Memoirs of the Revolution in Bengal, Anno Dom. 1757

The Storm, that had been gathering from the Beginning of March, began to burst about the latter End of April, and in the Opening of the Month of May; when the Suba, in sudden Starts of Passion, shewed the Rancour of his Heart, and testified sufficiently, that he waited only for an Opportunity to make the English feel a second Time the heavy Weight of his Resentment. As he never assigned any Causes himself, but on the contrary, even in this Interval, and in the midst of Actions inconsistent with those Declarations, asserted his Intention to fulfil his Treaty, and appealed to God and his Prophet for the Truth of it; we must own it is extremely difficult to guess at his Reasons. They appear, however, to have been chiefly Three; First, the perpetual Insinuations of the French, that Mr. Bussy might be brought to his Assistance; and that, by a Junction with his Troops, he would be greatly superior to the English; and to this Measure he was so much inclined, that he actually wrote a Letter to that Officer, in which he promised him Twenty Lack of Rupees, if he would march directly into his Dominions, of which Mr. Watts also gave the Intelligence. The next Thing was, the Compliances that had been made with a View of gaining him, the recalling most of the Troops from Chandenagore, the permitting him to keep the Cannon, to search the Factory of Cassimbuzar, and the warm and tender Expressions of Friendship in Colonel Clive's Letters, with the high Testimonies of Reverence and Respect paid him, whenever he was pleased to be in a good Temper, or to profess his Disposition of adhering to his Engagements. The last was, the Retreat of the Patans, who had shewn an Intention to invade his Territories, and the putting an End to the Troubles occasioned by the My Rajah, by which he thought himself in a Condition to employ all his Forces, and was likewise secure of having the French to manage his Artillery, with which they made him believe they could perform Wonders. In these Circumstances he was so very elate, as not to make any Scruple (though a direct Breach of his Faith) of interrupting the English Commerce, keeping his Army in the Field, though he had most solemnly promised the contrary, and sometimes expressing a formal Design of sending back the Treaty that had been signed with him, and demanding his own. In such a State of Things it was evident, that the Company could not rely upon him, or consider themselves in any Degree of Security, farther than as they were supported by the King's Squadron and Forces; and as their present Condition was very precarious, so their future Prospect was still more gloomy and alarming; and though as yet they were not in a state of War, they could not, however, with any Propriety, be said to be in Peace.

The Vice-Admiral and Colonel Clive were exceedingly embarrassed, and found it very difficult to judge what Measures they were to take. If they advanced their Forces, or resumed their military Preparations, it might, in Appearance, justify the Suba's Behaviour; and besides, Mr. Watts and the Select Committee both dissuaded any Steps of this kind, as inconsistent with the Company's Concerns, at least till they had secured the Money and Effects of the several Subordinates. On the other hand, they saw that Compliances did more Harm than Good, and that their Professions of adhering inviolably to the Peace, and their repeated Promises of Friendship and Assistance, only flattered the Suba's Pride, heightened his Notions of his own Power, and encouraged him to act with greater Violence and Insolence, of which they had but too many, and those flagrant Instances. Colonel Clive, however, took on one Side every Method that was necessary to demonstrate his pacific Inclination, and how sincere his Intentions were to restore and preserve the Tranquility of the Provinces, desisting from his Demands that the French should be delivered up, from the repairing the Fortifications at Cassimbuzar, or reinforcing the Garrison. At the same time, he wrote in very plain Terms to the Suba, told him his Thoughts of his Proceedings, the Concern they gave him, and the Determination he had taken, to recur to open Force, whenever he found, from his Manner of acting, that no other Remedy was left, and that it was entirely in his Power to have him for a Friend or an Enemy. In the very Height of these Disputes, the Suba demanded an ample Acquittance, under the Seal of the Governor and Select Committee, and those also of the Vice-Admiral and Colonel. To this the latter wrote him for Answer, that it was strange he should demand, or expect such an Acquittance, when he very well knew, that several of the Articles were still unperformed; that many Lacks of Rupees were due to the Company, in Satisfaction of their Losses; that the Restitution of Thirty-eight Villages, which they claimed, had not yet been made; and that their Commerce in general was still interrupted. But as his Demand might imply a Resolution to settle all these Points, and as it was hoped this was really the Case, such an Acquittance should be immediately prepared, and transmitted to Mr. Watts, with express Orders to deliver it, as soon as the Articles hitherto unadjusted were once thoroughly settled.

This, however reasonable in itself, was by no means acceptable to the Suba, who, in Proportion as he lost all seeming Regard, though really he never had any for the Vice-Admiral and the Colonel, towards both of whom he had once professed so much Esteem, kept no longer any Measures towards Mr. Watts, whom he looked upon as a Man he could not deceive, as a Man whom he hated for that Reason, and, which was an additional Motive to his Resentment, though it should, if his Mind had corresponded with his Rank, have restrained it, as a Man absolutely in his Power. In order to execute the various Commissions with which he was charged more punctually, Mr. Watts, according to the Custom of Indostan, had employed a Person to act as his Agent, in the Language of the Country, a Vaqueel. Him, in the first Fit of his Fury, the Suba forbid his Court. An Affront very gross in India, though in Appearance, and to us, unacquainted with their Customs, a very slight Thing, but it was quickly followed by personal Insults, and those of the most serious Nature. At last, forgetting the Respect due to the British Crown, to Mr. Watts's Character as Resident from the East India Company, and his own Dignity, he told several of his principal Ministers, with a View that they should, as they really did, tell it Mr. Watts again, that, upon the first Intelligence he had of the Motion of the English Troops, he would cut off that Gentleman's Head, or cause him to be impaled. This was such an Outrage on the Law of Nations as was inconsistent with the Rank of a Prince, and must, by the Rules of common Sense, leave any Man in his Circumstances at Liberty to take the Methods that appeared to him safest for his own Preservation. Upon this Occasion Mr. Watts acted with a Degree of Temper and Calmness that must surprize the Reader. He wrote an Account of the Facts to the Governor, without any Exaggeration, adding, that he despised the Suba's Threatenings, and desired the Select Committee would proceed as the Company's Interest directed, and without putting themselves in Pain for his Safety. A Circumstance that would not have been inserted in these Memoirs, if the Person was not alive to whom that Letter was addressed.

The Gentlemen entrusted with the Direction of Affairs, saw plainly the Tendency of the Suba's Proceedings. Indeed they were so evident, as to fill all the Inhabitants of Calcutta with Alarms, that were but too well founded. Experience had already taught them, how far the Caprice of the Suba might go; and it was no way improbable, that if they were so unhappy as to fall again under his Power, they might, if possible, meet with still worse Treatment, which induced them to make the best Provision they could for their Defence; and to put the Troops into such Condition, as that, whenever Necessity required, they might be able to repel Force by Force. At the same time, however, it was resolved, not to precipitate any thing, to act with the utmost Caution, and to lay hold of any favourable Opportunity that might offer, towards furnishing Means to extricate them from these Perplexities.

Calcutta was not the only Place where Doubts and Apprehensions reigned. They were to the full as strong in Muxadavad, with this additional and distinguishing Circumstance, that Discord spread itself through the Suba's Court, where the only Oracle that every Man consulted was his own Interest. Reverses of Fortune were equally sudden and frequent. The Courtiers that were in the highest Favour To-day, were To-morrow in the very Depth of Disgrace. No Man was secure, and therefore no Man was contented; and which is, and will be always the Case in corrupt Courts, the worst Men had the best Chance. Those who had nothing to lose, had all Things to expect; and by flattering their Prince's Humour, and complying blindly with all his Commands, the meanest and basest People about him grew quickly the most considerable. Those who had been in the Old Suba's Councils and Confidence, who were Men of Rank and Family, and who had both Estates and Reputations to risque, were, from those very Circumstances, Malecontents. They saw that this System could not last long; that a general Confusion must ensue; and that a Man, governed entirely by his Passions, could never carry on public Affairs with any Degree of Success. But these Reflections, which their own good Sense and long Experience suggested to them, served only to disturb and to distract, without affording them the least Glance of extricating either him or themselves from that impending Ruin, which his rash and raw Measures rendered inevitable. They perceived plainly enough each other's Sentiments, from that Tincture which they naturally gave to every One's Language and Behaviour; but they had no Confidence at all amongst themselves, and every Man was afraid of hastening his own particular Fall, by disclosing or lamenting the Approach of that common Destruction, which, however visible to their Understandings, was by no means a fit Subject for their Conversation.

But in the midst of these Perplexities a Ray of Hope very unexpectedly appeared. The Suba had shewn the Severity of his Nature, in so many Instances, as to strike a universal Terror; more especially as the Fickleness of his Disposition suffered no Man who was near him, and in his Power, to think himself safe. In such a State of general Danger, there occurred to every One, capable of thinking freely (the only Species of Liberty that even Tyrants' Favourites retain) but one single Mode of Security, which consisted in depriving him of his Power, who so constantly, as well as egregiously abused it. The Conception of this availed little, since the Attempt was equally difficult and dangerous; and the failing in it sure to be attended with sudden and certain Destruction. There was also but one way to move, or rather to lessen the Risk; and this also was very easily discovered. It was procuring the Countenance and the Assistance of the English. Such as were in the Suba's Confidence, and from that very Circumstance most afraid of him, were persuaded they could merit very much from the Company's Servants, by laying open his Secrets, and thereby shewing them, what these People thought they did not in the least suspect, the Danger to which they stood exposed. Amongst several who reasoned thus in their own Breasts, there was one who had a considerable share of Interest and Authority. His Name was Godar Yar Cawn Laitty, who, when he had for some time meditated, and in his own Mind thoroughly digested his Scheme, thought it wore so fair an Appearance, that he sent several Messages to Mr. Watts, signifying that he had something to communicate to him of great Importance: But the Suba kept so many Spies upon that Gentleman, and those Spies watched him so very closely, that it was simply impossible to comply with Godar Yar Cawn Laitty's Request of having an Interview with him, because it was evidently risking the utter Ruin of both. Some Days, therefore, elapsed, before an Expedient could be found to remove this troublesome Obstacle, and to give Mr. Watts the necessary Information of what were this Person's real Intentions, and what the Means by which he proposed to carry them into Execution.

He at length thought proper to send to him Omichund, who has been mentioned before, in order to draw what Lights he could from this discontented Confident of the Suba, who, after he had conferred with him, reported, that he knew with Certainty his Master's settled Intentions were to break with and to attack the English, as soon as he had a favourable Opportunity; that he likewise knew the Suba had retained the French, who had escaped from Chandenagore, and in the subordinate Factories, in his Service, who were to remain at Patna in his Pay, till an Occasion could be found for employing them; that the English had no Method of preventing this threatening Tempest from breaking upon their Establishments, but by providing in Time a Force sufficient to resist it; that he was willing, whenever the Suba should recur to open Hostilities, to join Us, and act against him, provided we would assist him in assuming the Government of the Province; that in return for this, he would, as soon as he was fixed in that Office, grant, by way of Recompence, a large Extent of Lands to the Company, and would likewise pay down a Sum in ready Money, sufficient to indemnify the People of Calcutta for all the Losses they had sustained. These were Communications of so dangerous as well as so delicate a Nature, that they would infallibly have turned a weak Head, or distracted a timid Mind. They were received calmly and coolly, as Points of Information, in regard to which Mr. Watts could take no Step of himself, but from which the Persons who had communicated them had nothing to fear; and with these Assurances, such was their Opinion of his Secrecy, Sagacity, and Steadiness, that they remained perfectly satisfied and easy, leaving him sufficient Leisure to consider and reflect upon these very extraordinary Overtures, and to review and digest the Thoughts that must naturally arise upon so important a Subject. But, however, restrained him within the Compass of Six Days, to procure for this Moorish Officer an Answer, from those who were entrusted with the Management of the Company's Affairs at Calcutta.

The Situation of Mr. Watts in this Conjuncture, is much more easy to conceive than to describe. He was oppressed with Cares, environed with Perils, and had not so much as a single Person with whom to communicate or to consult. His own Safety, the Welfare, and even the Being of the British Settlements, and indeed the future Fate of these Provinces, depended, at least in the first Instance, on his Capacity, Penetration, and Discretion. It was a very arduous Task to form any clear Opinion upon this Offer; it demanded much Skill to set the Motives upon which such an Opinion must be founded in their proper Light; and, when all this was done, it appeared infinitely hazardous to transmit Propositions of this Nature, together with his Thoughts upon them, to Calcutta, while a jealous Prince, in a Country where the Character of a Spy is not dishonourable, had Multitudes of such State Implements about him, all filled with the Hopes of rising upon his Ruin. But though perfectly sensible of all this, as he must have been to counteract their Vigilance, he boldly undertook, and as happily performed, all that the Confidence reposed in him, or his Duty to the Company could demand. He stated fully the Nature of these Overtures, the Suba's Disposition at the Time, the Characters and Credit of the principal Officers about him, their Tempers, Circumstances, and Connections, the Probability that such a Design might be carried into Execution, the Hazards to which it must be exposed, and the Methods most proper to avoid them. But when he had done all this, he added no direct Judgment of his own. He contented himself with giving Lights, without venturing to pronounce what Measure ought to be taken. He had frequent Experience of the Regard paid by them to his Sentiments, from his having commonly sent them the Draughts of the Letters to the Suba, which being transmitted back to him, he presented to that Prince; but he held this to be a Matter too difficult, as well as too delicate for him to determine. He knew very well there was no small Danger in Delay; but he likewise knew, that there was still more Danger in a rash Decision, and therefore he gave none. The Select Committee concurred with him in this; they entertained the Motion, commended his Caution, suggested that he should continue to keep Things in Suspense, but directed him by all Means to avoid concluding any Thing, till he should receive their future Directions in a Thing of so great Weight.

It was not long after this, that Meer Jaffeir Aly Cawn, a Person of great Distinction, who had married the Sister of Aliverdy Cawn, the Suba's Grandfather and Predecessor, sent one in whom he could perfectly confide to Mr. Watts, to disclose what were his real Opinions, and how very short a Space he thought was like to intervene, before the Suba took the Field once more, against the English. This Person had it farther in Commission to represent, that the Disaffection of the principal Officers, Civil and Military, was in a manner general; that Meer Jaffeir never appeared in the Suba's Presence, without Fear of being assassinated; and that for this Reason, whenever he was constrained to go, he always caused his Forces to be drawn out, under Arms, with his Son at their Head. In the Close of his Discourse, he added, that a Determination was already taken, to depose, for their own Sakes, Suraja Dowlat; and that if the English would engage with, and promise to support, another Person, in assuming the Dignity of Suba, Rahim Cawn, Roydoolub, and Bahadar Aly Cawn, were ready to join Meer Jaffeir, in removing Suraja Dowlat, whose Affairs would be then in a very desperate Situation. Mr. Watts transmitted the Detail of this Conversation also to Colonel Clive, and gave it as his own Opinion, that Meer Jaffeir was by far the properest Person to be elevated to that Rank, as his Abilities were greater, his Reputation better, and his Connections more extensive than those of Laitty. He at the same time acquainted the Colonel, that if this Change was to be accomplished by their Forces, as he much doubted, whether, after all, the Moors had Spirit enough to attempt so extraordinary an Enterprize themselves, it would be right to form the Outlines of a new Agreement, of which the old one ought to be the Basis; and to frame such additional Articles, as might effectually indemnify the Company for the Risk they ran, and procure an ample Satisfaction for the Losses private Persons had sustained, in the Devastation of Calcutta, of which no Care had been taken in the former Treaty; and that, in short, nothing should now be omitted, that might put their Affairs for the future upon a firm and stable Establishment; so that, in case of Disturbances in the Country, the Servants of the Company, and those who depended on it, might be in a Condition to protect themselves.

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.

After the Propositions made by Mr. Watts had been duly canvassed, and their Importance maturely considered, by the Select Committee, who upon this Occasion framed and took an Oath of Secrecy, they were unanimously approved, and the Project or Draught of a new Treaty was transmitted to him. But at the same time there was great Latitude left, in case of Objections; and he was requested to procure as many and as large Concessions as might be, in case he found it impracticable to obtain every one of the Conditions in the full Extent that they desired. Indeed they relied so entirely upon him, that a Blank was left for the Company's Demand in their Draught of the Treaty for him to fill up; and how it was filled up, will appear from the Treaty itself. This was not only expedient but necessary, as he was upon the Spot, knew the Persons with whom he was treating, their Connections and Circumstances, and the Motives which might render any of these Demands agreeable or disagreeable. The use Mr. Watts made of this Confidence was such as it deserved, and turned not a little to the Advantage of those who gave it. He was himself perfectly sensible, and took all imaginable Pains to make those he dealt with no less sensible, that, notwithstanding this Change was for their mutual Benefit, yet the Weight, the Hazard, and the Expence, would fall principally at least, very probably wholly, upon the English. He represented, therefore, effectually, that for such extraordinary Assistance, which alone could put the Means of making it into their Power, a proper Satisfaction ought in Justice to be made, and that this suitable Satisfaction should be made likewise in a proper Manner. He was apprehensive also, upon this Head, that a false Delicacy might produce future Disputes, and therefore very prudently provided, that the unliquidated Demands in the Sketch should be reduced to a Certainty. He also enlarged the Sums stipulated for the Losses of private Persons, and distinguished them under National Heads; that, if possible, no Jealousies or Heart-burnings might arise in the Colony, when they came to be actually paid.

The surest as well as the shortest Method of setting this Matter in a true Light, and that will at once place it in the strongest, is to insert the original Plan of the new Alliance, as transmitted to Mr. Watts, and then the Project settled by that Gentleman, which the Reader will hereafter have an Opportunity of comparing with the Alliance concluded.