Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/710

 676

lli.STUKY OF INDIA.

[B«joK in.

AD I76:i.

Hostilities with Meer t'ossim.

He is

deposeil.

His defeat.

troops, and by a sudden onset uuidf; himself master of the town of Patna. 'J'hi- citadel, however, stood out; and the troops, who had tied on the first surjjrise, having returned, regained tiie town almost as easily as they had lost it. It was now the turn of the British to act on the defensive, and they retired to their factory for that j)urpose. After a short i-esistance, they found their position untenable, and betaking themselves to boats, hastened up the Ganges towards Chuprah. Here the commander of the district attacked them, and they were obliged to surrender. The factory of Cossimbazar was taken and ])lundered at the same time; and all who had been taken at both places were sent off prisoners to the strong fort of Monghir. When Mr. Ellis attacked Patna Mr. Amyatt had only begun to journey homeward. A party sent after him by the nabob endeavoured to detain him. He resisted, and in the scuffle which ensued lost his life.

As soon as hostilities were thus commenced, the presidency, as if they were absolute lords of the country, i,s.sued a proclamation on the 7th of July, 1763, deposing Meer Cossim, and replacing Meer Jafiier on the musnud. The old nabob had continued to reside in Calcutta, and thouoh now more unfitted than ever for government, by age and disease, had ambition enough to aspire to it. As a matter of course he accepted whatever conditions were proposed to him, and imdertook in particular to re-establish the monopoly of private trade in favour of the Company's servants, by allowing their goods to pass duty free, while those of the natives were heavily burdened. These proceedings l)laced Mr. Vansittart in a very awkward predicament, but he attached his sig- nature to all the documents, subject, however, to the salvo, that he did it without prejudice to his former declarations and opinions. The Company's army, consist- ing of 750 Europeans, together with a considerable number of sepoys and native cavalry, had previously started, under the command of Major Adams, fi'om the neighbourhood of Chandernagore, and proceeded northward to Augadeep, not far from Cutwah, wheie they were joined by Meer Jafiier, now on the way to lesiime possession of the capital. Meer Cossim, determined not to jaeld it without a struggle, had thrown up entrenchments, and occupied them with an army, formidable not only from its numbers, but fr(^m containing a consider- able number of sepoys, regularly trained m European discipline, and commanded by an European adventurer of the name of Suniroo, who was of Swiss origin, and had been a sergeant in the French army. After a short but decisive action, fought on the 24?th of July, Meer Cossim's entrenchments were stormed, and Moorshedabad was entered without opposition. The Adctors, after a short delay, continued their march up the banks of the Hooghly, and on reaching Sooty, on the 2d of August, found the enemy encamped on the plain of Gheriah, and prepared to offer battle. It was much more keenly contested than before, but, after a conflict of four hours, at one time with doubtful issue, British valoiu' again prevailed, and gained a complete victoiy.