After the capture of Tippoo Saib's capital, and the death of that potentate, the East India Company seemed for a time to be left without a rival in their eastern em pire. Yet in that extensive territory of the Mahrattas, extending nearly a thousand miles, from Delhi to the river Tumhudhra, and from the Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Cambay, nearly an equal breadth, comprehend ing a population of 40 millions of people, it might be naturally expected, that chieftains, of formidable pow er and consequence, should view, with jealousy, the approach of European conquerors. Among the Mah ratta chiefs, the most powerlul at the commencement of the present century, were Dowlut Rao Scindiah, and Jc swum Rao Holkar. With the former of these poten tates, war was commenced by the British in the begin ning of 1803, and prosecuted with brilliant success. On the north-western frontier of Oude, General Lake suc ccssively defeated the army of Scindiah, and overwhelm ed the forces of Mons. Perron, a French soldier of for tune, who commanded a corps of Europeans in the service or the Indian prince. In the Deccan, General Wellesley followed up a splendid career of victory. The result was to bring Scindiah, and his ally the Rajah of Berar, to a treaty, by which the Mahratta princes ceded a large territory to the company, and acknowledged the protection of the British government.
Scarcely had Scindiah been suppressed, when another enemy equally formidable arose, in the Mahratta chief tain Holkar, formerly the inveterate rival of Scindiah, but recently united with him by their common enmity to the British. General Frazer, on the I Sch of Nov. 1804, attacked and defeated his inlantry and artillery, near one of his fortresses called Deeg, and obtained a most important victory. Lord Lake, in the November of the same year, surprized the whole force of his ca valry, under the personal command of Holkar, near the city of Ferrackabad, with equal success, and the Indian prince escaped with difficulty from the disastrous field. After these successes, Lord Wellesley returned to Bri tain. His government, though distinguished by many victories, had been expensive and ambitious. When his successor in the government, Lord Cornwallis, ar rived at Calcutta, he found the finances of the country in a most deplorable state, and, without some great reduction of expenditure, quite unable to meet the contingencies of war. The native princes, though de feated, were still able to harass and employ our force. From the extent of their territory, from the numbers of their cavalry, and the hardy and wandering habits of their irregular troops, they were able to survive defeats, and rally after dispersion. Holkar was still in arms, and Scindiah, with whom a peace had been made, had im prisoned the company's resident, and prepared anew for hostilities. The death of Lord Cornwallis unhap
pily deprived our eastern empire of his services, before he had lived to witness the effects of the pacific system which he went out to substitute, in the room of that of his predecessor. But his efforts were not in vain ; and his system was happily pursued by others when he was no more. Peace was concluded with both Holkar and Scindiah before the end of 1805. The territories of the latter were abridged and limitted on the north to the river Chumbul, but a pecuniary compensation was set tled upon his family.
Holkar renounced some of his possessions to the north of the Boundee hills, and in the possession of Bun delcund, but for these he received the indemnity of a Jaghire, to be settled on his daughter, while the compa ny pledged themselves to leave him in quiet possession of his territories to the south of the Chumbul, and to re store his conquests in the Deccan.
The single reputation of Mr Pitt, which had erected a ministry independent of three powerful parties in par liament, (the friends of Lord Grenville, Mr Fox, and Mr Addington) was not found sufficient to support it. When it was asked by what tokens of superior genius the war had been conducted since Mr Addington's re signation, it was not easy to point them out. A new coalition had been roused against France, but though long in prospect, it had been supported by no adequate efforts on the continent. 'We had assisted Austria by no diversion in the north of Europe, and troops had been landed at Naples after the fate of the campaign had been decided. Instead of co-operating with the allies in Eu rope to our utmost power, an expedition had been fitted out to acquire a colony at the other extremity of the globe. The colleagues of Mr Pitt, excepting Lord Mel ville, had still less reputation than ability. The impeach ment of that statesman being followed by his removal from office, left Mr Pitt without an associate of ac knowledged talents. Previous to that event, the minis ter, conscious of the weakness of his cabinet, had invited and received Mr Addington, now created Lord Sid mouth, to participate in his councils ; but the vote of Lord Sidmouth in favouring the impeachment of Lord Melville, separated that statesman once more from his councils.
Amidst the gloom of his political prospects, the health of the minister rapidly declined towards the conclusion of the year. After an illness of some months, this ex traordinary man, who, solely by the weight of his talents. had continued to direct the councils of his country, ex pired on the 22d of January 1806 ; and his death was a virtual dissolution of his ministry. Sec PITT.