Page images
PDF
EPUB

bis 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 should not fuffer his purpose 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.

But 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 these demands he pleaded inability; and with refpect to the fecond, he afked what he had done, that the company fhould dishonour h'm 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 fome matters previously to

fettle with him. As this infulting and fufficiently alarming meffage produced no manner of effect on the Rajah's motions or conduct, 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 refift

ance.

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 respect to the Lody of cavalry which was demanded of him; his endeavours to excite diforders in the English government, by the means of fecret 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 inftances.

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 ftates, that the payment of the fubfidics had been much more regularly made,

than

than was reprefented; that he had fent a letter to the governor general, ftating his difireffes, and requefting a little longer time for one payment; but that receiving noanfwer, and finding the matter preffed, he had ufed every. exertion for its fpeedy difcharge.-He gives a number of dates op pofed 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 lofs 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 refpective 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 horfe in readinefs, 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 respect 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 bufinefs 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 himfelf 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 juf tice, upon the ground of robberies and murders being publicly committed with impunity in his country, was, in all its parts, no lefs denied. The ajah, in that degrading ftile, which neceflity, along with peculiar ha! its and modes of thinking and fpeaking, 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

4

as

as it was at the inftant, without time for deliberation or council, and agaieft charges of the moft alarming nature, was confidered by him as an infult of the highest and mott offenfive kind. He fays, it was lefs a vindication of the Kajab, than a recrimination on himfelf; and holds it as an anfwer nearly couched in terms of defi. ance. He obferves that the Rajah, in his reply, infifted much upon the many letters which he had written to him, praying to be difpented from obeying the orders of government, and of his receiving no anfwer to them. He feems to think this might be true; but he obferves, in a high tone of authority, that it was the Rajah's duty to obey the pofitive and repeated orders which he had received," and not to wafte "his time with letters of excufe, "to cavil with his anfwers for eva"fions, or with his filence for delays."―The Rajah's pleas of want of money, or inability to perform whatever was required, were held, upon ail ccafions, prefent or paft, as dire&t and abfolute infult.

The governor general feems to have had fome doubts, on the ground of policy and public opinion, with respect to the extent and rigour of the measures which it might be proper to purfue, for the reformation of the 'ajah's conduct, and the prefervation of the company's rights and interefts. He obferves, that, to have left him in the full exercife of powers which he had notorioufly abufed, and which it was to be apprehended he would employ to the moft dangerous purpofes, would be totally inconfiftent with the

maxims of juftice and prudence.--On the other hand, that to divest him entirely of the zemindary, tho' juftifiable on the grounds which he had stated, would have carried an appearance of feverity, and might have furnished an opportunity for conftructions, unfavourable to the credit of the company's government, and to his own reputation, from that natural influence, which, he obferves, every act of rigour exercifed upon the perfons, of men in elevated ftations, is apt to imprefs on the minds of thofe, who are too remote from the fcene of action to judge, by any other evidence than that of the direct facts themselves, of their motives or propriety.

He accordingly adopted, as a middle courfe, which might bring the Rajah to the terms, and into that ftate of dependence which he intended, without proceeding to the abfolute extreme of feverity, the measure of laying his perfon under an arrest Mr. Markham, the refident, was commiffioned to execute this bufinefs; being inAtructed to proceed early in the . morning, with only his cuftomary guard, as if it had been merely a common vifit, to the villa or palace where the Rajah then refided, which lay on the banks of the Ganges, being on the fame fide of the river with the city of Benares, and at about two miles diftance; he was there to put him under arreft; to require his immediate fubmiflion in the governor general's name; and to keep him in his cuftody until he received further orders. Two companies of fepoys, belonging to Major Popham's detachment, were

ordered

ordered to follow and fupport Mr. Markham in the execution of this fervice.

The Rajah refigned himself with the greatest fubmiffion to the arreft, and affured the refident, that whatever the governor general's orders might be, he would implicitly obey them. He hoped, he faid, that he would allow him a fubfiftence; but as for his zemindary, his forts, and his treasure, he was ready to lay them at his feet, and his life itfelf, if it was required. He lamented much, and feemed exceedingly, to feel, the ignimony to to which he was expofed by this public difgrace; and intreated Mr. Markham that he would return to

the governor general, and give him an account of the full and ready obedience which he paid to his orders; hoping that he would make allowances for his youth and inexperience, and, in confideration of his father's name, release him from his confinement, as foon as be fhould prove the fincerity of his offers, and that he was deferving of compaffion and forgiveness. To confirm his verbal fubmiffions, he repeated them in a letter, which he fent by the refident, the concluding fentences being," Whatever may be your "pleasure, do it with your own "hands. I am your flave. What "occafion can there be for a "guard ?"

Succeeding letters foon followed Mr. Markham. Thefe were couched in terms of fuch extreme defpondency, that the governor general thought it neceifary to prevent his apprehenfions from operating in too great a degree, by informing him in a fhort note,

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

equal to the business of the fir"car? Whoever, with his hands "in a fupplicating pofture is "ready with his life and pro

[ocr errors]

perty, what neceffity can there "be for him to be dealt with in "this way?"

The refident had given him an early caution and charge, that he fhould order his people to behave in a quiet and orderly manner, for that any attempt towards his refcue would be attended with inevitable deftruction to himself.Upon Mr. Markham's departure, he had left the Rajah in the custody of Lieutenant Stalker, who commanded his own guard, and of the Lieutenants Scott and Simes, who led the two grenadier companies of fepoys. The inftructions given to thefe officers were, that they fhould difarm every fervant of the Rajah's; that they fhould allow him any eight or ten of his domeftics, whom he might choose or approve of, for the attendance of his perfon; that to guard against any deception, thefe perfons, fo appointed, were to be particularly hewn to the fepoy

guard;

L

guard; and that the officers might indulge the Rajah in any requeft which was confiftent with the fecurity of his perfon.

It was probably highly fortunate to Mr. Markham, that the preparing of his inftructions (which were undoubtedly intended to be conclufive) took up fo much time, as confiderably to delay his return to the confined Rajah. It seemed indeed fcarcely well to be expected, that in the neighbourhood of a capital city, adjoining befides to a large town, and in a part of the world where the people are fo exceedingly attached to their native princes, fuch a matter could have hung in fufpence during the greater part of a day, while the multitude, ignorant of what was really paffing, dreaded every moment to be that, which might prove fatal to their fovereign, without its producing fome violent popular commotion. It appears then upon the whole, that the governor general had placed too great a confidence in the effect to be produced by his name, and in the refpect or terror attached to his fituation and character, in venturing upon fo bold and extraordinary a measure, without having fuch a force immediately upon the spot, as would be fufficient effectually to overawe the people, and if not entirely to prevent, to be at leaft able to check commotion in the very bud. Perhaps likewise he fell into that common European error, which neither reason nor experience have been able to eradicate, and built too much upon the fuppofed timidity of the people.

The antient palace of Ramnagur, lay on the oppofite fide of VOL. XXVI.

the Ganges, and at no great diftance from that in which the Rajah was in cuftody. This was the ufual or principal refidence of the prince; and in the antique ftile, anfwered the double purpotes of a fortrels and palace. It was accordingly, a vaft pile of irregular but maffy buildings, couftructed of ftone, and partly lying on the banks, and partly built within the very bed of the river. Some fmall and ordinary outworks had of late years been formed as additions to its original ftrength; and by degrees, a closebuilt, large, and very populous town, had grown up round it. The eftablishment of a fmall ftanding garrifon, and of a governor, who were appointed to the charge of this place, at all times, whether during the Rajah's prefence or abfence, feems to have been merely an object of state-fhew and magnificence. The refidence of the court, which had given birth to the town, may be fuppofed the caufe, that the inhabitants were peculiarly and violently attached to the perfon and interefts of the prince.

Just as Mr. Markham was fetting out with his final inftructions, intelligence was received, that large bodies of. armed men had croffed the river from Ramnagur, and proceeded directly to the palace where the Rajab was in cuftody. The two companies of fepoy grenadiers who formed his guard, were ftationed in an enclofed fquare, which furrounded the apartment in which he was confined. It will appear not a little extraordinary, but fully fhews either the contempt in which the fpirit of the people was [B]

beld

« PreviousContinue »