tain of his abilities, and of the indefatigable attention he has shewn in the execution of the important trust repofed "in him." Nevertheless, the cabals of his enemies after a time fo far prevailed, that the court of directors tranfmitted orders to deprive Mahomed Reza Khan of his office, and to institute an enquiry into his conduct. In conformity to his fecret instructions, Mr. Hastings caused this minister to be arrested in the city of Moorshedabad, and to be brought down to Calcutta, where he was, by various artifices of delay, kept in prison for two years. At length being brought to trial, he was completely and honorably acquitted of the charges preferred against him: and the court of directors, in their subsequent dispatch, testify their fatisfaction in the refult of this enquiry; at the fame time ordering him to be reinstated in the offices which he had heretofore held. This was accordingly done by general Clavering, colonel Monfon, and Mr. Francis, who now constituted the majority of the council:-not, however, without a formal protest from the governor general Haftings; though the court of directors again declared their high approbation of this re-appointment, giving him an affurance of their favor and protection. This was, however, of little avail; for no fooner did Mr. Haftings obtain a majority in the council, by the deaths, first of colonel Monfon (Sept. 1776), and in the following year of fir John Clavering, than Mahomed Reza Khan was again removed from his offices, the principal of which was filled by Sudder ul Hock khan, a man wholly devoted to the governor, who wrote to the nabob, that nothing could retrieve the confufion into which the country was thrown, but an unlimited power lodged in the hands of the fuperintendant: to which the Nabob, now become, to use the words of Mr. Haftings, " a mere pageant without even the shadow of authority," his annual revenue also being arbitrarily reduced from 42 to 16 lacks-expreffed in abject terms his entire acquiefcence and fubmiffion. The court of directors, on being informed of these proceeds ings, in a tone of high difpleasure declared, " that NO DOUBT could be entertained of the true design of this extraordinary business," and positively commanded the immediate restoration of Mahomed Reza Khan to the office of Naib Soubadar. After much studied evafion and delay, this order was complied with. But, on the departure of Mr. Francis from India, Mahomed Reza Khan was a third time dismissed from his office, by Mr. Hastings, without any specific charge, trial, or enquiry whatsoever. On a retrospective view of these transactions, it cannot but excite our aftonishment to hear Mr. Hastings affirm, in his minutes of defence, respecting Mahomed Reza Khan, "I am fure his sentiments for me are those of GRATITUDE and AFFECTION." On the last dismission of Reza Khan, fir John Doyley was placed near the perfon of the nabob Mobaric ul Dowla, to fuperintend his expences, with a particular instruction to the nabob, not to admit any English, but fuch as the faid fir John Doyley should approve, to his prefence. SUCH was the spirit of Mr. Haftings's internal administration; the most remarkable events relating to his external policy yet remain to be investigated.

The MAHRATTA STATES are the only people of Hin doftan who were not fubdued by the Moguls, or who never acknowledged allegiance to the house of Timur. Secure amidst their inacceffible mountains, they preferved,, unimpaired, their liberty and independency, and were at all times regarded by the most powerful of the Mahomedan emperors as very formidable adverfaries. This nation confifted of a number of distinct tribes, governed by their refpective chieftains, but who all recognized, as their fupreme head, a prince styled the fou or ram rajah, i. e. the great rajah, whose throne was established at Setterah. Since the decline of the Mogul power, that of the Mahrattas had risen rapidly on its ruins.

At this period their dominions extended from Travancore, near the fouthern extremity of the peninfula, to the province of Guzzerat, northward, divided from the Perfian territories by the river Paddar, the Jumna separating them from the empire of the Mogul. To the east they stretch to the Carnatic and the dominions of the Nizam of the Decan, the province of Catac carrying their poffeffions irregularly across the peninsula to the bay of Bengal. Their revenues were computed to amount to more than twelve millions sterling; and their military establishment, which was compofed chiefly of cavalry, to 300,000 men.

It is a fingular circumstance in this government, that the fovereignty of the Sou or Ram Rajah exifts at this day only in name. Nana Row, peishwa or prime minifter of the country at a period not very remote, feizing the perfon of the rajah, confined him in a fortrefs near Setterah; and, ufurping the powers of the government, continued to administer them in the name of the fovevereign. Nana Row, dying, left the fucceffion to his fon Mada Row, who finding a rival in the perfon of Ragonaut Row, his uncle, a man of an intriguing difpofition and most flagitious character, kept him in close confinement till near the time of his own death; when, being anxiously defirous to enfure the quiet fucceffion of the peishwaship to his brother Narrain Row, he became reconciled to Ragonaut, in confequence of the most folemn promises of the latter to affift the young Narrain Row with his most tender care, protection, and advice. The credulous Mada Row shed tears of joy and fatisfaction at this happy event, and closed his eyes in peace. But the vile and unnatural wretch, thus generoufly liberated, immediately engaged in new plots against his nephew Narrain; and in a few months after his acceffion, September 1773, the young peishwa was affaffinated by the villanous contrivance of his uncle, who expected to have fucceeded without difficulty to the government. VOL. II. But

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But the horror and detestation excited by a crime of this enormous magnitude occafioned an opposition so general, that the parricide Ragonaut was compelled to fly his country.

Unhappily he directed his course to the island of Bombay, the government of which not only granted him, without hefitation, their protection; but, affecting to admit the validity of his claims, they commenced open hoftilities against the Mahrattas, indulging the most ambitious and fanguine hopes, if the restoration of Ragonaut Row could be accomplished by their aid, to rival Madras and Calcutta in opulence and power.

The island of Salfette, and the city of Baroach, were quickly reduced by the valor of the company's troops; but it does not appear that at this period the presidency of Bombay received any encouragement from Mr. Haftings to profecute these nefarious projects of aggrandifement. On the contrary, the governor joined with the new counsellors, Clavering, Monfon, and Francis, in reprobating these proceedings; declaring by an act of council, paffed May 1775, that the measures adopted by the presidency of Bombay had a tendency to a very extensive and indefinite scene of troubles; and that their conduct was unseasonable, impolitic, unjust, and unauthorised." And availing themselves of the fuperiority vested in them by the late act, colonel Upton was sent on an embaffy to the Mahratta court, for the purpose of negotiating a peace, which was concluded at Poonah, and ratified March 1st, 1776, upon terms very honorable and advantageous. By this treaty Salfette, Baroach, and various adjoining diftricts in the Guzzerat provinces, were ceded to the company, and the sum of twelve lacks of rupees allotted to them as an indemnification for the expences of the

war.

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On the other hand, it was stipulated that Ragonaut Row should withdraw from Bombay, and that no pro

tection

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tection or assistance should be granted to him or any other subject of the Mahratta state, who may cause any difturbance or rebellion in that country. Notwithstanding the folemnity of this engagement, Ragonaut Row still continued at Bombay, and by means of his agents fomented parties and dissensions in the court of Poonah, until the Mahratta government, jealous in the highest degree of the designs of the English, were provoked to receive with marked distinction the chevalier de St. Lubin, agent or ambaffador from the French Prefidency of Pondicherry.

Mr. Hastings was now completely emancipated from the control of the new commiffion, by the successive deaths of colonel Monson and general Clavering; and even previous to the decease of the latter, being affured of the invariable support of Mr. Barwell, his own casting vote gave him on all occafions a decided majority.

It is very remarkable, that during the whole course of the contention between the governor general and the new counfellors, the proceedings of the governor were, in almost every dispatch from England, cenfured and condemned in severe terms, while the conduct of his opponents was as uniformly applauded; yet the governor general was unaccountably continued in office, and fuffered ultimately to carry his romantic projects into unrestrained and ruinous execution. In their letter of April 1776, the court of directors highly commend the indefatigable affiduity which, they say, appears in the laborious researches of the majority of the council, and their zeal for the interest of the company, and the welfare of the inhabitants, as well natives as Europeans. In a fubfequent letter, addressed to Sir John Clavering, in the expectation of his speedy return to Europe, the court express the deep sense they entertain of his fingular services, and great concern they felt at the profpect of losing so invaluable a servant. And in their general letter of May 7, 1778, they lament

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