A History of the Mahrattas v2.c36.86

v2.c36.86

The views of the Supreme Government, in contracting an alliance with the ruler of Berar, were intimated to Bombay in the month of August, but merely in a general manner. The execution of the plan was entrusted to Mr. Elliot, a gentleman eminently qualified for any embassy, but the design was formed on defective information. It had for its object an alliance with Moodajee against the Poona ministers, for the purpose of attaining permanent peace and complete security to the Company's possessions against the attempts of France, by establishing and upholding Moodajee Bhonslay as Raja of all the Mahrattas. Mr. Hastings in this plan was precisely adopting the scheme originally suggested by Wittul Sondoor, the minister of Nizam Ally.¹ He was not aware that Moodajee had no claim to the Mahratta sovereignty; but even had such been the case, as the British Government so long acknowledged the Peishwa's supremacy, as the Bombay Presidency had concluded an authorized treaty with Rugonath Rao, declaring him regent during the minority of the young Peishwa, the measure was in the one view unjust, in the other inconsistent, and on the whole complicated and injudicious. Had Moodajee really been heir to the throne of Sivajee it would have been very impolitic to have afforded the means of uniting an empire, hostile to all the world, which was of itself falling to pieces. The scheme was first interrupted by the death of Mr. Elliot, which happened on the 12th September, when on his route towards Nagpoor. The Governor-General, in consequence of that event, directed the secret instructions, addressed to Mr. Elliot, to be made over to Colonel Goddard, whom Mr. Hastings empowered to treat according to their purport; and about the same time, as the new plan required that they should retain the means of carrying it into effect, the Governor-General and Council suspended the power of the Bombay Government over Colonel Goddard’s army, on the plea of a failure in the original plan for which the power had been granted. It was also resolved to strengthen Colonel Goddard by a reinforcement of two additional battalions of native infantry, which were directed to assemble on the western frontier of the province of Bengal, under Major Jacob Camac.