Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c58.s1: § 1. Generals Lake and Wellesley in contrasted positions
Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c58.s1
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§ 1. Generals Lake and Wellesley in contrasted positions
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In the north General Lake had destroyed Sindhia’s disciplined armies and taken all his great forts by the 1st of November. In the south Arthur Wellesley had, no doubt, struck the first blow three weeks earlier than Lake, but he was two months behind his northern rival in bringing Sindhia and Bhonslé down on their knees. This difference is explained by the difference in terrain and population between the two theatres of war, Lake in 1803 fought in a level country with a compact area accustomed to one administration; but Arthur Wellesley’s campaigns ranged over a very much wider and more dispersed region, in a broken country divided into many separate dominions. The sudden fall of Perron brought a crowd of Hindustani chiefs competing for Lake’s favour to rise against the oppression and avarice of their late rulers, the Marathas and their French agents.* Thus, Lake could always count on a plentiful supply of provisions by local traders and friendly chiefs all along his route. Wellesley had to live in a war-wasted, famine-stricken country, where his provisions had usually to be carried by himself on the march from his depots. Lake operated in a region where every Maratha was an alien; Arthur Wellesley fought in the Marātha homeland, among a population naturally hostile to the English intruders, his only helpers being a number of petty Muslim jāgirdārs.*
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∗ Popular ill feeling against the French officers in the Doab, noticed by Heber. ii. 343. MM. iii. 641, 612.
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† Subhān Khan of Partur, Salābat Kh. the jāgirdār of Ellichpur, [Gurwood, iii. 274, 264, 178 &c.] Mir Kh. Pathan was also seduced. (Ibid. 228.) In the village of Dewalghāt, below Buldānā, a Muslim landholder showed me letters signed by Arthur Wellesley thanking his ancestor for help rendered in this campaign.
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Lake could get prompt and correct intelligence of his enemy's doings from his local allies, such as the Bharatpur and Alwar Rajas, while Arthur Wellesley had the greatest difficulty in scouting for news in a Marātha country. As he wrote, "The enemy horse were so numerous that without an army (for escort) their position could not be reconnoitred by an European officer ; and even the (experienced) harkārās in our own service cannot be employed here, as being natives of the Karnātak they are as well-known as Europeans." [S.D. iv. 210.]