The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 09 (of 12)Burke, Edmund
History
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 09 (of 12)
Burke, Edmund
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1760-1820; Political science -- Early works to 1800
That on the 2d of December, 1779, the Governor-General and Council of
Fort William, at the special recommendation and instance of Warren
Hastings, Esquire, then Governor-General, and contrary to the declared
opinion and protest of three of the members of the Council, viz., Philip
Francis and Edward Wheler, Esquires, who were present, and of Sir Eyre
Coote, who was absent, (by whose absence the casting voice of the said
Warren Hastings, Esquire, prevailed,) did conclude a treaty of perpetual
friendship and alliance, offensive and defensive, with a Hindoo prince,
called the Ranna of Gohud, for the express purpose of using the forces
of the said Ranna in opposition to the Mahrattas.
That, among other articles, it was stipulated with the said Ranna by the
said Warren Hastings, "that, whenever peace should be concluded between
the Company and the Mahratta state, the Maha Rajah should be included as
a party in the treaty which should be made for that purpose, and his
present possessions, together with the fort of Gualior, which of old
belonged to the family of the Maha Rajah, if it should be then in his
possession, and such countries as he should have acquired in the course
of war, and which it should then be stipulated to leave in his hands,
should be guarantied to him by such treaty."
That, in the late war against the Mahrattas, the said Ranna of Gohud did
actually join the British army under the command of Colonel Muir with
two battalions of infantry and twelve hundred cavalry, and did then
serve in person against the Mahrattas, thereby affording material
assistance, and rendering essential service to the Company.
That, in conformity to the above-mentioned treaty, in the fourth article
of the treaty of peace concluded on the 13th of October, 1781, between
Colonel Muir, on the part of the English Company, and Mahdajee Sindia,
the Mahratta general, the said Ranna of Gohud was expressly included.
That, notwithstanding the said express provision and agreement, Mahdajee
Sindia proceeded to attack the forts and lay waste the territories of
the said Ranna, and did undertake and prosecute a war against him for
the space of two years, in the course of which the Ranna and his family
were reduced to extreme distress, and in the end he was deprived of his
forts, and the whole not only of his acquired possessions, but of his
original dominions, so specially guarantied to him by the British
government in both the above-mentioned treaties.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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