the company. in obtaining a fettlement from the king of Tanjore at Devi Cotah *, which was attacked by a strong body of troops under the command of major Lawrence, who carried the fort by ftorm, and afterwards took poffeffion of the pagoda of Acheveram. The king of Tanjore made propofals of accommodation, and agreed that the fort of Devi-Cotah, with fome land adjoining to it, fhould be ceded to the English East India company for ever: but this compliance did not proceed fo much from his dread of the English arms, as from his fense of the danger with which his kingdom was threatened, in confequence of events that happened in the Carnatic, and ftruck with confternation the whole coaft of Coromandel. ADMIRAL Bofcawen declared, he would remain in India, if the prefidency requested him not to depart at that critical conjuncture: but they fuffered him to return with the fleet and troops to England, while the French were making new commotions in the Carnatic: fo that, on the 21ft of October, the fleet failed from Fort St. David, leaving 300 men behind, to reinforce the garrifon. * Or Devi-Cottah, between Fort St. David and Tranquebar. In fome maps it is called Tiru-kottey. A VOYAGE The Rife of the WAR in INDIA between the СНАР. І. General remarks.-M. DUPLEIX releafes CHUNDA and viceroy and the Nabob; in which they fucceeded by the affiftance of M. Dupleix, to whom Chunda Saib promised to make a ceffion of the town of Vilanure, in the neighbourhood of Pondicherry, with its dependencies, confifting of forty-five villages. This may account for the conduct of the French; who, after obtaining so many favors from the court, for protecting the lawful governor of Arcot in 1741, fhould now fly in its face, and fupport a rebel. CHUNDA SAIB prevailed on Muzapherzing to attack the Carnatic firft, which would furnish fuch refources both of men and money, as might enable him to return and attack Nazirzing with equal force. They were determined to conquer, or pe. rifh in the attempt; for the young prince was naturally brave, and looked upon Chunda Saib as his protector, whofe military reputation rendered him of great confequence; and M. Dupleix readily came into the triumphirate, as nothing could be more conformable to his views, than fuch an opportunity of aggrandizing at once his own reputation, and the interefts of his nation in India. WHEN the army commanded by Muzapherzing approached the confines of the Carnatic, the French governor ordered 400 Europeans and 2000 fepoys, with a train of artillery, to march and join them, under the command of M. d'Auteil, accompanied by Raja Saib, the fon of Chunda Saib, who had refided at Pondicherry during the whole time of his father's imprisonment. But M. Dupleix acted in open violence to the fundamental laws of the country, in rebelling against the Nabob Anaverdy Cawn, the legal governor of the province, holding his authority from Nazirzing, the governor gene * Vilenoor, or Villanore. ral ral of the Deckan, the reprefentative of the Great Mogul. ANAVERDY CAWN regulated his army, which, like those of moft Indian princes in times of peace, was compofed of an undifciplined multitude. He inlifted none but the best men and horses, of which he formed a well appointed army, confifting of 12,000 horse, and 8000 foot. With this force he determined to defend the entrance of the Carnatic to the last extremity: but he made no application to the English for their affiftance; who were equally blind to their real intereft, in neglecting to join the Nabob, when they found his rival supported by the French. WHEN Muzapherzing and Chunda Saib were joined by the French, their army amounted to forty thousand men; with which they advanced to attack the Nabob, who was encamped with twenty thoufand men under the fort of Amour, fifty miles west of the city of Arcot, and thirty fouth of Damalcherri, where Deuft Allee Cawn was killed fighting against the Morattoes in 1741. THIS fort of Amour was erected on the fummit of a mountain, between which and a large lake was one of the principal paffes that led into the province. Across the pass the Nabob had thrown up a ftrong entrenchment defended by fome artillery, which was ferved by about fifty fugitive Europeans. The ditch of the entrenchment was filled by water from the lake; with which Anaverdy Cawn had also caused the ground in front to be overflowed. M. D'AUTEIL offered to ftorm the intrenchment with his own troops, which they accordingly attempted; but were repulfed. They rallied, and made a fecond attack, in which their principal commander was wounded, and his men obliged to retire again. However, they advanced a third time, while the Moors, whom they affifted, were only E 4 specta WITH this force, Chunda Saib left Sattarah in the beginning of the year 1748, intending to push his fortune wherever the opportunity prefented, until he should acquire treasure and force fufficient to attack the province of Arcot. He affifted the Raja of Chitterdourg against the Raja of Bedrour, and foon after faw himself at the head of 6000 men but this force being ftill infufficient to attempt the conqueft of the Carnatic, he found refources in the confequence of other events, which had lately happened at Delli, and in the government of the Soubahdarship of the fouthern provinces. THE Great Mogul, Mahomed Shah, continued to govern the empire in fo feeble a manner, that the principal officers acted in their feveral departments without controul, and became a terror to their fovereign. In March 1748, the Patans advanced towards Delli with a numerous army; and the Mogul fent an army against them, commanded by his fon Hamet Shah*; during whofe abfence, the vizir, with several omrahs, took poffeffion of the palace, and murdered the emperor. His fon returned victorious over the Patans, and affected to abdicate his right to the throne, until he had got the principal confpirators into his power, whom he put to death, and afcended the throne with all the appearance of a foldier and a monarch. He appointed Ghazi Odin Cawn †, the eldest fon of Nizam Al Muluck, captain-general of all his forces; though he suspected that Soubahdar, as the principal fource of the enormities practifed by the omrahs at Delli. However, he was foon delivered from the terror of fuch apprehenfions, by the death of Nizam Al Muluck, which happened the fame year. It was reported, that the Soubahdar poisoned himself * Or Shaw Ahmed. + Or Gauzedy Khan. through |