Page:The Earl of Auckland.djvu/41

Rh and was sent off to Trichinopoly, where his life was presently cut short by the knife of a Musalmán fanatic. His dominions were confiscated and his family pensioned off. After the mutiny Karnúl was placed under 'Regulation' Law, as a Collectorate of the Madras Presidency.

In the Nizám's dominions things were going steadily from bad to worse. On the day when Lord W. Bentinck endorsed the claim of the new Nizám to manage his own affairs after his own fashion, the reforms effected or designed by the late Resident, Sir Charles Metcalfe, were doomed to disappear. Our settlement-officers were withdrawn from the districts in which they had been doing good work, and the old system of plunder, jobbery, and extortion was soon in full swing. Our Resident at Haidarábád became powerless to interfere. He could only advise, remonstrate, report to his own Government upon the growing disorders of a rack-rented people, of a country overrun by swarms of mercenaries, Arab, Rohilla, Pathán; and of a Government burdened with ever-accumulating debts and liabilities, which could only be staved off by fresh borrowings from bankers who had nearly come to the end of their own resources. Meanwhile Lord Auckland looked on helpless, if not unheeding; for matters of more pressing moment occupied all his thoughts. What those matters were will be shown in the succeeding chapters.