"We have just concluded a very honourable and advantageous peace with Sujah-u-Dowlah. To convince him, as well as the Mogul empire, of our moderation, we have restored to him all his dominions, upon condition of paying to the Company 50 lacs of rupees, or 600,000l. (the half down, and security for the other half.) This he very readily consented to, and has exactly complied with his engagements; so that Bengal, by such a powerful alliance, will in all probability enjoy tranquillity and peace for some time.
"Was I to paint to you the anarchy and confusion which reigned in these rich provinces upon my arrival, you would be much surprised. Indeed, the Company's affairs were at their last gasp, not from our enemies, but from that universal licentiousness which had overrun the whole settlement of Calcutta. Extortion and corruption were practised openly and at noonday. The three kingdoms of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa, whose revenues amount to 4,000,000l. sterling per annum, had been put up to sale, and the profits divided among the civil and military; the Company's interests have been most scandalously sacrificed; but on this subject let me refer you to Mr. Walsh, who will give you such proofs of the venality, corruption, and extortions of the Company's servants, as must give you great pain, from the consideration of the national honour being so much prostituted.
"We are making use of the power given the committee to check these great and growing evils, and have made great progress already. Our vigorous proceedings towards retrieving the national honour, and obtaining for the Company those great and glorious advantages, which they are so justly entitled to, will, I make no doubt, create us many enemies; however, conscious rectitude will enable us to go through our undertakings with pleasure. With regard to myself, I do declare, upon the word of a gentleman, and upon my honour, that, although history can scarce furnish an instance of any subject who hath had such opportunities of acquiring an immense fortune, it is my determined resolution to return to my native country not one farthing richer than when I left it.
"The very great attention you have always paid to my interest, and the favourable opinion you have always entertained of my abilities and zeal for the Company, bind me to you by ties of the strongest gratitude.
"The Company, in consequence of a grant from the Great Mogul, and with the Nabob's approbation, are in possession of a clear revenue of 2,000,000l. sterling; and all our expenses, both civil and military, can never exceed the half of that sum in time of war, and in time of peace, not more than 600,000l. per annum: so that, at the worst of times, there will be a clear gain of 1,000,000l. sterling per annum to the Company. Neither are these revenues chimerical or precarious: the rents are regularly paid; and we have established such a force, that all the powers of Hindustan cannot deprive us of our possessions for many years. Let me refer you to Mr. Walsh for further particulars, who, I am persuaded, will explain these matters much to your satisfaction.
"Although I find I cannot, as formerly, struggle with the inclemency of this hot climate, yet I am determined to wait for an answer to our despatches by this ship: my duty to my family will not permit me to stay longer. I hope to kiss your hand in April or May, 1767.
"The Duke of Devonshire's death has given me inexpressible concern: the nation has lost a nobleman who was an honour to it, and we the best and sincerest of friends. I could with pleasure have attached myself to him for the remainder of my days."
The following letter[270] to his friend Scrafton exhibits a short view of the prosperous state of the finances, and closes with a postscript written on Clive's hearing of his friend's election to the office of Director:—
"You must not expect a long letter from me, because I know you will have many particulars from other friends, and because the public business will really not allow me time for that purpose.
"Revolution upon revolution, rapacity, extortion, and corruption, have at last reduced us to the necessity of doing the only thing which could be done, to save the whole fabric from being ruined. The King hath granted to the Company the dewannee of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa, and expresses himself in this manner:—'In consideration of the great services rendered me by the English Company, and on the condition of their paying me the annual tribute of 26 lacs, and allowing sufficient for the support of the dignity of the Nizamut, whatever remains of the revenues of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa, I give to the English Company as a free gift, for ever and ever.'
"The Nabob's allowances are 53 lacs, which he signed and agreed to; so that there will remain little short of 200 lacs to the Company, clear of all expenses in collections. What think you of the stocks? We shall draw bills for about 16 lacs this year, and, in future, I believe, there will be an end to bills of exchange. Our investment this year will exceed 40 lacs, and we shall send 15 lacs to China. We have 24 lacs of restitution money to pay, and 30 lacs of bonds to discharge, or we should not have drawn at all, even this year.
"We have concluded a firm and lasting peace with Sujah-u-Dowlah, by giving him up all his country, for which he pays 50 lacs to the Company: 25 down, and security for the rest in twelve months. I have not leisure to entertain you with an account of our proceedings with regard to the gentlemen of council: the upshot is, as you have expressed yourself in one of your letters, 'There are not five men of principle in the whole settlement.' I believe this is the first instance of such a paper appearing upon record as we have sent home.
"There is an account in our committee and consultation proceedings, as large as a general return, with as many columns, specifying the sums of money received, and to be received, by whom, and to whom, and on whose houses drawn; in short, the Directors, when they first see these papers, will imagine it to be an account of increase of revenues. If you can get John Walsh into a humour of entertaining you upon these matters, he is qualified to do it better than any man in England. My time and paper grow short.
"I am, dear Scrafton,
"Yours, &c.
"Clive
"May it please your Honour,
"I did not know at the time I wrote the above, that your Honour would have been one of my masters, as I might have saved myself the trouble of writing so much, or referring you to Walsh. Believe me, there is an absolute necessity of getting some of the Madras servants here, or we shall never bring about a reformation. The gentry here will do nothing with a good will.
"I am
"Your Honour's most obedient servant,
"Clive."
Clive, in answering a letter[271] from Mr. Fowke, a Director, observes,—
"I have received your letter of the 13th November, 1764, from the contents of which I can easily perceive our affairs in Leadenhall Street are not likely to be upon a solid foundation for some time: indeed, Rous, though a very honest man, is the most unfit of all men living to preside and govern a Court of Directors. I am now convinced, a man of lighter principles, with more abilities, and a certain degree of resolution, will manage both private and public concerns to more advantage than Mr. Rous. My only hopes are, that the next year's election will produce one or two men well versed in the politics of India, and then Mr. Sulivan may be entirely excluded.
"I am not at all surprised at your disappointment; nothing less could have been expected from such a divided and distracted Direction; nor should I be much surprised if something of a disagreeable nature, touching my powers, should find its way to India. If the Directors dare take such a step, woe be to them, for I am pursuing measures so manifestly to the nation's honour, and the Company's advantage, that envy and malice themselves will not dare to enter the lists against us.
"Was I to enter into a detail of all our transactions in these parts, volumes would not suffice. To Mr. Walsh, therefore, I refer you, who will be perfectly informed of the great and glorious things we have already done for this Company; too great, indeed, for such a Company. I shall only say, that such a scene of anarchy, confusion, bribery, corruption, and extortion was never seen or heard of in any country but Bengal; nor such and so many fortunes acquired in so unjust and rapacious a manner. The three provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa, producing a clear revenue of 3,000,000l. sterling, have been under the absolute management of the Company's servants, ever since Meer Jaffier's restoration to the subaship; and they have, both civil and military, exacted and levied contributions from every man of power and consequence, from the Nabob down to the lowest zemindar.
"The trade has been carried on by free merchants, acting as gomastahs to the Company's servants, who, under the sanction of their names, have committed actions which make the name of the English stink in the nostrils of a Gentoo or a Mussulman; and the Company's servants themselves have interfered with the revenues of the Nabob, turned out and put in the officers of the government at pleasure, and made every one pay for their preferment."
It may be questioned whether any of Clive's many and great achievements called forth more of that active energy and calm firmness for which he was distinguished, than was evinced in effecting the reform of the civil service of Bengal. It created a host of enemies in India, several of whom were men of talent, and possessed both of wealth and reputation. These, when they returned to England, gave vent to their indignation against one whom they represented as an arbitrary tyrant, who, having made his own immense fortune in a rapid manner, now desired to obtain fame by depriving others of the same advantages. They found, among the Directors and the House of Commons, many who listened eagerly to their grievances, and to accusations against a man whose fame and fortune made him an object of envy and of calumny; and who, besides the numbers he had rendered his enemies, by detecting and exposing their nefarious conduct, had deeply offended others, of whose character and principles he had a better opinion, by his impatience at their weak or undecided conduct. Born, it may be said, to command, clear in his views of what was right, and devoted to the public service, he was not only uncompromising, but impatient of check or hinderance in the pursuit of objects he deemed essential for the good name or interests of his country. This impatience led him too often to evince indignation or contempt of those who opposed him, or whose minds could not keep pace with his own, but whose conduct and character merited more justice and consideration.
But we must close this chapter, the events detailed in which occurred within a twelvemonth of Clive's arrival in Bengal. The second year afforded him a still greater opportunity of displaying his wisdom and courage.
244. 11th May, 1765.
245. Mr. George Vansittart, the brother of Henry, the late governor.
246. 13th May, 1765.
247. Vide letter to Mr. Sykes, 7th July.
248. Vide letter to Mr. Palk, 14th July.
249. Vide letter to Mr. Spencer of the 13th May.
250. The Court of Directors, by the Lapwing packet, which left England in June, 1764, sent positive orders, which reached Calcutta on the 24th January, 1765, that all persons in the Company's service should execute covenants, restraining them from accepting, directly or indirectly, from the Indian princes, any grant of lands, rents, or territorial dominion, or any present whatever, exceeding the value of four thousand rupees, without the consent of the Court of Directors. The letter further contained orders relating to private trade, and to batta to the troops. The council assembled next day, 25th January. It is remarkable that the subjects, both of the batta and of the private trade, are noticed in the consultation, but no allusion whatever is made to the matter of the covenants. At this crisis the old Nabob died; and Mr. Johnstone and Mr. Leycester were immediately empowered to negotiate with his son, the young Nabob, and accordingly did conclude a treaty, 6th February, as has been already mentioned. About twenty lacs of rupees were, on this occasion, promised, and the greater part of it received, as a present to the Governor and several members of council. (Verelst's Narrative, p. 51.; Third Report of Select Committee of House of Commons, p. 21.) As upwards of three months had elapsed at the time of Clive's arrival, and the Company's orders regarding the covenants had not yet been put in force, the Select Committee, immediately on meeting, issued an order for carrying them into instant effect. Clive, in his letters, expresses great indignation at the circumstances attending the treaty with the young prince; and it is impossible not to agree with him in thinking, that the delay in the signing of the covenants, and the subsequent presents from the young Nabob, reflect light on each other.
251. Vide letter to Mr. Sumner of the 26th June.
252. Vide letter, Secret Committee, 21st June, 1765.
253. This letter is dated the 30th September, 1765. It is published in the Third Report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons, A. D. 1772.
254. 17th May, 1766.
255. 30th September, 1765.
256. It may be mentioned, as a curious fact, that when the durbar for conferring the dewannee on the Company was held, the Emperor having none of the appurtenances of high condition or state along with him, an English dining table, covered over, made the throne on which he sat during the ceremony.
257. Vide letter from Mr. Verelst, 27th July, 1765.
258. An addition of 386,131 was subsequently granted.
259. Mr. Johnstone, who had resigned council, but who remained some time settling the commercial concerns with Mr. Bolts, complains of his salt being stopped; Lord Clive, in reply, says he should have applied for a dustuck.
260. Letter to Mr. Dudley, 29th September, 1765.
261. 1765.
262. At the time of Lord Clive's writing the letter quoted in the text, to Mr. Palk, the Governor of Madras, which was the day after his Lordship's arrival at Bengal, Suja Dowla was, as is mentioned in that letter, threatening to invade our provinces with a large army, joined by the Mahrattas and Rohillas. But he altered his tone very shortly after; since it appears, by a letter written by him to General Carnac, that he offered to make peace on any terms.
This letter, it appears from the public records mentioned in the Report of the Select Committee of 1772, was received by General Carnac on the 19th of May, 1765, and was probably written by Suja Dowla two days before; which allows for his having received intelligence of Lord Clive's arrival on the 3d of that month, and that it had the effect of his proposing to make peace with the English.
The letter is worth transcribing in this place. (3d Rep. of Select Comm. App. No. 84.)
"It is known all over the world, that the illustrious chiefs of the English nation are constant and unchangeable in their friendship, which my heart is fully persuaded of. The late disturbances were contrary to my inclination; but it was so ordered by Providence. I now see things in a proper light, and have a strong desire to come to you; and am persuaded you will treat me in a manner befitting your own honour. You have shown great favours to others; when you become acquainted with me you will see with your own eyes, and be thoroughly sensible of my attachment, from which I will never depart while I have life. I am this day arrived at Belgram: please God, in a very short time I shall have the happiness of a meeting with you. As for other particulars, I refer you to Monyr-o-Dowla and Rajah Shitabroy."
"My Friend,—I regard not wealth nor the government of countries: your favour and friendship is all I desire. Please God, I will be with you very soon, when you will do for me what you think best."
The fame of Lord Clive having been so long established in India, it will not be thought extraordinary by those acquainted with that country, that the news of his return to it should have operated, as it did, so instantaneously with Suja Dowla, in the manner expressed in the above letter.
Lord Clive soon after concluded a treaty of peace with him, of which an account is given in the letter of the Select Committee at Calcutta, 30th September, 1765, in the same Report, App., No. 86.
263. Calcutta, 20th May, 1765.
264. General Carnac, 27th May, 1765.
265. Ibid., 30th May, 1765.
266. 8th June, 1765.
267. Mootagyl, 8th July, 1765.
268. Dated Calcutta, 30th September, 1765.
269. Dated Calcutta, 30th September, 1765.
270. Dated Calcutta, 25th September, 1765.
271. Dated 25th September, 1765.
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