When the account of war between France and England reached India, Pondicherry was immediately attacked, and taken by an army from Fort St George. In the month of August 1793, Lord Cornwallis sailed for England.
He was succeeded as governor-general by Sir John Shore, afterwards Lord Teignmouth. During his admi nistration, no war with a foreign power occurred ; hut that period was marked by political changes in the state of India of great importance. A rupture took place be tween the Nizam and the Mahrattas: the former enter tained the most friendly disposition towards the British government, whereas the latter viewed the success of our armies with alarm, and, consequently, could not regard the Nizam with any friendly feelings. They believed, that if they could reduce his power, they would not only increase their own, but injure the British government. As they trusted for the accomplishment of any object which they had in view, not more to their military strength than to intrigue, they had for some time gained over the Nizam's minister, who acted more at their command than at that of his master. As soon as the Nizam found this out, he put him to death. Immediately before the occur rence of hostilities between the Mahrattas and the Nizam, Tippoo, whose active spirit of hostility against the British had led him to commence intrigues with the French go vernment, the court of Hyderabad, and the court of Poo nah, almost at the same moment that the peace of Serin gapatam was concluded, had assembled an army, and threatened to come forward as an ally of the Mahrattas against the Nizam, in the quarrel between those states. Sir John Shore seems to have been of opinion, that the British government was not bound, either by express trea ty or by political expediency, to support its ally the Ni zam, in the event of his being attacked by Tippoo, during the period when he was engaged in a war with the Mah rattas. This war, however, lasted such a short time, and Tippoo was so completely occupied in his own dominions, repairing the losses he had sustained, that he could not accomplish his object of attacking the Nizam.
The war between the Mahrattas and the Nizam began in February 1795 ; the advanced corps of the former, un der the command of Dowlut Row Scindiah, marched to wards the Nizam ; and on the 1 lth of March attacked that prince, who had advanced from Bedar to meet him. Af ter a general action, in which both parties were thrown into some confusion, and neither obtained any decided ad vantage, the Nizam, yielding to the fears of his women, who attended him in the action, retreated during the night of the llth, and took shelter in the small fort of Kurdlah. This fort is completely surrounded by hills, except in one direction, which the Mahrattas immediately occupied ; and by that means hemmed in the Nizam's army, and cut it off from all supplies. After remaining for some weeks in this situation, he was obliged to conclude a peace, the exact particulars of which are not known ; but it is under stood that he agreed to cede to his enemies a country, the annual revenue of which was about 35 lacks of rupees, including the fort and district of Dowlatabad, and to pay them three crones of rupees. After the convention was settled, the Nizam returned to his capital, and the Mah ratta confederates towards their respective countries. shortly afterwards the young Paishwah died sudden ly, and the eldest son of the Nizam rebelled against his father. The Nizam, alarmed at this, pressed the instant return of the English subsidiary force to Hyderabad, and took every step to manifest his attachment to the British government. The troops were immediately ordered to march ; and they were already advancing to join the army acting against the son, when accounts were received of his defeat and capture.
At this period, the French, under M. Raymond, were employing every means in their power to ingratiate them selves with the Nizam ; and as they had acquired great reputation by the active part which they took in the re duction of his son, they succeeded in their object ; and the influence they possessed they directed against the British.