Memoirs of the Revolution in Bengal, Anno Dom. 1757Watts, William, active 1737-1758
History
Memoirs of the Revolution in Bengal, Anno Dom. 1757
Watts, William, active 1737-1758
East India Company -- History; India -- History -- 1526-1765; Plassey, Battle of, Palashi, India, 1757
As these Transactions were of a very delicate Nature, and were to be
conducted with much Discretion, and of course with some Delay, the Suba
had a Season of Recess, in which, by a Change of Measures, he might have
recovered his Authority, have resettled his distracted Government, and
repaired all his past Errors. He not only neglected this entirely, but
continued acting, in every respect, as if he had aimed at his own
Destruction. He endeavoured to negotiate Succours from some of his
Neighbours, who, though they knew not the Weakness of his Condition, and
therefore civilly entertained his Proposals, had however such an Opinion
of the Weakness of his Conduct, that nothing could induce them to enter
into his Measures. He continued corresponding with Mr. _Bussy_, from
whom he received Letters, which served to support and increase his
Delusion, and to flatter him with the Hopes of seeing an Army of Twenty
thousand Men in his Dominions, which, could he have brought them, would
have tended only to have impoverished his Subjects, and to have given
him new Masters, under the Title of old Allies. He was courted all this
time by Colonel _Clive_ to lay down his Arms, to settle the few
remaining unaccomplished Articles in the Treaty, and, above all, to put
the Trade of his Territories into its usual Channel, for the common
Benefit of the _Europeans_ and the Natives. To these Solicitations he
gave no Answers, or such as afforded no sort of Satisfaction; but, on
the contrary, indicated very plainly, by every Step he took, that he
meditated new Disturbances, and waited for what should appear to him a
favourable Occasion for renewing the War. In reference, on the other
hand, to his own People, he grew every Day more and more intolerable,
removing, disgracing, insulting, those whom he had formerly treated with
the greatest Marks of Favour and Respect, and of whom several fled
privately and in Disguise to seek Shelter in the _English_ Territories,
and particularly in that of _Cassimbuzar_. By this Behaviour he not only
augmented the Disaffection that had already spread so far amongst his
Servants, but likewise furnished so many and such authentic Proofs of
his having still the same Points in View, that he had at his Entrance on
the Administration, and of the Obstinacy of his Aversion to the
_English_, so contrary to the Mutability of his Temper in every thing
else, that it contributed exceedingly to fortify the Sentiments of
those, who maintained, that the Peace of that Part of _India_ could
never be effectually restored, so long as he held the Supreme Power.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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