for his own dominions, asked the English to co-operate against the common enemy. The Calcutta government sent up an English brigade under Sir Robert Barker, instructing him to make a demonstration in support of the vizir and to act generally on his side in any negotiations. A treaty was arranged between the vizir and the Rohillas and attested by the English commander, whereby the vizir agreed to drive off the Marathas on payment of a stipulated subsidy by the Rohillas.
The Marathas soon afterwards retired of their own accord into quarters for the rainy season; but early in 1773 they again menaced Rohilkhand, and this time the combined forces of Oudh, the Rohillas, and the English marched against them. When they had been compelled to withdraw, the vizir demanded payment of his subsidy, but Hafiz Rihmat Khan, the principal Rohilla chief, sent evasive answers; whereupon the vizir addressed himself to the English, whose commander had attested, though he had in no way guaranteed, the engagement.
Out of these transactions arose the Rohilla War, which brought down such violent obloquy and so much loose parliamentary invective upon Hastings, against whom it has always been charged as a dark political crime. The whole situation was overspread by a network of transparent intrigue. The vizir suspected that the Rohilla chiefs, who were a band of Afghan usurpers in an imperial province, might on emergency join the Marathas against him; nor was there, indeed, any particular reason why they should not do so, since the
