G46
HISTOKY OF INDIA.
[Book HI.
A.D. 1767.
IJritish infiuence.
His scheme for dimiii-
jshiii" it.
on the musnud, was not disposed tf^ relinquish any of the powers which had
been exercised by his predecessors. He had partiahties and hatreds, and did
not choose that commands in the army, or the administration of the govem-
Meer .lafiier ment, sliould bc intrustcd to any but liis own favourites. He accordingly
jealous of T 1
meditated many changes ; but when he would have carried them inU> effect, he was mortified above measure to find that another consent beside his own was necessary. Some of these changes would have been violations of promises made and even sworn to; others of them would have been contrary to .sound policy; and on these and similar grounds Clive did not hesitate to tell him bluntly that he would not permit them. Who then is ma.ster? was the question which the nabob put to himself; and from that moment his resolution was taken to eman- cipate himself from British ascendenc3^ He w^as careful, however, to do nothing which could excite the least suspicion of a change in his feelings ; and tlierefore, while Clive continued at Moorshedabad, nothing could exceed the deference paid to all his wishes and opinions, and both the nabob and his son lived with him on terms of intimacy and familiarity.
On the 14th of September, 1757, Clive having set out for Calcutta, leaving Watts, Manningham, and Serafton at Moorshedabad, to transact the Company's affairs, Meer Jaffier lost no time in endeavom-ing to carry out his own views. The leading agents in the conspiracy which overthrew Surajah Dowlah were Hindoos. Through them chiefly the previous negotiation with Clive and the other servants of the Company had been carried on; and it was therefore probable that through them also their futm-e influence in the goverament would be exercised. Reasoning thus, the nabob's first object was to cm-tail, and, if possible, extinguish the power of the Hindoos. At the head of them stood Roydullub the dewan. With him, therefore, it was proposed to begin, but with the greatest caution, for Roydullub, aware of the feeling with wliich he was regarded at court, not only stood upon his guard, but had obtained from Clive a guarantee of personal safety. The first step taken against him was indirect, and was important only as an indication of what might be expected to follow. Ramramsing, who, besides being head of the spies, was Rajah of Midnapore. was summoned to Moorshedabad to settle the accounts of his distiict. Being consi- derably in arrear, and suspicious of what was intended, he did not go in person, but sent his brother and nephew, who were immediately thrown into prison. Roydullub, wdth whom Ramramsing had always been closely connected, believed that this violent proceeding was the precursor of a similar requisition to himself, and established connections in different quarters, determined, if necessary', to repel force by force. He was even suspected of ha^4ng stirred up two rebellions - — one by Ramramsing, who, on hearing how his brother and nephew had been treated, assembled 2000 horse and 5000 foot, with which he threatened to retu'e into the jungles with which his country abounded; and the other by Ogul Sing, whom Surajah Dowdah had appointed governor of Purneah.
