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attachment, which wholly removed his embarrassment, that he solemnly swore, he would never, while he resided in the same place, absent himself from her apartment after a certain hour of the night; and that he would thenceforth ever esteem her his faithful friend and counsellor. Nor does it appear that he deviated from the vow he made to the Begum, who became from that day the repository of his treasure, and all his secret transactions.

THE defeat at Buxar, having relieved the Vizier from the maintenance of a turbulent crowd of cavalry, he began to introduce in his army, a system of order and regular payment. He had seen that the excellency of the European troops consisted in discipline,, the quality of their arms, and the skilful management of artillery. He therefore made strenuous and unccasing efforts in forming a body of infantry, with its requisite establishment of cannon, after the European manner. The undertaking was arduous, and such as few Asiatic princes could have executed. But the genius, activity, and perseverance of Shujah-ud-Dowlah, surmounted the various obstacles, which rooted prejudice and constitutional habit had raised to oppose him. Under the direction of some Frenchmen whom he had invited into his service, an arsenal was founded at Fyzeabad, where guns,

musquets and shot, with other military stores, were fabricated with skill and expedition.-From this new magazine, about ten battalions of infantry, and a small train of artillery, were equipped. Though this body was formed at the expence of large sums, and much labour, such judicious arrangements had been adopted for the government of his country, that sufficient funds. were created to defray the charge, and to produce a respectable treasury. The cavalry,

which at the battle of Buxar amounted to 30,000, appears at this time to have been reduced to little more than 5,000 men. The. Vizier derived an essential benefit from the English garrison, that was stationed at Allahabad, which keeping that quarter in awe, relieved him from the necessary expence of protecting a frontier country.

IN the year 1768, Shujah-ud-Dowlah saw himself in the possession of a well appointed army, a treasury competent to its charge, and a flourishing productive territory. This quick progress, in endeavouring to dissolve the subordinate connection into which he had been forced, and to extend his power, attracted the notice of Colonel Smith, who was stationed at Allahabad. This officer represented the conduct of Oude, as dangerous to the interest of the nation, and demanding an immediate interposi

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tion. The council, roused by this information, deputed Messrs. Cartier, Russell, and Colonel Smith, to the Vizier, to expostulate on the tendency of his military preparations; which indi cated, they observed, a want of confidence in their friendship and support. The deputies held a conference with the Vizier at Benares, in the month of November 1768; when, after much acrimonious altercation, he consented, though with a deep mortification and reluctance, to limit the strength of his troops to the following number and denomination :

Cavalry,

Ten battalions of sepoys, including officers of every rank,

The Nujjeeb regiment of matchlock

men

A corps of Artillery, not to exceed
Irregulars, not to be clothed, disci-
plined, or armed, after the man-
ner of the English sepoys, or
Nujjeeb regiment,

10,000

10,000

5,000

500

9,500

35,000

THE Vizier considered this restriction as no less unjust, than it was disgraceful to him; but incapable of avowedly opposing the requisition

of such powerful and jealous allies, he resolved to execute his plans with more address, though without any essential deviation from the object that biassed all his actions: and it is a well known fact, that he did not, in consequence of the treaty of Benares, dismiss one soldier from his service. His proceedings were conducted with caution, and he was successful in procuring amongst the English themselves, zealous and able advocates; but the Vizier saw, that his ambition and schemes of aggrandisement would ever be encountered by the jealousy of the English, whom he now beheld with mistrust and resentment, and knowing the French were the common enemy of our nation, the Vizier held out many inducements to engage their assistance.

IN the year 1772, a Marhatta army, commanded by the chiefs, Scindia, Halcar, and Hurry Punt, penetrating into Hindostan, laid waste the Duab, and possessed themselves of the Etajoh districts, together with all the territory of Ahmed Khan Bungish, except the town and environs of Furruckabad. An invasion so

formidable had alarmed the Rohilla chiefs, who, on the approach of the Marhattas, solicited the Vizier to procure the aid of an English brigade; for which they offered the sum of forty lacks rupees. The Vizier, anxious for the safety

of

of his own country, on the confines of which the enemy were already encamped, accepted, without hesitation, a proposal that would enable him to defray the expences of a body of troops, from which he himself would derive an essential benefit; and he, some time in the year 1772, applied to the English government, for a supply of forces to defend his dominions against the threatened invasion of the Marhattas. Conformably to this requisition, an English Brigade proceeded to Benares, whence a detachment of three native battalions, joined by the forces of the Vizier, marched to the frontiers of Rohilcund; the interior parts of which the Marhattas were then laying waste. The commencement of the periodical rains, and the near approach of the combined army, obliged them to rapidly cross the Ganges. The Marhattas, in the following year, again entered Rohilcund where they committed much devastation; but they retreated on the appearance of the Vizier's army, which had been reinforced by a complete English brigade.

On the night previous to the arrival of the combined forces in the vicinity of the Marhatta, encampment, which was formed on the west side of the Ganges, a large body of their cavalry crossed the river, and, dispersing the

* 1773.

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