The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c11.64

c11.64

The European soldiers in the Maratha service enjoyed many high privileges irrespective of their pay and position, as Colonel Tone informs us. ‘I calculate’, he writes, ‘that there were scattered about, in the interior, in the various services, of all countries, and situations, about three hundred Europeans; of these about seven commanded tolerably large corps, and may be considered as men of fortune. There were perhaps about sixty more, in the rank of officers; the remainder were serjeants and gunners, some of whom have deserted from the settlements; others from ships, but the majority were French. Persons of this description had from thirty to sixty rupees per month; being under very little discipline, were generally of extremely irregular conduct and do but small honour to the European character, except by their extraordinary courage and intrepedity when employed on actual service; yet so great is the partiality of the Mahratta chiefs for Europeans in general, that they enjoyed many privileges in this country which the native himself does not partake of. The various European articles necessary for his consumption passed through the Mahratta territories duty free; in the native durbars, no person in the service can set up a palankeen without permission but with regard to an European, no leave is ever required. In the Mogul Government no person can make use of a yellow howda but the nabob, except Europeans, who labour under no restriction of this kind. In travelling through the interior, your baggage is transported from town to town without expence, and your person and property are perfectly secure, none of the natives, but military men, have any advantage of this nature.'¹