4 Narrative of '"hat Happened 
 in Bengal, in the Year (..,
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 AT LOS ANGELES
 
 NARRATIVE 
 
 OF WHAT HAPPENED IN 
 
 In the Year MDCCLX. 
 
 WHEREIN is CONTAINED 
 
 An ACCOUNT of the REVOLUTION, 
 
 which took Place at that Time. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for C H A R L E s B AT H u R s T, at the Crofs-Keys, 
 
 oppofite St. Dunftans Church, Fleet-ftreet. 
 
 M. DCC.I.XIV. 
 
 [ Price One Shilling. ]
 
 \ 
 
 CT*HIS Pamphlet was firft printed about 
 *" three Tears ago; and all the Copies of it 
 were then given by the Author in Prefents 
 amongft bis Acquaintance : If is now reprint- 
 ed for the Satisjaftion, and Ufe of the Pub- 
 lic.
 
 NARRATIVE 
 
 OF WHAT HAPPENED IN 
 
 BE N G A L y 
 
 f 
 
 In the Year MDCCLX. 
 
 N the latter end of the month 
 of November, 1759, Colonel 
 Caillaud arrived at Fort Wil- 
 liam, with a reinforcement of 
 troops from Fort St. George, 
 to fucceed Colonel Clive and Colonel Ford 
 'j[ in the command of the army in Bengal ^ 
 ^ both of whom, in the month of February 
 | following, quitted India to return to Europe. 
 ^5 The difputes with the Dutch were in- 
 lirely by this time at an end > yet the Eng- 
 B 
 
 554820 -
 
 4 ^NARRATIVE of 
 
 lifh troops ftill continued in the fields for 
 it was thought neceffary by Colonel Clive, 
 now, when he could do it with fecurity, to 
 fend another detachment to the northward, 
 to aid the Nabob in oppofing the incurfions 
 of the Shah Zadah upon the borders of his 
 dominions. 
 
 Early as this month the Shah Zadah, re- 
 viving his former plan, begad to entertain 
 the fame views, which had been defeated, 
 the preceding campaign, by the activity 
 and enterprize of Colonel Clive. An unpar- 
 donable negligence on one fide, and the 
 ufual and known caprice of the people of 
 the country, ever afpiring after novelty, on 
 the other, afforded both the time and means 
 he wifhed for, and encouraged him with no 
 unreafonable expectation of a happy turn 
 in his favour. . 
 
 From the time Colonel Clive left the field, 
 no troops had been fent by Ramnarain, the 
 governor of Patna ; nor were there any 
 other meafures taken by him to re-eftablifh 
 the tranquillity, or to fecure the confines of 
 the province. The petty Rajas of the in- 
 ferior diftricts were difregarded ; and whils 
 the whole country remained unfettled, and 
 every man was fetting up for himfelf, thefe 
 3 people,
 
 what happened in BENGAL in 1760. 5 
 people, utterly neglected and unobferved, 
 naturally embraced the lucky moment to af- 
 fert an independence, and afterwards united 
 with that power they trufted could beffc 
 fupport them in it. There were fome, 
 whom a proper afcendancy exerted upon 
 would have ftill kept in awe, and preferved 
 faithful to their duty j but, unreftrained by 
 any authority, they readily clofed with the 
 offers which were not wanting to be made 
 them from the oppofite party. Others again, 
 and thefe not a few or contemptible, fent 
 fecret and repeated invitations to the Prince, 
 and afiurances of fupport, whenever he 
 fhould exert himfelf : Thefe were a people 
 ftudious only of their own advantage, eager 
 to perplex, and to profit from the misfortune 
 of the times, and prepared to join with any 
 fide, thatfhould prove mod powerful. 
 
 From fuch errors, and fuch difpofitions 
 in the people, the party of the Shah Zadah, 
 at the latter end of the year 1759, began 
 infenfibly to be reftored, and his faction to 
 -extend ; inconfiderable in the beginning, 
 and fo weak, that, had a body of one thou- 
 fand horfe only been properly difpofed, they 
 might have then done what forty thoufand 
 .proved mfufficiept for afterwards, and the 
 B 2 name
 
 6 A NARRATIVE of 
 
 name of the Shah Zadah would have been 
 
 no more heard of. 
 
 About this time was another favourable 
 incident, which contributed more than all 
 the reft to augment the number of his 
 friends, to add dignity to his name, and to 
 aflemble frefh followers to his ftandard. 
 
 The prefent young and enterprizing Vi- 
 zier Gauze Odin, Khan, by the murder of 
 a former King, exalted Allum Geer, the 
 father of the Shah Zadah, to the throne of 
 Indoftan : but fome time after, being diiTatif- 
 fied with his own election in the perfon of 
 this Prince, he imprifoned him, kept him 
 in clofe confinement for feveral years, drove 
 his children (among the reft Shah Zadah) 
 from Dellyj and at length, to complete 
 the fyftem, he murdered him alfo, and pro- 
 claimed another Prince at that capital. 
 
 When the news of his father's affaffina- 
 tion reached the Shah Zadah, he did not 
 long delay to affert his title to the inheritance 
 of his anceflors. He caufed himfelf to be 
 acknowledged King immediately by his de- 
 pendants, and was recognized as fuch by his 
 followers ; and he demanded homage and 
 obeifance from the Nabob of Bengal. His 
 light to the crowrj being inconteftably a 
 
 juft
 
 what happened in BENGAL in 1760. 7 
 juft one, many principal Rajas were on that 
 con fide ration induced to unite with him, to 
 fupport his'.pretenfions to his paternal dia- 
 dem. Thus, at the commencement of the 
 year 1760, did he find himfelf at the head 
 of an army of thirty thoufand men, with 
 a much ftronger and more popular claim than 
 formerly, and burft into the Nabob's do- 
 minions, impatient to retrieve the mortify-, 
 ing difappointment of his laft campaign. 
 
 In this manner were affairs circumftanced, 
 when anEngliih detachment of four hundred 
 men, with fix field-pieces, and one battalion 
 of Seapoys, commanded by Colonel Caillaud, 
 joined to fifteen thoufand horfe and foot, 
 and twenty-five pieces of cannon, under the 
 eldeft fon of the Nabob, moved from Mai- 
 davad on the i8th of January, towards Patna. 
 The army having gained the paffes of Sule- 
 liagarrie, which divide the kingdom of 
 Bengal from the province of Bahar, by the 
 3oth, were detained there feven or eight 
 days in a negotiation with the Raja of Per- 
 riah, a perfon whom there will be again 
 occaiion to mention ; who, from fome dif- 
 ference between the Nabob and him, had 
 collected forces to the amount of fix or feven 
 thoufand men, and threatened to declare for 
 
 the
 
 8 A N A R R A T I V E of 
 
 the Shah Zadah. Colonel Caillaud, unwil- 
 ling at fuch a juncture to leave an enemy 
 in his rear, interpofed to erTe<5t a reconcilia- 
 tion; their difputes were for a ftiort time 
 amicably compromifed, and the armies again 
 were permitted to purfue their march. 
 
 The Shah Zadah during this had pene- 
 trated as far as Patna, with defign to attack 
 Raja Ramnarain, the governor of that city, 
 before he could be affifted by the forces then 
 marching from Muxadabad. Ramnarain, 
 tho' he had been fo inattentive to the enemy 
 at a diftance, and fo unmindful of the real 
 intereft of his mafier, was now amply pro- 
 vided for his defence, and to oppofe his far- 
 ther progrefs. He had completed his forces 
 in December, when the danger had become 
 more immediate, to the number of forty 
 thoufand men, with twenty pieces of cannon: 
 he was reinforced with feventy Europeans, 
 two field-pieces, and a battalion of Seapoys, 
 under the command of Lieutenant Cockran, 
 from the Engli/h factory ; and the Shah 
 Zadah found this army incamped under the 
 walls of the city. Upon his approach, 
 Ramnarain moved fomething nearer to him, 
 and the two camps were many days within 
 4 ftort diftance of each other j but nothing 
 
 more
 
 happened in BENGAL in 1760. g 
 more palled but a few fkirmiihes between 
 fmall parties 3 for Colonel Gaillaud had 
 written peremptory inftructions to Ramna- 
 rain, to protract the time by every means in 
 his power, and upon no confederation what- 
 foever to hazard a battle till his arrival. 
 The fame was the purport of the Nabob 
 his mailer's pofitive orders to him j and for 
 a little while he prudently obferved them, 
 and kept intrenched within ftrong lines, par- 
 pofely to avoid an action. But, long before 
 their junction with him could be formed, 
 the ram inconfiderate man, though at that 
 very time he had reafon to be jealous of the 
 fidelity of many of the commanders, yet 
 deluded by fome imaginary advantage, elated 
 with his fuperiority of forces, or dazzled 
 by the fplendor of an expected victory, the 
 honour of which would devolve folely to 
 himfelf; big with thefe vain expectations, 
 he on the 9th of February drew out his 
 army, offered battle, which was accepted, 
 fought the Shah Zadah, and, in jufl pOnifli- 
 ment of his prefumption, loft the day, 
 
 To do juftice to his perfonal conduct, it 
 muft be owned, Ramriarain behaved with 
 diftinguimed gallantry, fighting hand to-hand 
 with one of Shah Zadah's principal officers ; 
 
 he
 
 tO A N A R R AT I V E of 
 
 he was wounded in feveral parts of his 
 body, and loft two fingers of his right hand; 
 The chief caufe of the defeat was porting 
 the Englifh troops too far from his perfon* 
 and the defertion of the three moil power* 
 ful Rajas of his party ; one of them fell 
 upon the Engliih, another fell upon tha 
 rear, and the other rode clear off in the 
 heat of the action: By the defection of 
 thefe, the remainder of his troops after a 
 fhort refinance fled, and left him defended 
 only by a few of his houihold. AlTailed on 
 all fides, the elephant he was mounted up- 
 on kneeling, .and the howdah almoffc off 
 from his back, at laft reduced to the uU 
 moft extremity, he was forced to fend to 
 the Englifh for fuccour. 
 
 LieutenantCockran, Enfign Winclebleck, 
 and Mr. Harwell (a young gentleman of 
 the Englifh factory, who went that day a 
 volunteer to the battle) inftantly marched to 
 his relief with four hundred Seapoys. This 
 little 'body pierced thro' every obftacle to his 
 aid, and, attacking with great fpirit the party 
 he was furrounded by, gave him time to 
 recover, difengaged him, and favoured his 
 retreat into Patna. They ftill pufhed their 
 advantage with great impetuofity for fome 
 
 time
 
 'what happened i 'n B E N G A L / n 1 7 6 6 . 1 1 
 lime after his efcape, again and again re- 
 pulfing frefh parties which advanced to- 
 wards them, and at length attempted to 
 re-unite themfelves to their own body : but, 
 before they could accomplish this, Cockran, 
 Winckbeck, and Barwell were killed j and, 
 the Seapoys being left without an officer, 
 the horfe broke in among them, and cut 
 moft of them to pieces, only one furviving 
 Serjeant and twenty-five Seapoys efcaping. 
 The reft of the English troops, when they 
 faw the day was irrecoverably loft, made 
 good their retreat to the city, having done 
 fo much mifchief where they engaged, that 
 the enemy would not venture to approach 
 them, but, opening inftantly to the left and 
 right, let them pafs without interruption. 
 They left indeed one field-piece fpiked upr 
 behind them, which broke down during the 1 
 engagement. Thus concluded the battle of 
 Muflempoore, in confequence of which the 
 Shah Zadah without deky inverted Patna. 
 
 This fiege was but of a very fhort dura- 
 tion 5 for Ramnarain, though feverely wound- 
 ed, yet did his utmoft to defend the city, and 
 at the fame time politically contrived to de- 
 ceive the Shah Zadah, by a true Gentoo 
 fpirit of negotiating, fometimes foothing 
 C him
 
 12 A NARRATIVE of 
 
 him with the hopes of a furrender, and by 
 various other pretences amufed him, until 
 Colonel Caillaud and the young Nabob, by 
 continued and forced marches, arrived on 
 the 1 9th of February within twenty-eight 
 miles of Patna. Alarmed at this fudden 
 and unexpected approach, the Prince, now 
 obliged haftily to withdraw his army from 
 before the town, determined without hefita- 
 tion to advance towards the Nabob, and 
 force him to an immediate battle. He {truck 
 his camp the very next morning, and ap- 
 proached the fame day within a very fhort 
 diftance of the young Nabob's advanced 
 pofts. The day following the relics of 
 Lieutenant Cockran's Seapoys having joined 
 the Englifh troops, Colonel Caillaud advifed 
 attacking the enemy directly -, but the afpecl 
 of the ftars not juft then fmiling on the 
 young Nabob, who forgot not, on fo cri- 
 tical an occafion, to divine their influence 
 by his aftrologers, the attack was deferred 
 till the 22d, when they promifed to be more 
 propitious. Accordingly on the 22d, early 
 in the morning, the army marched towards, 
 the enemy ; but, before they arrived near 
 their camp, the morning was fo far fpent 
 by the infufferable delays of the Nabob's 
 3 march,
 
 what happened in B E N G A L in 1 760. 13 
 march, that Colonel Caillaud was obliged 
 to defer his intention of bringing on a bat- 
 tle until the following day, that he might 
 "have time enough before him ; but incamp- 
 ed within two or three miles of the enemy, 
 as near as he could well approach without 
 alarming them too much. During the 
 time the tents were pitching, he rode to- 
 wards the camp of the enemy, to obfervc 
 their pofition, and to view the fituation of 
 the intervening ground. Perceiving all 
 quiet on their fide, he took pofleffion of 
 two villages about a mile in the front of 
 his own camp, but lituated rather obliquely 
 with refpecl: to that of the enemy, and 
 nearly the fame diftance from their centre. 
 In each of thefe villages was ported a com- 
 pany of Seapoys, and the remainder of the 
 fame battalion four hundred paces in their 
 rear, to fupport them in cafe of an alarm. 
 By fome flying parties of horfe, the enemy 
 prefently difcerned the near approach the 
 Englim troops had made towards them; 
 upon which they brought up fome pieces 
 of cannon in their front. To anfwer this, 
 the battalion of Seapoys was ordered to 
 move up, and a piquet of Europeans, with 
 two fix-pounders, were detached from the 
 C 2 camp,
 
 14 <d NARRATIVE of 
 
 camp, to maintain the villages. After this 
 both fides remained quiet for an hour ; at 
 the expiration of that time, notice was fent 
 from the villages, that the enemy was feen 
 to be in motion on all fides j and the Colonel, 
 battening to an eminence on the left, found 
 that they had ftruck their camp, and were 
 actually in full march. A confiderable body 
 of horfe, rifing foon after from behind a 
 fmall hill on the right, and making directly 
 towards the villages, confirmed beyond a 
 doubt their defign to bring on an action 
 that day. Orders were therefore given 
 inftantly for the Englifh troops to march 
 and form. On their arrival at the chofen 
 ground, they were formed between the two 
 above-mentioned villages, the Europeans in. 
 the centre, the Seapoys divided upon the 
 right and left of them, the artillery in the 
 intervals, the villages, with a company pf 
 Seapoys in each, being upon the flanks of 
 the whole; and in this order, as the enemy 
 feemed determined to attack, Colonel Cailrr 
 laud refolved to receive them. 
 
 The young Nabob, by a very eafy and 
 temple difpofition, before agreed on, and 
 what the nature of the ground feemed ta 
 invite hjin to, was with his troops to have 
 
 formed
 
 *wbat happened in BEN GAJ. in 1760. 15 
 formed a fecond line, with a body of horfe to 
 cover each flank. From this order, the firft 
 line of the Englifh, with the villages, would 
 have fecured his front, and his wings only 
 would have been left expofed ; fo that the 
 enemy muft firft have broke through the 
 Englifh, or have fuffered a fevere fire upon 
 their flank in coming round to attack him, 
 But, regardlefs of all this, he crowded his 
 army in a confufed multitude upon the 
 right ; nor would the moft preffing and re- 
 peated folicitations induce him to alter his 
 difpofition, or to difplay his troops in a more 
 diftind: order j but there they remained, a 
 body of fifteen thoufand men, with a front 
 of fcarce two hundred yards, in a tumultu- 
 ous ununiformed heap; and to this inflexi- 
 bility had he very near facrificed both him- 
 felf and people. 
 
 The enemy came on with much fpirit^ 
 though with fome irregularity, and in many 
 feparate bodies, after the Eaftern manner of 
 fighting. Jn appearance they directed their 
 principal effort to the left of the Englifh, 
 having Rationed one large body there in the 
 beginning, and now puming another to 
 fupport them. To give fome check to thefe* 
 f he artillery were advanced a few paces in the 
 
 front,
 
 16 . A NAR RAT IVE of 
 front, and, being directed to the left, a few 
 difcharges effectually broke the order of 
 their approach on that fide. Unable to 
 Xvithftand fo hot a fire, they divided : fome 
 filed off to the right of the Englifh ; but 
 the moft part {till kept inclining, under 
 cover of fome banks and ditches, more and 
 more towards the left, until at laft they got 
 quite round j there they remained for fome 
 time, for an object of much more impor r 
 tance now converted all attention on the 
 other fide: 
 
 The enemy had long defcried the young 
 Nabob, from the number of horfe, ele- 
 phants, and ftandards, with which he was 
 incircled. The motion to their left appear- 
 ed a feint only to amufe the Englifli ; while, 
 led on by the moft refolute commanders, 
 they bore down with the heft and braveft of 
 their troops againft the young Nabob. This 
 being obferved, all the artillery was ordered 
 to be drawn up upon the right, which, to- 
 gether with five or fix large cannon in the 
 front of the Nabob, fired brifkly, as the 
 firft body of the enemy came on in a long 
 and deep column ; but four guns, by the 
 roughnefs of the ground, breaking down 
 after a few difcharges, and the Nabob's 
 
 cannon^
 
 what happened in BENGAL in 1760, iy 
 cannon being quickly deferted, it produced 
 little effect. Both fides were now clofely 
 engaged. The enemy were received by the 
 Nabob with resolution : they charged in a 
 tumultuous manner, horfe and foot in- 
 difcriminately mixed, and with variety of 
 weapons, arrows, pikes, fwords, match- 
 locks, &c. In about ten minutes the Na- 
 bob began to give way; the enemy prefled 
 QJI, while the Nabob only acled on the de- 
 fenfive. 
 
 At this critical jtindure, Colonel Caillaud 
 ordered up a battalion of Seapoys from his 
 right, and led them on to fuccour the Na- 
 bob. The Seapoys marched and drew up 
 whhin forty yards upon the enemy's flank ; 
 they poured in one levelled fire, then a fe- 
 eond ; after which they pufhed en with 
 their bayonets, and fo much difconcerted 
 the enemy, already confufed enough in 
 making the attack, that they recoiled upon 
 each other, and part immediately fled. The 
 Nabob's horfe, recovered by this feafonablc 
 relief, galloped in amongft them at the 
 very inftant of their confufion, and diiper- 
 fed the reft : none of them ever attempted 
 to rally, and the whole plain was as clear 
 
 in 

 
 tfj A I^ARRAT 1VE 6f 
 
 in half an hour, as if no enemy had been 
 near it. 
 
 Whilft they were thus repulfed in front, 
 the party, which at firft had advanced on 
 the left, marched round to the rear unob^ 
 ierved in the heat of the battle, and plun- 
 dered the Englifli camp : but moft of the 
 things, elephants, camels, &c. were re- 
 covered again in the purfuit, which the 
 approach of the night prevented continuing 
 beyond two or three miles. The action 
 lafted near four hours, and a very coniide- 
 rable number fell on each fide j but the rout 
 was complete. The Englifh loft a few Sea- 
 poys only, and they took ieventeen pieces of 
 cannon. Of note among the flain, were 
 an uncle of the young Nabob's, and the 
 two commanders of the Shah Zadah, who 
 led on the attack : The young Nabob him^ 
 felf received two wounds in his face and 
 neck with arrows. : 
 
 Very little, if any advantage whatever 
 was derived from the vidory of Seerpoof 
 (fo was the place called where this battle 
 was fought) further than ftriking the ene- 
 my with a momentary fright ; nor did even 
 their apprehenfions fubfift. The young 
 Nabob efteeming his wounds (though flight 
 
 fcratches
 
 la hat happened in BENGAL in 1760. 19 
 fcratches only) of a moft dangerous tenden- 
 cy, immediately after the battle retired to 
 Patna, would neither purfue the Shah Za- 
 dah himfelf, nor would he fuffer part of 
 the horie to march with Colonel Caillaud, 
 who inftantly and earneftly urged him to it, 
 and offered, with any addition of horfe to 
 his own fmall body, to follow the Shah 
 Zadah, and while his troops were fcattered, 
 in amazement at their late defeat, and 
 without a head, to exterminate him from 
 the province. Through jealoufy, anxious 
 left the reputation of the Colonel fhould 
 increafe, to the extenuation of his own ; 
 or unwilling to crufh an enemy at once, 
 whom he was certain he could always re* 
 duce with the help of his Englim allies 5 
 an enemy too, by whofe exiftence alone he 
 retained the power he then pofTeiled, and 
 the large army he then commanded: or 
 from fuch fmifter motives, he abfolutely re- 
 fufed to let him have a fingle man. Thus 
 were thofe precious moments loft, from the 
 neglect of which have fprung all the mif- 
 chiefs which have iince enfued. Colonel 
 Caillaud ordered his troops to incamp 
 between Patna and the town of Bahaar: 
 D the
 
 20 A NARRATIVE of 
 
 the Nabob remained in Patna, and buried 
 
 himfelf among his women. 
 
 The fame night of his defeat, the Shah 
 Zadah fled to the town of Bahaar, ten miles 
 only from the field of battle. The two 
 following days reftored to him the greateft 
 part of his diflipated forces, whom their 
 own terrors, more than the reality of the 
 danger, had difperfed. Upon recolle&ing 
 his own fpirits, encouraging thofe of his 
 people, and upon a review of his army, he 
 found his affairs very far as yet from being 
 in a defperate condition. Not mariy of his 
 forces were miffing, there was no enemy 
 near him, he had the fame refources as 
 before, and the country was as open to him 
 as ever. Moved by thcfe confiderations, he 
 was refolved immediately to undertake Ibme 
 fudden expedition, before any fufpicion 
 could be formed of his lofs being fo foon 
 repaired, or the truth of his defigns could 
 be explored. Among the many expedients 
 which prefented themfelves, he fixed on 
 one, which, at the fame time it evinced the 
 propriety of his judgment, and mewed that 
 he did not want talents to improve a happy 
 opportunity, had every probable appearance 
 offuccefs; and was certainly the likelieft 
 
 means,
 
 what happened in, B E N G A L in 1 760. 21 
 means, if not to complete his views, at lead 
 to improve the nature of his circumftances ; 
 and experience would have proved the truth 
 of this, had the fpirit, which firft infpired 
 the thought, accompanied him in the exe- 
 cution of it. 
 
 The young Nabob, having afforded the 
 enemy all the leifure he wanted, and at lad 
 fatiated with his pleafures, thought it was 
 now time to obferve what the Shah Zadah 
 had been doing. Accordingly he joined 
 Col. Caillaud with his army on the 29th of 
 February, and made a flow march or two 
 towards Bahaar : but his furprife was great, 
 when he heard the Prince was in the field 
 again, and not at Bahaar, but had made two 
 forced marches beyond him towards Ben- 
 gal. Col. Caillaud had long before pre- 
 dicled the poffibility of this manoeuvre to 
 him ; but he remained utterly incredulous, 
 nor ufed any pr Caution to prevent fuch an 
 attempt, and, when convinced of the truth 
 of it, only wondered how fuch an amazing 
 turn had happened. 
 
 The enemy having made two forced 
 
 marches with an intention to enter Bengal, 
 
 (to which they had often been invited by 
 
 many difarTected Rajas, particularly Cud- 
 
 D 2 deim
 
 22 A NARRATIVE of 
 
 deim Houilein Khan, the Rajah of Parncah, 
 who had again revolted) obliged the young 
 Nabob to make all imaginable hade after 
 them, and, if poffible, to prevent their pro- 
 grefs. Colonel Caillaud marched his troops 
 dire<ftly towards the river, and embarked 
 them on board the boats, which at that 
 time accompanied the army, and left the 
 young Nabob and his forces to make what 
 expedition they could after him. The Na- 
 bob was obliged to exert himfelf on this 
 occafion j and luckily, on the third day, the 
 enemy, as their rout lay by the river fide, 
 were by the Englifh and the Nabob's horfe 
 overtaken. The Shah Zadah from this 
 inftance perceived at once the impoffibility 
 of his marching into Bengal by the direct 
 road which leads along the banks of the 
 Ganges, becaufe the Englifli, by means of 
 their boats tranfporting them down the river, 
 could at any time pofTefs themfelves of the 
 paffes, which are the entrance into Bengal 
 on that fide, before the<n ; by which 
 rneans the young Nabob would remain 
 in his rear, and he fhould be (hut up be- 
 tween two armies. Yet, far from being de- 
 terred by this obdacle, he perfevered in his 
 refpju.tion s ?,nd on the 8th of March, 
 
 changing
 
 what happened in BENGAL in 1760. 23 
 changing his courfe, he directed his rout 
 over that range of mountains, which divide 
 the Nabob's dominions to the Southward 
 from a country North-Baft of the Decan, 
 and as yet but little known. His forces 
 conlifting now of light horfe only, unin- 
 cumbered by artillery or heavy baggage, he 
 eafily gained two or three marches on the 
 Nabob. Where-ever he went, there was a 
 neceffity of keeping to him as clofe as 
 poffible : Colonel Caillaud therefore con- 
 tinued to follow him ; and he led them 
 through a country ever before deemed in- 
 acceffible to an army, from the number of 
 thick woods and narrow pafles, which con- 
 fiderably retarded their progrefs, and ren- 
 dered their motions extremely difficult. 
 The paflage of one pafs in particular de- 
 tained the Shah Zadah fo long, that the 
 Englim troops arrived on the 2 2d of March 
 on the incampment he had quitted but two 
 days before, the regularity of their march 
 having carried them through in a much 
 fhorter time : the interval likewife fpent in 
 this traniadtion gave time for the advices 
 to reach Muxadabad, and enabled the old 
 Nabob to colledl an army, and, fuftained 
 by two hundred Europeans detached to 
 
 his
 
 24 A NAR RATIVE of 
 
 his afllftance from Fort William, to march 
 out for the prefervation of his capital. From 
 this time (till the Prince had entered Ben- 
 gal) nothing more happened than a ferie$ 
 of intricate and toilfome marches after him, 
 in which Colonel Caillaud had fucceffive 
 difficulties to encounter, from the perplex- 
 ities of the country, for the fubfiftance of 
 the Nabob's and his own troops, for the 
 conducting the artillery, (whole days being 
 employed in cutting roads to bring it a few 
 miles only) and laftly for directing the rout 
 of the army, for which guides could feldom 
 be procured, the few rude inhabitants of 
 the vallies having fled into the mountains, 
 In the latter end of March the Shah Zadah 
 had advanced within thirty miles Weft of 
 Muxadabad, on the fide of Burdwan's pro- 
 vince, to the difmay and aftontfhment of 
 the inhabitants, moft of whom immediately 
 fled. He was there joined by a party of 
 Marattoes, who had lately broke into the 
 country on that fide, and with them he in- 
 tended to enter the city. 
 
 But now, when the time was come that 
 
 called upon the Shah Zadah for the exertion 
 
 of his utmoft fortitude, to execute the very 
 
 purpofe for which he had advanced fo far 
 
 i and
 
 what happened in BENGAL in 1760, 25 
 and endured fo much, fuch an opportunity 
 too as he ought to have wiflieu for, his 
 conflancyforfookhim. Either from irrefo- 
 lution, from fome diflenfion among his com- 
 manders, perhaps not finding his caufe fo 
 warmly efpoufed in the province as he ex- 
 pected, or from whatever motive, he com- 
 mitted an unpardonable and capital error in 
 hefitating to attack the old Nabob imme- 
 diately, and while the two armies were 
 divided. This delay completely ruined his 
 defign, at firft fo mafterly concerted, and 
 till then with fo much fteadinefs carried on ; 
 for in the mean time Colonel Caillaud and 
 the young Nabob, by conftant uninterrupted 
 marches, had time to throw themfelves be- 
 tween him and the city. On the 4th of 
 April, the old Nabob and his fon formed a 
 ]uncl:ion of their two armies near Burdwan, 
 and Colonel Caillaud detached the two hun- 
 dred Europeans which accompanied the old 
 Nabob, to Muxadabad, for the defence of 
 that city. The whole force of the Nabob 
 being thus united, he and the Colonel 
 marched without delay to conftrain the 
 Prince to retire from Burdwan, and to 
 oblige him, if poffible, to leave the country 
 intirely. They found the enemy on the
 
 2.6 A NARRATIVE of 
 
 ^th of April incamped on the oppofite fide 
 of the Damoodah, a river which runs along 
 the town of Burdwan. It being previoufly 
 determined to engage him, the Englim 
 troops, who always formed the van-guard 
 of the army, were preparing to ford the ri- 
 ver under cover of their cannon ; when the 
 Shah Zadah, obferving their difpofition, 
 fpared them the trouble of completing it, 
 after half an hour's cannonading, by fetting 
 .fire to his camp, and retreating with pre- 
 cipitation. His hopes of entering the me- 
 tropolis being once defeated, he was not 
 difpofed to venture a battle to attempt it a 
 fecond time, a rifle now become too unequal, 
 confidering his inferiority of numbers. He 
 preferred therefore the moffc prudent alter- 
 native, and withdrew from the province 
 by the fame track, and with the fame hafte 
 he entered, over the mountains. 
 
 It was now the moft natural conjecture, 
 and the fequel proved it fuch, that the Shah 
 Zadah, on his return to Bahaar, would 
 make another attempt on the city of Patna, 
 before the place could be fuccoured ; all 
 the Englifh garrifon, except fome Seapoys 
 left for the protection of the fa&ory, having 
 
 been
 
 <wbat-happened in BENGAL Ih 1760. 27 
 been withdrawn after the battle of Seerpoor, 
 to ftrengthen the detachment. 
 
 Attentive to this, Colonel Caillaud on the 
 1 6th of April formed a detachment of two 
 hundred chofen Europeans, with two field- 
 pieces, and one battalion of Seapoys, from 
 a re-inforcement which had joined him 
 from Fort William, and gave the command 
 to Captain Knox, an experienced Officer* 
 with inductions to march with all poflible 
 fpeed to the fupport of Patna. 
 
 The remainder of the Englifli detachment, 
 as well as the armies of the Nabob and his 
 fon, being exceedingly narrated and fpent 
 with the length and difficulties of their 
 late expedition in the hotted feafon of the 
 year, were for the prefent ordered to Muxa- 
 dabad to quarters of refreftiment. 
 
 Captain Knox pur.ued his rout to Patna, 
 which he compaiicd (three hundred miles) 
 in thirteen days ; a furprifing effort, con- 
 iidering the intenfe heats of the feafcn, and 
 that he croiTed the Ganges twice in his 
 march. The Shah Zadah, as he had fome 
 days ftart of Captain Knox, and his troops 
 were wholly compofed of cavalry, had 
 reached Patna fome time before him, and, 
 as was fufpe&ed, laid fiege to the city, 
 E which,
 
 28 y 
 
 which, from the inconfiderablegarrifon Ram-- 
 mrain had to defend it, was reduced almoft 
 to the laft extremity. The two nights 
 preceding Captain Knox's arrival, the Shah 
 Zadah had made two general aflaults. Part 
 of the fmall body belonging to Mr. Laws, 
 (who had joined him on his return) with 
 about four hundred of his own people, had 
 forced into the town, but were driven out 
 again by the bravery of thofe Seapoys and 
 their officers, who had remained in the fac- 
 tory, whom Mr. Amyat the Chief had fent 
 to Ramnarain's affiftance. The third night 
 alfo they were preparing once more for an 
 cfcalade on all fides, when Captain Knox 
 appeared with a flying party in the evening. 
 His prefence fo much animated the inhabi- 
 tants, and difpirited the befiegers, that, 
 though they perfifted in their attack, they 
 were without much difficulty repuifed. The 
 remainder of Captain Knox's detachment 
 joined him the next day, and he the fol- 
 lowing morning treated the befiegers with 
 a fpirited and well conducted fally, engaged 
 with fuccefs one of their principal officers, 
 and, with the lofs of a few men only, drove 
 them from their works intirely, to which 
 they never afterwards returned. The Prince, 
 
 perceiving
 
 wba t happened I n B E N G A L in 1 7 6 o . 29 
 perceiving his lad endeavours rendered in- 
 effectual, was once more compelled to re- 
 tire with his troops from before Patna, and 
 to retreat, in want of almoft every necelTa- 
 ry, to the banks of the river Soane, fifty 
 miles Weft of Patna, where he has remain- 
 ed ever fince. This is the third time Patna 
 has been thus critically preferved within a 
 few hours of being loft. 
 
 While the fate of that city was depend- 
 ing, Cuddeim Houffein Khan, fpoken of 
 above as Raja of Parneah (a province Eaft- 
 wards of the Ganges) from an antient and 
 irreconcileable animofity fubfilting between 
 the young Nabob and him, and from fome 
 recent quarrels with the father, from 
 whom, againft all juftice, he had detained 
 the revenues of Parneah for three preced- 
 ing years, and, taking advantage of the per- 
 plexities of his affairs, had kept the country 
 likewife in his own poffeiTion, determined 
 (that he might preferve what he had thus 
 acquired, and was unwilling to refund) to 
 throw off all fubjeftion to his mafter, and 
 attach himfelf intirely to the fadlion of the 
 Shah Zadah. For this purpofe he was 
 levying an additional body of troops, and 
 procuring a confiderable number of boats, 
 3E 2 intending
 
 30 A NARRATIVE of 
 
 intending to tranfport them over the 
 Ganges, whenever a fair opportunity fhould 
 offer, to join that Prince. 
 
 To obviate this was now the Nabob's 
 more immediate view. The Englim troops, 
 and the army of the young Nabob, were 
 ordered to re-afTemble as foon as pofiible; 
 and they accordingly on the 23d of May 
 rendevoufed at Rajamaul, (a city on the 
 Ganges near the pafTes of Suhhagurree) and 
 remained incamped there five or fix days, 
 until they were certain Cuddeim HoufTein 
 Khan had i begun his march on the Parneah 
 fide of the river, and waited only for an 
 occafion to crofs the river, and join the 
 Shah Zadah, Colonel Caillaud and the 
 young Nabob pufhed up on the Bengal fide, 
 and Captain Knox was ordered, with part 
 of the garrifon he commanded, to pafs over 
 the river from Patna, and endeavour to in- 
 tercept Cuddein Houflein Khan, or in any 
 manner he could to diftrefs and harrafs him 
 on his march. The number of boats Cud- 
 deim HoufTein Khan had been long col- 
 k&ing, being unable to proceed as fall as 
 his army, fell foon after into the hands of 
 the Englim; for Colonel Caillaud, being 
 apprized of the place where they lay, de~. 
 
 tached
 
 what happened in BENGAL / 1760. 31 
 tached a battalion of Seapoys, who attacked 
 and burnt them all after a flight refiftance, 
 together with a large quantity of powder, 
 ftores, and ammunition. Notwithftanding 
 this lofs, Cudoeim Houfiein Khan ftill ad- 
 vanced, until he approached very near the 
 place (almoft oppofite to Patna) where 
 Captain Knox with his party lay. Senfible 
 that his junction with the Prince depended 
 in a great meafure on his palling this body, 
 becaufe he was certain that the leaft delay 
 would bring Colonel Caillaud, who kept 
 boats with him, and his troops ready to crofs 
 at a moment's warning, upon his rear; he 
 determined to attack Captain Knox, who 
 being a young gentleman of remarkable 
 gallantry, and eminent for his military fer- 
 vjces, and as ardent on his part to come to 
 an action, on the 1 6th of June a very warm 
 one enfued. 
 
 Captain Knox, with only two hundred 
 Europeans, one battalion of Seapoys, five 
 field-pieces, and about three hundred horfe, 
 maintained himfelf for fix hours, oppofed 
 to an army of twelve thoufand men, with 
 thirty pieces of cannon : he was iurrounded 
 the whole time ; but difcovering the appa- 
 rent fuperiority of the enemy, who were 
 
 never
 
 32 A NARRATIVE of 
 
 never before imagined to be fo numerous, 
 he" poflefTed himfelf of a very ftrong and 
 advantageous poft, and, making an excellent 
 difpofition of his men, he in the end com- 
 pelled the enemy to leave the field, with 
 the lofs of eight pieces of cannon, three 
 elephants, and between three and four hun- 
 dred men killed on the fpot. The horfe 
 had once very nigh broke in upon him, 
 but by the bravery of his own grenadiers 
 were beat off, and he loft no more than 
 fifteen or fixteen men. By this repulfe, 
 Cuddeim Houflein Khan, flopped in his pro- 
 grefs towards the Prince, was obliged now 
 to take a contrary road, and fled North- 
 ward into the diftrift of Butteah. Four or 
 five days after this Colonel Caillaud and the 
 young Nabob cro/Ted the Ganges, to put 
 the fin iming ftroke to this affair, and to 
 relieve Captain Knox, whofe party was 
 efleemed too weak to purfue fuch numbers, 
 He therefore, with his detachment, was 
 ordered to return again to the garrifon at 
 Patna. 
 
 After a few days purfuit, the rear of 
 Cuddeim HoufTein Khan's army appeared 
 in fight ; for he was very flow in his retreat, 
 incumbered with heavy baggage, heavy ar- 
 tillery,
 
 <wbat happened in BENGAL in 1760. 33 
 tillery, and the accumulated treafure of 
 feyeral years rapine and plunder of Parneah. 
 On the 25th of June in the morning, when 
 the armies came in fight of each other, 
 Cuddeim Houffein Khan immediately form- 
 ed his troops behind fome villages and a 
 grove, at the extremity of a large plain. 
 The Englim drew up upon the plain, and, 
 moving to attack the villages, an adbon, 
 commenced by a mutual cannonading. The 
 enemy, by frequent motions along their 
 line, appeared at firft inclined to make a 
 .charge with their horfe : but when the 
 Englifh approached within mufket-fhot, 
 and had driven them from the villages and 
 grove which they had taken pofieffion of, 
 they fled, and abandoned the remainder of 
 their cannon (twenty-two pieces) and fome 
 baggage ; and it was at laft difcovered, that 
 they only intended to amufe the Englifh in 
 front, while they unloaded their treafure 
 from the carriages in the rear, mounted 
 it upon camels and elephants, and conveyed 
 it off. Thefe carriages they alfo left behind 
 them. The young Nabob and his troops 
 behaved in this ikirmim in their ufual 
 manner, halting above a mile in the rear, 
 nor ever -once made a motion to fuftain the 
 I Englifli.
 
 34 !^ N A R R ATI V E C/* 
 
 Englifli. Had he but acted on this occa- 
 fion with the leaft appearance of fpirit, and 
 made even a femblance of fighting, the 
 affair muft have proved decifive j nor could 
 Cuddeim Houffein Khan, or his treafure, 
 have efcaped. When the enemy were fly- 
 ing in his fight, he was even afraid to 
 hazard a party in the purfuit, though a 
 very few horfe would have been fufficient 
 to have difperfed them. The Englifh, with- 
 out any horfe, fatigued with an eight hours 
 march, and having been under arms the 
 whole day, were incapable to attempt it. 
 The Nabob's inactivity, to give it no worfe 
 a name, and the approach of the night, 
 favoured their efcape. However, after a 
 little reft from the toils of the day, Colonel 
 Caillaud perfifted in the refolution to follow 
 the enemy as long as the feafon would per- 
 mit him, (the rains having already begun 
 to fet in with excefiive violence) and, if 
 poffible, by another blow effectually to 
 complete their ruin. The rout of their 
 flight next day was fpread for miles together 
 with tents, carriages, and variety of bag- 
 gage, which, in their hurry to get off, 
 they could not carry with them, and were 
 obliged to leave behind. Colonel Caillaud 
 
 continued
 
 what happened in BENGAL in 1760. 35 
 continued his purfuit four days longer, the 
 army of the young Nabob following him j 
 and the enemy would moft probably in a 
 few days more have been overtaken, or have 
 been obliged to abandon their treafure, had 
 not a very fingular and uncommon accident, 
 as favourable to the enemy as unfortunate 
 to the Nabob, prevented his proceeding any 
 further, and difappointed every other pur- 
 pofe. 
 
 The young Nabob, as he was lying afleep 
 in his tent at midnight 3 was ftruck dead, 
 in the midft of a violent ftorm, by a flafh 
 of lightning. This accident happened on 
 the 2d of Julyj but, though fingular in 
 itfelf, yet no very extraordinary circum- 
 fiances attended it. The fire pierced thro* 
 the top of his tent, flruck upon his left 
 breaft, and he perimed in the flame, with 
 one or two attendants who fat by him. 
 Colonel Caillaud had the moft timely in- 
 formation of this event, and was fortunate 
 enough, from his early intelligence, to pre- 
 vent the immediate fucceffion of bad events, 
 which was apprehended from the irregular 
 and ungovernable nature of the Nabob's 
 troops. He ihftantly fummonad all the 
 chief commanders of the Nabob's army to 
 F his
 
 3 6 /? NARRATIVE of 
 
 his camp, affembled them, and, by employ- 
 ing the influence of thofe more particularly 
 attached to the intereft of the Englifh, all 
 dangerous exigencies were at length provided 
 againfl; the inferior officers were gained over, 
 by promifes, to remain quiet; the minds of 
 the people were calmed, and their fears ap- 
 peafed. But he was now obliged to aban- 
 don all thoughts of any further military 
 operations on this fide. He was fully em- 
 ployed, and it was as much as he could 
 accomplish, to keep the Nabob's army to- 
 gether, who agreeable to their cuftom, after 
 the death of their leader, threatened imme- 
 diate diiiblution. However, it was at laft 
 agreed, that the fble power over the army 
 ihould be veiled in Colonel Caillaud, 'till 
 the fentiments of the old Nabob were 
 known; and the brother of Ramnarain 
 was nominally joined with him in the 
 command. Had the army difbanded once, 
 the whole province of Bahaar muil inevit- 
 ably have been loft, and poffefTed by the 
 Shah Zadah. 
 
 To preferve them in the fame temper he 
 had brought them to, and to prevent any 
 further accidents from the levity and 
 unfteadiaefs of an unconftant multitude, 
 
 Colonel
 
 what happened in B E N G A L in 1 760. 37 
 Colonel Caillaud hurried the army back to 
 Patna, halting only a few days at the town 
 of Button, to oblige the Raja of that place 
 to pay fome arrears of revenues due to the 
 Nabob, which the .troubles had prevented 
 collecting before. Another reafon of this 
 hafle arofe from the feverity of the weather, 
 by this time become fo bad by conftant rains, 
 and the waters riling to fo great a height 
 over the country, that in a few days more 
 (whatever had been his fuccefs) he would 
 have been compelled to return ; for, lince 
 his palling the Ganges, the heavy rains had 
 rendered the tents of the foldiers intirely 
 uielefs, and the miferable huts of the vil- 
 lages were their only melter. He therefore 
 conducted both armies back to Patna, and 
 terminated the campaign on the 291!} of 
 July, by diliributing them into winter- 
 quarters. 
 
 The troops had fcarcely been fettled a 
 month in quarters at Patna, when the change 
 which happened in the government of Fort 
 William by the removal of Mr. Hoi well, and 
 the fucceffion of Mr. Vanfittart to the prefi- 
 dency, but more particularly the declining 
 condition of the Nabob's affairs after the 
 death of his fon, called for the prefence of 
 F 2 Colonel
 
 3 8 A NARRATIVE of 
 
 Colonel Caillaud in Bengal. The Colonel 
 had already prefented a plan to the Nabob, 
 and the council of Fort William, for there- 
 eftablimment of the Nabob's affairs, for the 
 appointing a fucceffor to the vacant com- 
 mand of his armies, for the difcharging 
 the long-neglecled arrears to his troops, for 
 their better maintenance in future, and for 
 the more regular and conflant payment of 
 the Englifh troops. 
 
 This propofal was calculated for the 
 times, and to be effected with little trouble 
 or diilurbance; for the infirm ftate of the 
 government, rent by inteftine divilions, and 
 the unaccountable management of the Na- 
 bob, rendered ftill more intolerable by the 
 incapacity and corruption of his minifters, 
 joined to the precarious tenure by which his 
 pwn power fublifted (the will and inclina- 
 tionsonly of this diflrefTed, injured, and com- 
 plain ing people) would admit of no violent 
 meafures, without proceeding to dangerous 
 extremities, and fcarce any more at prefent 
 than a temporary alleviation : but the 
 Colonel's propofals meeting with fome ob- 
 Hades from the Nabob, and much more 
 opposition from the then governor and 
 council, he was at lail compelled toleavethe
 
 what happened in BENGAL in 1760. 39 
 army, and go down to Fort William, to 
 follicit that fome fpeedy remedies might be 
 applied to evils fo alarming, and that he 
 might be enabled, if pofiible, to take the 
 field again the next feafon early. 
 
 When Colonel Caillaud arrived at Muxa- 
 dabad, he vilited the Nabob, and at his 
 requeft imparted to him the opinion he had 
 conceived of his prefent circumftances. He 
 defcribed to him without referve his un- 
 happy fituation both at home and abroad, 
 the pernicious confequences which fuch a 
 feries of bad conduct as had for fome time 
 paffc prevailed, if perfevered in, muft pro- 
 duce; and he then took occafion to point 
 out to him the means by which he imagined 
 his affairs might be beft and fooneft reftored 
 to their neceflary order, and power to him- 
 felf and content to his fubjedts procured. 
 The Nabob, after liftening with much at- 
 tention, appeared fully fatisfied with the 
 candour, and pleafed with the freedom, of 
 the Colonel's declarations ; and after having 
 afTured- him he fliould confider his advice, 
 he difmifTed him with many profeffions of 
 .kindnefs and efteem; and the Colonel after 
 this, having no further buiinefs at Muxada- 
 t>ad, purfued his journey to Fort William. 
 
 The
 
 40 .^NARRATIVE*/ 
 
 The new governor and council of that place 
 had been long impatient for his arrival, 
 to obtain from him a perfect knowledge of 
 their own and the Nabob's affairs to the 
 Northward, and of the country govern- 
 ment in general -, a fubject they had been 
 long confidering, as they were very fol- 
 licitous that fome effectual method mould 
 be immediately refolved on, to extricate 
 themfelves from the ruin in which the Na- 
 bob, by his neglect and weaknefs, feemed 
 to be very near involving both himfelf and 
 them. 
 
 Mr. Vanfittart on his acceffion to the go- 
 vernment, from this one circumilance alone, 
 had many difficulties to contend againft. 
 He found that the Nabob, fmce the de- 
 parture of Colonel Clive, had continued to 
 entertain fufpicions highly injurious to the 
 Englifh, to whom it was evident he was 
 now only attached by his fears, confcious 
 that without their aid he could not any 
 longer fupport his life or kingdom. Among 
 the many caufes of difcontent, the follow- 
 ing were not the leair., or the lead com- 
 plained of. 
 
 As the Nabob advanced in years, his 
 tyranny increased, and he became infup- 
 
 portable
 
 what happened in BENGAL In 1760. 41 
 portable to his fubjects 5 among whom the 
 nobleffe were diffatisfied to the laft degree, 
 inceflantly engaged in cabal and faction, 
 and retrained only by dread of the Englifh 
 power from depofing and cutting him off. 
 
 The clamours of his foldiers at the 
 capital for their pay were perpetual, and 
 reached even to the palace, which they 
 frequently furrounded, and fcaled the 
 walls, to the imminent hazard of his life. 
 The pay of his own forces in the field was 
 in long arrear, and the Englifh troops 
 were obliged to remain unfatisfied. 
 
 No appearance either of policy or ceco- 
 nomy were any longer preserved, or even 
 pretended. By neglect of the former, 
 every inlignificant Raja, who rented the 
 government lands, detained the revenues, 
 or paid them only as he faw there was a 
 force to compel him to it, and the more 
 powerful ones were in actual rebellion : by 
 inattention to the latter, what little money 
 came into the treafury, was no longer em- 
 ployed to ufeful purpofes, but fquandred 
 away in licentious luxury. 
 
 The unlimited oppreffions, the exorbitant 
 exactions of his minifters, whofe principles 
 were as bafe as the dirt he raifed them 
 
 from,
 
 42 A NARRAT IVE of 
 
 from, and their inhumanity, extending even 
 to the wanton and unjufl deprivation of life, 
 produced an uhiverfal odium . Add to this, 
 that people of all degrees hourly exclaimed 
 againft the calamities they endured, by the 
 want of provifions; the unheeded diftrac- 
 tions of the country having caufed a fcarcity 
 unknown in the worfl of former times, 
 and by which the poor fuffered incon- 
 ceiveable miferies. 
 
 There was no part of the original treaty 
 with the Englifh, which the Nabob ori 
 different occafions had not infringed -, and 
 they could no longer pretend to defend his 
 government, or fight his battles, while he 
 neither confided in their councils, nor con- 
 tributed reciprocally to thefupportof them. 
 
 By maintaining a conitant ftanding force 
 they had exhaufted themfelves ; by which 
 means they could neither make any in- 
 veftment of a cargo to fend to Europe, 
 nor, what was an obi eel: of much greater 
 importance, could they, while fuch a 
 fyflem prevailed, give the leaft afiiflance 
 to the army before Pondicherry, who were 
 then diftrefTed for money to carry on the 
 iiege, and who intirely depended upon 
 fupplies from Bengal. For an exigence fo 
 I preffing
 
 ivhat happened in BENGAL in 1760. 43 
 preffing as this, it was evidently nccelfary that 
 ibme falutary meafures fhould be thought 
 of j and it was obvious too, that the Englifh 
 fhould not permit to efcape fuch an occa- 
 ilon of endeavouring to fecure fomething 
 for themfelves, as well for prefent fupplies, 
 as a fecurity againft future accidents of the 
 like nature. Conformable to thefe princi- 
 ples, a ihort time after Colonel Caillaud's 
 arrival, a plan was devifed, ccnfidered, and 
 approved of by the Governor, the Colonel, 
 and the whole Council, who deiired the 
 prefence of the Nabob's fon-in-law CoiTen 
 Aly Khan at Fort William, to confult with 
 them on this preffing occafion. The old Na- 
 bob confented to this requeft, and fent him* 
 On his arrival thefentimentsandrefolutiens 
 of the Governor and Council were made 
 known to him immediately j and he was fb 
 well convinced, after a few conferences, of 
 the equity and fmcerity of their intentions, 
 and fo much approved the prudence of their 
 councils, that he at once agreed to afiiil 
 them in the execution of them. After a 
 ihcrt Hay at Foit William, he returned 
 again to his father, to prepare him to re- 
 ceive the determination he himfelf had 
 agreed to. 
 
 G Socn
 
 44 -A NARRATIVE of 
 
 Soon after his departure, Mr. Vaniittart 
 the Governor, and Colonel Caillaud, fol- 
 lowed him to Muxadabad, taking with 
 them an efcort of two hundred Europeans, 
 and one battalion of Seapoys, both for their 
 own protection, and likewife, if occafion 
 required, to inforce that reformation, which 
 t-hey were feniible, both for the fervice and 
 fafety of the Nabob and the company, and 
 for the public utility, it was indifpenfably 
 requifite to eftablifh. The Nabob had a 
 meeting with the Governor and the Colonel, 
 to advife with them for the fupport of 
 himfelf and government, whofe ftrength 
 languifhed daily, and whofe decay was not 
 only prejudicial to itfelf, but, as their in- 
 tereft had been fo long and intimately con- 
 nected, was alfo imparted to the affairs of 
 the company. 
 
 The Governor, after a friendly introduc- 
 tion, delivered to the Nabob three papers, 
 wherein were difplayed, with equal pro- 
 priety and clearnefs, the misfortunes his 
 kingdom laboured under ; the precarious 
 dependance on which he himfelf held his 
 authority, every hour infulted, and in dan- 
 ger fhortly of being defpifed and trampled 
 on, through the male-adminiftration of mi- 
 
 - - niflers,
 
 what happened in BENGAL in 1760. 45 
 fters, whom he had advanced to this de- 
 gree pf trull and power from being his me- 
 nial fervants. In them were reprefented 
 the importunate cries of his injured fub- 
 jects, oppreiTcd by thefe miniiiers, by fa- 
 mine, by the confufions of the country, 
 and by war, which had over-run the king- 
 dom, to the utter ruin of the province of 
 Bahaar, and which might, but from his 
 own imprudence, have been terminated 
 long before, but which ftill continued, and 
 was likely to continue to rage with more 
 violence than ever. 
 
 The means by which thefe errors might 
 be retrieved, were comprifed in a few ar- 
 ticles. 
 
 The abfolute removal of his prefent 
 miniflers was the firft point info reed; x and 
 as the Nabob confeffed himfelf, through the 
 infirmities of age and grief, incapable of 
 difengaging himfelf from the perplexities 
 which every-where embarrarTed him, it 
 was recommended to him to fix the ad- 
 miniftration of the government inthehands 
 of Coffen Aly Khan, his fon-in-law, whom 
 he had long before exprefled an intention of 
 railing to the honours and dignities of his 
 late fort; that the forces mould be paid 
 G 2 their
 
 4.6 A NARRATIVE of 
 
 their arrears; that the people fhould be 
 eafed of their oppremons; finally, that cer- 
 tain lands in the diflridls neareft to Fort 
 William fhould be affigned over to the 
 company, to reimburfe them the charges of 
 paying their armies, their artillery, and other 
 military expences, and to enable them alfo 
 to reftore in fome degree their declining 
 commerce. 
 
 The Nabob heard, and promifed atten- 
 tively to reflect, and to give an early 
 anfwer to thefe articles : but no fooner 
 had he parted from the Governor, than, 
 inflead of expremng the leaft regard to 
 them, he inftantly entered again into clofe 
 confultation with his oldcounfellorshow to 
 elude them, and difclofed every thing which 
 had patted between the Governor and him- 
 felf. The refult of this was, that they in- 
 fpired him with fuch a hatred and jealoufy 
 of his fon-in-law, becaufe recommended to 
 him by the Englifh, that Gotten Aly Khan 
 could not any longer think himfelf fecure 
 from his refentment, nor ever afterwards 
 ventured to approach his prefence. The 
 Nabob alfo declared, that, could he this 
 time by any means deceive them, he would 
 truft the If ngliih no more, and would take 
 
 care
 
 what happened in BENGAL in 1760. 47 
 care to be fufficiently guarded againft them 
 for the future. In fine, he abfolutely re- 
 fufed to confent that the leaft alteration 
 fhoald be made. There^was no other way 
 now remaining to bring the Nabob to any 
 reafonable terms, than by endeavouring to 
 a<5t upon his fears ; a meafure which his fon- 
 in-law readily efpoufed. No better or more 
 convenient time could offer, than what the 
 next night prefented, being the conclufion 
 of the Gentoo feaft, when every confider- 
 able perfon of that feel: would be fatigued 
 with the tedious performances of their 
 religious ceremonies. 
 
 Colonel Caillaud therefore, as foon as the 
 night approached, marched his troops into 
 the city; where, as had been concerted, he 
 joined CofTen Aly Khan with his forces, 
 and, when the dawn appeared, they fur- 
 rounded the Nabob's palace ; while at the 
 fame time detachments were fent to fecure 
 the perfons of his three minifters. The 
 Governor, follicitous that no blood mould be 
 fpilled on this occalion, had fent a letter to 
 the Nabob by the Colonel's hands, to be 
 delivered at a proper feafon, in which he 
 laboured to perfuade him to acquiefce in 
 thofe demands, which neceffity- required 
 
 mould
 
 48 ytf NARRATIVE of 
 
 fliould be complied with. When the Colonel 
 had drawn up a party of his troops within 
 fhe court of the palace, he fent in the letter. 
 Upon perufal of it, upon the knowledge 
 that his minifters were feized, and upon 
 perceiving his palace was befet by Eng- 
 lifh troops, the Nabob burft into the moft 
 violent fit of rage, denounced vengeance 
 again on the Engliih, threatened he would 
 make all the refinance in his power, and 
 that he would never yield the terms de- 
 manded, but with his life. However, this 
 ftart of pafiion, availing nothing, foon fu fo- 
 lded. After an hour's intent meditation, 
 when his mind was become calm, he de- 
 fired the Colonel might attend him. The 
 Colonel did fo, and was detained a long 
 time by the Nabob, which he employed in 
 urging to him how vain all refiftance muft 
 be, and that in the end he would be com- 
 pelled to yield ; and he was at laft convinced 
 that his per'fifting was to little purpofe,. 
 Yet, after all, he remained inflexible in re- 
 fufing the offers made to him; and inftead 
 of aflenting, as was hoped and expeded, 
 he, in a tranfport of anger anddefpondency, 
 threw up every thing in defpair, and de- 
 dared he would from that inflant relinquish 
 
 the
 
 uobat happened in BENGAL In 1760. 49 
 the government intirely, conditioning only 
 that fecurity mould be given for the pre- 
 fervation of his life. He added, he would 
 have no longer concern in the government, 
 after an attempt like this ; and that he too 
 well knew the difpofition of mankind, and 
 of his countrymen, to think of trufting 
 himfelf near Coffen Aly Khan, from whom 
 he was convinced his life muft be in per- 
 petual danger. To this refolution he firm- 
 ly adhered; and though the Governor came 
 to him, and gave him the ftrongeft af- 
 furances, that not only his life was fafe, 
 but his government too, of which he muft 
 be truly fenfible it was never intended to 
 deprive him, yet he remained fixed in his 
 determination, and only requefted that he 
 might be immediately fent down to Fort 
 William, where he wifhed to refide under 
 the Englifh protection (for he had loft all 
 other) in privacy and repofe. The Nabob 
 thus renouncing the government, to which 
 no perfuafions could recall him, CoiTen Aly 
 Khan, his fon-in-law, afTumed the title and 
 authority of his father ; and as his firft acl: 
 of power, for the fervices the Englifh had 
 performed, he granted them all the advan- 
 tages ftipulated for the company. Every 
 J - perfon
 
 50 ARRATIVEO 
 
 perfon of consideration in the city came to 
 pay their refpedts to the new Nabob a few 
 hours after his accefiion. The people of 
 all clafles appeared extremely pleafed with 
 this revolution, and the whole city was the 
 fame day as compofed and quiet, as if nothing 
 uncommon had happened; nor was there 
 perhaps ever fo conliderable an alteration of 
 lo great and extenfive a government brought 
 about with lefs diflurbance, or with more 
 fatisfadtion to a people in general. 
 
 The next day the old Nabob, agreeably 
 to his own defire, was fent from the city to 
 Fort William, attended by a ftrongefcort of 
 Europeans to protect his perfon from the 
 infults of the people ; and he was permitted 
 to take with him all his private effedts, his 
 women, jewels, treafure, and whatever 
 elfe he thought proper; and he now refides 
 at Fort William, fupported by a very con- 
 fiderable income from his fon. 
 
 The happy effedls of this event have al- 
 ready been experienced. Many of the fu- 
 perfluous forces are reduced, by which 
 means the Nabob is able to pay theneceflary 
 remainder; many oppreffions have been 
 lightened, many grievances reclaimed, and 
 many injuries redrelTed. 
 
 i But,
 
 <wbat happened in BENGAL in 1760. 51 
 But, among all thefe publick benefits, 
 the emoluments derived to the company are 
 great and important. The departments of 
 Burdwan, Midnapoore, and Chittagonge, a 
 tract of country reaching from the entrance 
 of the Ganges on either fide the river almoft 
 to Muxadabad, bounded by Daca and Ar* 
 raccan to the Baft, and extending two de- 
 grees beyond the Ganges to the Weft, is 
 now the Englim territory in Bengal ; a re- 
 gion, the annual produce of whofe revenues 
 amounts to fix hundred thoufand pounds. 
 The Nabob and company have entered into 
 the moft flricl: and mutual engagements of 
 alliance, offenfive and defenfive, which 
 have the befl appearance of remaining 
 firm, from the interefl each of them have 
 to obferve them. By this the company is 
 fecure, the Nabob's government eftablifh- 
 ed, and in a fair way of becoming great 
 and flourifhing. 
 
 FINIS.
 
 A 
 
 SUPPLEMENT 
 
 T O T H E 
 NARRATIVE 
 
 O F 
 
 What happened in Bengal, in the Year 1760* 
 
 [Price SIX-PENCE.]
 

 
 SUPPLEMENT 
 
 T O T H E 
 
 NARRATIVE 
 
 O F 
 
 What happened in BENGAL, 
 In the YEAR 1760. 
 
 Confifting of 
 
 LETTERS from a Proprietor of India Stock, 
 to his Friend, a Proprietor ; 
 
 As alfo 
 
 Some authentick PAPERS, which patted in the 
 Council at CALCUTTA, and give a Light into the 
 prefent Difputes. 
 
 Printed for C. BATHURST, at the Croft-Keys, Fleet- 
 Strsety 1764.
 
 
 
 

 
 LETTERS 
 
 From a PROPRIETOR of 
 
 INDIA STOCK, 
 
 T O 
 
 His FRIEND in the COUNTRY, 
 A PROPRIETOR. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 S I R, 
 
 I AM not furprized at your defire to be in- 
 formed of what pafles in London, fince 
 the intelligence received from the Eaft In- 
 dies. The alarm may reafonably be taken by 
 the Proprietors of Stock, who are fo nearly 
 interefted in the Welfare of the Company. 
 They have a right to enquire into caufes 
 B which
 
 which the world would infift upon knowing 
 without fuch right: and even there, freedom^ 
 of enquiry fhould not be retrained, where 
 truth is our end, and candour the guide of 
 our proceeding. Whoever (hould ftrive to 
 prevent the public from being rightly in- 
 formed, would as juftly incur their cenfure, 
 as he would merit their approbation by check- 
 ing the rage of afperfing private characters, and 
 the licentioufnefs of uttering mifreprefenta- 
 tions. without any delicacy, and. falfehoods 
 without any fhame. The detail, by autho- 
 rity, given us in, the papers of the 8th inftant, 
 might have reafonably quieted the minds of 
 ev^ry Proprietor, fince, if it had not come 
 from the Company, it inuft be fuppofed they 
 would have contradicted it j and if it had 
 their fandtion, it could not be contradicted by 
 later advices than they had received, for none 
 have come fince. I take it therefore for 
 granted, that the account was, as it is "af- 
 ferted, genuine; drawn from fources received 
 by the Lapwing, and fupported by vouchers 
 in the cuftody of the authors. Unwilling as 
 the Directors are to find the fault in their 
 own fervants, they are obliged to acknow- 
 ledge an abufe of the authority of the Com- 
 pany,
 
 [3 } 
 
 pany, a violation of the juft rights of the 
 country government, and the endeavours cf 
 the Governor of Bengal to reftrain meafures, 
 .whofe tendency he could not approve, and 
 againft the execution of which he failed not 
 to remonftrate. The event is not the fubjedt 
 of difputej but of the caujes gentlemen chufe 
 to exprefs different opinions, and in language 
 very different. It is certain that there were 
 fome conditions demanded of the Nabob, 
 Sovereign of the country, which were offered 
 with infolence, and refufed with indignation. 
 ^Itis not known what were the inducements 
 that urged Mr. Ellis to the attack of Patna, 
 and the facrifice of thoufands of defencelcfs 
 inhabitants. Indeed, there feem fo many 
 circumftances wanting to complete that hif- 
 tory, that it were to be wimed the curiofhy 
 of the public could ft ay till the arrival of the 
 next fhip, which might give us more parti- 
 culars relating to the unhappy Gentlemen who 
 were the firit facnfice to their own impru- 
 dence : but fearqe any thing can be added to 
 the fulnefs of the Governors proteft, by which 
 he declares his refolution not to concur in 
 fuch miftaken policy ; by which declaration 
 he muft for ever ftand acquitted of all the ill 
 B 2 confequences
 
 [ 4] 
 
 confequences refulting from an expedition 
 planned with fo little wifdom, and executed 
 with fo much violence and indifcretion. But 
 
 it is faid, " that his * led him to bring 
 
 about a revolution foon after his appointment, 
 which had not the leaft foundation in equity*, 
 and was attended with many horrid circum- 
 ftances, and gave great difguft." I take it, 
 that the revolution in 1760 has nothing to 
 do with the merits of the prefent difpute ; 
 and if it had, I remember the accounts of 
 that time defcribe it as founded upon prin- 
 ciples of natural right, effected without blood- 
 fhed, fupported without clamour, received 
 with applaufe, confirmed by authority, and 
 productive of many national advantages. 
 
 In my next I may point out what farther 
 has been told us of the caufes of thefe com- 
 motions, and what anfwer occurs to the rea- 
 fonings of fome Gentlemen that have pub- 
 limed their thoughts on this occafion. There 
 is one however who remains unanfwerablej 
 it is the North Briton, No. 85, who attri- 
 butes our calamities in the Eaft <c to the 
 Scottifh herd: " and he may be right for 
 aught I can tell, for the North Briton is a 
 
 deep 
 
 * See the Minutes figned A. B.
 
 1 5] 
 
 deep politician ; he has difcovered that the 
 dangers of the Prince and Princefs of Brunf- 
 wick, on the feas, in fuch an inclement feafon, 
 were owing to the Scottifti herd. His praife 
 too is as refined as his penetration; he extols 
 " Lord Clive's kind of intuitive military merit > 
 for beating the Afiaticsl' whofe cowardice, 
 he fays, almoft exceeds belief; " a fcore of 
 them, he infifts, will not look one European 
 in the face." Grofs flattery, even to Lord 
 Glides face; fuch as will not pleafe his Lord- 
 fiiip much, if the fcience of phyfiognomy be 
 at all underftood by 
 
 your moft obedient fervant, 
 ^.20,1764. A. X. 
 
 LET-
 
 [ 6 ] 
 L E T T E R II. 
 
 S I R, Feb. 21, 1764. 
 
 IHaften to fulfil my promife : I (hall defer 
 the confideration of the Revolution in 
 1760, and endeavour to give you a clear de- 
 fcription of the caufes of the late commo- 
 tions in the Bail Indies. I cannot do it in any 
 way fo properly as by an examination of af- 
 fertioiis already advanced by others, and an 
 attempt to weigh the truth of the Facts, and 
 the folidity of Reafoning. A Gentleman 
 quotes part of a Treaty, faid to be made by 
 the Governor of Bengal, and difplays in Italics 
 thefe words : "In cafe of any troubles or dif- 
 putes happening, they, (our Fadlors andAgents) 
 are to appear before the Officer of the Go- 
 vernment, and have them fettled by bis de~ 
 cifion" . This alone, fays the Author, was fuf- 
 ficient toru in our affairs, if it had been once 
 carried into execution. Let us now candidly 
 reflect on the condition of the company's 
 Trade in India, the original of its eftablifh- 
 ment, and the limits of its warrantable exer- 
 9'fe (for it never was unbounded) and the 
 encroachments made by the Company's fer- 
 
 vants,
 
 [7] 
 
 vants, which muft ever be diftinguifhed from 
 the rights of the Company, that were ac- 
 quired by Purchafe, The freedom of import- 
 ing and exporting, clear of duties, was pur- 
 chafed by the Company from the Mogul : 
 Care was at the fame time taken to prevent the 
 Country- government from being injured by 
 frauds and falfe pretences of the Company's 
 fervants ; repeated inductions have been fent, 
 to the fervants of the Company, to avoid, every 
 occafion of umbrage, to reftrain themfelves.. 
 within the bounds of their phirmaund, or 
 grant, and not to communicate their privi- 
 leges, or afford protection to the property of 
 the Mogul's own fubjects<: Where thefe abufes. 
 have happened, and have been detected, tfce 
 Company has frequently been obliged to make 
 fatisfaction to the Country-government, by 
 the payment of large fums pf money ; Let it 
 then be borne in mind, that there has always 
 been a diftinction between the Company's Rights, 
 and the affumed Commerce of their fervants, 
 who have no title but the indulgence of their 
 matters, who have not oppofed themfelves 
 againft fuch encroachments, fo long as they 
 have been conducted with any degree of de- 
 cency, and have not appeared to draw after 
 
 them
 
 [8] 
 
 them any confequences fubverfive of the ge- 
 neral intereft, ruinous to credit, and threat- 
 ening even the exiftence of the whole fyftem 
 of commerce. The Company's rights were 
 never difputed by Coffem Alley Cawn, nor 
 was there ever any attempt to infringe the 
 Treaties fubfifting between us ; our military 
 eftablimments were well fupported, our com- 
 mercial interefts extended, even private emo- 
 luments of the Company's fervants, beyond 
 the Company's juft rights, were permitted to 
 grow and fpread themfelves; but ftill fome 
 revenues were neceffary to the Sovereign, 
 and fome Share of trade was the birth-fight 
 of his fubje&s, who paid dutks of 25 per- 
 cent, to the Country-government. When the 
 Governor of Bengal went to Mongeer, he does 
 not feem fufficiently to have confidered the in- 
 conveniences which might refult from an open 
 avowal of the rights of private trade carried 
 on by the Company's fervants in articles here- 
 tofore deemed illicit ; but pufhed on by the 
 difpofition of the Gentlemen in Council, who, 
 from the conftant tenor of their conducT: to- 
 wards him, he had reafon to believe would 
 no! eafily be fatisfied : in hopes, however, to 
 quiet them, he fettled with the Nabob, that 
 
 the
 
 [ 9 ] 
 
 the Engli/h private Merchants trading for 
 themfelves, mould carry on their trade, at the 
 fmall duty of 9 per cent, when, as we faid 
 before, the Nabob's own fubjecls were pay- 
 ing 25. How then will you be furprized, 
 when I tell you, that one of the demands 
 fince made on the Nabob, was, that the Com- 
 pany's fervants trading for themfelves, fhould 
 pay no duties at all, excepting 2 i-half per 
 cent, on fait. The Nabob, upon receiving 
 this unreafonable demand, faid, he would then 
 lay open all trade, that his fubjecls might be 
 upon a footing with the fervants of the Englifh 
 Company ; but this not anfwering the purpofe 
 of the Gentlemen then in oppofition to the 
 Governor, they carried in the Council againft 
 him (to which he entered his proteft) a Re- 
 folution to fend an embafTy to the Nabob, in- 
 fifting, that he mould not only free them from 
 all duties, but mould ftill continue to levy the 
 duties as ufual upon his own fubjeffs\ The con- 
 fequence of which muft have been, that the 
 fervants of the Company, by felling Duftics, 
 (or permits) to the fubjech of the Nabob, 
 would have collected the revenues ariiing from 
 the duties which were the undoubted right of 
 the fovereign ; or elfe, by not felling the 
 duflics, but keeping the trade intirely in their 
 C own
 
 own hands, would, of courfe, have excluded 
 the moft confiderable black Merchants^ and 
 forcing them to fome other part of the Coun- 
 try, where they could have carried on their 
 trade on a more equal footing, muft ultimate- 
 ly have ruined the Trade of the Company ; 
 who would then have had no refource but pur- 
 chafing from a few of their own fervants, the 
 commodities of the Country, at whatever 
 price their fervonts would have pleafed to fet 
 on them ; forming by this means a monopoly 
 againfl their own Matters, in defpite of their 
 orders, and in open violation of the eftablifhed 
 principles of the fervice. You remember, Sir, 
 at the beginning of this Letter we took no- 
 tice of an article in the Treaty, faid to be 
 -made by the Governor j it is quoted above, 
 and is aflerted to be of itfelf fufficient to " ruin 
 our affairs, and to be a power we do not yield 
 .even in regular European governments, neither 
 in Portugal or Ruffia." It would be pleafant 
 upon this occafton, Sir, to quote the names 
 pnd authorities of Puffendorf, Grotius, Corceius, 
 Rocciusi and other Writers on the Privileges 
 of Commerce, and the Law of Nations, and 
 to /hew by learned arguments, that, wherever 
 there is a Sovereign, he has a right to duties 
 and excife j and where thefe are laid, there 
 
 muft
 
 muft be Collectors; and where they fubfiA; it 
 is natural to think, there muft alfo be difputes, 
 which can never, on fuch occafions, be fettled, 
 but by the Magiftrates of the Country where 
 fuch difputes arife. And this, we may venture 
 to fay, is conformable to the praclile of every 
 civilized country in the world. In conquered 
 countries the Government reds on the Con- 
 querors, and they receive the duties from the 
 fubje&s and territories they claim. The affer- 
 tions of our Author are calculated for the me- 
 ridian of North America, and will not there 
 be difputed. We cannot difmifs this Writer 
 without taking notice of his aflertion, " That 
 the Governor of Bengal was forced to ac- 
 knowledge the impropriety of the Treaty he 
 had made." Had he committed any errors, it 
 would have been a mark of his ingenuity to 
 acknowlege them; but neither are the errors 
 proved, nor are we indulged with his con- 
 feffion. The Governor of Bengal fays, that 
 the treaty was ill-kept, and that " the regula- 
 tions prefcribed by the treaty, if they were 
 ftricily obferved by both parties, would, he 
 thinks, remove all occafions of complaint on. 
 bothjides. Our Author might have put in his 
 claim to candour, by giving us his thoughts 
 on the abufes committed by each of the Parties. 
 
 C 2 It
 
 It being therefore certain, that the unrea- 
 fonable demands were relative to the moft im- 
 portant point, that is, to the Trade of the 
 Country, I cannot but think that we mould 
 be guided in our opinions by the juftice of the 
 cafe, and the evidence of the facts, and not 
 f< by the characters of any Gentlemen, tho' 
 flanding in the faireft point of view," efpe- 
 cially as our Author, to fupport his afTertions 
 upon a matter of commerce, chufes to quote 
 perfonages not concerned in trade, becaufe, 
 as it mould feem, they have no experience ia 
 thefe matters ; for he ftrengthens himfelf by 
 faying, " that Major Adam and Major Carnac, 
 Gentlemen whofe characters ftand in the 
 faireft point of view, and who were perfectly 
 difinterejled as to commerce, were of the fame 
 opinion.'- 
 
 A. 
 
 LET
 
 t '3 3 
 
 LETTER HI. 
 
 S I R, Feb. 23. 
 
 I SHOULD now, agreeably to my pro- 
 mife, endeavour to defcribe to you the cir- 
 cumftances of the Revolution in Bengal in 
 1760. If I am not qualified to explain this 
 tranfaclion fo well as fome Gentlemen then 
 prefent, yet at at leaft I have had correfpon- 
 dence in that Country, and have frequently 
 had in my poffeflion original papers of im- 
 portance relating to India affairs. I mould 
 therefore for your fatisfa&ion have under- 
 taken the talk, if I had not good reafon to 
 hope, from the accounts already publimed, 
 and others expected, that You and the Public 
 might be gratified in your laudable inquiries. 
 In forming your judgments upon the degree 
 of regard due to the refpeclive performances, 
 give me leave to fuggeft, that the relations of 
 that Tranfadlion heretofore printed claim the 
 firft place, becaufe they did not make their 
 appearance to ferve the purpofes of the Ge- 
 neral Court next Monday ; and have flood the 
 teft of two or three years. Almoft equal 
 honor mould be paid to fuch Authors as,
 
 [ 14 ] 
 
 being well informed of things, have vouched 
 for them at the expence of their own names 
 and credit : There muft be an exception or 
 two to this latter rule : If a Pamphlet favours 
 too ftrongly of private intereft, or if it be 
 advertiftd to be given Gratis &c. &c. But 
 more important confederations feem to bear 
 very hard on a Letter printed for T. Becket, 
 price one Shilling. It imports by its Title, 
 that it came from Gentlemen of the Council 
 at Bengal, and is addrefled to the India Com- 
 pany Committee in England. Who would 
 not think that it had come in the regular 
 way; that it had been prefented in proper 
 time at the Board of Council at Calcutta, 
 where it might have had due confideration i 
 where objections might have been anfwered, 
 and where meafures propofed might have 
 been well weighed - 9 where the Governor 
 might have had opportunity to defend Him- 
 felf againft the afperfions which for many 
 months had been collecting againft him ? 
 You might think, that it was written foon after 
 the Revolution, and forwarded to England by 
 the firft opportunity ; that it was prefented 
 publickly here, and came by authority from 
 Calcutta $ that it only contained reafons 
 
 againft
 
 t '5 ] 
 
 againft an old Revolution, not Propofals for a 
 new one. Let us now ftrip oft the majk from 
 it. 
 
 It was drawn up a year and a half after 
 the Revolution happened, never prefented 
 at the Board, at Calcutta, fent by a private 
 hand to England, muft needs have come 
 too late to do any good, was kept clofe for 
 a convenient opportunity to do harm, attacks 
 the propriety of a Revolution which had left 
 the Company's affairs in a flourifhing ftate at 
 Bengal, and propofes an Expedition to Delhi *, 
 800 miles farther up the country, which, right 
 or wrong, might have been carried into exe- 
 cution, if the Company at home would have 
 given them abfolute and uncontroulable Com- 
 miffion, crediting the account, which thefe 
 Gentlemen give of the Company's fervants, 
 unheard in an extrajudicial accufation. From 
 the fpoils. of the Country, what advantages 
 might have refulted to the Company we do 
 not know ; fome probably would have fallen 
 to the (hare of the Gentlemen who 
 
 Signed 
 
 * It is, the Capital of the Mogul. 
 
 MINUTE
 
 A. 
 
 MINUTE 
 
 O F 
 
 CONSULTATION, 
 
 12 January 1761. 
 
 THE Governor, Col. Caillaud, and the 
 other Gentlemen of the Council, who 
 did and do approve of the late TranfacYions 
 with the Country-government, beg leave to 
 offer a few obfervations upon Mr. Amyatt's 
 Minute of laft Confultation, the tenor of 
 which might deceive the world, if not exa- 
 mined j but, when examined, will be found to 
 have little foundation. 
 
 If the felect Committee, debating upon the 
 dangerous (late of the affairs of the Province, in 
 Auguft and September laft, had been defirous 
 of breaking with the then Nabob JafFer Ally 
 Cawn, there were reafons enough to juftify, 
 D nay
 
 1 18 ]. 
 
 nay to urge, fuch a Refolution. The letter 
 which the former Governor, Mr. Hollwell, laid 
 before the felecl Committee the * 4th of Au- 
 guft, for the Information of Mr. Van Sittart, 
 then juft arrived, contains more than fuffici- 
 erft proofs of that Nabob's breach of his eft- 
 gagements* to the Company. Many inftances 
 are mentioned of his jealoufy of the Englifli 
 Power, and of his refufal of every favor that 
 was afked, that might tend in the -leaft to in- 
 creafe it. We have in our hands an au- 
 thentic Proof of one moft eflential inftance 
 of his ill Faith therein mentioned. It is 
 faid in the Treaty, that our enemies mould be 
 his enemies j but it is beyond doubt that he 
 urged the Dutch to fend for forces to oppofe to 
 ours. We have an original Letter of jjie 
 Directors to the Nabob, which plainly im r 
 plies, that it was with his confent thofe troops 
 were fent for ; and the tenor of the general 
 advices tranfmitted to Europe laft feafon fuf- 
 ficlently (hew this was Colonel dive's opinion, 
 though he mentioned it with all poffible ten- 
 dernefs. 
 
 * See the faid letter entered in the proceedings of the 
 ftlcct Committee, the Auguft 
 
 Nor
 
 1 19 1 
 
 Nor if we had defired to remove JaiFer 
 Ally Cawn from his government, need we 
 have done more than withdraw our protection. 
 His government would foon have been put an 
 end to, and probably his life alfo, which was 
 more than once in extreme danger from his 
 own people. 
 
 But mindful of the connections that had 
 been between him and the Company, we had 
 the moft tender regard both for his Perfon 
 and Government, neither of which could have 
 fubfifted without other fupports, than thole 
 he had about him. After the unfortunate 
 death of his fon, his fon-in-law Coffim Ally 
 Cawn was the proper perfon to fucceed to 
 the government, and being his neareft relation, 
 it was thought his counfel and affiftance would 
 be the lead obnoxious ; but if on the other 
 hand, he (hould prove determined to admit 
 of no one near him, and continue to refufe 
 every Application for the Advantage of the 
 Company, or even common juftice in the per- 
 formance of paft agreements, would it have 
 been expedient to facrifke the Interefts of the 
 Company, and the profpecl: of relieving the 
 Province from its diftrefled (late, to the invin- 
 cible jealoufy of one man 5 and might we not 
 with more reafon place our paft fervices in 
 D 2 the
 
 the fcale againft the benefits received from him, 
 and purfue with fteadinefs the plan determined 
 on, as moil for the welfare of the Country in 
 general, and the Company in particular ? 
 
 That Coffim Ally Cawn had views of 
 the Subadarree for himfelf, when he entered 
 into the Treaty with us, is beyond all doubt ; 
 but they were views in reverfion, not imme- 
 diate. In the mean time he engaged, that, 
 through ths influence we were to give him 
 over the Old Nabob, he would obtain for the 
 Company the grants therein mentioned. 
 
 But it is infinuatedin Mr. Amyatt's Minute, 
 that our affairs are in a worfe condition now, 
 than before the change of government. That 
 the addition of Burdwan, Midnapore, and 
 Chittegong to the Company's pofleflions, with- 
 out the lofs of aman, is a hurt to the Company, 
 feems to us a Paradox. It is fkid, that it is near 
 three months fmce the Revolution was ef- 
 fected, and yet there is no appearance of ex- 
 tricating ourfelves from the Difficulties ; and 
 that the great advantages expected to accrue 
 from thefe Countries, it is feared will prove 
 merely imaginary. It is only twenty days fmce 
 the Burdwan Vakeel came here and fettled 
 the payment. This day is the firfl payment 
 due, and although the Rajah's Faith is not to 
 
 be
 
 be depended on, yet it is probable he will pay 
 the money according to the agreements, to 
 make his peace. If not, the Country is worth 
 that and more money, and lies fo convenient, 
 that it can always be difpofed of as we fee 
 beft. 
 
 As to Midnapore, it is not a month fince 
 Captain White took pofleffion ; he had no or- 
 ders to collect money . Mr. Johnftone is ap- 
 pointed for that purpofe : but fet out fo lately, 
 that his arrival is not yet heard of. 
 
 As for Chettigong, Mr. Verelft, and the 
 other Gentlemen appointed, fet out only twenty 
 days ago. We muft give them time to arrive 
 before we can expect to collect money. 
 
 Surely here is a fair profpect of advantages 
 accruing to the Company ; and of prefent be- 
 nefits inftances may alfo be mentioned. 
 
 The payment of the arrears due to the 
 Englifh troops at Patna, and of what we ad- 
 vanced to the Nabob's troops. 
 
 An affiftance to the Company of five 
 Lackes, which Mr. Batfon at Coffimbuzar is 
 now receiving. 
 
 Leave granted for coining Muxadavad Sic- 
 cas in our Mint, which was before confined to 
 Calcutta Siccas. 
 
 Who
 
 Who would there have been to oppofe the 
 march of the Beerboun Rajah to the capital 
 of Moorfhedavabadj for the Old Nabob had 
 neither the means of making his own troops 
 take the field, nor wonld he truft the Englifli? 
 
 Where would the Nabob's troops at Patna 
 have got a fupply of feven or eight lacks of 
 Rupees, as the prefent Nabob has paid them 
 fince his coming to the government ? 
 
 We believe no one will pretend, that the 
 Old Nabob would or could have made fuch 
 efforts, or would have granted fuch favors to 
 the Company. As to the Mogul's Phirmaund, 
 there was a time when the order of Delly had 
 fome weight at Bengal; but that time is no 
 more. It is hard to fay, who is King at Delly, 
 'or who will be j but if ever it comes to be 
 fettled, there is as little doubt of Coffim Ally 
 Cavvn's getting a Phirrmund, with as much 
 eafe as one was procured for the Old Nabob, 
 who never paid the King his (hare of the re- 
 venues. 
 
 It is afTerted, that the Minifters complained 
 of under the Old Nabob have received marks 
 of favour from the prefent Nabob. Two of 
 them have received the compliment of a Ke- 
 laat (or drefs) upon the adjuftment of their 
 i, accountj
 
 [ 23 ] 
 
 accounts ; but are in no employment or truft. 
 Jf they were, it would not be in their power to 
 do now the fame injuries to the Company and 
 the Country as they did in the Old Nabob's 
 time, becaufe the prefent Nabob would not be 
 fo eafily led or give ear to their evil counfels as 
 his predeceflbr. It is afferted alib, that the 
 prefent Nabob has been guilty of fome alTafli- 
 nations. This the governor believes is a falfe 
 report; he declares, that he had not before 
 heard of any fuch proceeding, although he has 
 pretty good intelligence of what paffes, and 
 that he has enquired particularly fince he faw 
 it fo pofitively aflerted, and has great reafon 
 to think it is an unjuft accufation. [If it fliould 
 prove true, we mould not fo eafily excufe a 
 crime fo {hocking, nor think of it fo lightly, 
 as it is reprefented in Mr. Amyat's minute. 
 
 That Mr. Smyth fhould fubfcribe to this 
 opinion, is not to be wondered at, becaufe he 
 fubfcribed to one of the like nature of Mr. 
 Verelfl's in confutation the 8th. November, 
 without having read any of the proceedings, 
 But that Mr. Ellis fnould fubfcribe to it, after 
 fignifying his approbation of the meafure in 
 many letters, that have been wrote on the 
 fubjecT:, and particularly in that from the feledt 
 Committee to the Governor and Col. Caillaud, 
 
 dated
 
 dated the 24th of November, is fomewhat fur- 
 prizing, and gives frefh reafon to appprehend, 
 what has been long fufpecled, that other per- 
 fons, not in the Company's fervice, nor having 
 any regard for the Company, are confulted 
 upon affairs which do not belong to them, by 
 which, unfortunately they gain an afcendancy 
 over the minds of better men than themfelves; 
 and this authority they exert to the utmoft, 
 to the purpofe of making divifions in the Set- 
 tlement, and more particularly in the Council. 
 It is only fuch pens as thofe, that can reflect 
 upon the late meafures, as a breach of all tyes 
 both human and divine j a reproach which no- 
 thing can merit but a premeditated intention to 
 do fome great ill. 
 
 It were to be wifhed in diffents of this na- 
 ture, that the reafons for the meafures formed 
 were considered in their full extent; the 
 fituation of the Company at home, and the 
 lituation of their affairs in general throughout 
 India well weighed. All thefe in as full man- 
 ner as poffible-were laid before the board, and 
 our neceffities and wants fo plainly appeared, 
 that all members prefent were fatisfied and 
 convinced, that, unlefs fome other meafures 
 were purfued, we could not keep up the caufe 
 any longer. It is plain, that what was propofed 
 
 to
 
 [ 25 ] 
 
 to be done was rather the effecT: of necefiity 
 than choice, and what followed was certainly 
 as unexpected. It was therefore impoffible 
 that Mr. Amyat could be made acquainted 
 with a defign, that never emitted. Thofe, to 
 whofe confideration it fell, were unanimous in 
 their opinion j and they flatter themfelves that 
 all who will take into their view the then 
 ftate of affairs, the nature of the refolutions 
 taken, and all the circumftances attending this 
 tranfaftion, and will judge thereupon with 
 candor, not fuffering themfelves to be biafled 
 by the prejudices of others, will do us more 
 juftice ; and be far from calling in queftion 
 our fenfe of the Faith of Treaties, or our re- 
 gard for the nation's honor and our own. 
 
 THE
 
 B. 
 
 TH E Governor lays before the Board a 
 Letter from the Nabob, received laft 
 night, with an Order in the Fouzedar of 
 Hougly, for twenty - five thoufand Rupees 
 therein-mentioned to be fent as a prefent of 
 congratulation from the Nabob to the Go- 
 vernor, on occafion of the late birth of his 
 fon. Mr. Van Sittart declares himfelf equally 
 fenfible of the Nabob's compliment j but as 
 he rejected for himfelf and the other Gentle- 
 men of the Committee all former propofals 
 of private emolument, and has not to this 
 time received a fingle rupee from him, fo 
 neither will he, while there is a Difficulty re- 
 maining, with refpect either to the com- 
 pany's ballance, or the arrears due to his own 
 troops. He defires, therefore, that the faid 
 fum of twenty-five thoufand rupees may be 
 received into the Company's Treafury, in fur- 
 ther part of payment of the out-ftanding bal- 
 lance. 
 
 F I N I 5.
 
 ? * *<
 
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