52. From Nuwah Majdu’d-Daulah [ ‘Abdu’l Ahad Khin Says that the King is sufiering much hardship on account of the non- payment of the Bengal tribute. (.1 R 3, p. 98 )

53. From Nawab Ihtir5mu’d-Daulah. Requests a letter to Mr Barton to examine into the effect of the drought in his earnin- Iléri and to receive the surplus that remains after paying the vari- ous items of expenditure. (A R 3, p. 110.)

52. From Nuwah Majdu’d-Daulah [ ‘Abdu’l Ahad Khin Says that the King is sufiering much hardship on account of the non- payment of the Bengal tribute. (.1 R 3, p. 98 )

274. From the Nawah of Arcot. Has"heen greatly perturbed since he wrote his last letter to the Governor-General. Lord Pigot is now bent on destroying his domestic peace and his authority over his own family. Says that in direct violation of the agreement made between the Government of Madras and himself in 1760,'Lord Pigot has not only given protection to certain members of the Nawab’s family, hut has encouraged them to seek it from him. The case in point is that of K_hairu’d-Din Q51: whose ancestors for several generations served the Nawab’s family in the past, and whose father had once mule a futile attempt to sssassinate him. Khnii-u’d-Din Khan was very young when his father died. Notwithstanding his father’s ungrate-tulness the writer brought him up, married him to his own daughter and gave him the ta‘lluqaa of Ramnath and Sheoganga. But he in- dulged in dissipation, seized the property of the ryots and fraudulently ‘evaded the payment of 60,000 cllal:1'a.! to Mr Benfield who hsd an assignment for that sum on the tiflluqa of Ramnath. In pursuit of leasurs, he squandered away the money and jewellery which were hestowed on his wife at the time of marriage, and also incurred large debts. Witha view to separating him rum his evil companions the Nswab confined him in a garden-house in which his other relatives lived, but he fled from there At the instigation of Lord Pigot who llll given him protection. Complains that after announcing the Compsufs orders (respecting the restoration of Tan]0l‘B to Tuljafi), Lord Pigot endeavoured to prevent the Nawah from disclosing anything in that connection even to his friends; that although he had cheerfully agreed [Page 38] ‘to admit an English garrison into Tanjore, Lord Pigot in order to lower the Nlwa,h’s dignity, and simply to please Tuljaji, personally proceeded with an army to instal the garrison-~n. service which even a sepoy of the Company could have accomplished; that Lord Pigot bad promised him that ‘his néib, Najib Khin, would remain in the Tanjore fort with one thousand sepnys and he allowed to hoist his flag and that the produce of the place would be applied to discharge the arrears of his troops but he never kept his promises; that Lord Pigot took the Nnwab’s troops to Til-l1j0I‘B and through them removed all the grain which was cultivated at a considerable expense and was assigned in lflnflwifil to his creditors; that by seizing his ubir and other ofiicers and by carrying away the papers of accounts Lord Pigot broke the pledges of the King and Parlia- ment that were given to the Nawab for maintainin his rights and riviloges, for this he is deserving of the severest punifilrnent, having hy his conduct been the means of bringing dishonnur on his King and the English nation in India ; that Lord Pigot disgracefnlly removed his Qr'l‘aIhir from Ballam fort which together with other villages was received from Tuljaji as indemnity of the first war with him by virtue flf .11 treaty concluded through Mr Du Pré in 1771 and in which the Nawab had maintained an English garrison for five years ; that on his return. from Tanjore Lord Pigot asked him for a letter justifying his actions there and approving of them all and desired to he furnisherl with such reasons as might enable him to dismiss Sir Robert Fletcher and other members who had opposed him in the Council, but on his pefusing to do so he (Lord Pigot) became his inveterate enemy. It has heroforc become absolutely necessary for the Company to remove Lord Pigot from Madras. Appends letters, their extracts, etc., promising hirn friendship and support, received from the Company’s servants from line to time.

Extracts of letlen from Governor Saumlers.-—(l) 29 January 1751. .':Ios.obtai1\/ad ajdgir from him in order to assist him in his affairs ; will herefore do so to the best of his ability. (2) 1 Will not interfere in his afiairs without his permission though interested in them, (3) 7 June .1754-. It appears that the Company highly esteem the Nawalfs friendship. Hopes to receive their further sentiments on this subject by thl ships which are shortly expected to arrive. , Estnata of letters from Mr Pigol.»-—(1) 10 August 1756. The Enghcih will try their best to strengthen the foundations of his Govern- ment. _ - (2) 5 August 1759; The N awah is the master of the Pay- ingltlitsfpnd the Coinpany will continue to carry on their trade under: hisl-proteotion. (3) 23 Juno 1760. The Qabiliat executed by Mr Pigot on behalf of the Company says that the latter will not countenance or support the Na,wab's farmers, gilwdfin, _pah'_gfi4-.9, ete., igmnst him that they will direct the uomulanders of the forts not to inter-Eére in the adniinistration of the country‘ and in the private affairs of the‘ people; that on the usst of the Nawa'b’s miib, they will assist ,im ind will never’ employmms tn‘llu din in their service ; and that the interests of the Nawah and those 64% the Company l5eing'identi- 1 The date ls Wflrm-sntelh

287. From Raja Gobinrl Ram. Says that he has been instructed by his master, Nawab A$afu’d-Daulah, to represent to the G0vernor-Geno- ral, the breach of faith on the part of Nawab Fa.isu’llah Khan, who in direct violation of the terms of the treaty according to which lie is entitled to keep an army of 5,000 strong consisting of the Rohillss, has raised it to about 25,000 under the command of difierent zamindairs and Afghan chiefs at Rampur. He is in league with Zabitah Khan and the Sikhs and is preparing to create some disturbances. The late Nawah Shuj§.‘u’d-Daulah treated Zabitsh Khan with marked respect and secured him His Majesty’s pardon for all his misdemeanours. How ungrateful is his conduct nowl The Mahiavtas also 0n the other side of the Jumna are making preparations for a revolt. The writer’s master was never remiss in his allegiance to the King. Nevertheless Majdu’d- Daulah §\l>dn’l Ahad Khan h_as been intnguing_ with Zabi_t_ah Khan and the Sikhs [against the‘Vazir]. A great disturbance is brewing. -It may break out after the rainy season is over. His master, who is a well-wisher of the English and who has nothing do with anéone else, has directed him to explain the whole situation to the memor- [Page 46] General and to say that whatever step: the latter will think expedient regarding the conduct of Nawub Faiau’l h Khan will be taken against him. ( R 7,pp. 53-5, no 16.)

328. From Mir Murtssi Khan. Says that out of the monthly stipend of Rs. 1,000 fixed for his step-mother, Siliha. Begum, he has been receiving Rs 350 but he got no share of the sum of Rs 3,000 which was paid to her by the Committee at Cossimbazar. She would not allow any deductions to he made from this sum. Requests his help in the settlement of the dispute. Sends Lula 1'51-bati Charon who will explain pqrlioulars to him. (C Ii! 7, pp. 7344, no 27,- A R 3,3 99.) 329. From Qiwimuhil-Din Khan. Introduces himself to ' the Governor-General by saying that he often used to attevi on him when the late Maharaja. Shitib fly resided in Calcutta. Reminds him -that is famine visited his zamindfiri in the gilza of Bihar in the year 1182 Fagli (1774-5) and it was with great difiiculty that he paid up the 1 0.-tom ea sew-ding to the vol. 4 Ahstractn [Page 63] revenues. This time there is again 21 severe famine and he is unable to paythe whole of the revenue. Requests him therefore to write a letter to the Chief of Patna asking him to be lenient in the matter of collec- ’tion. (CR 7, pp. 75-6, rm 29; A R 3,11. 93.)

631. From the Nawab of Arcot. $ome time ago he transmitted a paper of news received from Poona relating lo the arrival there of Monsieur Le Chevalier, a Frenchman, together with tho copy of a letter which was written to Rfioji, his newswrircr, desiring; him to try to prevent the Poona ministers from paying any attention to this Freudi- man who was an impostor. Encloscs an abstract from the reply of the ncwswi-iter’s letter addressed to his brother. Requests the Governor- General to keep the matter strictly confidential otherwise the life of his newswriter would be at stake.

Erlract nf the letter from Rrioii to Shir/1 Rdo. Has received his two letters relating to the arrival at Poona. of a. French chief who is an impostor. Has represented all the particulars to the ministers (at Poona) through Msdhu Roo Sadasheo. Kishan Liil Ballfil has been supporting the Frenchman and trying his best to gain him the favour of the ministers. The latter are playing trick with Mr Mestyn when they say that they will soon dismiss the Frenchman, for their real designs seem to be different. On several occasions they went to his residence to see him. It is heard that the Frenchman has promised to get them from Europe in the course of eighteen months a fully equipped body of tro >ps and that he wants a place near the coast of the river for the forces to land. A small village has therefore been fired upon near Rodanda for the encampment of the forces and the c-vast near it for the anzhorage of the ships. The village will be given up to him as soon as a. reply is received from Europe. The Frenchman has landed eighty pieces of oannon and 200 European cavalry with arms and ammunitionr and is desirious of rnising and disciplining an additional body of 10,000 sepoys. For this purpose he wants a grant of Rs l,;'>O,()U\) =1. month. But as he proposes to keep the command of this body to himself the ministers are reticent. They would rather have him train their own men. Is unable to make out whether Midl \'1 Rio Sadasheo is acquainted with these facts. When Sadfisheo was questioned as to the reason of landing the cannon and ammunitions and buildinv store-houses at Rodanda, he answered that on account of stormy Wtsafilél‘ the ships had been unloaded and that as soon as \he rainy season was over they would be again placed on board the ships and the Frenchman would be asked to [Page 93] depart. Will communicate further intelligence later. (CR 9, pp. 50 2, I0 .91; AR 3, p. 123.)

704. Diyinith Pandit to Benirim Pandit. Intimates that he arrived at Pocno on l5 June and that he wrote him a letter from Aurangabad. The Peshwu and Nine Farnavis are residing in tne fort of Yursndhar and Poona respectively. Hsri Pant Phadke with his troops is encsmped on the hunks of the Tungabhadra and Snkhurfirn is with him. Nawab Ni_z_:Iim ‘Ali Khfin has taken up his position on the banks of the Kistna. ; Sindhia and Hulkar are staying at Pandherpnr near Sholopur with s view to marching to Upper India after the rains. An Englishman has come to Poona. in order to settle the affairs of Raghimith Rio. The ministers of the Peshwa do not want the Rio and ofier him an income of 4- hi/obs of rupees for his t ' d Expenses 0 111 uce him to give up his pretensions. The English are anxious to make pezwe but are not lri ' wor ng seriously towards that end. A Frenchman has arrived at Poona with two or three hundred men to establish a. factory there but the ministers propose to give him some other place for the purpose. The work of the Peshwa’s government is in confusion. Will inform him of future occurrences. (CR 9, pp. 22-3, no 10.)