When General Carnac was empowered by the prefidency of Bengal, in the year 1765, to negociate the preliminary articles of a peace with Sujah Ul Dowlah, this matter was accordingly particularly committed to his charge: and it was laid down as a fpecific article of his inftructions, To Jecure Bulwant Sing in the pofffion of his country. By the fifth article of the treaty of Illahabad, which was foon after concluded by Lord Clive, although the moft extraordinary favours and advantages were in other refpects grant ed to Sujah Ul Dowlah, yet he was mott folemnly bound to continue Bulwant Sing in poffeflion of all the territories he held before the war, fubject only to the payment of the fame revenue as heretofore.

Confidering the immenfe objects which Lord Clive had at that time in act and in contemplation, it is no wonder that he did not pay all the attention to the wording of this article, which the prefidency, if it had been in their hands, would probably have done, and which the character of the vizier more especially demanded. The latter, by the

terms of the article, feemed to be bound only to Bulwant Sing's perfon, without any express provifion being made for the continuance of the zemindaries in the Rajah's family. It appears, however, from Lord Clive's corref pondence, that this was fully underftood by all the parties to be the clear intention of the article ; and the value and importance which was attributed to it by himself, and confirmed by the acknowledgment of the company at home, as well as by the prefidency of Calcutta, fufficiently fhews that they all received and confidered it in the fame fenfe. Lord Clive paid little attention to the nicety of words in a compact with a man, whom he regarded at this time merely as an inftrument of his own making, and the explanation of which would rest either with himself or the company.

In fact, the English by being the mediators of this condition, became virtually its guarantees; and the ties between them and the Rajah, being founded on their mutual interefts and fecurity, were from thence indiffoluble. He looked only to them for protection against the malice and rapacity of a cruel and perfidious tyrant; while, on the other hand, his country afforded them, without any expence, a ftrong and excellent barrier on the fide of Oude, and would, as well as his forces, anfwer all purposes of war and defence, as effectually as if it were their own.

When circumftances ferved, and the proper season was arrived, Sujah Ul Dowlah well knew how to turn to account this paft error, or

negligence in ftating the terms of the 5th article of the treaty of Illahabad; and indeed it is not impoffible that he had himself been originally its contriver, and found means for its paffing without examination. The death of Bulwant Sing, in the year 1770, afforded this opportunity; the letter of the treaty was in full prefervation, but its fpirit could not then fo clearly appear. The prefidency of Bengal was therefore obliged to interfere with vigour and fpirit in fupporting the interefts of the family, by procuring the inveftiture of Cheit Sing, in the government of his father, Bulwant's territories.

The negociation upon this affair was committed to Colonel Harper, who acted in it with great honour, and left no room for future doubt or evafion. The young rajah, upon this occafion, was obliged to make a prefent of twenty lacks of rupees to the Nabob vizier, and to increase the annual tribute, from twenty-one and a half, to twenty-four lacks. in the treaty, for the inftrument then perfected between Sujah Ul Dowlah and the Rajah Cheit Sing was fo denominated, the former bound himself fpecifically, that nothing more than what was therein declared, fhould ever be demanded of the latter; and he concluded, in the Mahommedan ftile, by a folemn appeal to God, the prophet, and the Koran, as parties and witneffes to the agreement, and, that between them, and their joint pofterity, there should never be a variation therein.

Colonel Harper in the confciousness of an integrity which

required no colouring, and which he difdained to illuftrate, informs his employers by letter upon the occafion, that he leaves it to the young rajah, and to all others who were concerned in or witneffes of the tranfaction, to fate what his conduct had been in this bufinefs; only obferving, that he had taken the ftrictest care, not to diminish our national honour, difintereftedness, and juftice; which he confiders, as having a greater effect, in fecuring the vaft poffetfions of the company, than even the force of their arms, however formidable. Sentiments, not more valuable for the humanity and bohour which they breathe, than for the wifdom of the policy which they convey.

This conclufive fettlement of the zemindary in the family of Bulwant Sing, was then deemed of fuch confequence to the company's affairs, that the prefident and council of Bengal congratulated the court of directors upon it, as an event highly important to their interefts, and of great moment in its future confequences.

It would feem now that nothing farther remained to be done in this bufinefs; and that fo far as compacts and reaties can be binding, the zemindary was fecured to the family and defcendants of Bulwant Sing. Yet whe her it proceeded from any fubfequent infractions of the agreement by the Nabob vizier, or from apprehenfions founded on the capricioufness and faithleffness of his difpofition, which it was thought could not be too carefully guarded againft, we find that this bufinefs [4]3

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was again taken up, and a new fettlement made in confirmation of the former.

This took place in the year 1773, when Mr. Haftings, then prefident of the council of Calcutta, thought it neceffary to make a progrefs to the court of the Nabob vizier, as well, perhaps, to obtain fome perfonal explanations from him with respect to patt and current matters, as to form thofe new connections and arrangements, with refpect to revenue, troops, and the acquifition of territory, which were foon after displayed in their effects. Upon this occafion, a new treaty or inftrument, to the fame pur, ort as the former, was concluded and ratified, between the Nabob vizier, and the Rajah Cheit Sing; but with this farther confirmation, and advantage to the Rajah, that the prefident, by himself figning and becoming a party to the prefent, thereby rendering the company actual guarantees, at all future times, to the due performance of the conditions. Indeed the neceffity of fomething. ftronger than treaties to bind the faith, and to reftrain the rapacity of the Nabob vizier, became upon that very occafion fully apparent; for notwithstanding the vaft advantages, which at the expence of his neighbours, as well as of his natural lord, the Mogul, were then thrown into his hands, he was exceedingly diffatisfied with Mr. Haflings, for not permitting him to extort ten lacks of rupees from the young rajah, as well as to ftrip him of two very ftrong forts, which conftituted the best defences of his country. Upon this occafion, as on the former, the in

ftrument was made eternally binding upon the parties, and upon their mutual pofterity.

Upon the death of the Nabob vizier in the year 1775, and the acceffion of his fon and fucceffor Affoff Ul Dowlah, new arrangements took place between the company and that prince, which affected the whole government of his dominions. Among these the fovereignty of Benares, and its de. pendencies, was entirely given over and transferred to the com. pany; the Rajah Cheit Sing then ftanding exactly in the fame degree of relation and vaffalage to that body, in which he had before stood with the Nabob of Oude. Nothing could exceed the fatisfaction which this transfer of fovereignty, and entire emancipation from a pricious tyranny, afforded to the young Rajah and his family. They were now placed in the hands of their old friends, allies and protectors, and the moft flattering profpects of lafting quiet, fecurity and happiness were in view.

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Thefe hopes were confirmed, if they could be fupposed to re quire any confirmation by a letter from Mr. Haftings, who had been appointed to the new and high office of governor general. This letter teemed with fentiments of regard, honour and juftice, and authorized the British refident at the court of Benares to affure the Rajah that no farther tribute than that already ftipulated, should be exacted from him, and that it fhould not under any future change of government be enlarged. A recommendation about the fame time, from the governor general and council to

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the Rajah, that he should raise and fupport a body of 2,000 horfe, or rather, perhaps, that he fhould increase the cavalry already on his establishment to that number, as it was in no degree preffed as an obligation, but feems to have been merely proposed as a meafure of common utility, and a provifion against any future and unforeseen danger, could afford no caufe of apprehenfion, nor indicate any changein the Rajah's condition. It is not denied, that the Rajah of Benares continued to adhere to the engagements on his fide, by the punctual discharge of the ftipulated revenue, nor that his conduct was in every respect highly fatisfactory, until new and unexpected demands occafioned fuch alteration in it, as proved at length the means of giving umbrage to the government of Calcutta. Upon intelligence of the war with France, it was determined by the governor general and council, in the month of July 1778, that the Rajah Cheit Sing fhould be required to to contribute an extraordinary fubfidy of five lacks of rupees, towards the expences which this new exigency would impofe on their government during the current year. It may be fuppofed, that the innovation thus propofed, and the danger of the precedent, affected the Rajah much more than the amount or value of the fum demanded. However that was, the governor general informs us in his narrative, that after many excufes, and proteftations of inability, the Rajah at length confented, with a very ill grace, to the payment, and discharged it with a worse.

The increasing exigencies and expences of a war, which was becoming general throughout India, were not likely to produce any remiffion of thefe demands, when once the ice was broken, and the precedent established. They were annually repeated; while the unwillingness of compliance, and the backwardness of payment, became every year more apparent, and afforded farther room for diffatisfaction. During the many ages in which the Hindoo princes and landholders have been doomed to fuffer the oppreffion and exorbitance of foreign power, a ftri& concealment of their wealth, and a conftant plea of ex. treme poverty, have been the weak means which they generally adopted to elude the extortion and rapacity of their rulers, Rajah of Benares reforted to this established practice; and even fo early as the payment of the fecond year's fubfidy, although he was known or fuppofed to be very rich, he affected to borrow money in small fums, and even to fell his plate and jewels, as demonftrations of his inability; and was ftill fo flow in his payments, that it was found neceffary to quicken him, by fending two battalions of fepoys to be quartered in his dominions, and their pay to be charged to his account, until he had made good the whole.

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