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of such dread at the court of Oude, from the rumours incessantly circulated in his favour, that the fears of Shujah-ud-Dowlah were not allayed until the destruction of his prisoner had been compleated by assassination. Shujah-udDowlah obtained from the King the appointment of Vizier; and being now possessed of a numerous army, and the imperial person, he might justly be considered the most powerful chief in Hindostan.

In the year 1763, the war broke out between the English and Cassum Ali Khan, which, after a diversified train of success and disasters, terminated in Cassum's expulsion from the province of Bengal, and his retreat, in the latter end of the same year, with the remains of his troops, and a large treasury, into the dominions of

a brave soldier of distinguished birth, of liberal and popular manners. They had witnessed the former treachery of Shujah-udDowlah, 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 summoned this officer to a trial, or publicly ordered his death, the danger of a revolution would have been incurred: for the low state of his treasury, a long arrear, and an inherent deficiency of military genius in the Prince, had strongly operated in diminishing the subordination of the army. But such was the barbarous necessity of the measure, the miserable policy of a demi-armed despot, that he was compelled to maintain the safety of his person, and the government of his country, by the secret stab of a poniard.

Shujah-ud-Dowlah, The Bengal Government, which had been long duped by the evasive replies of the Vizier to the repeated remonstrance of his succouring their enemy, discovered that he had drawn his army to Benares, and was preparing to invade Bahar, in conjunction with Cassum Ali. A letter which he addressed to the government of Bengal, peremptorily avowed his intentions. In arrogant and contemptuous language he says, "that the English, abusing "the favours conferred on them by the Empe"rors of Hindostan, have fomented disturbances "in the empire; and that instead of limiting "their exertions to trade, as became merchants, they interfered in the imperial affairs, exalt

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ing and deposing at pleasure, the servants "of the crown. He calls upon them to justify "their actions, and to withdraw forthwith, all "their people from the King's dominions; and

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in the event of disobedience, threatens them. "with the royal displeasure, which he deno"minated The type of God's wrath." Though Shujah-ud-Dowlah had buoyed up Cassum Ali with the promise of re-instating 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 manifest and great advantage, incur the risk

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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 tenour of his actions supports a fair conjecture, that he would without a scruple have annexed the conquered country to his own dominions.

In the course of the year 1764, intelligence, was received at Calcutta, that the forces of the Vizier and Cassum Ali, with some few troops attached to the King, had penetrated into the vicinity of Patna; whither our troops, on the approach of the combined army, had precipitately retired. The enemy being afterwards repulsed in assaulting the European trenches, retreated towards the river Soane, where the Vizier made pacific advances to the English officer, who had been authorized to negociate, but pointedly directed to demand, in the preliminary articles the surrender of Sombro, and the European deserters*. The purpose of the Vizier, in the desire he had shewn of obtaining a peace, was only to procure a cessation of hostility, that he might recruit his army. It has been even said, that he endeavoured to bring over to his cause Jaffier Ali Khan, whom the English, on the expulsion of Cassum, had a second time advanced to the government

* About two hundred private Europeans had deserted to the Vizier,

of the provinces. The Vizier, at a future period, did not disavow this supposed correspondence, which appears to have been conducted on the part of Meer Jaffier, by Nundocomar*, who gave the Vizier an assurance of his master's inclination to form a separate treaty. Shujahud-Dowlah had derived an essential advantage from the fears of Cassum Ali, now seriously alarmed by the repulse at Patna; and having first inveigled away his European and best native troops, he stripped him of the largest part of his treasure, and military stores. The drift of the Vizier's negociations becoming notoriously manifest, it was resolved that the English army should move towards his camp, and decide the contest in the field; which, after a gallant action of five hours, gave a complete victory to the English †.

THE defeat at Buxar produced obstinate difficulties to the political and military career of the Vizier, who on that event was deserted by all his allies. Shah Alum, in a condition ill

The person who suffered death at Calcutta, by a sentence of the Supreme Court for forgery.

The English army consisted of 857 Europeans, and 6215 native troops, of which, 101 Europeans, and 773 sepoys, were killed and wounded. The army of Shujah-ud-Dowlah was compu ted at 40,000 men, 2000 of whom it is said were slain in battle. The artillery taken by the English in the field, and in the pursuit of the enemy, amounted to 133 pieces of various sizes.

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suited to the title he bore, sought an asylum in the English camp, and loudly accused Shujah-ud-Dowlah of having forced the royal authority into becoming an instrument of his ambition, and a sanction of his hostile designs. against the English. This was the second time that the unfortunate Shah Alum had taken refuge in an English army. Here let me direct the view of the reader to the revolutions which, within no wide compass of time, have affected the empire of Hindostan: where at the close he will behold, with an awe and wonder that must humble the proudest of us to the dust, the illustrious house of Timur shaken to its foundation.

In the reign of Aurungzebe*, it may, without any violation of truth, be said, that Hindostan, whether for its wealth, magnitude, or military resource, was the most distinguished empire in the Asiatic world. It must also be noticed, that the English, at that period, were not known beyond the sea-coasts of India, where they occupied, under various restrictions, the profession of merchants. Behold the scene presented in our day, of the feeble princes of Delhi, where a near successor of the great Aurungzebe, impelled by the destruction of his

* This prince died in 1707, having reigned near fifty years.

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