India Through the Ages: A Popular and Picturesque History of HindustanSteel, Flora Annie Webster
History
India Through the Ages: A Popular and Picturesque History of Hindustan
Steel, Flora Annie Webster
India -- History
On the contrary, it may be observed that special precautions were
taken to ensure the legality of the compromise which Clive had entered
into with the Directors regarding his _jâghir_, when the public
interests, by recalling him to duty, had made some quicker settlement
of the question than that of a Chancery suit necessary. Now this
compromise, which gave him the revenues for ten years only, or till
his death, whichever was the shortest period, was not very favourable
to Clive. Its continuance, therefore, should not be urged, as it often
is, as proof of his rapacity.
The problem which next employed him was one of extreme difficulty. It
was an enquiry into the conduct of officers in regard to their new
covenants which prohibited the receiving of presents. As a result of
this, ten officials who were dismissed for corruption went naturally
to join the ranks of Clive's many enemies.
The question of private trade still remained, and was more difficult
of settlement. For the salary of a member of Council was but £350, and
he could not keep up the dignity of his position on less than £3,000.
Clive settled this in a somewhat makeshift way, but it is worthy of
note that though as governor his pay was largely enhanced by the new
scheme, he did not personally take one penny of it, for he had
declared his intention of not deriving any pecuniary advantage from
his position. The money was spent in augmenting the salaries of his
office. All this caused much indignation; many of the Council retired,
and to fill their places Clive had the temerity to import outsiders.
No sooner was this over than almost every officer of the army mutinied
over the withdrawal of double _batta_, or war allowances. No less than
two hundred commissions were resigned, and the outlook was black.
Clive set his teeth, and though one of the brigades sent in their
resignations _en bloc_ in the very face of an enemy, he won through by
indomitable firmness, unending patience. The officers of the European
regiment at Allahabâd gave most trouble, but a battalion of sepoys,
marching 104 miles in fifty-four hours, brought them to reason
sharply.
So, when the fight was over, and the ringleaders--only six
officers--were tried and punished most leniently (the Mutiny Act of
the Company's service proving defective), Clive founded the military
fund which still goes by his name, and which has been, and is still, a
boon to many a poor widow. Its nucleus was Clive's gift of £63,000.
But his health was failing. His last act ere leaving for
England--never to return--in 1767 was to attend a conference between
Shâh-Âlam's representatives, Sûjah-daula, now the Nawâb of Oude, and
some Mahratta deputies. The question was a proposal to regain Delhi
for the emperor, with the aid of the Company's troops.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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