Page:History of the French in India.djvu/390

 866 BUSSY TO 1754. enemies and gaining still more entirely the confidence of the Subadar. 1751. The armistice concluded, the army returned towards Golkonda, overthrowing on the way some refractory rajas who had refused tribute. But in the course of its march an incident occurred which called for the prompt action of Bussy. The Prime Minister of the Subadar, Raja Raghunath Dass, a man devoted to French inter- ests, was assassinated by some of the AfTghan soldiers of the army, whose officer the raja had insulted. It then became necessary to arrange that a fitting person should be appointed in his place. And here Bussy for the first time allowed himself to be over-reached. He had met at the court of the Subadar a nobleman of ability and skilful address, Saiyid Lashkar Khan. This man had divined the designs of the French, hated their persons, and dreaded their influence. Nevertheless, in order the better to counteract their plans, he dissembled his sentiments, and pretended for Bussy in particular the greatest devotion and esteem. He hoped by his means and by his influence to obtain office under the Subadar, intending, after he should have obtained it, to use all his power to thwart the French policy and to undermine the position of the French leader. Bussy was com- pletely taken in. Believing Saiyid Lashkar to be the man he represented himself to be, he recommended him to the Subadar as a fit successor to the deceased raja, and obtained for him the appointment. There was, however, much for Bussy to effect before the intrigues which Saiyid Lashkar instantly set on foot should have time to work. Ghazi-ud-din yet lived and threatened. So far indeed from abating his pretensions in consequence of the defeat of Balaji, he had stirred up the Bhonsla to attack the Dakhan in the north-east, whilst he himself, with Malhar Rao Holkar to assist him, should enter it through the gate of Aurangabad. The threatened invasion of Hindustan by Ahmad Shah