Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/46

38 DOAST-ALLY had two sons, of whom the eldest, Subder-ally, was arrived at man's estate when his father succeeded to the Nabobship; he had likewise several daughters, one of whom he had at that time given in marriage to his nephew Mortiz-ally, son of Boker-ally; and another to a more distant relation named Chunda-saheb. This lord gave his own daughter by a former wife in marriage to Gulam Hassein, and availing himself of the incapacity of his son-in-law, obtained the Nabob's permission to administer the office of Duan in his stead.

The kingdoms of Tritchinopoly and Tanjore, although tributary to the Great Mogul, were each of them governed by its own prince or Rajah, and the care of levying the tributes of these countries was intrusted to the Nabobs of Arcot, who were sometimes obliged to send an army to facilitate the collection of them. The death of the king of Tritchinopoly in 1736, was followed by disputes between the queen and a prince of the royal blood, which produced a confusion in the government sufficient to give the Nabob of Arcot hopes of subjecting the kingdom to his authority. He therefore determined to send an army under the command of his son Subder-ally and the Duan Chunda-saheb to seize any opportunity which might offer of getting possession of the city of Tritchinopoly; but to prevent suspicions, the collection of the tribute was given out as the only intention of the expedition, and the army was ordered to move leisurely down to the sea-coast, before they proceeded to the south: accordingly they came to Madrass, where they remained some days, and then went to Pondicherry, where they staid a longer time; during which, Chunda-saheb laid the first foundation of his connexions with the French government in that city: from hence they marched to Tritchinopoly. By intrigues, of which we have not the details, Chunda-saheb prevailed on the queen to admit him with a body of troops into the city, having first taken an oath on the Koran, that he would act in nothing to her detriment: the people of the country say that she fell in love with him; if so, she was ill requited, for he soon after seduced the garrison, seized the city, and confined her to a prison, where she died of grief. The submission of the rest of the kingdom soon followed that