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pendency on its ruins; a defign, he fays, which had been long and generally imputed to him. He farther obferves, that it was reported he had inherited a vaft mafs of wealth from his father Bulwant Sing, which he had fecured in the two ftrong fortreffes of Lutteefpoor and Bidjeygur; and that he made yearly additions to it; that he kept up a large military establishment, both of cavalry, of difciplined and irregular infantry, and of artillery; that befides the two already named, he had many other fortreffes, of ftrong construction and in good repair, conftantly well ftored and garrifoned; that he maintained a correfpondence with the Marrattas, and other powers, who either were or might eventually become enemies to the company; and, that he was collecting, or had prepared, every provifion for open revolt, waiting only for a proper feafon to declare it, which was fuppofed to depend, either on the arrival of a French armament, or on a Maratta invafion.

It will appear not a little extraordinary, that feveral of these matters, particularly whatever relates to the Rajah's military eftablishment and preparations, the ftate of his garrifons, and the internal condition or appearance of things, fhould be founded on no better authority than mere report, when it is confidered, that the ftrong fortrefs of Chunar, in the centre of his dominions, and within an eafy march of his capital, had for many years been garrifoned by the English; that his country was the highway and thoroughfare to the company's troops, in their frequent paffage to and from the

the

dominions of Oude, and all weftern fide of India; that it was equally the paffage and the refidence of their merchants and traders; and that it was at all times open to the free obfervation and infpection of their officers whether civil or military.

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Another offence was indeed charged on the Rajah, which perhaps had its weight. That he had, by his agents and emiffaries at Calcutta, taken an active and decided part againft the governor general, in thofe contefts which had for fome years back prevailed between him and other members of the council. To that continued oppofition which he met with in Calcutta, to the difapprobation of his conduct induftriously publifh. ed by the partics formed against him in England, and to the con. ftant expectation from thence en. tertained in India of his speedy degradation, the governor general attributes all the misconduct, mifdeeds, and crimes of the Rajah of Benares.

In the progrefs of his narrative, the governor general by degrees opens and avows the motives and objects of his expedition, with re. fpect to that prince. He fays, that he confidered Cheit Sing as culpable, in a very high degree, towards the ftate, and his punith. ment, (of which, he fays, he had given him frequent warnings if he did not amend his conduct) as an example which juftice and policy required. That, he was re folved to draw from his guilt the means of relief to the company's diftreffes, and to exact a penalty, which he was convinced he was very well able to bear, from a fund, which he was alfo convinc.

ed,

ed, he had deftined for purposes
of the most dangerous tendency to
the company's dominion. In a
word, that he had determined to
make him pay largely for his par-
don, or to exact a fevere venge-
ance for his paft delinquency.-
He feems, however, apprehenfive
in several inftances, that the tranf-
actions of which he gives the detail,
would be fubject to much difcuf-
fion, if not cenfure, at home; and
in one, he seems to think it necef-
fary to appeal to his motives, at leaft
in a certain degree, as a juftifica-
tion of his conduct.-He fays, "I
"will suppose for a moment that I
"have erred, that I have acted
"with an unwarrantable rigour
"towards Cheit Sing, and even
"with injuftice; let my motive
"be confulted: I left Calcutta
"impreffed with a belief that ex-
traordinary means were necef-
"fary, and thofe exerted with a
ftrong hand, to preferve the
company's interefts from finking
"under the accumulated weight
"which oppreffed them. I faw
"a political neceffity for curbing
"the overgrown power of a great
"member of their dominion, and
"for making it contribute to the
"relief of their preffing exigen-
"cies. If I erred, my error was
"prompted by an excess of zeal
"for their interefts operating with
"too ftrong a bias upon my judg-
"ment."

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cated and agreed upon, that the Rajah's offences requiring early pnnifhment, his wealth being great, and the company's exigencies preffing, it was a measure of policy and juftice to exact from him a large pecuniary mulet for their relief, the firft having declared his refolution to extend the fine to the amount of 40 or 50 lacks.

It appears from a conference between the governor general and Mr. Wheler, (which is flated in the narrative, they being, as we apprehend, the only members of the council then in Bengal) on the eve of the expedition, that it was then confidentially communi

The governor general's progrefs up the Ganges lafted near fix weeks before his arrival at Benares. Whether it proceeded from a fenfe of paft, a confcioufnefs of intended criminality, or a full knowledge of the dangers with which fuch progreffes were generally pregnant, and a conviction that these were now much augmented, under the peculiar preffure of the times; from whatever caufe it proceeded, it appears evidently that the Rajah was exceedingly alarmed at this journey, and that his mind feemed already to forebode fome part of the enfuing calamities. Indeed, exclusive of all other caufes of apprehenfion, the favourable reception and entertainment which Ouffaun Sing, a profligate relation of his, had for fome time received at Calcutta, and the fingular circumstance of his now attending the governor general in his train, and coming under that protection, would in themfelves have afforded no fmall room for alarm.

It appears from the Rajah's manifefto, and other teftimonies, which do not feem to be any where contradicted, that this man, who had once been dewan, or minifter, having loft his office through the effects of misconduct, or court intrigue, and afterwards fquan

dered

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dered his fubftance in a courfe of vice and profligacy, he was at Jength banished the country for his crimes. That being in that ftate joined by feveral whofe condition, characters, and defperate fortunes correfponded with his own, they drew together a number of those rovers of all nations, with whom India, more than any other part of the world, abounds, fo that he was at length enabled to invade, and to excite fome fort of rebellion in the country of Benares; and became fo formidable, that it was only by the aid of the English, whofe forces were called in for the purpose, that, after doing infinite mifchief, he was defeated and driven out. Such was the man, who now came in the fuite of the governor general, to revifit the city and country of Benares.

Upon the governor general's arrival at Buxar, on the borders of Benares, he was met by the Rajah, who brought with him a great train of the principal people of his country. Mr. Haftings remarks, with difapprobation, that he had brought with him a great fleet of boats; that he had afterwards been informed they were crowded with chosen armed men, to the amount of two thousand; and that this circumstance was a matter of much obfervation and notice with fome of the gentlemen of his train. It is not improbable that this matter was much mifrepresented to him. It is now evident that no defign had been formed against his perfon; nor can it be drawn or fuppofed from the fubfequent circumftances, that any fuch number of chofen, or of

armed men, were yet collected in a body.

The governor general informs us, that he received the Rajah with civility, and without any expreffion of difpleasure, at Buxar. That he received a fecond vifit from him in his boat, upon their paffage up the river, on the following morning; when a private conference was requested and granted. He does not at all affume being correct in his recollection of the particulars which paffed in this private converfation; for confidering it, he fays, as accidental, and as making no part of the plan which he had concerted in his own mind for his condu&t with the Rajah, he did not think it of fufficient confequence to make any written minutes.

From his recollection, however, of the fubftance of this conference, it appears that the Rajah expreffed much concern for his difpleasure, and contrition for having himself given any occafion for it; declaring at the fame time, and in the most humiliating terms, that the zemindary and every thing he poffeffed were at his devotion; that he expressed great fears about Ouffaun Sing; and that, upon that occafion, whether it proceeded from an extraordinary agitation of mind, or from a defire to imprefs a ftrong opinion of his fincerity, he accompanied his words with the fingular action of laying his turban in Mr. Haftings's lap.-The governor general, in answer, difclaimed the idea of his defcending to become a party in the Rajah's family difagreements; but avowed

his difpleasure to be equal to whatever he had heard or might have conjectured of it; and concluded by declaring, that he had been already deceived by his oaths and proteftations, and that he fhould not fuffer his purpofe to be changed, or his duty to be over-ruled, by any verbal conceffions or declarations. He takes no notice of any demands being made, or terms offered, upon this occafion.

Bat the Rajah ftates in his, manifefto, that the demands made upon him at this meeting, were in the highest degree exorbitant.That after difcourfing upon the fubject of the tribute, and profeffions from him of his attachment and fidelity to the company, and of his willingness to comply with their demands, the payment of no less a fum than a crore of rupees (amounting to a hundred lacks, or about 1,200,000 pounds fterling), was the demand made upon him; and that to this was added his furrender of the fortrefs of Bidjeygur, which he calls his "family refidence, the depofit of his women and of his honour."That to the first of thefe demands he pleaded inability; and with refpect to the fecond, he asked what he had done, that the company should dishonour him so as to take away the fort where his family refided.

On the day of their Aug. 14th, arrival at Benares, the 1781. governor general fent a meffenger to forbid the Rajah's waiting upon him in the evening as he had intended; defiring, at the fame time, that he might defer his future vifits until be thould obtain permiffion, as he had some matters previously to

fettle with him. As this infulting and fufficiently alarming meffage produced no manner of effect on the Rajah's motions or con duct, it may well be concluded that he had formed no defigns against Mr. Haftings's perfon; that he had made no armed preparations; and that he was equally indifpofed to flight and to refiftance.

On the following evening, Mr. Markham, the refident at Benares, was fent by the governor general with a paper drawn up by himfelf, containing the feveral charges which he laid against the Rajah, and demanding an immediate anfwer. These were founded on ́ the Rajah's repeated,evafion and breach of promife with respect to the payment of the fubfidies, and the lofs fuftained, in one particular inttance, by Colonel Camac's corps, through that failure; on his evafion and non-compliance with refpect to the body of cavalry which was demanded of him; his endeavours to excite diforders in the English government, by the means of secret emiffaries; and, mifgovernment in his own territories, by his fuffering the public perpetration of robberies and murders, in violation of the tenure by which he held them.But the great ftrefs of the whole feemed to be refted upon that infidelity and difaffection to government, which appeared in the two firft instances. ·

The Rajah, in his anfwer, which was returned late at night by Mr. Markham, entered into a written juftification of the feveral parts of his conduct. He states, that the payment of the fubfidies had been much more regularly made

than

than was represented; that he had fent a letter to the governor general, ftating his diftreffes, and requefting a little longer time for one payment; but that receiving no answer, and finding the matter preffed, he had ufed every exertion for its fpeedy difcharge. He gives a number of dates oppofed to fums, to fhew that the payments for the ufe of Camac's troops, were, by him, made in due time; that the remittance of it to the army was not left to him, and if it had, that no delay fhould have happened; fo that if the money was not conveyed in time, and any loss or detriment was thereby fuftained, it could not be imputed to him, but to thofe agents to whom he was ordered to pay it.

With refpect to the cavalry, he ftates, that the governor general having defired by letter to know the number he could fpare, he had, in anfwer, tranfmitted to him an exact account of the whole number in his fervice, which amounted to 1200 in all; with an account of their respective ftations, which were difperfed and remote. That he never received any answer to this letter; but that Mr. Markham having afterwards given him an order for having a thousand horse in readiness, he accordingly prepared 500 cavalry, and 500 burkendoffes, (which we fuppofe to be fome fort of militia or irregular troops) for this purpose. That he wrote an immediate account to the governor general of the ftate and readiness of these troops, expect ing a confequent order for their difpofal; that no answer was returned to this letter, any more

than the former; and that Mr. Markham and he repeatedly expreffed their mutual furprize, that no order with refpect to the deftination of the troops had been communicated to either.

He totally denied the charge of his having fent agents, emiffaries, or any of his people whatever, to Calcutta, excepting the few whom he particularly names, and who were fent openly and formally upon public bufiness to the governor general himself. He reprefents thefe and other charges as falfehoods invented by his enemies, merely for the accomplishment of his ruin; and while he complains of, and laments the unhappy effects which they had already produced, in that change of the governor general's favour, which he fo forely experienced, he congratulated himself upon his arrival in the country, as he would thereby have an opportunity upon the fpot of difproving all thofe charges.

The last charge, being that laid against his adminiftration of justice, upon the ground of robberies and murders being publicly committed with impunity in his country, was, in all its parts, no lefs denied. The Rajah, in that degrading ftile, which neceffity, along with peculiar habits and modes of thinking and speaking, have eftablifhed in the oriental world, concludes his letter by declaring himfelf the governor general's flave in all cafes whatever.

This fubmiffive language produced an effect very different from what might have been expected.Through whatever medium it was feen by the governor general, this juftification or defence, extorted

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