party, and it has already been related Khan. how he dealt with the first Mahratta invasion; but their hold on Bengal was not a light one, and was materially assisted by the rebellion of Moostufa Khan and the Afghan troops in 1745, which they assisted. The defeat and death of Moostufa Khan for a time delayed their progress; but they returned year after year, and caused so much distress throughout Bengal, that Aliverdy Khan was eventually obliged, in 1751, to admit their demands-to cede to Rughoojee Bhóslay the province of Orissa, and to agree to pay thirteen lacs -130,000l.-personally as the chouth of Bengal. The English at Calcutta were perfectly neutral in all these contests-—indeed, could barely defend themselves: and, often threatened by the ditch of Mahrattas, threw up around their settlement a ditch and rampart which, known under the appellation of the 'Mahratta ditch,' served for many years afterwards as the municipal boundary. The trade of the settlement seems to have been satisfactorily progressive, and the factories and other agencies The Mahratta Calcutta. Ostend East India Company expelled. Aliverdy Khan becomes viceroy of Bengal. Serefraz Khan defeated and slain. Mahratta demands admitted. throughout the province were unmolested; but no particular records of the period appear in any history, and it may be inferred that no events of any remarkable moment occurred. Events at War between and French. Zoolficar In Madras, however, it was very different. In the year 1744, war was declared mutually between the English and French, which was destined to affect the Carnatic in Madras. a greater degree than might at first view be deemed the English possible. It is, however, necessary to take a brief retrospective view of Carnatic affairs, in order to understand the condition in which they stood at the period alluded to. The campaigns of Zoolficar Khan in the Carnatic, during Administrathe reign of Aurungzebe, have been already detailed. of He was succeeded, on his transfer to Dehly and the Khan. northern provinces, by Dáood Khan Punnee, who made personal friends of the English at Madras, and sometimes visited them, and joined the deep carousals which were features of the period. He was removed, as had already been related, to Guzerat, and killed in the action with Hoosein Ally near Boorhanpoor, in 1715. On leaving the Carnatic, he had appointed Saadut Oolla as his deputy, who governed the provinces from 1710, to his death in 1732, with much moderation and ability. On his demise, his nephew, Dost Ally Khan, assumed the government, as it were independently; for it does not appear that the emperor, the nominal, or Nizam- Khan ool-Moolk, the real superior, were consulted at all. The latter, however, was too deeply engaged in the political events of Dehly and the Mahrattas, to alter the succession, and Local conhad he been even disposed to interfere, it would have tentions. given rise to a remarkable contest. Dost Ally had one son, Sufdur Ally, and had married two daughters, one to Moortuza Ally Khan, the other to Chunda Sahib; and a struggle ensued for the government. While this was in progress, the Mahrattas under Rughoojee Bhoslay invaded the Carnatic, and in an action with them, Dost Ally was slain. Sufdur Ally now made terms with Rughoojee, and, on condition of the payment of 1,000,0007. sterling, was recognised as Nawab of the Carnatic. Dost Ally succeeds. But meanwhile, Chunda Sahib, on pretext of assisting the widowed Ranee, had obtained, by treachery, possession of Trichinopoly; and Sufdur Ally was too weak to attack him, Rughoojee, therefore, returned to the Carnatic after his visit to Sattara in 1741, and renewed the siege, when Chunda Sahib was obliged to capitulate, and, as a measure of safety, was sent to Sattara. During these transactions, however, capitulates to he had placed his wife and family in the French settlement of Pondicherry, under the charge of Monsieur Dupleix, Trichinopoly Rughoojee. Saadut Oolla acts as Viceroy. the governor; and this act led subsequently to many strange and important events. In a year after his assumption of the Sufdur Ally government, Sufdur Ally was assassinated by Moortuza assassinated. Ally, who was proclaimed Nawáb; but the family of Sufdur Ally had obtained protection in the English factory of Madras, and his son, a minor, was also proclaimed as successor to his father. To put an end to these convulsions, Nizam-oolMoolk, as has been already related, marched from Hyderabad in 1743, at the head of an overwhelming force, and, setting aside the claims of Chunda Sahib, and Moortuza Ally, appointed Anwur-ood-deen, or Anwur Sahib, to the government of the province during the minority of the son of Sufdur Ally. The young Nawab was, however, assassinated a few years later, and Anwur-ood-deen became Nawab, or Nabob, of the Carnatic, and was thus the founder of the family which still exists. The foregoing sketch has been introduced in order to explain the relations which existed between Anwur-ood-deen and Chunda Sahib. The former had attached himself to the English, the latter to the French; and at this juncture the war between the English and French com menced. Nizam-ool- appoints Anwur Sahib to the Carnatic. Before the declaration of war-indeed, as early as 1741-the French ministry sent an armament to India under Labourdonnais to India. despatched M. Labourdonnais, who, already distinguished by his talents, and by his successful government of Bourbon and the Mauritius, was also intimately acquainted with the politics and resources of India. He was to watch the pro gress of events in Europe, and be ready to act against Precaution of the English ministry. the English in case war should be declared. These preparations were known to the English ministry, who, in order to check them, sent a squadron of four ships to India under Commodore Barnet, which for some time cruised success fully in the Straits of Sunda, and after the declaration retreat. of war proceeded to the Coromandel coast. On June 25, 1746, they fell in with the fleet of Labourdonnais, and an indecisive action ensued off Negapatam, which ended in the retirement of the English squadron to Ceylon, the reason The English assigned for the act being the unseaworthy condition of the flagship, a vessel carrying 64 guns. The retreat of the English fleet left the coast open to Labourdonnais. He proceeded to Pondicherry, where he in vain endeavoured to excite Dupleix to co-operation; but donnais and Dupleix had other schemes of his own in view, and was not to be moved. Labourdonnais was, however, by no means without energy. He knew how helpless and de Labour Dupleix. Naval engagement off Negapatam. Labour fenceless Madras really was; he had a fine force at his command, and, with nine ships and two mortar vessels, Madras anchored in the Madras roads on September 14. He besieged by immediately landed his troops, and commenced the donnais. siege of the fort with 300 European sailors and soldiers, 400 Indians, and 400 Africans: and had as many in reserve, with ample stores, and ammunition for his guns. Against these forces the Madras factory could oppose barely 300 Europeans; many of them, the merchants and clerks of the factory, were non-combatants. In addition to the land attack, the fort was bombarded from the sea: and though the factory held out for some days in hope of a diversion by the English fleet, it surrendered on September 25, the Council promising surrenders to to pay a moderate ransom. This was subsequently fixed at 44 lacs-440,000%.—irrespective of the merchandise, and after three months, the settlement was to be evacuated, and to remain unmolested during the war. Madras the French. Dupleix sanction the surrender. superseded. To this convention Dupleix gave his unqualified opposition, and declined to become a party to it. The fort of Madras, he said, should have been razed to the ground, refuses to and the English deported; and it was with dismay terms of that the English found they were to remain at his mercy. Labourdonnais could not, or would not, stay in India; he sailed for the Mauritius, and on his arrival found Labourhe had been superseded, and had no resource but to donnais return home. The vessel in which he sailed was captured, and he was taken to England, where he was honourably and hospitably received and entertained; but on his He is arrival in France, he was imprisoned in the Bastille, imprisoned on March 2, 1748. Here he remained more than two acquitted. years without a trial, and when it took place, was acquitted of all the charges made against him; but his sufferings had His death. been great; he was reduced to poverty, and died, so to speak, of a broken heart. and but CHAPTER IV. THE PROGRESS OF THE ENGLISH (continued), 1746 To 1751 THE WAR IN THE CARNATIC. On the departure of Labourdonnais, Madras remained in possession of his troops, a member of the Council of Pondicherry being in charge of the local administration. If the English, under the D D of the Nawab of the expectation of an attack from the French, had previously made an arrangement with the Nawab of the Carnatic to afford them assistance, and had paid liberally for the services of his troops, Intervention Madras might have been better defended; but the Council was irresolute, entirely unaccustomed to war, Carnatic. and the opportunity passed by. The Nawáb, however, irritated by an attack upon the settlement within his jurisdiction, and from which he had derived friendly assistance, now remonstrated with Dupleix; but being haughtily refused satisfaction by him, attempted to enforce his demands, and sent his son Mafooz Khan, at the head of 10,000 men, to drive the French from Madras. He attacked the place on October 21, but was defeated in a sally by the French troops, and took up a position at Maliapoorum, or St. Thomé, about And again t four miles south of Madras, where he hoped to cut Mallapoorum. off succour from Pondicherry. Here he was assailed in front and rear, with great effect, by the French, and after conViolation of siderable slaughter of his men, his army fled. Madras being now secure, Dupleix deliberately violated the convention made by Labourdonnais. On October 30, he summoned a meeting of the English, confiscated all their The English property, and offered them the alternative of remaining publicly as prisoners of war on parole, or being sent to Pondidegraded. cherry. Some escaped to Fort St. David: but the governor and most of the inhabitants were taken to Pondicherry, and publicly degraded by being marched through the streets. Dupleix's next operation was an attack upon Fort St. David, a strong work fourteen miles south of Pondicherry, but in this he was unsuccessful; a portion of the attacking party was severely handled by a force sent for the relief of the place by the Nawáb, under his sons Mafooz Khan and Mahomed Ally; and a siege being impracticable, the troops, which had been commanded by a Swiss officer, named Paradis, Dupleix retreated. Disappointed in this, and in a subsequent attempt to surprise the place, Dupleix now commenced reprisals against the Nawáb's territory about Madras, which excited so much alarm, that the Nawáb, now attacks the Nawab's territory. believing, from Dupleix's representations, that the English had no real power, abandoned them, and sent English. his son Mafooz Khan to Pondicherry, where he was received with great pomp. The fort of St. David still, however, held out, and had received a supply of money and a reinforcement of twenty men from Ceylon. On March 2, 1747, another French force was seen approaching for a third time, and the garrison drew up to receive them. His troops defeated before Madras. the convention by Dupleix. Failure of attack on Fort St. David. Who abandons the Fort St. David relieved by a fleet from Eugland. |