A History of the Mahrattas v2.c38.18

Language: English

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With regard to Sindia’s particular views of aggrandizement, in order fully to understand the reasons which operated in inducing the British Government passively to view the growth of such a power as he acquired in Hindoostan, it may be requisite to explain that Mahadajee Sindia, even before his campaign against Goddard in Guzerat, had suggested a plan of attacking the English in Bengal, and when his own territory was invaded, he renewed the proposal to the Peishwa, requesting that Tookajee Holkar might be sent to support the design.³ To the whole of this scheme Nana Furnuwees at first objected, until he saw a probability of its recalling Goddard, but he was afraid to detach Holkar from the Peishwa, not only from being apprehensive that Goddard might not be withdrawn, but lest Sindia should allay the existing jealousy on the part of Holkar towards himself; which Nana, for his own security, was solicitous to foment. In giving, therefore, a tardy acquiescence to Sindia’s plan, he proposed, instead of Holkar’s quitting Poona, that Sindia should augment his army by a body of Sillidars from the Mahratta country, whom he offered to assist in raising. Sindia gave various reasons for declining this suggestion;

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but the most important one was the removal just at that period of Mujd-ud-dowlah from the administration, and that Nujeef Khan would not lend his support.⁴ Hyder Ally, who had been apprised that such a design was at one time in agitation, endeavoured, when he broke with the English, to engage Sindia to prosecute the enterprise⁵; but the negotiations which Sindia was carrying on with Mr. Hastings, the death of Nujeef Khan, and the subsequent contentions amongst the Mahomedan factions at Delhi, opened a prospect to Sindia of realizing those schemes which he had long cherished, and made it of more consequence to him to court the favour of the English than to excite their hostility. Mr. Hastings, if supported by his Council, would probably, on the death of Nujeef Khan, have anticipated Sindia by interposing the British influence at the imperial court; but instead of that course, the policy of which might certainly have been questionable at such a crisis, Mr. Hastings turned the circumstance to advantage, by giving Sindia to understand that he would not interfere with his views at Delhi,¹ and thus not only engaged his interest in obtaining the ratification of the treaty, but secured him against the gold of Hyder, which was liberally proffered in support of the scheme for invading Bengal.² After the treaty of Salbye was the signed, an envoy from Hyder was permitted by the court of Poona to proceed to Sindia's camp;

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and Nana Furnuwees, in prosecution of his own views on Salsette, which he hoped the British Government might be induced to cede, in order to propitiate his favour, gave out that the Peishwa had engaged in a new treaty with Hyder, to which the French were parties. But the death of Hyder, which happened on the 7th of December, 1782, had a speedy effect in deciding the measures of the Mahratta minister, and the ratification of the treaty of Salbye was the immediate result. As already noticed, the treaty was ratified by the Peishwa on the 20th December, 1782, formally (1783.) exchanged on the 24th February, 1783, and the term for restoring the districts on the Bombay side limited to the 24th April. Before that date an outrage was committed, which, had it happened at a time when peace was less essential to the British Government, might have occasioned a renewal of the war. The Ranger, a small ship of the Bombay Marine, on her voyage from Bombay to Calicut with several military officers of distinction as passengers on board, was unexpectedly attacked by the fleet of Anund Rao Dhoolup, the Peishwa’s (Apr. 8.) admiral, consisting of two ships, one ketch, and eight gallivats; and after a very gallant defence, in which most of the crew and passengers were killed or wounded, she was at last overpowered and carried as a prize into Viziadroog.

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Colonel Humberston and Major Shaw were killed, and besides Lieutenant Pruen, the commander of the vessel, three of the passengers were desperately wounded. Of this number was Colonel Norman M’Leod, who being disabled in one arm continued to fight on hand to hand with the other, until shot through the body, when he fell, as was supposed, mortally wounded; but though carried into confinement at Viziadroog, where the prisoners had neither medical attendance nor ordinary necessaries, all the wounded officers recovered. This violation of the treaty produced a strong remonstrance from the British Government, and the surrender of the Peishwa’s districts was suspended; but upon an apology for the outrage, and the restoration of the vessel, the terms of the pacification were carried into effect.¹