Four different European nations have formed esta blishments in Bengal for commercial purposes ; viz. the English, French, Dutch, and Danes. The Da nish settlement, Serampore, extends about two miles on the eastern banks of the Ganges, and is of very in considerable breadth ; but, though a small territory, is of considerable value to the northern country. It is completely surrounded by the British dominions ; has no fortifications except a small battery for sa luting ; and, on the late dispute with the northern powers, a party of Seapoys took possession of it without the least resistance. The French settlement of Chan demagore, and the Dutch one of Chinsura, are more extensive than the Danish ; but, from the larger es tablishments kept up, have never been equally advan tageous, and have always cost more than what they produced. When the East India Company appro priated to themselves the opium and saltpetre trade, to prevent any competition in the market, they agreed to allow a certain quantity annually to the Danes, French, and Dutch, at a specific price, on condition that they should not purchase any from the natives. These treaties, however, were not renewed with the French and Dutch, on the late peace ; and they seem to have considered the surrender of their settle ments, without that advantage, as a very useless gift. The English established a commercial intercourse with Bengal at a very early period ; and made a set tlement on the river Ganges in the beginning of the 17th century. Their first at the town of Hoogly ; but in 1689 it was removed to Calcutta, which is about 2G miles farther down the river. By means of their fort and garrison, they protected, from the demands of the rajas, their trading vessels, which came down from Patna ; but in the beginning of the ISth century, they obtained from Feroksere, great grandson of Aurung-zebe, a firman or grant, exempting their trade from all duties ; and, while the company stood in nerd of protection against the native princes, this was regarded as their commercial char ter in India. From the year 1742, they had frequent
occasion to resist, by force of arms, the attacks of the Mahratta states, and of the nabobs of Bengal, till the famous battle of Plassev, in 1757, laid the founda tion of their great power in that country. From that period they became the arbiters of the succession to the nabobship of Bengal ; and in 1765 assumed the government of that province, receiving from the no minal Mogul, Shah Aulem, a grant of the revenues of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa, on condition of paying 9.6 lacks of rupees (about £260,000) per annum. From this last date, Bengal, with its dependencies, have continued, without interruption, under the power of Great Britain ; and, whatever diversity of opinion may exist, respecting the means by which that power was established, there can be no question, that it has proved a most beneficial exchange to the natives. In all these provinces, the limits of order have uniformly extended with the progress of Euro pean dominion ; for the space of half a century, (a circumstance unexampled in their history,) the cala mities of war and of military depredation have been removed from their habitations; and they have en joyed a degree of security in their persons and pro perties, at present unknown in any other part of Asia.
For other particulars, respecting the civil history of Bengal, its commercial connections with Great Britain, its government and revenues, the religion, language, manners and customs of its inhabitants, we refer our readers to the articles, INDIA, HINDOSTAN,