Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c56.s12.1

v4.c56.s12.1

Even before the war with Sindhia was known to be a certainty, Marquess Wellesley had made his arrangements for seducing the only elements of strength in the Maratha armies, namely their European officers and the Hindustani sepoys. Early in July, almost two months before the news of the rupture of the peace by Sindhia reached him, he had drawn up proclamations for luring away these officers and sepoys from Sindhia's army, and he had sent the proclamations in advance to the Generals Lake and Arthur Wellesley—who commanded the two vitally important theatres of the coming war. These documents were to be kept secret till the actual outbreak of the war, and then published, so that not a day might be lost in their reaching the enemy camps near these two British Generals.