DING USE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
AT LOS ANGELES
LETTER
TO THE
PROPRIETORS
O F T H E
EAST INDIA STOCK.
ERRATA.
Page 14. line olt. for Colonel, read Council.
15. line 4. for the Company's forces, read the King's
and Company's forces.
15. line n. for Colonel, read Council.]
29. line 23. for Plaflis, read Plaffey.
LETTER
TO THE
PROPRIETORS
OF THE
EAST INDIA STOCK,
FROM
LORD CLIVE.
LONDON:
Printed for J. N o u R s E, oppofite Catherine-ftreet, in
the Strand, Bookfeller in Ordinary to His MAJESTY.
M.DCC.LXIV.
. I
c ** * * *
A*...'
AN
ADDRESS
TO THE
OF THE
<
K
QQ
EAST INDIA STOCK.
f" "A H E laft Election of the India Direc-
tors drew many unjuft attacks on my
character ; and it is probable, I may
f- be cenfured by fome, for having fuffered
fuch reports as were fpread againft me du-
ring the conteft to have remained fo long
unanfwered , but knowing, that even the
authors of them could not themfelves be-
lieve them -, and confcious to myfelf, that
every part of my conduct, in the great mare I
had in the management of the Company's af-
fairs, would bear the moft rigid fcrutiny, and
the more known be the more approved , I held
B them
[ * ]
them in too much contempt to merit any an*
iwer. But as I find the unjufl attack on my
character has been followed by an attack on
my fortune, and infinuations thrown out to
juftify thefe proceedings, very injurious to my
honour, I reluctantly fubmit to vindicate my-
felf, and muft rely upon the candour of the
Proprietors, not to impute it to oftentatious
vanity, if in fpeaking of myfelf I do aver, that
I founded all my actions in their fervice on
honourable motives.
To ftate this clearly, I am obliged to go
back to that period when commerce was the
Company's fole object. The firft principle on
which the Company's fettlements were efta-
bliftied, was intirely commercial. The Mogul
government had, during the long and wife ad-
miniftration of Aurengzebe, taken fuch deep
root, that the many nations which formed the
empire of Indoftan were fubjqgated to the Mo-
gul in various forms ; fome of them tributary
and hereditary,' and others governed by Na-
bobs, or Viceroys, under the immediate ap-
pointment of the Emperors.
Such
t 3 ]
Such Was the ftate pf the empire when the
Englifh fettled in India \ and, in the reign of
FurrUckfeer, they obtained phirmonds, or
royal grants, for eftahlilhing themfelves in
Bengal, Madrafs, and Surat, with privirege of
trading duty-free ; and a grant of a certain
diftricT: of land to fettle upon, and liberty to
fortify and govern themfelves by their own
laws. But as the Englifh faw no violence to
. be apprehended from a people who had a juft
idea of commerce, and ,a government at that
time well adminiftred, ' they built with very
little view of defence, and carried on their
trade free from oppreflion.
The governors of the diftant provinces difco-
vering the weaknefs to which the power of the
Emperor wrfs reduced by the invafion of Nadir
Shah were no longer retrained by fear ; each af-
fumed and exercifed fovereign authority over his
province, and looked on his government as an
heritage to his family. Scarce any more of the
annual fums, before paid by them to the Mo-
gul, were fent to court ; and, to maintain
themfelves in their fovereignty, they levied
forces far beyond what the ordinary revenues
B 2 would
[ 4 ]
would maintain : From hence opprefiions be-
came necefiary, and, in their turn, the Eu-
ropeans were opprefled, not only in their trade,
but large fums extorted from them by vio-
lence. Monf. Dupleix, the Governor of Pon-
dicherry, was the firft who took the alarm, and
was the firft who difcovered the fuperiority of
European difcipline, and from hence was led
into the idea of acquiring a territorial fove-
reignty in India.
It is probable, he at firft extended his views
no farther than a diftrict round Pondicherry -,
but when once engaged in the politics of the
country, his fuccefles fo far furpafled his ex-
pectation, and opened fuch a fcene of power
to him, that he difdained the narrow limits he
might at firft prefcribe to himfelf ; and no
doubt but they were enlarged, not only to
the conqueft of the Carnatic, but to the ex-
tirpation of all other European nations, and
even to the reduction of .the whole Mogul
empire, and to make it a dependant ftate on
the crown of France.
The Englifh beheld his progrefs with afto-
niihment, but were not rouzed to action, till
they
[ 5 ]
they found themfelves on the point of being
fwallowed up by the French power. Forced
to it, they with reluctance, in 1750, undertook
the fupport of Mahomed Ally againft Chunda
Saheb, under whofe name the French carried
on their ambitious projects.
It is not my intention to enter into a mi-
nute detail of that long war, maintained on
our fide againft a conftant fuperiority of num-
bers, at the expence of the lives of many
thoufands of brave men, and at the rifque of
near a million fterling of the Company's pro-
perty , I fhall only- obferve, that from our
fuccefies, the Nabob's fituation was fo different
at the end of the year 1753, from what it was
in 1750, at which time the fingle city of
Trichinopoly was the only part of his do-
minions that remained unconquered by the
French, that in 1753 he had recovered, and
was mafter of, almoft the whole Carnatic ; and
at that time the French refources feemed near-
ly exhaufted.
The French Company, elated at the fuc-
cefs which attended Monf. Dupleix in the com-
mencement of the war, at firft faintly approved
B 3 his
his meafures ; but the oppofition of the other
European powers, the unforefeen events of
war, and the deviating fo widely from their
natural object of commerce, rendering the
event very uncertain, there was nothing could
fix thtir faith in the rectitude of thofe mea-
fures, but fuccefles that might attend them,
and a happy period to the war, which Monf,
Pupleix promifed them in every letter. But,
inftead of thefe fuccefles, they faw the coun-
tries,' of which they expected the revenues
would be their reward, in the hands of their
enemies, and their ftock exhaufting in the
fupport of an uncertain war, which ruined
their trade, and the manufactories of the coun-
try, from which they had before reaped advan-
tages fuitable to their eftablifhment.
The war appeared in the fame light to the
Englifh Company, and therefore both agreed
on a neutrality for the Carnatic, till means
mould be found to put an end to that and all
future wars by negociations at home. But as
it regarded the Carnatic only, it did not check
the progrefs of the French arms in the Decan,
the Soubah of which, had ceded to. them MaiTii-
lipatan,
C 7 ]
lipat^n, and four provinces, which yielded them
a revenue of 400,000 /. fferling a year. Nor did,
there appear any check to their progrefs in
that country : the French gave law, by their
influence over the Soubah, to a country as ex-
tenfive and populous as France ; and by a pru-
dent management of what they had fo acquired,
or by increafe of dominion, it was in their power
even then to have laid a foundation on which Ni.
Dupleix's great ideas of conqueft' might have
been realized. And altho' the French Company
themfelves mould have chofen to adhere to their
commercial interefts, Dupleix's projects fuited
too well with that fpirit of conqueft which
prevails in the French court, to be neglected j
and upon the breaking out of the war it is
reafonable to conclude^ from the forces fent
out under General Lally, that they adopted
them in their utmoft extent. Our fettlements
were but a feconda*ry object , their forces were
fo formidable, that they, with great probabi-
lity, imagined them a trifling obftacle, (which
furmounted) Cape Comerin and the Ganges
might have been the boundaries of their do-
minions. The fpirited efforts of Mr. Pocock
B 4 could
[ 8 ]
could not prevent their landing their army :
St. Davids fell ; no obflacle but Fort St.
George remained to the accomplishment of
their farther conquefts. Here they met with
a refiflance fuitable to the importance of the
object j and I am perfuaded, that MefTrs. Pi-
gott, Laurence, Draper, and many other gen-
tlemen of the garrifon would have been buried
under its ruins, fooner than have furrendered
the place.
The fiege was raifed, their army reduced,
and misfortunes prefled them on every fide.
Prior to the fiege of Madrafs, they had loft
all their fetdements in Bengal : four hundred
Europeans, fent under Col. Ford into the De-
can, by the great fuccefs of that gallant officer,
put a period to their expectations in that
country. The reduction of Maftilipatan, the
four northern provinces, and the making all the
French army there prifoners, greatly contri-
buted to our fuccefs at Fort St. George, as it
diverted great part of the French forces, who
otherwife would have been called to the fiege
of Madrafs, and deprived them of fupplies of
money and provifions. And finally, as Col.
Ford's
t 9 ]
Ford's expedition obliged the French to fend
from the coaft 500 men for the relief of Mafu-
lipatan, of whom very few returned to Pondir
cherry, the French were reduced to act upon
the defenfive only, and were greatly diftrefied
for money and provifions, which Fort St.
George was plentifully fupplied with from Ben-
gal. Under thefe circumftances the fall of
Pondicherry clofed the fcene of all their glory,
and left them not a foot of land in India.
Thus have* I traced, from its commencement,
the progrefs and iflue of a war, begun on prirt-
ciples of French ambition, but happily ter-
minated by the greateft efforts of valour and
good conduct on the part of the Englifh. I
flatter myfelf, that every Proprietor mull re-
ceive infinite pleafure in the reflection, that
they will foon reap the benefit of theie great
and glorious fuccefles, now fecured to them by
the XI th article of the definitive treaty. Al-
though there are fome geographical errors,
fuch as making the Soubah of Bengal's domi-
nions extend near 200 miles more than they
do, to Yanam, and making that place the
northern inftead of the fouchern part of the coaft
of
t >o ]
of Orixa : the acknowledging Salabad Jing
lawful Soubah of the Decan, and Mahomed Ally
Cawn lawful Nabob of the Carnatic, had bet-
ter have been omitted for feveral reafons, and
may be productive of difputes hereafter be-
tween the two Companies : yet, upon the
whole, the article is very advantageous to the
Eaft India Company.
As my oppofition originally arofe from the
defects in the Preliminary Articles, (in which
the intereft of the Eaft India Company ap-
peared to me to be much expofed) it affords
me a very particular pleafure to think that I
have been any ways inftrumental to the amend-
ment of that article relative to the Company.
Of the part I acted in it, Mr. Wood himfelf
bore teftimony in the general court ; and tho'
it had but little weight at that time, yet I
perfuade myfelf, that when the voice of cla-
mour ceafes, that, like every other part of my
conduct towards the company, will be found
to have fprung from the warmeft zeal for their
honour and intereft.
As to myfelf, I can with truth affirm, that
the principal motive that induced me to offer
myfelf
r ' j
myfelf a candidate for the India Direction, was
the intereft of the Eaft India Company , and
my reafon-s for efpoufing the caufe of Mr.
Rous, arofe from a conviction of his integrity.
Contrary to my expectation, my opponents,
the very men who had fo often concurred in
giving me the moft public teftimonies of their
fenfe of my fervices, were men that oppofed
my coming into the Direction. Better verfed
in luch bufmefs than myfelf, they prevailed in
this difpute, and every fpecies of calumny was
made ufe of that malice could invent ; and
the firft ftep my opponents took, after the
election, was to order their fervants abroad to
ftop the rents of my eftate in the Eaft Indies,
which they themfelves had regularly paid me
for feveral years, without objection. Their
motives for taking fuch a ftep at fuch a time
are too obvious to be infifted upon.
Anonymous letters in the public papers were
the channel my enemies chofe for thofe dif-
honourable reflections, which not one amongfl
them would have dared to have fet their
names to.
I have
[ 12 ]
I have collected, from the heap of abfurdi-
ties publifhed on that occafion in the Gazet-
teer of the 1 2th of April, 1763, the following
articles.
i ft. That I had refufed to anfwer certain in-
quiries refpeding the diftribution of the Na-
bob's treafure.
2dly. That I had done injuftice to the rela-
tions of the unhappy fufterers in the Black
Hole, by with-holding from them the fums
ftipulated by treaty for their indemnification.
3dly. That having depofed the Nabob, I
entered the treafury, and diftributed the wealth
according to the pleafure of thofe intruded
with the Company's authority, leaving the
Nabob deftitute, and neceflitated to borrow
money of the Company for his neceflary ex-
pences ; by all which the Company may here-
after become refponfible to the Mogul.
4thly. That no fcrvant of the Company
fhall remit money home but by their cam,
which order I broke through, by remitting
large fums by the. Dutch cam.
5thly. That I was guilty of a breach of
truft, by fuppjying a Portuguefe (hip, bound
from
from Bengal to Lifbon, with goods and money,
to the great detriment of the Company.
6thly. That I have no right to an annual
revenue of 2 7,000 /. a year, given me by the
Nabob, which muft be fupported and main-
tained at the Company's expence.
The firft of thefe articles does not explain
what the inquiries were I had refufed to an-
fwer ; I therefore do not clearly underftand
what the tendency of fuch inquiries were. If
they had any relation to the monies received
from the Nabob by the Company, the treaties
entered into with the Nabob by the Admirals
Watfon and Pocock, the Prefident of Fort
William and myfelf, in confequence of which
the Company received nar a million and an
half flerling, will account for that proportion
to which the Company can lay any claim. This..
however does not feem to be the matter al-
luded to, but fomething refpecling myfelf,
or the fortune I acquired- in the Compa-
ny's fervice. It is well known, that I was not
in England at the time the general court was
held relating to the diftribution of the Nabob's
i treafure,
[ '4 1
treofure and could not poflibly give any an-
fwer to inquiries on that fubject j but if there
was any foundation for fuch inquiries, the Di-
rectors were wanting in their duty to the Com-
pany, in not making them after my return :
and it will appear, that the Directors, under
their own hands, approved of the donations
beftowed by the Nabob on individuals for
their fervices. But however, as the neglect of
the Directors, if that was the cafe, in not
Calling me to account, can by no means fanc-
tify my actions, it is neceffary that I give
the beft fatisfaction I am able relative to this
matter.
I was appointed, by the gentlemen of Fort St.
George, commander in chief of the troops fent
for the recovery of the Company's fettlements
in Bengal, on board the fleet commanded by
Admiral Watfon. On our arrival in the Gan-
ges, we found the unhappy remains of a once
ftourifhing colony on board a few merchants
mips in that river. We landed, drove the
enemy from Fort William, and put the Com-
pany's Governor and Colonel in pofiefilon.
4 The
[ '5 ]
The Nabob then came down with an army of
fixty or feventy thoufand men, and a heavy
train of artillery, flulhed by his late fuccefles
againft the Englifh. The Company's forces,
confifting of a battalion of 450 men, a batta-
lion of Seapoys, and a body of failors from the
fquadron, attacked the Nabob in his camp,
and defeated him. We then made a treaty
with him, by which he engaged to reftore all
the effec"ts he had taken. In confequence of
which, the Governor and Colonel recovered' in
goods and money to a large amount. *
War being declared againft France, we
took Chandernagore j and having convin-
cing proofs, that the Nabob's firm intention
was to extirpate the Englifh, as foon as the
troops and fquadron left the river, we entered
into an alliance with Meer Jaffier Ally Cawn,
a general officer in the Nabob's fervice, and
near relation to the Nabob , and according-
ly a treaty f was concluded between us, the
chief
* A copy of this treaty may be feen in the Appendix,
No. i.
f- A copy of which may be feeu in the Appendix,
No. 2.
chief object of which was, on the part of
our ally, a full fatisfaction to the Company
and all the inhabitants, for the lofles they had
fuftained by the capture of Fort William, and
other factories which the Nabob had plun-
dered, with grants of lands and privileges ;
and, on the Company's part, to place and fup-
port him in the government of the three pro-
vinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Orixa.
Every thing being agreed on between Meer
Jaffier and the fecret committee, we marched
the army to meet the Nabob, whom we intire-
ly defeated. His death followed foon after?
and Meer Jaffier was, in a few days, in pof-
fefiion of the government, and of a revenue of
three millions and an half fterling per annum.
The one half of the fecret committee being
then preient at the capital, and a report made
by the Nabob's minifters of the ftate of the
treafury, it was fettled, that half the fum fti-
pulated by treaty fiiould be paid in three
months, and the other half in three years, all
conditionally, that we fupported him in the
government.
The
t '7 1
The Nabob then, agreeable to the known
and ufua*l cuftom of eaftern princes, made pre-
fents, both to thofe of his own court, and to
fuch of the Englifh, who by their rank" and
abilities had been inftrumental in the happy
fuccefs of fb hazardous an enterprize, fuitable
to the rank and dignity of a great Prince. I
was one amongft the many who benefited by
his favour : I never fought to conceal it, but
declared publicly, in my letters to the fccret
committee of the India Directors, that the Na-
bob's gcnerofity had made my fortune eafy,
and that the Company's welfare was now my
only motive for flaying in India. What in-
juftice was this to the Company ? They could
expect no more than what was ftipulated in the
treaty. Or what injunction was I under to re-
fufe a prcfent from him who had the power
to make me one, as the reward of honourable
fervices ? I know of none. I had furely my-
felf a particular claim, by having devoted my-
felf to the Company's military fervice, and
neglected all commercial advantages. What
reafon then can be given, or what pretence
could the company have to expect, that I,
C after
after having rifqued my life fo often in theft-
fervice, fhould deny myfelf the only honourable
opportunity that ever offered of acquiring a
fortune, without prejudice to them, who, it is
evident, would not have had more for my
having had lefs. When the Company had ac-
quired a million and an half fterling, and a re-
venue of near 1 00,000 /. per annum, from, the
fuccefs of their forces under my command ;
when ample reftoration had been made to thofe
whofe fortunes fuffered by the calamity of Cal-
cutta , and when individuals had, in confe-
quence of that fuccefs, acquired large eftates ;
what would the world have faid, had I come
home, and refted upon the generofity of the
* <<
prcfent Court of Directors ?
It is well known to every gentleman in Ben-
gal, that the honour of my country, and the
intereft of the Company were the principles
that governed all my actions , and that had I
only taken the advantageous opportunities that
prefented themfelves, by my being commander
in chief, and at the head of a victorious ar-
my, and what by the cuftom of that country
I was intitled to, the Jaghire itfelf, great as it
is,
[ '9 1
!, would have been an object feared worth
my confederation.
The city of Maxadavad is as extenfive, po-
pulous, and rich as the city of London ; .with
this difference, that there are individuals in
the firft poffefiing infinitely greater property
than any in the laft city, Thefe, as well as
every other man of property, made me the
greateft offers, (which neverthelefs are ufual
upon fuch occafions, and what they expeded
would have been required) and had I accepted
thefe offers, I might have been in pofiefiion of
millions, which the prefent Court of Dire&ors
could not have difpoffeffed me of. But pre-
ferring the reputation of the Englifh nation,
the intereft of the Nabob, and the advantage
of the Company, to all pecuniary confidera*
tions, I refufed all offers that were made me,
not only then, but to the laft hour of my con-
tinuance in the Company's fervice in Bengal,
and do challenge friend or enemy to bring
one fingle inftance of my being influenced by
interefted motives to the Company's difadvan-
tage, or to do any aft that could reflect dif-
honour to my country or the Company, in any
C 2 one
[ so ]
one action of my adminiftration, either as Go-
vernor or commanding officer.
I little expected ever to have had my con-
duel impeached, or to have received fuch
treatment from the Court of Directors, efpeci-
ally after the many public and honourable tef-
timonies of approbation I had received in the
orders and letters mentioned in the Appen-
dix, No. 3.
I am not oftentatious, but upon this occafion
am forced to deviate from myfelf, and with
great reluctance expofe thefe public teftimo-
nies of my conduct, in contraft to the difho-
nourable motives which have induced my ene-
mies to impeach it.
As to the 2d article, accufing me with in-
juftice towards the relations of the unhappy
fufferers in the Black Hole, whoever will be
at the pains to inquire* will learn that 62 5,000 /.
was the fum afiigned to make good the lofies
fuftamed by the Europeans- ; that the money
was fent down to the Governor and Council
at Calcutta, and by them depofited in the Com-
pany's treafury, who gave orders to their trea-
furer to ififue it out as demanded to the fecretary
ap-
[ 21 ]
appointed by the 24commiflioners, chofen by the
inhabitants themfelves to adjuft their refpe&ive
claims j and that none of it ever pafied thro*
my hands. They will further learn, that the fum
afiigned did not only fuffice to pay the princi-
pal of fuch loffes, but for a dividend of 22 per
cent, for intereft, befides a fum fufficient for
another fuch dividend, which has been detained
for the Company's ufe by orders to their fer-
vants abroad. It is very poffible, that the
heirs of fome of the unfortunate fufferers in
the Black Hole may not have been able to
obtain their right, for want, of attornies to ap-
ply to the commiflioners for that right. If
there be any fuch demands, I Ihould imagine
they may ftill have juftice done them out of
the remaining treaty-money, now in poflfefllon
of the Company. But to fhew in what a light
the fufferers themfelves regarded my conduct,
I take the liberty to infert a paragraph, ex-
tra&ed from a letter figned by almoft all the
inhabitants of Calcutta, which will mew the
Proprietors their fentiments of my conduct on
that fubjeft.
C " Honoured
22 ]
" Honoured Sir,
u The inhabitants of this fettlemcnt, truly
" fenfible of the benefits' they have received
" from your generous afiiftance, in obtaining
** them reftitution for the heavy lofles they
" fuftained in the miferable cataftrophe of June
" 1756, and for your great care and afliduity
" in the collecting of that part of the Nabob's
" donation ; Do, with the utmoft gratitude,
" return their hearty and fincere thanks for
* { thofe great favours conferred on them, the
" remembrance whereof will be for ever in-
delible."
As to the third article, which feems to i
mate fome right in the Great Mogul to the
treafures of the late Nabob Sarajah Dowla, and
that the Company may hereafter be refponfible
to him on account of thefe treafures ; it may
be faid, that there is fuch a Prince, but he is
almoft without territory or power ; the little he
pofiefifes not being equal in extent or riches to
p,ne twentieth part of his dominions, and
therefore unable to inforce in thofe provinces
any authority tha,t might have formerly belong-
ed
cd to him ; and he is now fo far reduced, as to
be a captive to, and in the hands of, one of
the Soubahs.
However, as I would give the Proprietors
all the fatisfaction I can, as to this article, I
will lay all the particulars before them, and for
that purpofe I muft inform them, that as foon
as it was known, that Sarajah Dowla was fled
from the city, a new miniftry was immediately
appointed, and the former officers became re-
fponfible to them.
The gentlemen appointed by the Governor
and Council to receive the money due by the
treaty, were agents for this purpofe. As to
myfelf, I was never there but once out of cu-
riofity ; and I do declare, that I never inter-
fered, directly or indirectly, any further than
what immediately related to the payment of
the money ftipulated by the treaty.
The treafure was moft certainly the property
of the Nabob Meer Jaffier, as it would have
been of any other Nabob, who might have
fucceeded to Sarajah Dowla ; but for the ap-
plication of the money, I will fuppofe, for
once, that it did belong to the Great Mogul :
C 4 furely
furely then it was out of that very Imperial
treafure the Company received i, 250,000 J.
The fufferers at Calcutta i,ooo,ooo/. and the
navy and army 600,000 /. and that if Meer
Jaffier had no right to give any part of the
Imperial treafure to individuals for their fer-
vlces, he had no power to beftow thofe feveral
large fums to the Company, fufferers, navy,
and army j and if he was anfwerable for the
one, he muft for the other. If therefore, it
was wrong in me to accept the favours of the
Nabob out of that treafury, certainly it mufl
be fo too in the Company, fufferers, navy, and
army.
As to what is infmuated, that the donations
given by the Nabob to individuals, had drained
his treafury in fuch a manner, that the Com-
pany were obliged to lend him large fums of
money, this is not only a very unfair, but a falfe
reprcfentation of facts. The time the Com-
pany lent this money to the Nabob was, when
his dominions were in peace, and the fum was
only two lack of rupees, about 2 5,000 /, the
Nabob's minifter himfelf informed me, he had
then to the amount of near a million fterling in
2 jewels,
[ *5 J
jewels, a large fum of money in his treafury,
and to a very great amount in plate. It coulci
not be owing to diftrefs that he borrowed this
money : his pretences of poverty might have
been made ufe of with a political view, as is,
the conftant practice in that country ; or he
might have defired to borrow money of the
Company for fear they mould defire to borrow
of him. But the real fact was this ; if I may
be fuppofed to know it, who then prefided over
the Company's affairs in Bengal.
By the IXth article of the treaty with the
Nabob* the Company's poffefiions would have
been of little confequence to them, unlefs we
were allowed to put not only our own con-
ftruftion on the words of the article, but alfo to
have an additional quantity of land to the
northward, to the amount of near 1 2,000 /. per
ann. In order to accomplifh this, we not only
were obliged to comply with the Nabob's re-
queft, made at that particular time, but alfo to
make prefents to feveral of the principal officers
about him, to engage his confent ta this
grant, which he was not bound to make by
treaty i and I believe the Directors know very
well,
[ 26 ]
well: if not, I am fure the Governor and
Council are well apprized of what confequence
it was to the Company, to obtain the grant
of thofe lands to the northward of Calcutta.
I will venture to affirm, had the Nabob de-
fired a loan of money at any other time but
this, his requeft would not have been complied
with.
The unfortunate Meer Jaffier was a ftranger
to diftrefs until I had left the country. It was
when the King's fon, and a large body of Mo-
rattoes, invaded and ravaged his kingdom for a
twelvemonth together, and had flopped the re-
ceipt of great part of his revenues. It was
then that the Nabob began for the firft time to
experience the misfortunes of diftrefs. Yet ftill
his diftrefs was not fo great, but that his fuc-
cefibr was able, immediately, to beftow on the
Company eight lack of rupees, or 1 00,000 /.
fterling, to carry on the war on the coaft of
Coromandel.
As to the fourth article, That no fervant of
the Company fhall remit money home but by
their cam ; which order I broke through, by
remitting large fums by the Dutch cam. That
I did,
C *7 1
J did, jointly with my friends, remit a large
fum of money to England, by bills on the
Dutch Company, is moft true, for this reafon
only, that the Englifli Company's treafury was
fo full, that their fervants abroad thought it
inconfiftent with the Company's intereft to
grant bills, when it was more than poflible, the
French might drive us out of all India, and the
Company not only lofe what they had juft ac-
quired, but become refponfible for the immenfe
fums, which under the terror that then pre-
vailed of the French force, would be imme-
diately poured into their treafury : and though
I ihould have thought it a great advantage to
have remitted my fortune home at that danger-
ous ctifis, by bills on the Company, when the
motion was made in council to receive all mo-
nies tendered for bills payable in three years.
J was rrryfelf one of thofe who oppofed it ; and
the only money received into the treafury was
Mr. Watfon's eftate, to mew a fenfe of the fer-
vices received from him : Sums due to the
merchants of London, for coral and bullion :
Imall fums from the principal fervants, for re-
mjttances to their families, and the purchafe
of
[ 28 3
of neccflaries, were received, and bills granted
for them.
. r . J flatter myfelf it will give me fome merit
with the Company, that I oppofed the fatal
defigns of the Dutch in the armament they
Jiad fent to Bengal, with fo much perfeverance,
more cfpecially as I had at that time the great-
eft part of my property in their power, the
bills given me not being wholly due till three
years after fight , and I could not but be very
fenfible at that time of the rifque I ran, by
fuch an oppofition to that dangerous, under-
taking ; and I will venture to affirm, that had
not my truftees agreed to accept the payment
of the money upon the Dutch Company's own
terms, which were a very confiderable deduction
for prompt payment, the greateft part of my
fortune would have been at this day in their
bands.
As to the fifth article, That I was guilty of
a breach of truft, by fupplying a Portuguefe
fhip, bound from Bengal to Lifbon, with goods
and money, to the great detriment of the
Company ; there is not one word of truth in
the whole of this afiertion. Thofe who did,
may
t 39 ]
may plead the fame defence that I do for my
remittance by the Dutch : the inference drawn
is abfurd ; the Company had more money than
goods to purchafe.
I now come to the laft article, viz. That I
have no right to an annual revenue of 2 7,000 /.
a year, given me by the Nabob, which muft
be fupported and maintained at the Compa-
ny's expence.
In this article, party refentment feems to
have confounded all ideas of right and wrong ;
and my oppofition to the prefent leading gen-
tlemen has caft fuch a mift before their eycs>
that they cannot difcern that right which they
had before acknowledged by every act that
could exprefs it. But as I intend to make the
Proprietors the judges of that right, I fhall
explain the caufe, for which the Jaghire, or
Lordfliip, which produces to me an annual
income of about 3O,ooo/. a year, was given
me, and the nature of the grant by which I
hold it.
Soon after the battle of Plaffey, the Nabob,
of his own free motion, without the leaft hint
or application from me, fent a petition to the
court
[ 3 ]
court of Dehli, that I might be created art
Omrah, or Lord of the Empire. In the be-
ginning of the year 1758, the Nabob received
and delivered me the patent (with other ho-
nours accompanying it) ; by which I was cre-
ated an Omrah of the command of 5000 foot,
and the rank of 6000 horfe.
According to the cuftom of the country, the
Soubah affigns.a Jaghire, or eftate, within his
own provinces, to fupport the dignity of the
new created Omrah , but at the time I received
the patent of creation, I knew of no fuch in-
tention in the Nabob, whofe friendlhip for me
gave way to other views.
I have before hinted, that the Soubah's
firft plan was to evade the execution of the re-
maining part of the treaty, and to appear, in
the eyes of his fubjects, as maintaining himfelf
by his own ftrength, and not by our fupport.
He took the field, as early as the feafon
would permit, with an army of 80,000 horfe
and foot-, and it was with reluctance that he
ient to me to join him with our troops, and
more from the apprehcnfion of leaving us fo
4 near
near his capital during his abfence, than from
any expectation of our afliftance in the further-
ing of his defigns.
We marched the army up, now reduced by
the malignancy of the climate to 300 Englifh,
with two battalions of Seapoys, and a train of
artillery.
At our firft meeting I reproached him with
the duplicity of his conduct, and infifted on
his immediately paying down all arrears, and
that he mould give fecure alignments for the
payment of the reft of the treaty-money. I
freely gave him my opinion of his keeping up
fuch a vaft army, which drained his treafury to
no manner of purpofe ; that the example of
his predeceffor might be a leflbn to him how
little fuch troops were to be depended upon j
and that when danger preffed, he would find
the Englilh his only true and firm fupport. In
his exaltation to his new grandeur, and feeing
himfelf at the head of fuch a numerous army,
my advice made little imprefiion , fo I con-
cluded with telling him, he might amufe him-
felf with his own ideas, but, in the mean time,
that I was neither to be trifled with nor inti-
midated ;
[ a 3
midated ; and, after fome ftruggle, I obtained
immediate payment of the arrears, amounting
to feveral hundred thoufand pounds, and an
aflignment of certain diftricts, the revenues of
which were to be collected by the Company,
as a fecurity for the reft ; and from this inftant
the Nabob may have been faid to comply
literally with his treaty.
Thefe were the Nabob's fentiments at that
time, and fuch they continued until the fol-
lowing year, when the province of Bahar be-
ing invaded by the Mogul's fon, (drove by the
Vizier from his father's court) the Nabob at-
tempted to take the field, and now experien-
ced what I always inculcated to be true. Vaft
arrears were due to his numerous army, who,
taking advantage of the times, furrounded him,
and infifted not only on the whole of the ar-
rears due from his predecefTor as well as him-
felf, but on an advance of pay. Thefe de-
mands amounting to many millions, it was
impofTible he could comply with them.
In this exigency he applied to us, entertain-
ing great doubts of our friendfhip, from the
eonfcioumefs of the infmcere part he had acted,
and
[ 33 I
and from a juft fenfe of his own imprudence,
in having neglefted the advice 1 had given
him the preceding year, to difband the greateft
part of his large and ufelefs army. Bound by
treaty and intereft, it behoved us to fecure the
attachment and dependancy of the Nabob.
We immediately took the field, and relieved
him, for the prefent, from the inconveniencies
he laboured under from his own forces, who,
over-awed by our prefence, defifted from their
demands. Being joined by 8000 horfe and
foot, under the command of his fon the young
Nabob, we marched four hundred miles ia
twenty-three days, and forced the enemy to
raife the fiege of Patna, the capital of the pro-
vince of Bahar, and purfued them two hundred
miles further, until they pafied the boundaries
of the Soubah's dominions, and then obliged
the tributary Rajahs to pay their arrears. In
the mean time, the Nabob's army had again
furrounded him, and were become more out-
rageous than ever -, and he was upon the point
of being put to death, when the news of our
fuccefs difperfed them, and they became as
D fubmiflive
[ 34 J
fubmiffive and fawning, as they were before
daring and infolent.
Services rendered at fuch a crifis, convinced
him at laft of the value of fuch fincere
allies. On my return from the north he came
to meet me, and after many obliging expref-
fions, that I had faved his life, and made him
a fecond time Soubah, he reproached himfelf
with ingratitude in never having appointed me
a Jaghire. On taking his leave he told me,
Jaggerfeat (a man of great note in that coun-
try) was intrufted with his orders on that fub-
ject. Jaggerfeat foon after put a paper roll
into my hands, in the prefence of Mr. Francis
Sykcs, Mr. Luke Scrafton, (both now in Eng-
land) and Major Carnac, which proved to be a
patent for the Lordfhip of the lands rented by
the Company, in confequence of the article of
our treaty with him. The patent was foon
-i y followed by the order in the Appendix, No. 3.
being an order to the Governor and Council of
Calcutta, to pay me the rents of the faid lands,
inftead of paying them as before into his trea-
fury, he having made me Jaghiredar,. or Lord
jof the country.
Such
f 35 3
Such were the motives that induced th*
Nabob to give me this token of his fenfe of
my fervices, and fuch the. manner in which it
was conferred, by me unafked and unexpected;
I fay unafked and unexpected, became, from
the time of my receiving my honours from
Dehli, in December 1757, to this time, no-
thing had ever pafled on the fubjeft, but one
letter from me to Jaggerfeat, in January 1759,
informing him, that the Nabob had made me
an Omrah without a Jaghire, which I under.-
ftood did ufually accompany it, and to defire
he would apply to him on that occafion , to
which letter he return anfwer, that he had ap-
plied to his Excellency, who ordered him to
acquaint me, that he never granted Jaghires in
Bengal , that Orixa was too poor, but that I might
have one in Bahar. Looking on the Nabob's
anfwer as an evafive one, and that he was not
inclined to comply with my requeft, I never
wrote or thought any more on this fubject, until
I received a fecond letter from Jaggerleat in an-
fwer to my firft, after our fuccefs againft the
King's fon, that the Nabob had turned the
thing in his mind, and was willing to grant me
D 2 a
a Jaghire in Bengal ; but the nature of it>
where, or of what value it was to be, i was in-
tirely ignorant, till the-patent explained it, and
I confefs it gave me the greater pleafure to
find it to be the Lordihip of the Company's
lands, becaufe the Company was thereby freed
from all dependance on the government.
It now remains to fay fomething of the va-
lidity and nature of the grant. It is to be ob-
ferved, that the lands ceded to the Company
by the IXth article of the treaty, were only
ceded to them as perpetual Jemindars, or rent,
ers, the Nabob referving the lordfhip and quit-
rents, which amounted to near 30,000 /. year-
ly -, and the Company could never be lawfully
difpofiefied, fo long as they continued to pay
that quit-rent. It was, then, the lordmip and
rents fo referved that he made over to me ; no
prejudice refulting to the Company, who had
farmed out the fame to a very confiderable
yearly amount, with a profped: of great increafe
of rents, and only this difference, that they
.were to pay the quit-rent to me, inflead of the
government , to this nation a profit of
30,000 /. a year.
With
[ 37 3
With regard to the validity of this grant, I
fhall only fay, that the patent patted all the ufual
forms of the country, and was founded on the
very fame authority that the Company had for
all their acquifitions, the power of a Soubah.
This I think is a fufficient anfwer to the charge
in the 6th and laft article.
I fhall now proceed to lay before the Pro-
prietors the meafures taken by my adverfaries,
fubfequent to the election, and the reafons they
aflign to fupport them.
But I fhall firft take notice, that by the fer-
vices rendered to the Nabob, the Company
not only recovered the misfortunes fufbiined
from the late Nabob, with the poffefTions I
have already mentioned, but alib acquired, and
had delivered into their hands, the abfolute
power over the three provinces of Bengal, Ba-
har, and Orixa, whofe ordinary annual reve-
nues produce three millions and a half fler-
ling , infomuch that they were enabled to fee
up and eftablifh in the Soubahfhip any perfou
they thought fit. This matter may be clearly
feen by the letters in the Appendix, No. 5.
Tii
[ 3.8 1
This power the Company, foon after I left
Bengal, exercifed, and in 1761 they entered
D
into a treaty with Mahomed Coffin Cawn,
fon-in-law to Meer Jaffier, for that purpofe,
(a copy of which treaty is in the Appendix,
No. 4.) By this treaty the Company acquired
a much larger diftrict of country, than they
before enjoyed under the treaty with Meer
Jaffier, together with a larger eftate and inte-
reft in thofe lands, than they had in thofe be-
fore granted , for the annual amount of the
lands laft acquired were near 600,000 /. and in-
ftead of referving to the government the ufuaV
rents of homage which thofe lands were fubjecl:
to, both the lands and thofe rents were granted
to the Company.
This treaty being figned by Mahomed
Co/Tin Cawn and the Prefidents of the Com-
pany at Calcutta, on behalf of the Company,
the Nabob Meer Jaffier was furrounded in his
palace by the fervants of the Company, and
obliged to relinquifh his government, and was
carried down to their fettlement at Calcutta,
where he did till lately refide, and Mahomed
Coffin
{ 39 3
Coffin Cawn was placed in the executive part
of the government in his Head.
I fhall not at prefent enter into the confide-
ration of the grounds and motives for fo early
and extraordinary a change in the government
of the provinces, being inclined to think thofe
matters will be laid before you by perfons
better acquainted with that tranfaction than I
am. For the prefent I introduced it only to
{hew the great advantages the revolution,
brought about by the removal of Surajah Dow-
la, had produced to the Company ; and that
thofe advantages might, with prudent manage-
ment, be increaled: but at the fame time I
muft obferve, that the revolution againft Sura-
jah Doula was a matter of neceffity, as upon
that event only depended the exiftence of the
Incjia Company -, and I hope nothing but the
prefervation of the Company's property in thofe
parts induced thofe concerned in the lad revo-
lution (if it may be fo called) to bring it about.
I have before acknowledged, that my for-
tune arofe from the grateful bounty of the Na-
bob for my fervices to him ; and altho* I lhall
ever think of my fervices to the Company with
D 4 pleafure,
[ 40 ]
pleafure, yet the Company cannot fay I owe
them any thing in point of gratitude. My al-
lowance, asPrefident, was (until increafed by the
additional allowance of iooo/. a year) lefs than
any of my predecefibrs received by 1 200 /. a year.
Indeed, had the Court of Directors rewarded
my fervices in the fame manner they have done
thofe of my fucceffbr, by allowing me two and
an half per cent, on all their revenues and mo-
nies acquired for them, it might have been
otherwife. My adverfaries cannot therefore
fay I acquired my fortune out of the property
of the Company, or in diminution of that of
my country, or any of my fellow-fubje&s : on
the contrary, it is well known, that had it not
been for the fuccefifes we were blefled with,
x
this kingdom would never have had the bene-
fit of one farthing of the money which has
been brought into it, in confequence of thofe
fuccefles. This being the cafe, one might
have expected, after fo many years fervice to
the Company, and under the circumftances I
have defcribed, they would at lead have per-
mitted me to have had the quiet enjoyment of
that fortune I had fo obtained.
And
[ 4* 1
And here I muft acquaint the Proprietors,
that the rents of my Jaghire were regularly
paid during the time I was in Bengal, and,
fmce my return, have been received by my
attornies in Bengal, and remitted by them to
me, as the mips failed from thence, in bills on
the Company here, which were always regu-
larly paid without objection, until May laft,
when, on the mips going out for Bengal,
which were the firft that went out after the
election on that voyage, I was given to under-
ftand, that orders had been fent to flop the
payment of my Jaghire. I applied to the
Court of Directors for a copy of thofe orders,
but that was refufed -, however, I afterwards
came to the knowledge of them. They are to
the following purport : " With refped to the
" Jaghire given by the late Nabob, Jaffier
" Ally Khan, to Lord Clive, arifmg out of
" the lands granted by the faid Nabob to the
" Company, we direft, that you do not pay
any further fums to the attornies of Lord
" Clive on the account ; and we further di-
" red, that whatever fhall arife in future from
" the faid Jaghire, be carried to our credit.
" You
C 42 ]
*. You are to caufe exact accounts to be made
* out and tranfmitted to us, not only of what
" fliail fo come into our cafh, but alfo of all
" the fums Lord dive's attornies have already
" received on the faid account, together with
" the dates of the feveral payments. His
" Lordlhip's pretenfions to the faid Jaghire
" will be fettled here."
And Mr. Sulivan, by a letter wrote at the
fame time by him to the Prefident at Calcutta,
informed him, " That all cordiality being at an
** end with Lord Give, the Court of Directors
<c had flopped payment of his Jaghire -, a
" meafure which would have taken place years
" ago, had it not been for him (Mr. Sulivan) }
" and that on this head the faid Prefident was.
" to obey every order, which he migiit receive
*' from the Court of Directors ; and that more
" was not, nor muft be, expected of him."
I mail not trouble the Proprietors with any
obfervations on this order and letter, they
will fufficienly fpeak for themfelves ; but mail
only remark, that I muft think it extremely
hard to be deprived of my property becaufe I
cannot agree with the prefent Court of Directors.
But
[43 ]
But the Company having paid my jaghirc
fo long without any objection, and even now
not claiming any right thereto themfelves,
nor pretending to fay that any one elfe does ;
under fuch circumftances one might be at a
lofs to conceive what foundation in reafon
there could be for the Directors fending fuch
orders to Bengal. But, on inquiry into the
matter, the reafons affigned appear to be
four.
ift. That the Mogul is fovereign of the
provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Orixa, and
proprietor of all the lands within thofe pro-
vinces -, and that the rents granted to me arc
the antient imperial rents referved and payable
to the Emperor ; and that therefore the Nabob
could not grant or alienate the fame from the
imperial Crown ; and that the Company may
be called to an account by the Emperor for
what they have paid to me : Nor is that all
the Company feem to expect, but that I am
accountable to them for what I have re-
ceived.
2dly. That fuppofe the Nabob had a right
to alienate thofe rents, fuch alienation could
exift
C 44]
exift no longer than the Nabob who granted
the fame continued in his government, and
that fuch alienation was not binding on his
fucceflbr , and as Meer Jaffier had been de-
pofcd, the grant became of no effect.
3dly. That my acceptance of the dignity of
an Omrah, or title of honour, (which honour
they doubt my having had, altho' they have a
copy of the Patent in their cuftody) was con-
trary to my duty to the Company, as I might
be obliged, by fuch acceptance, to aflift the
Mogul and the Nabob in war, even againft
the Company.
And laftly, for fear thefe reafons mould fail
them, then comes a fourth ; which is, that
fuppofe I have a right, that even then I have
no remedy in England, but muft refort to the
court of the Mayor of Calcutta, or to the
courts of the Emperor at Delhi, or the court
of the Nabob.
As to the firft, it may be proper to ob-^
ferve, that, upon the original foundation
of the Mogul Empire, all the lands, like
thofe in England, were in the crown, who
granted the rents, in the nature of fee-farm
2 rents
[453
farm rents in England : Thcfe lands were, and
now are, called Calfa Lands, or lands belong-
ing to the crown-, the rents whereof were,
for feveral years, received by officers -appointed
within the provinces by the Emperor for that
purpofe , and the Nabobs, who- were then Vice-
roys to the Mogul, hadpenfions affigned them
to maintain their courts, and fupport their
governments: But, for a great number of
years paft, that method has been changed, and
inftead of 'penfions, the Emperors allotted to
the Nabobs large quantities of land within the
provinces, to be difpofed of and managed for
their own benefit , and thefe lands were, and
now are, called Jaghire Lands, and for which
no taxes are paid : And as to the reft of the
lands within the provinces, the Nabobs farmed
the fame of the Mogul at a certain yearly
fum.
This alteration being received into the Mo-
gul government, it became immaterial to the
Mogul what the Nabobs did with the rents ;
the yearly fum ftipulated was all he expecled,
and that they were obliged to pay ; fo that all
the rents, and alfo the lands that produced
them,
I 46]
them, were under the power of the Nabobs,
who might and did difpofe of them as they
thought fit, and out of them conferred favours
on whom they pleafed. The Nabobs granted
semindaries or leafes of all the lands from
time to time at their pleafure, or as occafion
required; and in this ftate the conftitution
and ufage of the Mogul Empire ftood at the
death of Aurengzebe.
After the death of Aurengzebe, the Nabobs
began to affume fovereign authority, and the
invafion of the Perfians, before taken notice of,
rendered that fovereignty abfolute; and the
Nabobs do now, and have for many years,
cxercifed all thofe fovereign rights, regarding
the lands and revenues of the provinces, which
the Mogul Emperors ever had.
It is under the authority of the Nabob, the
Company now hold their zemindary in the
lands fubject to my jaghire ; it is under the
fame authority, they now hold by treaty with
the Nabob Coffin Cawn large diftricts of
country, producing near 6oo,oool. a year to
them, without paying any rent at all, notwith-
ftanding thofe lands are calfa or imperial lands,
and
[473
and would, in cafe the original constitution of
the Mogul Empire exifted, be fubjecl: to the
payment of the antient referved rents to the
Great Mogul, to a very large amount ; it is
well known that there are numbers of jaghires
in the province of Bengal, granted by former
Nabobs, that have fubfifted for feveral gene-
rations.
Yet as to my jaghire, they now at once alledge
it was an illegal act in Meer Jaffier, and at the
fame time admit that the Company are in the
enjoyment of all the lands granted to them by the
Nabob Coffin Cawn, without paying or being
fubjeft to any rent at all ; and that the grant from
Cofim Cawn to them, both of the lands and
ancient rents, is valid and effectual : this feems
a contradiction not eafily to be reconciled.
But for a moment, let us fuppofe that the
fears the Company entertained at that inilant,
of being accountable to the Great Mogul,
might have obfcured the light which the com-
parifon of things alone would have difcovered,
and that the Mogul mould hereafter recover
the antient dominion of his empire ; it muft
then be obferved, that the annual tribute fti-
i pulated
[48 I
pulatcd to be paid by the Nabob on his con*
firmation, is in fa<5t the fame annual fum for-
merly referred and paid by the Nabobs for
the farm of the rents and lands within the
provinces. Can it then be fuppofed that" the
Mogul would require both the revenues of the
lands, and alfo the annual fum ftipulated to
be paid by the Nabob, in lieu of thofe reve-
nues ? It might, with fome degree of proba-
bility, have been faid, that he might, according
to the conftitution of the empire, call the Na-
bobs, who might then be confidered as his
Viceroys, to an account for all the annual tri-
bute remaining due from them : But to fay
the Company would be anfwerable to the Mo-
gul for the rents paid by them to me, is an
inconfiftency equal to the former, and not to
be reconciled to reafon or the nature of things :
And even to furnifh themfelves with this pre-
tence, bad as it is, they muft have had a very
extraordinary forefight , and I mould be glad
to have been informed of the period fuch a
reckoning was likely to take place.
I have before taken notice of the prefent
circumftances of the Mogul, and by what means
a Prince
[49]
a Prfnce, under his circumftances, or even fup-
pofing him in as good a fituation as his prede-
ceflbrs for feveral years pail have been, could
recover the dominions of large and powerful
provinces, which had long fhaken off his autho-
rity, I am really at a lois to guefs. But, to
remove any doubt the proprietors may enter-
tain concerning the power and dominion of
the Great Mogul in Bengal, or the fovereign
authority of the Nabob, I will repeat the ac-
count given by your Directors of thofe Mea-
fures under their hands to his Majefty, in the
year 1762, in a memorial prefented by them
relative to the tranfaclions with the Dutch,
which account is in the following words :
" By the antient conftitution of the Mogul
" Empire, of which the provinces of Bengal,
" Bahar, and Orixa, are a part, the Nabob
'* or Soubah of thofe provinces was nothing
." more than the Mogul*s Viceroy, yet, for
" m$ny years, pall, as the ftrength of that
-* 6 conftitution has been gradually declining,
" the Soubahs of thefe and other provinces
" have been in like gradation afluming an
* independance of the Court of Delhi, and
" the
[ 50 ]
" the fhock which the empire received, or ra-
" ther the fubverfion of it, for it has never
" recovered, nor probably ever will, from the
" irruption of the Perfians under Nadir Shah,
" has fo far confirmed that independance,
J that the relation between the Nabob and
" the Mogul, is at prefent little more thaa
" nominal. The Nabob makes war or peace
" without the privity of the Mogul, though
" there appear ftill fome remains of the old
" Conftitution in the fucceflion to the Na-
" bobfhip, yet in fact that fucceflion is never
" regulated by the Mogul's appointment, tho*
" the perfon in pofleflion is generally defi-
" rous of fortifying a difputed title by the
* l Mogul's confirmation, which the Court of
" Delhi, confcious of its inability to inter-
u pofe, more fubftantially, and defirous of re-
" taining an appearance of fuperiority, rea~
" dily grants. The Nabob of Bengal i$
.* therefore de fafto, whatever he may be de
" jure, a fovereign Prince, or at worft, not a
" vice-roy, but a tributary to the Mogul :
" there being fome kind of tribute ftill con-
u fidered as due, from thefe provinces to the
:-" Mogul,
" Mogul, though it rarely, if ever, finds its
" way to Delhi. It appears by the Director's
" letters, that the Dutch, as well as we, con-
" fider him in this light/*
I muft obferve, that the Dutch* in order to
give fome colour for their complaints againft
the Company, made ufe of the following alle-
gation, viz. " The Mogul is fovereign of the
" country j and we derive from him 4 under
" repeated phirmaunds, a right to a free navi-
" gation from thence to other places ; and this
" right we cannot be deprived of, without in-
" fringing the phirmaunds of the Great Mo-
*' gul, which the Nabob, who is only gover-
" nor of a province, is not authorized to do.'*
And it was in anfwer to this allegation the
declaration above-mentioned was made by your
Directors, who now find themfelves under the
fatal necefiity, on behalf of the Company, of
making ufe of the fame reafons for juftifying
their conduct towards me, as the Dutch made
ufe of to juftify theirs towards the Company..
As to the 2d reafon affigned by your Di-
rectors, it might, perhaps, have been well for
the proprietors, had it never been in their
E 2 power
C 5*]
power to have employed it. But as it is af-
figned as fuch, I will anfwer it as I would have
done, at the time it was offered by them, with-
out any regard to what has happened, fmce
that may have deprived them of the ufe they
at firft propofed from it.
There are numbers of inftances of Jaghires
now fubfifting, that have been granted by for-
mer Nabobs : there are many, even on the
Company's own lands, of which the Directors
might have been informed by the proper
officer appointed for furveying thofe lands,
who is now in England j and they might alfb
have been informed, that there were many
Jaghires granted by the Nabobs Surajah Dowla
and Meer Jaffier alfo exifting. But enquiry
here, feemed not neceflary ; the Directors at
once boldly affirm, my Jaghire to be determin-
ed by the removal of Meer Jaffier from the
throne, fmce the grant did not, as they alledge,
bind his fucceffor ; without the leaft confide-
ration of the natural inference fuch an afier-
tion might produce.
I have before taken notice, that his Ma-
jefty's arms, and thofe ! of the Company, by
i ~ the
[ 53 ]
the revolution brought about whilft I
the Commander in Chief, acquired the great
-power and influence the Company enjoyed
in Bengal, when I left that country -, and
that that power after I came away, was
made ufe of to depofe the Prince who fat
on the throne whilft I was there, and, to
eftablifh Mahomed Coffin Cawn in his (lead.
It is under thefe circumftances, that the Direc-
tors make ufe of the 2d reafon. Now to give
that reafon its utmoft latitude, it can amount
to no more than an admiffion from the Com-
pany, that I had once a good right to re-
quire from them the payment of my Jaghire :
but that this right is now defeated by a fub-
fequent act, entirely effected by their own
agents abroad. The weight and juflice of
this argument I leave to your confiderations.
Before I quit this head, I muft beg leave to
take notice of the forms agreed on between the
Company, and Mahomed Coffin Cawn, which
may be feen in the Appendix, and by
which it will appear, that Meer Jaffier was to
remain Nabob to all purpofes, except the exe-
cutive part of the government, which was to
E be
[ 54 ]
be the province of the new Nabob. This being
the bafis of that revolution, if it may be fo
called, it will appear, that the Nabob, Meer
Jaffier ftill remained Nabob of Bengal , and it
is well known, that he did till lately, refide at
the Company's factory, at Calcutta, in princely
ftate-, and even fuppofing my Jaghire to be
good no longer than the reign of the perfon
who granted it, it would be ftill fubfifting.
However, your Direaors do now in effect
declare, that they will retain my Jaghire for the
benefit of the Great Mogul (who would cer-
tainly be glad to receive it, as Coffin Ally
would readily give any directions touching
that matter the Directors think proper to
fuggeft to him) and that, in prejudice to me
and their country , though they at the fame
time are influenced to retain the rents of the
lands granted to them, not only by Coffin
Cawn, but alfo by the Nabob Meir Jaffier, in
prejudice to the Great Mogul.
As to the 3 d reafon > here I muft beg leave
to obferve, that the titles of honour uferf in
Europe, are unknown to the Indians ; their
titles of honour are diftinguimed only by a
. number
[ 55 I
number of Azaras, or one thoufand, from two
to ten thoufand horfe, which is the highefr, and
was the title of the fon of the Great Mogul : the
number of fix thoufand exprefles the dignity of
an Omra, but not any lefs number ; and the
equipage of the perfon on whom fuch honours
are beftowed, are proportioned by the ufage of
the country to his rank. Hence it will appear,
that of neceffity, no perfon can be ennobled in
India, unlefs the rank and number he is ap-
pointed to, be exprefled in the patent ; and
this is a mere compliment, which does not
lay any obligation on the part of the per-
fon receiving fuch honour, to render to the
Mogul any fervices whatfoever ; and to af-
firm the contrary, it muft be prefumed that
the Nabob, in the prefent cafe, applied to the
Mogul to take me, into his fervice : who, in
fuch fervice, might (if the emperor meant to
recover the ancient dominion of his empire,
or the payment of his annual tribute) be em-
ployed againft the Nabob himfelf, if military
fervices were to be rendered to the Mogul ;
which would be an abfurdity to fuppofe,
E 4 But
[ 5 ]
But the true intent of the honour, was no
more than a perfonal favour to me, and to give
me rank amongft the Princes and great men
of that country; and may have been of fervice
to you in my negotiations and tranfaclions with
them. Monfieur Dupleix, the commander in
chief of the French forces in India, obtained a
title of honour, inferior to mine, and had fe-
veral Jaghires granted him by the Nabob of
the Decan in Lands, ceded to the French
Company, which he enjoyed for feveral years
after he returned to Europe, and indeed until
the lands, upon which the Jaghires were grant-
ed, were taken from the French. And Mon-
fieur Dupleix confidered'his title of honour, as
"fin advantage to the French in thofe parts.
As to the 4th reafon, it is well known,
was I obliged to purfue my remedy in the
Mayor's Court, that the judges of that court
are dependants upon the Company : the appeal
lies to their prefident and council, nay the
perfon employed on my behalf, mud be depen-
dant on the Company. As to my reforting to
the courts of the Emperor or the Nabob, no
. mandate or procefs from any liich courts could
be
[ 57 J
be inforced againft the Company ; and were thefe
reafons co prevail, every avenue to juftice would
be blocked up, and I fhould enjoy the fatisfac-
tion in my own mind, of having a right to
what I now demand, without any remedy to
obtain it.
I (hall end this memorial with fbme obfer-
vations on the Company's affairs, at the time
the lofs of their pofleffions in Bengal happened,
and the regaining thofe pofleffions, with all
their prefent great advantages,
r xWhen the news of the misfortunes in Bengal
firft reached Madrafs, the whole town was
flung into a confirmation, equal to that of the
Court of Directors, when the firft advices of it
were brought to England. I leave it to Mr.
Payne, who was then at the head of the Di-
rection, to defcribe what he and others fuffer-
cd from their apprehenfions for the Company.
Indeed it is the general opinion, that nothing
but the fudden advice of the recovery of that
valuable fetdement, which followed fo clofe
upon the news of its lofs, could have prevent-
ed the Company's finking under fuch a misfor-
tune.
It
It was the unanimous opinion of the Go-
vernor and Council of Madrafs, that the
Company could not exift without their pofief-
fions' in Bengal. The, coaft of Coromandel
was "a burthen, to them ; inftead of defraying
the Company's expences, out of the profits of
its' trade, -it had incurred a debt of near half a
million. Bombay and the Weft Coaft (free from
all difturbances) fcarce paid their expences ; fo
that there j-emained only a few mips to China,
for the Company's fupport. Thefe confide-
rations, and a thorough perfuafion that the
Company muft fall, if Bengal was not recover-
ed, induced the Governor and Council of Ma-
drafs, to fend fuch a force as might anfwer that
purpofe ; I was the perfon fixed upon to exe-
cute their defigns ; and as the force fent was
more, than could be fpared, confiftent with
.the fefety of the Company's poffeffions on
the coaft of Coromandel, at that critical time
{being juft at the eye of a war with France)
they inverted me with a power, independant
<?f the Governor and Council of Fort William,
that when the Company were re-inftared in
their poflcflions, they might be able to recall
'-* fuch
[ 59 ]
fuch part of the forces under my command, as
might be thought confident with the Com-
-pany's intereft, in other parts of India.
As foon as the fufferers of Bengal were re-
ftored to their habitations, by the re-taking of
Calcutta, and to peace, by the defeating of
Surajah Dowla, they called upon me to give
up that independant power, which the Gover-
nor and Council of Madrafs had thought ne-
ceflary to intruft me with, which demand I
could not comply with, without being guilty
of a breach of truft. .
This circumftance laid me under many
difficulties, both with the gentlemen of Ben-
gal and Madrafs. The Governor and Coun-
cil of the latter had fent me pofitive orders
to return with a part of the forces under my
command, after the capture of Charnagore,
and not knowing the caufe, could not account
for my difobedience : the many dreadful con-
fequences to which I expofed myfelf, in cafe
of a mifcarriage, did not efcape my reflec-
tion. I was under thefe difficulties, when we
began our march to dethrone Surajah Dowla,
Mr.
I 6 3
Mr. Watts had fettled every thing with
Meer Jaffier, and the other great officers of
flate, #ho had all engaged in the moft fo-
kmn manner, to declare themfelves, and join
us with a large force, before we came to action.
'We marched within twenty miles of the Sou-
bah's army, and then halted, to receive intel-
ligence of the motions and intentions of our
CD /
friends; when to our great furprize, Meer
Jaffier gave us no hopes of his being able to
join us, but exprefied great apprehenfions of
his and our letters being intercepted, and hirn-
feif being put to death. I wrote repeatedly
to liim, to infift upon his performing his en-
gagements, and to join us, if it was only with
500 men. This : had no effect j I then called
a council of warj and put the queftipn, Whe-
ther with -out own forces alone, and without
the profpect of afiiftance from Meer Jaffier, we
Ihould march, and give the Nabob battle, and
it paHed in the negative. After this, I re-
ceived a letter from Meer Jaffier, that the Na-
bob fufpedting his defigns, had made him fwear
on the Koran, that 'he would not fight againft
him, and that he could not give us his afiift-
ance.
I -61 3
ance. Let the Proprietors paint to themfelvej
what I muft have fuffered, under fuch a com*
plication of diftrefled circumftances , and let
the Directors remember, that under all thefe
difadvantages, I took upon me to march, and
the Englilh arms alone gained the battle of
Plalfey. It is true, the Directors, in their Er&
flow of gratitude, conferred upon me an ho-
nour, I believe, never paid to any other be-
fore, or fmce,. by addreffing a letter of thanks
to me alone, figned by the whole court ; and
that I might be convinced of the fmcerity
of their fentiments, they fent no lefs than
fix or eight of them, which I have in my
pofleffion. But as length of time, and cir-
-cumftances, feem to have produced another
way of thinking in thefe gentlemen, I hops
the Proprietors will excufe me, if I affert, for
the laft time, that by the great acquifitions
of wealth obtained by this event, and by the
large fums of money paid into their cafh, for
bills, the Company were enabled to fupply
every exigence, and anfwer the demands of
every fettlement in India, during the whole
courfe of the war. - To Madrafs alone, was
lent
fent upwards of 300,000 1. which mull inevi-
tably have fallen, without fuch afiiftance ; and
with that place, all India. The Company who
ufed to fend to India feveral hundred thoufand
pounds a year, in bullion, were relieved from
that difficulty ; which, at fuch a juncture, they
never could have furmounted ; and from Fe-
bruary, 1758, the time they received the ad-
vice of our fuccefs, to this day, they have
fent very little to the coaft, and dill lefs to
Bengal ; fo that this alone has been a faving to
the nation of fome millions fterling. The
lands ceded to the Company by Coffin Cawn,
and all the advantages gained by the depofition
of Meer Jaffier, muft appear as much a confe-
quence of the battle of Plafiey, as the advant-
ages which were gained immediately after that
victory : the whole amounting to 700,000 1. a
year, may, at 10 years purchafe, be valued at
7 millions fterling , the reftitution made to the
fufferers of Calcutta, and what was given by
Meer Jaffier to the navy, army, and others,
may be reckoned at 2,000,000 1. fortunes ac-
quired fince, at a moderate computation,
I, 00,000 1. the Company themfelves like wife
received
received from Surajah Dowla and Meer Jaffier,
1,500,000 1. upon the whole, a clear gain to the
nation of twelve millions fterling.
I (hall conclude this fubject with appealing to
the Court of Directors, for the truth of thefe
facts, and call upon them to declare whethtr
they think without the battle of Plafley, and it?
confequences, the Eaft-India Company would
have been at this time exiiling ? As great
numbers of the Proprietors may be unacquaint-
ed with thefe tranfactions, I hope they will ex-
cufe the neceflity I have been under, of laying
the whole before them, which . I fubmit to
their confideradon, juftice, and candour.
C L I V E.
APPENDIX.
XMeerJaffierCawn BahadrN /"Rajah DulubramB:ihndi\
[ A fervant of the King j I A fervant of the King 1
V Allumgur the Invincible. J V^Allumgurthe Invincible^/
Treaty executed by Meer JafEer, (wrote in his
own Hand.}
IS W E A R by God, and the Prophet of
God, to abide by the terms of this treaty
whilft I have life.
Meer Mahmud Jaffier Cawn Behadr,
a Servant of the King Allumgur.
Treaty made with the Admiral and Colonel Clive
Sabut Jung Behadr, the other Counfellors Mr.
Drake and Mr. Watts.
ift. Whatever articles were agreed on in
time of peace with the Nabob Surajah Dowla
.Munfur Ulmemaleck Shah Kulli Cawn Behadr
Stybut Jung, I agree to and comply with.
id. The enemies of the Englifh are my ene-
mies, whether they be Indians or Europeans.
F 3. AH
[ 66 }
<
3- All the effects and factories belonging to
the French in the provinces of Bengal (the
Paradife of nations) and Bahar and Orixa,
fhall remain in the poffefiion of the Englilh ;
nor will I ever allow them any more to fettle
in the three provinces.
4th. In confideration of the loffes which the
Englifli Company have fuftained by the cap-
ture and plunder of Calcutta by the Nabob
and the charges occafioned by the maintain-
ance of their forces, I will give them one crore
of rupees.
5th. For the effects plundered from the
Englifh inhabitants of Calcutta, I agree to give
fifty lacks of rupees.
6th. For the effects plundered from the
Gentoos, Muffulmen, and others, fubjects of
Calcutta, twenty-five lacks of rupees mail be
given.
7th. For the effects plundered from the Ar-
menian inhabitants of Calcutta I will give the
fum of feven lacks of rupees. The diftribu-
tion of the fums allotted the natives, Englilh
inhabitants, Gentoos, and Muffulmen, Hull be
left
left to the Admiral and Colonel Clive SabuC
Jung Behadr, and the reft of the council, to be
difpofed of by them to whom they think proper.
8th. Within the Ditch which furrounds the
borders of Calcutta are trafts of land, belong-
ing to feveral Zemindars ; befides this I will
grant the Englifti Company fix hundred yards
without the ditch.
pth. All the lands lying to the fouth of
Calcutta, as far as Culpee, mall be under the
Zemindary of the -Englifli Company , and all
the officers of thofe parts mall be under their
jurifdiction ; the revenues to be paid by them
(the Company) in the manner with other Ze-
mindars.
icth. Whenever I demand the Englifli af-
fiftance, I will be at the charge of the main-
tenance of their troops.
nth. I will not erect any new fortifications
below Hughly, near the river Ganges.
1 2th. As foon-as I am cftabliflied in the
government of the three provinces, the afore-
faid fums (hall be faithfully paid.
Dated i5th Ramfan, in the fourth year of
the reign.
F 2 Vranjlaticn
[ 68 ]
Tranjlation of tie Sunnod granted to Col. Clive.
1758.
HIS MAJESTY,
ON Saturday the i2th of Rebbeafame, in
the fourth of the glorious and happy
reign, and the 1171 year of the Hedgeree, in
the Keflalla of the Glory of the Nobility, and
Rank of Ameers, the Shrine of Grandeur and
Dignity , inftructed both in the ways of Devo-
tion and Wealth, to whom the true Glory of
Religion and Kingdoms is known ; the Bearer
of the Lance of Fortitude and Refpedt, the
Embroiderer of the Carpet of Magnificence
and Greatncfs, the Support of the Empire and
its Dependencies, to whom it is intrufted to
govern and aggrandize' the Empire, and Con-
ductor of Victory in the Battles fought for the
Dominion of the World -, the Diftributer of
Life in the Councils of State, to whom the
mod fecret Recdfies of the Myfteries of Go-
vernment are difcovered , "the Maftcr of the
"Arts of Penetration and CircumfpecYion,, the
4 Bright-
Brightnefs of the Mirrour of Truth and Fide-
lity, the Light of the Torch of Sincerity and
Integrity, who is admitted to, and contributes
to, the Determinations of the Royal Councils ;
a Participator of the Secrets of the Penetralia
of Friendlhip, who prefides equally over the
Sword and Pen ; Moderator of the Affairs of
the Earth, Chief of the Cawns of the moft
exalted rank, the Pillar of Ameers of the
greatefl Splendor ; the Truft of the zealous
Champions of the Faith, the Glory of Horfes
in the Fields of War, and Adminiftrators of
the Affairs of the immoveable Empire , Coun-
fellor of enlightened Wifdom and exalted Dig-'
nity, adorned with Friendmip and Honours,
endowed with Dignity and Difcretion. Pillar
of the Dominions of Soloman, the Diftributor
of Glory, Buxey of the Empire, Ameer of
Ameers, Hero of the Empire, Tiger of the
Country, Mahmud Ahmeed Cawn, the brave
Tiger of War, the Commander in Chief of the
Forces glorious by Victory i the Tiger of
Hind, mighty in Battle.
F 3 And
[ 70 ]
And in the time of the Waga Magarree of
the leaft of the domeftics of the Court of Glo-
ry and Majefty Sookaab.
This was written, the command (above) was
paffed, that Colonel Clive, an European, be
favoured with a Munfub of the rank of 6000
and 5000 horfe, and the title of " Flower of
the Empire, Defender of the Country, the
Bravo firm in War." This was entered the
loth day of Rebbeafame, in the 4th year, ac-
cording to the original Yaddaft.
FORM
FORM of
the
\
SIGNING.
To the Glory of Nobility, and Rank of Ameers, the Shrine
of Grandeur, Dignity inftru&ed, &c. Be it entered in the
Waka.
=T
*? ?
n a g3 3 "n;t\3
ner of the
*\V"aka it is
6ooo Rank -
5000 Horfe -
2 s 0-5
- - %> n So
- - EL 3 M^
s f [f If
concluded.
Written on the Day above-mentioned of the fame Moon, of
the glorious happy Reign.
ii*, i ^
5 (Sun, 1171. The Servant of Allumgeer^
the Warlike King, whofe Glory is e-
qual to that of Jumfhad, mighty in
War, the Flower of the Country,
Chief of the Forces, the Glory
of Victory, the Tiger of Hind,
Mahmud Ahmeed Gawn,
\ the brave Tiger of War,
u -5 5 c \ Buxey of the Empire,
o "5 c r ?.S? \Ameer of Ameers,
the Tiger of the
Country,
Sun 4.
siu, jo
'a J
s.utnQ aqj ui
1167, the Slave of]
Alumgeer, the War-
like King, Soo-
kaab, Sun the
Firft.
^-JC
a o * 3.
i The Slave of Alumgeer, the War
like King, the Flower of the
Country, brave in War,
the glory of Wealth,
Zechaza Cawn,
Behadie, 4
Sun, of
' Reign.
[ 72 ]
NUMBER III.
1758.
Vranjlation of a Perwannab (or Order) from the
Nabob Shujah Ulmulk Hoflum o'Dowla
Meer Mahmud JafEer Cawn Bahdr Mohabut
Sung, to the Honourable Prtfident and Council
I
IE it known to the nobleft of merchants,
the Englifh Company, That whereas the
Glory of the Nobility, Zubdut Ulmulk Nuf-
feera Dowla Colonel Clive Subat Jung Behadr,
has been honoured with a Munfub (or title) of
the rank of 6000 and 5000 horfe from the Im-
perial Court, and has exerted himfelf, in con-
junction with me, with the moft fteady at-
tachment, and in the moft ftrenuous manner,
in the protection of the imperial territories ;
in recompence thereof, the Pergana (or county)
of Calcutta, &V. belonging to the Chucta (or
jurifdiftion of Hughley, &V. of the Sircar
Sauntgaum, &c. (or treafury) dependant on
the Calfa Shereefa and Jagueer, amounting to
two hundred and twenty-two thoufand nine
hundred and fifty-eight S a . R s . and' fomething
more,
[ 73 3
more, conferred by the Dewannee Sunnud (or
King's Lord Treasurer of the province) on the
Englifh Company, as their Zemindarrie, com-
mencing from the month Poos, (or December)
in the eleven hundred and fixty-fourth year of
the Bengal ftyle, from the half of the feafon
Rabbee Soofcanneel, in the eleven hundred and
fixty-fifth year of the Bengal ftyle, is appointed
the Jagueer of the glory of the nobility afore-
faid. It behoves you to look upon the above-
written perfon as the lawful Jagueerda (or
Lord) of that place ; and in the fame manner
as you formerly delivered in the due rents of
the government, according to the Kifsbundee,
(or written agreement) into the treafury of
the court, and the Jagueer taking a receipt
under the feal of the Drogha (or Receiver-
Qeneral) and Mufhreef, and Treafurer ; now
in like manner you are regularly to deliver to
the above-mentioned Jagueerdar the rents,
according to the ftated payments, and receive
a receipt from the aforefaid perfon. Be punc-
tual in the ftrift execution of this writing.
Written
[ 74 3
Written the firft of Zeckaida 6* fun (or yeaf)
of the reign.
It is patted. (The Nabob's mark.)
N. B. Endorfements.
(The Royran's figning.)
D H
Copied in the books of entered in the
books of the Huzzoor, the Dewannee,
the i ft of the ift of the Mohurrum,
the 6th fun (or year) of the reign, the
Mohurrum, the 6th of the reign.
N.B.
Signed by the Dewannee
Pelhker, or Accomptant
Secretary. N. B.
Signed by the Nabob Nloon.
Explanation of the Terms ufed in Colonel Clive's
Perwannab for his Jagueer.
Perwannab, A warrant, or a letter from any
perfon in a fuperior ftation to a dependant.
Munful, A dignity.
Calfa Sbereef, The office in which all the
King's accounts are pafled.
Jagueer, Lands affigned by the King for the
main-
I. 75 1
maintenance of a Munfubdar, or contradiftinc-
tion to the Calix. It fignifies the revenues
appropriated to the ufe of the Subahdre and
his family.
Dewannee, The Dewan is the King's agent
for the collection of his revenues.
Rebbee. The year in all public regifters is
divided into two feafons, the one called Khe-
rief, which comprehends the months of Affin,
Cartie, Aghun, Poos, Maug, Phagum-, the
other Cheif, Byfaac, Int, AfTar, Sawun, Bha-
dun. The latter half of the feafon Relba
commences ift of the month Aflar, on the
1 2th of June, from which time the Jagueer
takes place.
Hifsbundee, A contract from the acquittance
of a debt by ftated payments.
Huzzocr, Literally the prefence, applied by
way of eminence to the Nabob's court.
Ho/kaneel, I have not had time to inform
myfelf of the exact meaning of this word, but
believe it to be the name of the prefent year,
the regifters of this empire accounting a per-
petual revolution of twelve years, each of
which is differently named.
o
C 7 6 ]
A LETTER to ROBERT CLIVE, Efq;
S I R,
U R moft ferious attention has been de-
voted to the commands of our Ho-
nourable Employers /*r Hardwick, naming a
rotation of Governors for the future manage-
ment of their affairs at this fettlement ; and hav-
ing duly weighed the nature of this regulation,
with all its attending confequences, a fmcere
.conviftion of its being, in our prefent fituation
and circumftanoes, repugnant to the true inte-
reft of our Honourable Mailers, and the wel-
fare of the fettlement in general, obliges us,
(though wich the utmoft refpeft and deference)
to believe, that had our employers been ap-
prized of the prefent ftate of their affairs in
this kingdom, they would have placed the pre-
fidentfhip in fome one perfon, as the cleared
and eafieft method of conducting their con-
cerns, as well as preferving and maintaining
the weight arid influence the Jate happy revolu-
tion has given us with the Soubah of thefe pro-
vinces ; on which influence, at the prefent pe-
riod, the intereil and welfare of the Company
depends
[ 77 ]
depends in the higheft degree at this fettlemenf.
The difficulties we may be liable to by a ro-
tation in the executive part of government*
with its confequences, are diffidently obvious
in our prefent ftate of affairs : we will, how-
ever mention, only a few points. The treaty
with the Nabob not perfected in all its branches;
the poflefiions of the lands incompleat ; the
fettlement in no pofture of defence ; the French
confiderably reinforced with military and a
fleet , their defigns with refped to Bengal hi-
therto unknown ; and the impoffibility of im-
preffing a proper idea of this divided power in
the minds of the Soubah and others of this
kingdom, who have at all times been accuf-
tomed to the government of a fingle perfon.
A little reflection will introduce many more,
and clearly evince the neceffity of this addrefs.
The gentlemen nominated Governors, in the
Honourable Company's commands per Hard-
wick, have the higheft fenfe of gratitude for
the honour conferred on them by our Em-
ployers in their appointment, but deem them-
felves in duty bound, at this juncture of af-
fairs, to wave all perfonal honours and advan-
tages ;
[ 7* I
fages ; and declare, as their fentiment, That
a rotation in the executive part of government,
for the foregoing reafons, would be extremely
prejudicial to the real intereft of the Company j
in which opinion we unanimoufly concur, and
judge it for the welfare of our Honourable Em-
ployers, and of the fettlement in general, to
deviate in this inftance from the commands of
our Honourable Matters, and fix the Prefi-
dentfhip in a fmgle perfon, till we hear fur-
ther from Europe.
Your being named as head of the General
Committee, (in the letter of the 3d of Au-
guft laft) eftablifhed at that time for conduct-
ing the Company's affairs in Bengal ; your
eminent fervices, abilities, and merit, together
with your fuperior weight and influence with
the prefent Soubah and his officers, are motives
which have great force with us on this occa-
fion, and all concur in pointing out you as the
perfon bed able to render our Hon. Employers
neceflary fcrvice at this juncture, till they (hall
make their further pleafure known, by the ap-
pointment of a Prefident for their affairs here.
Thefe
[ 79 1
Thefc rcafons urge us to make you an offer
of being Prefident of the Company's affairs iii
Bengal, till a perfon is appointed by the Ho-
nourable Company; and we flatter ourfelves
you will be induced to accept of our offer, from,
your wonted regard to the intereft of our Ho-
nourable Employers, and zeal for the welfare of
their affairs, which, we doubt not, you are, as
well as ourfelves, convinced will be much pre-
judiced by a rotation in the executive part of
government.
We want your reply, and have the honour
to be,
S I R,
Your moft obed. and moft humb. Servants,
Wm. Watts.
Fort William, C, Manningham.
?6th June, 1758. Rich. Beecher.
M. Collett.
W. Mackett. .
Tho. Boddam.
Minutes
Mnutfs out of the Court Books <?//&? -Eaft-India
Company.
A T a Court of Directors' held, on Wed-
JLJL nefiay, February 6, 1754, Minutes of
the Committee of Correfpondence, dated the
5th inftant, being read, it was unanimoufly
Refofoed, That a fword fet with diamonds,
to the value of 500!. be prefented by the Court
to Capt. Robert Clive, as a token of their
efteem for him, and fenfe of his fingular Ser-
vices to the Company upon the coafi: of Co-
j t
romandel. ^
At a general Court held on Wednefday,
December 21, 1757, on a motion* and the
queftion being put, it was
Refohed, That the Thanks of this General
Court be given to Lieutenant Colonel Robert
Clive, for his eminent and fignal fervices to this
Company.
At a General Court held on Wednefday,
Sept. 24, 1760, the Chairman from the Court
of Directors informed this Court, that fuch
impor-
[ 8t ]
important fervices had been rendered to the
Company in the Eaft-Indies by Vice- Admiral
Pocock, and the Colonels Clive and Lawrence,
as appeared from the accounts formerly laid
before this Court, and lately received, to de-
mand fome farther marks of the Court's fenfe
thereof than had been already exprefled ; and
moving the Court thereupon, it was on the
queftion
Refohed unanimoujly^ That the thanks of this
Court be given to Vice-Admiral Pocock, Co-
lonel Robert Clive, and Colonel Stringer Law-
rence, for their many eminent and fignal fer-
vices to this Company.
And another motion being made,
Ordered^ That the Chairman, and Deputy-
Chairman, wait upon thofe Gentlemen, and
acquaint them with this mark of this Courts
great regard for their fervices.
And another being made, it was on the
queftion
Refohed unanimoufly. That the Chairman and
Deputy, when they wait upon Vice-Admiral
Pocock, Colonel Clive, and Colonel Lawrence,
G will
t 82 ]
will defire thofe Gentlemen to give their con-
fent that their Portraits, or Statues, be taken,
in order to be placed in fome confpicuous parts
of this Houfe ; that their eminent and fignai
fcrvices to this Company, may be ever had
in remembrance.
NUM-
NUMBER I.
Copy of the Company's Letter to Colonel CLIVE,
dated March 8, 1758.
S I R,
OUR fentiments of gratitude for the
many great fevices you have rendered to
this company, together with the thanks of the
General Court, have been hitherto conveyed
thro' the channel of our general letters, but
the late 'extraordinary and unexpected revolu-
tion in Bengal, in which you had fo great a
mare of action, both in the Cabinet and the Field
merits our more particular regard ; and we do
accordingly embrace this opportunity of re-
turning you our moft fincere and hearty thanks
for the zeal, good conduct, and intrepidity,
which you have fo eminently exerted on this
glorious occafion, as well as for tbe great and
Jdid advantages refulring therefrom to the Eaft-
India Company.
We earneftly wifh your health may permit
your continuance in India for fuch further term
as will give you an opportunity of fecuring
the 'foundation you have laid, as likewife to
give your afliftance in putting the company's
[ 84 ]
Mercantile and Civil Affairs on a proper and ad-
vantageous footing, upon the plans now tranf-
mitted.
For this purpofe, as well as in confideration
of your eminent fervices, we have appointed
you, Governor and Prefident of Fort William in
Bengal* and its dependencies, in the manner
mentioned in the General Letter by this con-
veyance , to which we have annexed an addi-
tional allowance of One Thoufand Pounds a
year, as a teftimony of our great regard for
you. We are,
Tour loving Friends,
LONDON, March 8,
I75 8 -
John Dorrien, John Payne,
G. Steevens, Lau. Sulivan,
Charles Chambers, J. Raymond,
John Browne, Chrif. Burrow,
M. Weftern, M. Impey,
Hen. Hadley, John Man [hip,
Timothy Tullie, Tho s . Phipps,
Cha s . Gough, John Raymond,
Tho s . Saunders, Rob. Jones.
To the Hon. Robert Give, Ef%',
NUMB,
C 85 ]
NUMBER II.
Company's General Letter to Bengal, dated
March 8, 1763.
Paragraph!" N our Letter of the gd inftant, we
the 23d. JL lamented the fituation of the many
unhappy people who had loft their property on
the capture of Fort William, and had no re-
lief from the treaty concluded with the late
Nabob j in compaffion to their fufferings we
recommended your applying to him on their
behalf for relief, if you had the leaft probabi-
lity of fucceeding. It is with great pleafure
we find, that the late happy revolution and
your care, have produced what we had very
little reafon to expect from the late Nabob.
A grant from the prefent Nabob of fuch
large fums to make good the lofles of the fe-
veral inhabitants, as we are fatisfied are much
more than fufficient to indemnify them, even
with intereft thereon. Altho' the Nabob gives
the company a crore of rupees, yet when the
immenfe expence of maintaining the fettle-
ment at Fulta, the military charges of our
troops from Fort St. George and Bombay, and
the
[ 86 ]
the hazard thofe Prefidencies have been ex-
pofed to by drawing them off from thence,
the charges of fortifications and rebuildings,
replacing (lores, increafe of our garrifon, the
lofs of a feafon's inveftments, if not more, and
many other obvious particulars are taken into
"the account, it will appear that the Company
will ftill be confiderable fufferers : It is highly
reafonable therefore, if the feveral inhabitants
are paid out of the money Stipulated in the
treaty with the Nabob for that purpofe, the
full amount of their refpective loffes, together
with intereft thereon, that all the furplus fhould
be applied to the Company's Ufe. We mail
expect to hear you have acted in this manner,
and that fuch furplus has been accordingly de-
pofited in our cam , and we direct that you
obferve this as a rule for your conduct, in the
diflribution of any further fums of money on
this account. We do not intend by this to
break in upon any fums of money which
have been given by the Nabob to particular
perfons by way of free gift or gratuity for their
fervices, it is the furplus of the fums we mean
which are agreed to be paid by the Nabob in
the
t 87 ]
the fth, 6th, and 7th articles of the treaty with
him. It is thought proper here to acquaint
you, that fueh furplufies, whatever they are,
we propofe to expend in fuch manner, as will
tend to the general utility and fecurity of the
fettlement, they are therefore to be referved
for our farther orders : And you are hereby
directed to tranfmit us, for our information,
exact accounts of every perfbns lofs, whether
Englifh or other inhabitants, on the late cap-
ture of Fort William, and what has been paid
to each of them in particular, by way of in-
demnification for the fame, out of the moneys
granted by the Nabob for that purpofe.
Vranflation
[ 88 ]
Tranjlation of a, Treaty between the Nabob Meer
Mahmud Coffin Cawn and the Company.
/Company's \ / Meer Mahmud \
\ Seal. ) (Coffin CwnBzhzderJ
TW O treaties have been written of the
fame tenor, and reciprocally exchanged,
containing the articles undermentioned, be-
tween Meer Mahmud Coffin Cawn Bahader,
and the Nabob Sheemfo dowla Bahader, Go-
vernor, and the reft of the Council for the Af-
fairs of the Englifli Company, and during the
life of Meer Mahamud Coffin Cawn Bahader,
and the duration of the factories of the Eng-
lifh Company in this Country, this agreement
fhall remain in force. GOD is witnefs between
us that the following articles fhall in no wife
be infringed by either party.
Article I. The Nabob, Meer Mahmud Jaf-
fier Cawn Bahader, fhall continue in pofleffion
of his dignities, and all affairs be tranfacted in
his name, and a fuitable income be allowed for
his expences.
Art. II. The Neabut of the Subadarne of
Bengali, Azemabad, and Ceriflfa, fcfc. fhall
be conferred by his Excellency (the Nabob)
on
on Meer Mahmud Coffin Cawn Bahader ; he
ihall be vetted with the adminiftration of all
affairs of the provinces, and, after his Excel-
lency, he Ihall proceed to the Government.
Art. III. Betwixt us, and Meer Maharnud
Coffin Cawn Bahader, a firm friendmip and
union is eftabliihed ; his enemies are our ene-
mies, and his friends are our friends.
Art. IV. The Europeans and Talingas of
the Englifh army, mall be ready to affift the
Nabob Meer Mahamud Coffin Cawn Bahader,
in the management of all affairs ; and, in all
D
affairs dependant on him, they fiiall exert them-
felves to the utmofl: of their abilities.
Art. V. In all charges of the Company,
and of the faid army and provinces for the
filled, &c. the lands of Burdwan and Mi-
napoor, and Chktagaum fhall bs affigned, and
funnuds for that purpofe fnall bs written and
granted : the Company is to (land to all loiles,
and receive all the profits of thefe three coun-
tries j and \ve will demand no more than the
three affignments aforefaid.
An. VI. One half of the chunams pro-
duced a: Silet for three years, lhail be pur-
H chafed
[ 9 1
chafed by the Gomaftah of the Company from
the people of the Government, at the cufto-
mary rate of that place. The tenants and in-
habitants of thofe diftricts (hall receive no in-
Art. VII. The ballance of the former tu-
neaw (hall be paid according to the kiftbundee
agreed u>on with the Royroyans ; the jewels
which have been pledged fhall be received back
again.
Art. VIII. We will not allow the tenants
of the Sircan to fettle in the lands of the Eng-
lifh Company ; neither fliall the tenants of the
Company be allowed to fettle in the lands of
the Sircan.
Art. IX. We will give no protection to the
dependants of the Sircan in the lands, or in
the factories of the Company -, neither ihall any
protection be given to the dependants of the
Company in the Lands of the Sircan ; and
whofoever frail fly to either party for refuge
(hall be given up.
Art. X. The meafures for the war or peace
with the Shah Zada, and raifing fupplies of
money, and concluding both thei'e points, fhall
be
[ 9' ]
be weighed in the fcale of reafon, and what-
ever is judged expedient fliall be put in execu-
tion ; and it fhall be fo contrived, by the joint
Counfeliors, that he be removed from this
country, nor fuffered to get any footing in it :
whether there be peace with the Shah Zada or
not, our agreements with Meer Mahamud
Cawn Bahader, we will (by the Grace of God)
inviolably obferve, as long as the Englim-
Company factories continue in this country.
Dated the i7th of the month JefTer, in the
year 1174 of the Ucjra.
(Sign manual of Meer Mahamud Coffin
Cawn.) This was fealed on the i8th
of the month of Jeffer, in the eleven
hundredth and 74th year of the Ucjra,
and the propofals are agreed to.
FINIS.
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