Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/344

336 inland parts of the Soubahship, provided he would desist from demanding these provinces.

Mr. Bussy passed the remainder of the year 1753, at Aurengabad, employed in regulating the discipline of his troops, in providing means for their pay and subsistance, and in making preparations to act in concert with the army of Sallabadjing, against the Morattoe Ragojree Bonsola. Upon the death of Ghazi-o-din Khan, the emperor, Hamed Schah conferred the office of captain-general of the army upon Sche-abed-din, the son of Ghazi-o-din Khan, although at that time a youth, not more than 16 years of age; but a diligent education, and very uncommon natural talents, with the constant advice of the preceptor of his infancy, enabled him to conduct himself in this great office, not only without folly, or indecision, but with so much artifice and boldness, as soon convinced all the omrahs of the court, that he was much more to be dreaded than despised; and indeed, he never rejected any crime which promoted the end he intended to accomplish. For some time his uncle Sallabadjing, remained in apprehensions that he would march into the Decan, to revenge his father's death; but he had at that time taken so great a part in the distracted affairs of Delhi, that he had neither leisure or opportunity to interfere so far from the capital. We shall defer to give any account of these events, until the consequences of them come to affect or influence the English affairs in another part of Indostan.

The English themselves could not refrain from admiring: the sagacity of Mr. Dupleix's conduct, which, by making the war in the Carnatic subservient to his views on the northern provinces, had by degrees led his nation to the great establishments of which they were now in possession. At the same time they had the satisfaction to know that these successes of their enemies could not be imputed to any defects in their own conduct; for so far from having a force sufficient to make head against the French, in two parts of the country so distant from each other as Golcondah and Tritchinopoly; their whole force collected was always much inferior to what the French were able to oppose to them in the southern parts of the Decan: where nothing but efforts of valour, scarcely