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 CiiAi'. IV.J THE AFFAIRS OF TANJORE. -ilS

the act of daring. The insight thus far obtained into his character disposes ad. 1749. us to regard him as a man of a gloomy cast of mind, and a hot, irritable temper ; jealous of his honour, and quick to resent an injury; bold even to foolhardiness, yet collected in the midst of danger; never losing his presence of mind, but always performing his part fearlessly, with indomitable energy and perseverance. As yet little opportunity has been given for the display of these qualities, but they will soon find a proper sphere, and make their possessor the hero of great events.

In concluding the account of the Tanjore campaign, it was observed that the succession to

, ., . . . • 1 1 • 1 Nizam-ul-

kmgs submission to the harsh and unjust terms imposed upon him was partly Mooikdis- owing to the danger with which he was threatened from another quarter. The ''^ events in which this danger originated must now be explained. Kizam-ul- Moolk left six sons. At his death Ghazi-u-din, the eldest, was high in office at the court of Delhi, and easily obtained from the emperor, Alimed Shah, a confiiTnation of his succession to the soubah of the Deccan. Other engagements, however, prevented him fi-om attempting immediately to take possession, and rival claimants, takino- advantage of his absence, bejjan to contest the succes- sion. On the one side, Nazir Jung, as the second son of Nizam-ul-Moolk, pre- tended to have become lawful heir by an alleged renunciation of his elder brother ; on the other side, Hedayet Mohy-u-din Khan, afterwards known by his title of Muzzuffer Jung (Victorious in War), though only the son of Nizam-ul- Moolk 's daughter, claimed in virtue of an alleged will, by which his grandfather, with whom he had always been a special favourite, had left him the soubah of the Deccan and the greatest part of his treasures. Nazir Jung had the start of his competitor, and gaining possession of the treasures, possessed the most effectual means of securing the favour of the army. Muzzuffer Jung's cause had in consequence become almost hopeless, when he was unexpectedly joined by Chunda Sahib, who, encouraged by promises of aid from Dupleix, was pre- paring to contest the right to the nabobship of Ai'cot with Anwar-u-din. The union between Muzzuffer Jiuig and Chunda Sahib was founded not only on mutual interests, but also on similarity of fortunes, inasmuch as they were both claiming on a female title.

The combined forces, forming a respectable army, immediately advanced to Defeat and the frontiers of the Carnatic, and were there joined by a powerful reinforcement Anwar-u- from Pondicherry. It consisted of 400 Europeans and 2000 sepoys, under the t?i^^^ command of M. d'Auteuil, who had been allowed by the blundering of the nabob to make their march across the low country without molestation. Seeing the aid given to his enemies by the French, Anwar-u-din's natural course would have been to strengthen himself by an alliance with the English ; but whether

khe was so confident in his own might that he disdained to ask assistance, or the miserable expedition to Tanjore had made them averse, or left them too feeble to afford it, he advanced unaided to the encounter. His armv consisted of I