By the treaty of 1805, the British Government was authorised, in the event of irregularity, to assume the direct management of the local administrations, and this measure was carried out, as it already existed in the case of Tanjore.

Discontent of

officers.

Case of
Colonel

Munro

In the year 1809, the retrenchments in the military service, as had previously been the case in Bengal, excited much the Madras and deeply laid discontent among the European officers of the Madras army, and to a great extent they were sympathised with, if not actually encouraged, by General Mac dowall, the commander-in-chief, who had his own special grievance in having been denied a seat in Council by the Court of Directors. He resigned his office, and embarked for England in 1809; but the vessel he had sailed in foundered at sea. He had left, however, abundant seeds of discord. Colonel Munro, quartermaster-general of the army, had been directed to report upon the contract of tents, which was lucrative to officers in command of regiments, and had been hitherto, like most others, much abused. Colonel Munro's report offended the officers of the army generally, and also General Macdowall, who placed him under arrest, for the purpose of being tried by court-martial: but he was released by the Government, and the commander-inchief retorted, in an intemperate general order, which was promul gated to the army, in their official capacity, by Colonel Cuppage and Major Boles, the adjutant and deputy-adjutant-general. and of Major Colonel Cuppage sailed for England, but perished at Boles. sea. Major Boles remained, but was deprived of his appointment. His cause was now taken up by the whole of the Mutinous European officers of the army, and those of several proceedings. stations were in actual mutiny, which in several instances proceeded to outbreaks; the officers of the Hyderabad, Jaulnah, and Masulipatam forces had even determined to march their troops upon Madras. Colonel Malcolm was dispatched to Masulipatam to endeavour to restore order; but he failed, and reported that submission by Government would be the best measure. Sir George Barlow, however, was not to be intimidated. He satisfied the native officers and Sepoys, and they remained faithful. The only actual outbreak which occurred was at Seringapatam, where the European officers of the garrison shut the gates of the fort and cannonaded the detachment of royal troops sent against them; but they eventually submitted, as did all the other stations and garrisons, and the full authority of Government was confirmed by their penitential letter. Lord Minto, alarmed by the crisis, had proceeded to Madras in September 1809; but it was already past. Some of the ringleaders were punished by being cashiered, and

Sir George Barlow's measures.

The mutinous officers submit.

sixteen by dismissal, and the whole proceeding was closed by the recal of Sir George Barlow, who, though he had displayed equal firmness with Clive on a similar occasion—a merit which was fully accorded to him-had undoubtedly given provocation to the army in his conduct to Major Boles, and other- Barlow is wise, before the discontent commenced.

Sir George

recalled.

Dutch pos

against Java

governor

As Holland had become a portion of the French empire, it was resolved to reduce the Dutch possessions in the East; Action and in 1810, Amboyna was captured, with Ternate and against the Banda; but the operations against Java, which had sessions. been reinforced from Europe, required a larger force Expedition than had hitherto been employed. As soon, therefore, as the Mauritius expedition was at liberty, it was directed by Lord Minto against the island. The troops, about 13,000 strong, European and native, assembled at Malacca on June 1, accompanied 1811, under the command of Sir Samuel Achmuty, and by the were accompanied by the governor-general himself, general. though only as a volunteer. The French army, European and native, in Java, amounted to 17,000 men. The English forces reached Batavia on August 4, and the city submitted on the 7th; but the main body of the French army had taken up Capture of a very strong position at Cornelis, which had been Cornelis. strengthened by field-works thrown up by General Jansaen and was believed impregnable. After several days' operations, the flank of the position was turned by a splendid attack made by General Gillespie, of Vellore celebrity, and by a simultaneous charge in front, the whole position was carried, and the enemy pursued for many miles; but the loss on both sides had been very severe. Eighty-five British officers and about 900 men were killed and wounded, and the French slain on the field were computed at 1,500; 6,000 soldiers were captured, with nearly 300 pieces of cannon. General Jansaen retired into the eastern part of the island; but was ultimately obliged to capitulate, and the Sooltan of Joje Kurta, who had assembled an army, and held his capital with 17,000 men, was attacked by General Gillespie, who carried the place by storm, capturing 100 guns with which the forts were manned, and inflicted some loss upon the sooltan's army. Java was now subdued, and the people sub- subdued. mitted easily to their conquerors. General Gillespie was left in command of the army, and the administration was confided to Mr., afterwards Sir, Stamford Raffles, who justified the appointment by his ability in the management of his new and peculiar duties. The Court of Directors had indeed ordered the abandonment of the island, should it be captured; but in deliberately disobeying this order, the governor-general acted with wisdom

Java

and true humanity; and it is difficult to realise the heartless policy which had influenced the court in dictating the dispatch. When Lord Minto returned to Calcutta, he found it necessary

First

measures

Pindhárees.

The Pindháree chiefs.

to take measures against the Pindhárees, who, no longer against the able to follow native armies, had commenced indiscriminate plunder; and it is necessary to sketch briefly the antecedents of the principal leaders. In 1808, two persons, Hurrun and Burrun, who had been attached to Sindia, were employed by the Rajah of Nagpoor, to ravage the territories of the Nawab of Bhopal, with whom he was at war; and the mischief they had created was incalculable. On their return to Nagpoor, the rajah, as was commonly the case, imprisoned Burrun, and extorted from him all he could of the plunder. Hurrun escaped, but died; and his two sons, Wasil Mahomed and Dost Mahomed, continued their father's profession and authority. The leadership of Burrun's band was conferred by the family and dependents upon Cheetoo, who had already attracted the notice of Dowlut Ráo Sindia, from whom he had received an estate and its appanage. These three men eventu ally became the most daring leaders of the whole of the Pindhárees of Central and Northern India; but there was still a fourth, Kureem Khan, a Patán, who was perhaps the most celebrated of all. Sindia, from his irrepressibly lawless disposition to plunder. and for outrages in his own territory, had at one time imprisoned Kureem Khan; but he eventually released him on payment of a heavy fine. Kureem now rose higher than before; and for a time was joined by Cheetoo; and he became so mischievous, that he was again imprisoned at Indore. It is impossible to follow the

Depredations

of the Pindhárees.

depredations of the Pindhárees for four years, 1807 to 1811-12, in Central India, which were confined to native territories; but in 1812, emboldened by success, Dost Mahomed swept through Bundelkhund, plundering unresisted as far as Gya, and escaped free. Lord Minto might well now ask the Court of Directors, whose detestably selfish policy he was carrying out in only too obedient a spirit, whether he could longer observe a strict neutrality amidst these scenes of disorder and outrage, or refuse to listen to the calls of suffering humanity, and interfere to protect weak native States who called upon us for assistance.' For several years in succession, the Pindhárees had roamed over Central India, Rajpootana, Berar, and the Nizam's dominions, increasing in numbers, strength, and daring, year by year, and inflicting torture, misery, and desolation, on every province they mercilessly plundered. These acts had been correctly known in England; but not a line was written, or a

The non-inter

ferent policy

prevents

their suppression.

soldier moved to prevent them. It cannot be doubted that had Lord Minto been free to act, they would have been summarily checked and suppressed. Now, indeed, the company' were touched to the quick by the invasion of one of their own provinces; but till the reply from England arrived, Lord Minto was as little a free agent as ever.

Lord Minto's

In other respects his administration was just, and, as far as his powers extended, comprehensive; and he was thoroughly Character of respected by the native princes and people of India. administraIn his civil administration, he was at once liberal and tion. practical, and the measures applied for the suppression of dacoity, the normal crime of Bengal, were to a great extent effective; but the police administration still continued inefficient, and in many respects scandalous and oppressive to the people. He took much interest in the maintenance of native literature; but it is strange that at the same time he was neutralising, as far as possible, the efforts of Christian missionaries, and preventing their attempts to spread true knowledge among the people. It may be questionable whether he really approved of the orders he received from the Court of Directors on this subject, which, like those of the noninterference policy, he had not sufficient determination to set aside; and it still required many years of experience to induce the executive Government to manifest to the people of India that the English were neither ashamed of their religion, nor the promulgation of the knowledge they possessed. Lord Minto's financial administration had been very creditable. If he had not succeeded in reducing the debt, he had at least been able to pay off old loans raised at twelve per cent. per year, by others raised at six; which showed a healthier state of public credit than had previously existed, and carried with it a proportional diminution of expenditure. Before he left India, at the close of 1813, he was Lord Minto impressed with an opinion that there was not a cloud leaves India. to dim the political atmosphere, except the Pindhárees, in regard to whose suppression he wrote fully and earnestly. As the reward of his eminent services he was created Earl Minto, a dignity which he did not long enjoy, as he died the year after his arrival in England. Earl Minto was succeeded as governor- He is suc general by the Earl of Moira, who had been nominated ceded by the to the office nearly two years before, but whose depar- Moira. ture had been delayed.

Earl of

BOOK VII.

CHAPTER I.

THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE MARQUESS OF HASTINGS, 1813 TO 1816-THE GOORKHA WAR.

Condition of the native States.

WHEN Lord Minto left Calcutta, political events had not been so tranquil as before, in all respects: and had he remained he would have had the several questions to deal with that speedily occupied the attention of Lord Moira, who wrote there were no less than seven of a pressing character, which he found he had to settle. The fact was at last proved, that the non-interferent policy had been misunderstood by the native powers: and in some instances they had become overbearing and intractable. In Central India, matters continued in the same state as before; but the armed classes of the country were augmenting the ranks of Sindia, Holkar, Ameer Khan, and the Pindhárees; and every petty chieftain was supporting levies as well for his own protection, as to strike in whenever a general mêlée should commence. Lord Moira was a man of mature age and experience, he had taken part against Lord Wellesley's policy in England, and had belonged ostensibly to the non-interference school of Eastern politicians; but on his arrival in India, affairs which admitted of no delay, and which had arisen out of the previous inaction of the English authorities, were early forced upon his attention, and gave that tone of decision to his political acts which continued, with such eventful results, throughout his administration.

Relations with Nipál.

Among the last political questions with which Lord Minto had been occupied before he left India, was that of relations with the Goorkha State of Nipál, whose dominions consisted of a broad fertile valley lying between the lower, or southern, range of the Himalayas and the northern. The frontier on the British side extended nearly from Dehly to