life, it is neceffary to defcribe the fituation of the court of Dehli at that period. Ghaze-ud-Dein, who had in 1753 depofed and deprived of fight Ahmed Shah, raised to the throne Alumguir Sani, whose eldest son Aly-Ghohir, fearing the treacherous disposition and ill designs of the minifter, fled from Dehli.* This prince, accompanied by a small body of Mahrattas, levied for a few months, a fcanty contribution in the districts lying to the fouthward of the capital. But being foon involved in embarrassments from fo flender a provision, he folicited the aid of the Rohilla, Najeb Khan, who refusing to engage in his caufe, he retired into the territory of Shujah-ud-Dowlah. The prince was treated for a certain time with hospitality and respect at Oude, but could not obtain any military aid and being at length civilly difmiffed, he proceeded to Allahabad, which was then held by Mahomet Khuli-Khan, a native of Perfia, and a coufin-german of Shujah-ud-Dowlah. Mahomet Khuli, readily entering into the schemes of the prince, which were directed at the reduction of the provinces of Bahar and Bengal, the joint forces croffed the Caramnaffa, and were, after various fucceffes, defeated in 1761, by the English troops, at Suan. The honourable and humane treatment which Aly-Ghohir experienced during his refidence in the English camp, created a jealousy in Caffum Ali Khan, who from the recent teftimony of the prince's hoftility to his interefts, and feeing alfo the English

*This event happened in 1758.

officer

officer much attached to his perfon, expreffed a virulent dislike of the connection. The prince accused Caffum of fomenting those diffentions in his army, which ultimately produced a defperate mutiny; when he probably would have fuffered much indignity, had he not been protected by the English army. This event induced Ally-Ghohir to retire into the dominions of Shujahud-Dowlah, who received the fugitive king* in a manner expressive of zealous attachment, and avowed himself the champion of the royal cause.

To illustrate an event in the hiftory of Shujah-ud-Dowlah, we must advert to the annals of a former period, and notice its origin. Sufdar Jung had appointed to the command of Allahabad, his nephew Mahomet Khuli Khan, who on the acceffion of Shujah-udDowlah, seems to have wholly withdrawn himself from the authority of the court of Oude. Aware of the popularity and military abilities of this officer, Shujah-ud-Dowlah did not profecute any directly hostile measures against Allahabad. During his expedition into Bahar, Mahomet Khuli had placed the government of his poffeffions in the hands of Nudjef Khan; the chief, who at a future period became fo confpicuous in the upper parts of India. Shujahud-Dowlah, embracing the favourable occafion of Mahomet Khuli's abfence, advanced with a small army towards the limits of Allaha

* At this period. Ali-Ghohir had nominally fucceeded to the Empire, by the title of Shah Alum. His father died in 1760.

bad.

bad. He maintained an amicable intercourfe with Nudjef Khan, whom he amufed by folemn proteftations of attachment to the welfare of Mahomet Khuli; and reprefented, that the Duranny invafion had induced him to come into that quarter to folicit an afylum for his family in the fort of Allahabad, as his own country poffeffed no place of equal fafety. Nudjef Khan would not liften. to the request, but waited the inftructions of Mahomet Khuli, who directed, that Shujah-ud-Dowlah's family fhould be admitted into the fortrefs with a certain number of domeftic guards. It is faid, that Shujah-ud-Dowlah introduced into the female equipages a body of armed men, who rushed on the garrifon, and took the fort without any effufion of blood. This capture, which happened about the year 1761, rendered the affairs of Mahomet Khuli defperate, and obliged him to become a dependant on the bounty of Shujah-ud-Dowlah; who, in the courfe of a few months, threw him, on a charge of state crimes, into prifon. Mahomet Khuli, from his valour and liberality, was held in high estimation in the Oude army, which in loud murmurs, and in comparisons not favourable to their Prince, warmly lamented his misfortunes. Nudjef Khan, on the capture of Allahabad, had entered into the fervice of Shujah ud-Dowlah, and exerted himself with a zeal that endangered his own fafety, to procure the release of Mahomet Khuli ;

*

but

Mahomet Khuli was cut off at the fort of Tillalabad: this example disclosed an evil, which is ufually feen to pervade Afiatic states. A defpotic Prince cannot always

but this officer had become an object of fuch dread at the court of Oude, from the rumours inceffantly circulated in his favor, that the fears of Shujah-ud-Dowlah were not allayed until the destruction of his prisoner had been compleated by affaffination. Shujahud-Dowlah obtained from the King the appointment of Vizier; and being now poffeffed of a numerous army, and the imperial perfon, he might juftly be confidered the most powerful chief in Hindoftan.

In the year 1763, the war broke out between the English and Caffum Ali Khan, which after a diverfified train of fuccefs and disasters, terminated in Caffum's expulfion from the province of Bengal, and his retreat, in the latter end of the fame year, with

impart fo full a force to his system of tyranny, as to shape to the spirit of its edits, the minds and language of his fubjects. Without the compendious favage aid of the dagger, the road to conqueft and empire, would not perhaps have been fo widely opened to a Timur, a Nadir Shah, or, in our day, to a Hyder Ali. When Shujah-ud-Dowlah had formed the resolution of cutting off Mahomet Khuli, he had not yet consolidated the ftructure of his government. The officers of his army, Perfians, Moghuls, or Afghans, were daring turbulent men, and had large claims of pay. They faw in Mahomet Khuli, a brave foldier, of diftinguished birth, of liberal and popular manners. They had witnessed the former treachery of Shujah-ud-Dowlah to him, and suspected his future purposes. Though this Prince dreaded the formidable qualities of Mahomet Khuli, he equally dreaded a formal indulgence of his wishes. Had he fummoned this officer to a trial, or publickly ordered his death, the danger of a revolution would have been incurred for the low ftate of his treafury, a long arrear, and an inherent deficiency of military genius in the Prince, had ftrongly operated in diminishing the fubordination of the army. But fuch was the barbarous neceffity of the measure, the miferable policy of a demi-armed defpot, that he was compelled to maintain the fafety of his perfon, and the government of his country, by the fecret itab of a poignard.

the

the remains of his troops, and a large treasury, into the dominions of Shujah-ud-Dowlah. The Bengal Government, which had been long duped by the evafive replies of the Vizier to the repeated remonftrance of his fuccouring their enemy, difcovered that he had drawn his army to Benares, and was preparing to invade Bahar, in conjunction with Caffum Ali. A letter which he addreffed to the government of Bengal, peremptorily avowed his intentions. In arrogant and contemptuous language he fays, "that the English,

abufing the favours conferred on them by the Emperors of Hin"dostan, have fomented disturbances in the empire; and that in"stead of limiting their exertions to trade, as became merchants, "they interfered in the imperial affairs, exalting and deposing at pleafure, the fervants of the crown. He calls upon them to justify “their actions, and to withdraw forthwith, all their people from "the King's dominions; and in the event of disobedience, threatens "them with the royal displeasure, which he denominated The type of "God's wrath." Though Shujah-ud-Dowlah had buoyed up Caffum Ali with the promise of reinftating him in the provinces, we cannot easily believe, that the man who has been recently seen betraying and cutting off his kinsman, who held both the claims of friendship

and affinity, would without a manifeft and great advantage, incur the risk of fortune and life, in the cause of a stranger. Had the arms of the Vizier prevailed in the course of the war, the general tenor of his actions fupports a fair conjecture, that he would without a fcruple have annexed the conquered country to his own dominions.

IN