Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/534

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IlISTOJiV OF INDIA.

[i;«.oK Hi.

The Great Pagoda, Tanjore. — From Daniell's Views in India.

A.D. 17M. })urcliast' of his retreat; or il" this were refused, the destruction of Gariderows

detachment would avenge the slaughter of the Mahrattas, and the barbarities

.Miijori,aw- practised on those of them who had been taken prisoners during a former cam-

lence in, , _

Tanjore. paign. Thus Stimulated both by interest and revenge, Morari Row, crossin" the Coleroon and Cauvery by night, with .SOOO of liis best troops, surprised

Ganderow at day- break, and so com- }»letely defeated him tliat only .300 of his whole force escaped. Major Lawrence ar- rived at Tanjore only two days after this defeat, and was consequently able to neirotiate with the rajah under the most favouralile circum- stances. The result

was that Monacjee was not only reinstated in his command, Vjut aj)pointed prime minister in room of Succojee, who had hitherto been the great obstacle to a permanent British alliance. Attempt to Major Lawrence was again in possession of an army sufficient to enable

intercept _, _ • /• i t

his return, him to copc with the enemy. The Company's force consisted of a battalion of 1200 men, some of them topasses, and 3000 sepoys, with fourteen field- pieces; to these were added 2500 Tanjorines and 3000 infantry, under Mon- acjee. A considerable reinforcement had also been expected under Maphuze Khan, the nabob's elder brother. As the legal heir of Anwar- u- din, his right to the nabobship was better than that of Mahomed ; but as he was taken prisonei- in the action in which his father was slain, he was entirely overlooked in the new aiTangements, and on obtaining his liberty found it necessary, after con- siderable hesitation, to recog-nize the validity of his brother's title. He had, in consequence, been placed at the head of a body of troops nominally belonging to the nabob, but made them entirely subservient to liis own pur^joses, and found so many pretexts for delay that the army was at last obliged to set out without him. The whole troops furnished by the nabob, therefore, were only his own guard of fifty horse. On entering the plains of Trichinopoly, encumbered with a considerable convoy, Major Lawrence found that the enemy, who had previously fixed their camp at the Five Rocks, had quitted it and advanced eastward, to dispute his further progress. Both armies di'ew up in order of battle ; and from the apparent resolution with which the French moved to the attack, a decisive engagement was expected. Suddenly, however, after enduring a destructive