Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/685

 Chap. XII.] CLIVE'S OPINION OF MEER JAFFIER. 051

him favourably, and he speaks of him in one of his letters as a man of sense, a d. itos. When he placed him on the musnud, he congratulated the com'tiers present on their good fortune in having received so excellent a sovereign. His language was now different. In a letter to the select committee of directors he says: — cuve-s

upiuiou of

' ' I am concerned to mention that the present nabob is a prince of little capacity, jieer Jaffier. and not at all blessed with the talent of gaining the love and confidence of his principal officers. His mismanagement threw the country into great confusion in the space of a few months, and miglit have proved of fatal consequence to himself, but for our known attachment to him. No less than three rebellions were on foot at one time." In a letter to Mr. Pigott, written from Patna, his language is still plainer and more significant: — "The nabob's conduct is weak l>eyond conception ; and you may be assured, whenever we are wanting in a force to overawe and protect him, ruin will ensue. You cannot imagine the trouble I have had these three weeks past in our march to this place ; and since his anival, he has been wanting to make his brother, who is a greater fool than himself, Nabob of Behar, in prejudice of Ramnarain, a Gentoo, universally beloved and respected, and that in breach of his promises to me, whom he desired to write to him, to engage him to come down and pay his respects. Not one of his rajahs would come to, or treat with him, without lettei*s of a.ssur- ance from me." He had no reason, however, to repent of his march to Patna. '• Before we took the field," he observes, " it was with the greatest difficulty the nabob could be prevailed upon to issue out of his treasury 10,000 rupees; and since my joining him, he lias already paid twenty -five lacs, and given security for the payment of ten more." A subsequent letter to the directors is in still more hopeful terms. Referring to the tuncaws or assignments on the revenues of certain districts, he says, that through them " the discharge of the debt is now become independent of the nabob, which precaution is become absolutely necessary, as his calls for money are greater than he can answer. Nothing but a total revolu- tion in the government can well interrupt your payment.s." He afterwards adds : — " All domestic troubles are now happily ended ; and the nabob seems so well fixed in his government, as to be able, with a small degree of prudence, to maintain himself quietly in it. For oureelves, we have been so fortiuiate in these transactions, as to attach to us the most considerable persons in the kingdom ; and, by the constancy with which we successively supported Rainrani- sing, RoyduUub, and Ramnarain, to acquire the general confidence and make our friendshii> be solicited on all sides. On the whole we may pronounce, that this expedition, without blood.shed, has been crowned with all the advantages that could be expected or wished to the nabob and the Company."

On the march from Patna, the nabob halted to amuse himself witl' hunting, ciiveretuma

to Mixirelie

and pay a pilgrimage to a celebrated tomb in the vicinity of Rajamahal. Clive Jabiui. t

continuing to proceed, accom})anied by Roydullub, reached Moorshedabad on

the 15th of May, 1758. The state of the city astonished him. The markets i