190 THE FIRST STRUGGLE IN THE KARNATIK. chap, could wield the resources of the entire Karnatik. m , He would teach these faithless Europeans to know 1746. their place and to respect his power, and if they should hesitate longer to carry out their engagement, he would compel its fulfilment by force of arms. At this determination Anwaru-dm had arrived long be- fore La Bourdonnais had made over his conquest to Despremesnil. He had even sent a detachment of his troops to the vicinity of Madras, there to remain until it should be joined by the main body. This main body, in number about 10,000, and commanded by Mafauz* Khan, eldest son of the Nawwab, followed very shortly after, and encamped under the walls of Madras about the same date as that on which La Bourdonnais bade a final farewell to the roadstead of Pondichery. This then was the first great difficulty which it fell to the lot of Dupleix to encounter after the departure of his rival. Let us consider for a moment what was actually his position. He had promised to make over Madras to the Nawwab, but he had resolved, at the time he made that promise, first to demolish its fortifi- cations. The insubordination of La Bourdonnais had prevented the possibility of doing one or the other be- fore the 23rd October, and on that date his lieutenant, Despremesnil, found himself threatened by the troops of the Nawwab. He was on the other hand embarrassed by the engagements into which La Bourdonnais had entered with the English, and with which, although he had not ratified them, it would now be incumbent on him to deal in a decided manner. There was thus presented to him a complication of difficulties such as might well appal a mere ordinary mortal. Yet Dupleix set himself to meet them in the clear and logical manner natural to his well-ordered intellect. Of the difficulties we have enumerated, that caused by the threatening attitude of the Nawwab was the most
- Derived from the Arabic words, Ma, splendour, Fauz, victory.
