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 Chai'. IV.

MUZZUFFER JUNG.

451

back the treaty ratified, he sent orders to M. de la Touclie, who commanded at Gin^ee, to march out to attack the camp whenever the conspirators should intimate to him that they were ready. Tliis intimation reached Gingee before the ratified treaty was returned to Pondicherry, and Nazir Jung's fate was sealed. The French force, consisting of 800 Europeans, 3000 sepoys, and ten field-pieces, arrived within sight of the enemy's camp. It extended eighteen miles, as every chief had a separate quarter. Where the space occupied was no enormous, the French, left to themselves, would have been at a loss to choose their point of attack ; but the conspirators had provided for this by sending a guide, who conducted them to the locality immediately occupied by Nazir Jung. He had ratified the treaty only the day before, and would not at first believe that the French had attacked liim. When convinced of the fact, and asking how the battle went, he was astonished to learn that a large portion of his army remained motion- less as mere spectators. Enraged, he moimted his elephant and hastened ofiT in the direction where they stood. The first troops he came up to were those of Kurpa, and Nazir Jung think- ing, as it was not yet clear daylight, that the nabob who was at their head on his elephant did not recog- nize him, raised liimself up to receive

his sjilutation, when two shots, fired from the nabob's howdah, pierced his heart, and he instantly expired.

Muzzuffer Jung was immediately proclaimed as soubahdar, and, accompanied by a large portion of the amiy which had just belonged to his murdered })rede- cessor, set out in triumph for Pondicherry. The governor and Chunda Sahib received him in a tent without the gates, and a procession took place in which none of the usual accompaniments of oriental ostentation were wanting. No sooner Wcos he seated in the palace than the new soubahdar, opening his heart to Dupleix, made him aware that, along with the honoui"s, he had already began to experience some of the perplexities of sovereignty. The Patau chiefs, to whose treachery he was mainly indebted for his elevation, were determined that he should pay for it liberall}'. How to satisfy them was the puzzle. Their demand was that three years' arreare of tribute, which they owed, should be remitted ; that in future no tribute should be exacted from them, either for the teiTitories which they pos.sessed, or the large additions which they thought

A.D. 1750.

Deatlj of N.'Lzir Juuy

Elephant with Howdah.— Major Luard's Views in India.

Muzzuffer Jung iiri>- clainieil miu- luklutir by the French.