A History of the Mahrattas v2.c38.18.2

v2.c38.18.2

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;