Dupleix and the Empire of India |
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Admiral advance adventurer ahdar allies Anwarodeen appanage Arcot assailants attack authority besiegers blockade bold Boscawen capitulation Carnatic Chandernagore character Chunda Sahib Clive Coleroon command company's contest convoy countrymen coup de main Cuddalore D'Autheuil defeated defence Dekkan detach dicherry diplomatic directors dispatch empire enemy English fleet eral European favor fear fled force Fort St fortification France garrison Gingee Godeheu governor Governor-General Hamont India south influence Karikal Kistna knew Labourdonnais Law's Lawrence less Madame Dupleix Madras Mahomed Ali Mahomed Ali's Mahratta Maphuz Khan master Meanwhile ment military Mirzapha Mogul Mysore Mysoreans native Nawab nawabship Nazir Jung negotiation Nizam ul officers ordered Orme Paradis Paradis's peace Peishwa pleix's political Pondi Pondicherry position promise recall Bussy refused reinforced retreat rival river ruler seemed sent sepoys settlements siege Sikh small army soldiers soon spirit subahdar surrender Tanjore tion tout town Trichinopoly troops viceroy victory
Popular passages
Page 44 - D'Autheuil had come up to Bussy's support In the crisis of the batttle, and Dupleix urged him to advance at once on Arcot, where Nazir, loitering away his time in pleasure, quarreling with his nobles, becoming every day more unpopular, and amazed at the rapid operations of the French, offered a tempting prey. But the monsoon was raging in its full fury ; the country was almost impassable ; D'Autheuil was old, gouty, and unenterprising; and he halted, deaf to Dupleix's reiterated appeals — de faire...
Page 47 - Pondicherry, with every circumstance that could give lustre to the occasion, and significance to his own weight in the political scale. A vast and gorgeous tent was erected, within which were placed two chairs of state (or ' thrones ' as M. Hamont calls them), one for Mirzapha, the other for the viceroy and governor-general. Mirzapha first entered the tent and seated himself, encircled by the Dekkan nobles in all their finery. Dupleix advanced to the rendezvous in an imposing procession. He did homage...
Page 62 - June 1752, tamely capitulated ; and with him 35 officers, 785 Europeans, 2,000 sepoys, and 41 guns were captured. Chunda Sahib gave himself up to Monacjee, the Tanjorine general, who put him to death. Dupleix's position might now well appear desperate ; to make peace at once, or to recall Bussy and employ him in a supreme effort to capture Trichinopoly, seemed the only alternative open to him. Yet he chose neither, but preferred to try a third plan, for •which there was certainly much to be said,...
Page 63 - ... of the Poona Mahrattas ; and it was promptly thwarted by one of the nizam's ministers, who stirred up a mutiny in his army, which prevented its taking the field, and was the prelude of other serious and engrossing disturbances. We have not space to follow the course of the renewed war, which was equally notable for the hard fighting of the Europeans on both sides ; for the steadfastness and wariness of Dalton, the commander in...
Page 50 - ... his intervention in native disputes, would strongly disapprove of this remote diversion of troops intended to guard the French possessions on the coast. Thus the difficulties that he raised do not seem to have been simply effected. But Mirzapha's lavish promises were very seductive, and Mahomed Ali determined him by offering to surrender Trichinopoly, if he should be allowed to retain his father's treasures, and receive an appanage in the Dekkan. He reported the transaction to the directors with...
Page 61 - Serniaveram in Olive's absence, but on his unexpected return he overpowered it ; and, after more fighting and the capture of the convoy at Utatoor, he fell upon D'Autheuil at Volcondah and compelled him to surrender. Before this happened the monsoon had burst, and increased the difficulty of crossing the swelling rivers. But while Chunda Sahib's army, as his fortune declined, dwindled away apace, and many of his followers joined the English, Lawrence made his way into the island ; threw up an entrenchment...
Page 59 - Pondicherry, and operate against an y reinforcement which Dupleix might be able to provide. Though he proposed that the two divisions should remain within a forced march of each other, Clive's project was, considering the disparity of numbers, a characteristically bold one; as Orme says: "This was risking the whole to save the whole.
Page 53 - Asiastic numbers. The English, dazzled by the splendor of his achievements, disheartened at their own poor performance in the rapid drama, mistrustful of Mahomed Ali, and knowing the aversion of the directors to the perils and expenses of war, seemed little inclined to dispute the progress of their bold rival. Still Trichinopoly was not surrendered. Mahomed Ali's overtures had been a mere expedient for gaining time. He had now, by lavish promises, secured the assistance of the Mysore regent, "of...
Page 58 - ... succeeded in turning it. By a resolute onslaught during this flank march Law might have defeated the English, or at least taken or destroyed a large part of the stores and provisions. But he hesitated too long; and when he did advance he was daunted by a sortie of the garrison, and after an idle cannonade fell back. Meanwhile the convoy had pursued its way on the unexposed flank of the English column, and was triumphantly welcomed in the city. This decisive failure completed the prostration of...
Page 49 - ... of the emperor in suppressing rebellion, and maintaining the cause of the rightful subahdar. But in this good work Chunda Sahib had been equally faithful and zealous. Let him, therefore, retain the prize that was his due, and which he had contemplated when he cemented the alliance between Mirzapha and the French. Let him be confirmed in the Nawabship of the Carnatic. The proposal was adopted. Chunda Sahib's effective assistance in defending the province was secured; while the ingenious Frenchman...