Margtei8 Wellesley (1798-1804—The British empire in the east, like that of Napoleon I. in Europe, could only be maintained by constant fighting; it was the price paid for empire, and to stand still was to retrograde. Tippoo Sahib broke his faith by intriguing against the English both with the French and with native princes: his bad faith cost him his crown and his life. In May, 1799, Seringapatam was captured, and Tippoo slain. The Hindu dynasty, displaced by Ryder Ali, was restored, and the administration carried on most successfully for the youthful rajah by col. Wellesley (afterwards duke of Wellington). In the famous battle of Asseye, in 1803, he defeated the Mahrattas under Scholia; and the victories of lord Lake in northern India extended very considerably the dominions of the company. The policy of the marquis Wellesley was, however, too aggressive to suit the views of the East India company, and he was superseded by lord Cornwallis, who only returned to India to die. Lord 3liuto succeeded from 1800 to 1813.
Nothing of much importance occurred until the marquis of Hastings became governor general (1813-23). He waged war against the Pindaris, who were. entirely suppressed. He had previously defeated the Gurkhas; and before the close of his brilliant adminis tration, he made the British power supreme in India. The civil administration of the marquis of Hastings was directed to the amelioration of the moral condition of the people of India.
The next administrations were those of earl Amherst and lord William Bentinek. The first was signalized by the Burmese war, the second by the suppression of sutti and the thugs.
Earl of Auckland (1835-42).—This governor-general is known chiefly by his unjustifiable and disastrous Afghan policy, ending in time horrible massacre of British troops in the Khyber pass. See AFGHANISTAN.
Earl of Ellenborough (1849-44).—The " army of retribution" proceeded to Cabul soon after lord Ellenborough took the reins of government. Cabul was sacked, several public buildings razed to the ground, after which the country was evacuated. The conquest of Sinde by sir Charles Napier, followed by its annexation, also belongs to this administration.
Sir Henry (1844-48).—Lord Ellcnborough having been recalled by the East India directors, from alarm at his martial tendencies, sir Henry Ilardinge was sent to take his place. The attention of the new governor-general was, however, soon diverted from works of peace., to do battle with the bravest people of India. Ever since the death of our ally, Hunjeet Singh, in 1839, the Punjab had been in a state of disorganization. The Sikhs, uneasy at our conquests in Sinde and Gwalior, and remembering our discomfiture at Calm] and the Khyber, resolved to anticipate the attack they considered imminent. The first Sikh war commenced on the part of the Punjabees by the passage of the Sutlej, and was followed by the terrible battles of Moodkee, Ferozeshali, Aliwal, and Sobraon, in which, after very hard fighting, the Sikhs were defeated with great slaughter. The war resulted in a British resident and British troops being stationed at Lahore. although the boy-prince, Dhuleep Singh, was acknowledged as maharajah. The Cis-Sutlej states, the Jullundur Doab, and the alpine region between the Boas and the Sutlej, were annexed.
Marquis of Dalkausie (1848-55).—The administration of the marquis of Dalhousie is memorable for the commencement of superb public works, cheap uniform postage, railways, telegraphs, improvements in government, and social progress generally; a second Sikh war (ending in the crowning victory of Gujerat, Feb. 21, 1849), a second
Burman war (finished in 1852); and the annexation of four kingdoms, the Punjab, Pegu, Nagpfir, and Oude.
Viscount Canning (1856-02).—When lord Canning took the reins of government, everything promised a reign of peace and prosperity. With the early days of 1857 came the first mutterings of the storm that was to sweep over so large a portion of British India. At the conunencement of the year, chupattees (cakes of flour and water) were circulated mysteriously through the North-west Provinces; treasonable placards appeared at Delhi, and other suspicious occurrences gave warning of Mohammedan disaffection or conspiracy. The Enfield rifle and its greased cartridge was at this time put into the hands of the sepoys without explanation or precaution ; and gen. Anson, the commander-in-chief, snubbed caste, and was against all concession to the " beastly prejudices" of the natives. The mutiny broke out at Meerut (32 in. from Delhi), where there were stationed European troops amounting to about 1800 men, besides sappers and miners, and about 2,900 native soldiers. On April 23 the skirmishers of the 3.1 native cavalry, on parade, refused to touch the new cartridges, although permission was given to break off the end with the fingers. The 85 mutineers were tried, and sentenced to imprisonment. On the evening of the next day, the native troops rose, liberated their comrades and the felons of the jail, shot down their officers, and the doomed station was given up to conflagration and massacre. The next day, May 11, the Meerut mutineers reached Delhi. There were no European troops to oppose them, and the city fell into their hands, but was retaken by gen. Archdale Wilson the following Sept. Nana Sahib of Bithoor, whose claims as the adopted son of the pishwah had not been recognized by the British government, fanned the insurrection. At the end of June gen. 'Wheeler was forced to surrender to him at Cawnpore, and, in spite of the promise of safe-conduct to Allahabad, all the men were immediately massacred. The women were butchered on July 15, by order of the nana, when he heard of Havelock's march from Allahabad, which began on the 7th of the same month. The Europeans in the residency at Lucknow were besieged on June 30th. Five days afterwards, the commandant, sir Henry Lawrence, died of his wounds, and his place was taken by" brig. Inglis, who bravely held out till he was relieved on Sept. 25 by the. heroic Havelock. The final relief was achieved by sir Colin Campbell; and on the 17th the city was again in complete possession of the British. By June, 1858, no city or fortress of any importance remained in the hands of the mutineers. Oude was entirely reduced beginning of the year 1859. The able rebel leader, Tantia Topee, a Mahratta Brahman, was taken, tried by court-martial, and Imaged. During the mutiny valuable assistance and protection were received from many native chiefs. Honors were, in consequence, bestowed upon Scindia, the maharajah of Gwalior; Holkar, maharajah of Indore; the nizam, and others. The trial of the king of Delhi resulted in his conviction as " a false traitor to the British government, and an accessory to the massacre in the palace." It was the fate of the last representative of the East India company to sentence the last Great Mogul and heir of the house of Timfir " to be transported across the seas as a felon." He was transported accordingly, accompanied by his queen and son, to Tongu, in Pegu, where he died in 1862.