Page:Our Indian Army.djvu/455

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OUR ANGLO-INDIAN ARMY.
431

he was not made responsible for them; wherefore, on the surrender of the city by the Arabs, he was liberated, and received notice of the terms on which he might retain his seat on the guddee. These consisted in his being placed entirely on the same footing with the Nizam; having his military force subjected to the control of the Company, and even his Ministers appointed by them. The Rajah only so far expressed his dissatisfaction as to offer to retire altogether on a liberal pension, a proposition which was not considered admissible. He therefore began forthwith to intrigue, with the view of shaking off this hated dependence. Troops were levied, the governors of fortresses and the mountain chiefs were instructed to muster their forces, and give every possible annoyance to the enemy; finally, a secret correspondence was discovered with Bajee Rao, and, being invited to join his army to the standard of the Peishwa, he had actually taken steps for that purpose. Mr. Jenkins, the Resident, thereupon placed him in durance; but he effected his escape in the disguise of a Sepoy, on the 12th of May, 1818, and fled to the Mahadeo hills, where Trimbuckjee had lurked so long.

Most of the tribes, denominated Goands, inhabiting these hills were absolute savages; but a large community, more advanced in civilisation, had submitted to the government of a Rajah or Chief named Chyn Shah, who sheltered Appa Sahib, and concerted a new plan of operations with him. Here the Rajah of Berar collected round his standard some of the unemployed Mahratta troopers and Arabs, who had served in the Peishwa's army till it was broken up; and with these and the wild Goands he began to commit depredations in all directions, occasionally extending his incursions as far as the British territories on the Nerbudda. No country could be better adapted for carrying on a desultory warfare than the one he had chosen for his asylum, it being one continued succession of mountains, ravines, rivers, and jungles. On one occasion some of the Arabs were pursued by Cap-