all, however, acknowledged a paramount fovereignty in the RamRajah (who is fuppofed to have been the immediate defcendant of Sevagi); but the degrees of fubmiffion feem to have been meafured by time and circumftance. The connection and dependence refembled the feudal establish ments in Europe. Some of the ftates grew too powerful to admit of any farther fervice than what fuited their immediate interefts; and others were apt to follow the example, who were lefs able to abide the poffible confequences of it.

A revolution in the court of the Ram-Rajah tended much to weaken this connection, and to leffen the reverence as well as the dependence of the other states. The weakness of a minority enabled Nana Row, the prime minifter (a man of abilities, and a Bramin) to seize the reins of, government; and the influence of that power ful body of which he was a member, ferved effectually to fecure and establish his authority. Such revolutions have at all times been fo frequent in the eastern world, as to prevent their exciting any extraordinary degree of furprize. This revolution, contrary to the established practice. of moft ages and nations, was unftained by blood; but we are not to forget that it was conducted by Bramins. The ufurper was fatisfied with the power, without affuming the titles or infignia of fovereignty. The infant Ram-Rajah was kept in a fort of fplendid confinement, furrounded with the appendages of eastern grandeur, but debarred of all power, and kept totally ignorant of business. It is not impro

bable that he might have confidered as the proper life of a monarch, that ftate of eafe and infignificance, which fo many princes feem difpofed voluntarily to adopt. The feat of government was transferred from the ancient royal refidence of Sitterah, to Poonah; and Nana Row, as well as his fucceffors, feem still to have acted under the fuppofed authority of the depofed prince, by their affuming no other title or character than that of Paishwa, or prime minifter. From this change, the empire of the Ram-Rajah has been diftinguished only by the appellation of the Paithwathip, or otherwife the government of Poonah, from the name of its prefent capital,

This extraordinary government of minifters became hereditary, and was for a time fo ably conducted, that the empire feemed to lofe nothing of its former power and fplendour, But ambition having at length made its way into the family of the minifters, and in defpite of the ftrict religi ous principles of their order, there producing its ufual baleful effects, internal diffentions have fince been the means of impeding the active exertions, and of reducing the power of the state. Of all these evils, the opportunity which they afforded to the extraordinary aggrandizement of Hyder Ally, who from a foldier of fortune became the fcourge or the terror of all that fide of India, may be confidered as far the greatest.

Nana Row was fucceeded by his eldeft fon Madai, who, dying without iffue, towards the end of the year 1772, the government, as it was now fettled, of courfe de[4] 3

volved

volved to his younger brother, Narrain Row. Their uncle, Ragonaut Row, otherwife known in this country by the name of Ragaboy, had for fome years lain in clofe confinement, for repeated plots to feize upon the government. Madai Row being aware of the youth and inexperience of his brother, and dreading the infidious craft and intrigues of Ragonaut, though in confinement, thought that gratitude might operate more powerfully in reftraining the effect of that factious and turbulent fpirit than the walls of a prifon. He accordingly releafed Ragonaut, placed him in an honourable fituation in the government, and joining the hands of the uncle and nephew, as he lay dying, adjured the former by every human and facred tie and authority, to aid the youth and inexperience of the latter by his advice, affiftance, and protection.

Ragonaut, in difcharge of the truft repofed in him, procured, within less than a year, the aflaffination of his nephew; hoping to fecure the Paifhwafhip in his own family, by the extinction of that brother's line, whofe abilities had rendered him its founder. The confequences were in fome degree fuch as he merited. The acting powers of the ftate in his hands, along with his perfonal influence, and the weight of a faction which he headed, were all incapable of refifting that general indignation which fo execrable a deed excited among the Marattas. He with difficulty efcaped the public vengeance, by abandoning his country, and flying for refuge to Bombay. The protection afforded to him, with the attempts

made, and the continued. intrigues and plots carried on for forcing him into the government of a great people, in direct contradiction to their own will and liking, laid the foundation for all thofe wars and troubles which have fince taken place between the English and the Marattas.

Notwithstanding the loffes fuftained from without, through their inteftine diffentions and domeftic troubles, the Poonah Marattas are ftill a great and powerful people; their dominions, including thofe of the tributary and feudatory princes immediately depending on them, are of a wide extent; and they can bring numerous and powerful armies into the field. But thefe being compofed almost entirely of cavalry, are neceflarily fubject to the defects to which that powerful arm of military force is liable when employed fingly; and being conftituted on the fame principles with the ancient feudal armies of Europe, they are likewife fubject to all the difadvantages of that fyftem. They rush eagerly into the field, at the call of their refpective chiefs, and, fweep every thing before them like a tempeft in their progrefs; but it is the univerfal practice of the Marattas, as foon as the expedition is ended, to return home with the fpoil; fome bodies only excepted, which are peculiarly defined to attend the perfons of their princes. They may, however, be fummoned again in a few days, and will affemble with the fame alacrity as before. It may be easily feen what great advantages this conflitution of their armies, together with the want of infantry, muft afford to the unceafing efforts

of

other hand, the latter can scarcely hope to protect open countries from their ravages. The wars of the ancient Parthians throw no fmall light on the oppofite advantages and difadvantages in both cafes. The prefent ufe of artillery, however, inclines the scale heavily on the fide-of a mixed and regular force.

The Rajah of Berar ftands next to the Poonah Marrattas, with refpect to power and extent of dominions; and is in fact too great and independent to owe any farther acknowledgement to that court than what his immediate interefts dictate, and the remains of ancient attachment might poffibly excite. He has befides claims to the fucceffion of that fovereignty, which tend ftrongly to difunion, he being lineally defcended from the family of the Ram Rajah; and the depofed elder line, as is apprehended, now extinct.

Sindia and Holkar, who are fuppofed to be defcended from Hindoo kings of the highest antiquity, alfo poffefs very confiderable and valuable territories. Thefe princes have entered deeply into the late and prefent politics of the court of Poonah, and find it more flattering to their ambition, and more conducive to their fecurity and interefts, to participate in the general greatness of the empire, and to prefide at the head of that ariftocracy, which, fince the affaflination of Narrain Row, guides all its councils, than by taking any advantage of its temporary weaknefs, to aim at a precarious independency, under the restrictions of a circumfcribed power in their own dominions. We have already

Maratta ftates are guided by circumftance and occafion, in their attachment to or dependence on the court of Poonah. Upon the whole, it does not appear that any general principle of union, excepting that of felf-defence, fubfifts at prefent among the Maratta states; and it would therefore feem, that nothing lefs than fome common danger reaching to the whole, could direct their united powers to any one point (of action. Happy it is to the European and Mahomedan interests in India, that the force of this vaft and warlike empire is fo divided.

It will here be neceffary to take fome notice of the fituation in which the Company food for fome years back, with refpect to their other powerful and formidable neighbour Hyder Ally. When that bold and enterprizing prince brought the war, which had been commenced against him, to a fortunate iflue in the year 1769; and when, in the height of fuccefs, he perfonally dictated equitable terms of peace to the Company at the gates of Madras, a treaty of friendfhip and alliance was then, in the firmeft manner, concluded between the late contending parties. By this treaty it was ftipulated, that the contracting parties fhould mutually affift each other against any enemy that fhould attack either; a claufe evidently pointed against the Marattas, and undoubtedly fo understood and verbally explained on both fides, although any particular fpecification of them in the written inftrument was prudently omitted.

Hyder, with that fagacity and forefight which diftinguishes his [4] 4

cha

character, determined to make an early discovery of the degree of reliance and value which was to be placed on the faith and the friendship of his new ally. He accordingly, on the commencement of a war with the Marattas, which immediately after broke out, wrote a letter to the governor of Madras, requiring that, confiftently with the friendship and regard fubfifting between them, and for the good appearance thereof in the eyes of the world, he would, for form's fake, fend an officer with a battalion of feapoys to his affiftance. A compliance with this requifition was evaded, under the apprehenfion of a war with the Marattas, as another propofition made by Hyder at the fame time was, upon the ground of impropriety in adopting a measure of confequence without confulting the other prefiden

cies.

fioned them to acquaint the governor and council, that as he fhould, on his part, punctually maintain the strict friendship between them, he expected they would, in conformity thereto, fupply him with a body of troops; and that he was even willing to pay a fpecified fum of money to defray the expence of their fervice, in order to obviate any failure of the performance on their fide. Thefe gentlemen, from themfelves remarked, that if this requifition was not complied with, they much feared that Hyder's former indifpofition to the Company would again return.

Thefe applications produced no more effect at Madras than the former. The Marattas, under the conduct of Madai Row, fo totally overpowered Hyder in this war, that his ruin was deemed inevitable. Unable to face them in the field, they were mafters of all the open country; and his ftrongeft fortreffes were barely capable of affording refuge and protection to his troops. Thus fhut up, and all cultivation at an end in his dominions, it seemed evident, that however excellently his magazines were provided, famine muft foon accomplish what the want of infantry and a good artillery had hitherto prevented the Marattas from effecting.

In this state of neceffity and danger, Hyder, of courfe, made repeated applications to his new allies for the performance of their engagements; ftating the advantages to be derived from their alliance with him, and ftrongly urging the danger, if not ruin, to themselves and to the whole peninfula, which the fuccefs of the Marattas, in the accomplishment

complishment of their ambitious views upon him, would inevitably produce. Various pretences for a non-compliance with thefe requifitions were still found; and it appears upon the whole, that evasion and procraftination were the only principles of conduct adopted with refpect to Hyder Ally at Madras. It is not impoffible that the influence which the Nabob of Arcot poffeffed in that prefidency, and the inveterate perfonal animofity which he bore to Hyder Ally, might have had no fmall effect with refpect to this conduct. It is certain, that the nabob at all times urged an alliance with the Marattas against Hyder.

The fortune of Hyder Ally at length triumphed over all his dangers and enemies. It feems probable, that the declining health of Madai Row contributed to fave him from deftruction; and that the anxious folicitude of that chief to leave his young brother Narrain in a state of foreign as well as domestic tranquillity, was what enabled Hvder to obtain a peace upon tolerable terms, and without the intervention of friend or ally, in the month of July 1772. The fubfequent diffentions and troubles of the Marattas, together with the war in which they were unexpectedly involved with Bombay, afforded an opportunity to Hyder, not only to recover all the territories which he had given up by the peace, but greatly to increase his power and dominion by new conquefts. It cannot be fuppofed, after that failure, if not breach of public engagement and faith, which Hyder had experienced in the hour of danger, that he could again look with friend

fhip or cordiality to Madras. He was, however, too good a statefman to declare his fentiments wantonly; and ftill preferved a civil but cool intercourfe. In this ftate of things he naturally fell in with France, by whom he was liberally fupplied with artillery, arms, ammunition, and all thofe military neceffaries which enabled him in a very fhort time to renew the war with fo much fuccefs and advantage against the Marattas. That politic nation faw the infinite advantage that might be derived from his friendfhip in their future defigns upon the Carnatic. Their officers were permitted, if not encouraged, to enter into his fervice; to train his armies, and to form a powerful artillery upon the European model. Thefe opportunities of advantage were not loft upon him, who was indefatigable in the procefs and completion of that military fyftem which was to render him the most formidable prince in India.

As the conduct at Madras had thus facrificed the friendship and alliance of Hyder Ally, fo Bombay was no lefs fuccefsful in establifhing the enmity of the Ma. rattas. A man of Ragonaut Row's character could not be supposed flack in making any conceffions, however difhonourable or ruinous to his country, which could tend to the restoration of his power. Bombay was dazzled by the fplendid idea of naming a fovereign for the great nation of the Marattas ; and nothing could be more flattering than the expectation of that fovereign's being their own. immediate inftrument and vaffal. By the treaty with Ragonaut Row,

befides