In February 1760, Colonel Clive left Bengal for Eng land ; and about the same time the dominions of the nabob were again menaced with invasion front the interior. A Mahratta army entered the district of Burdwan, and Shah Allum re-appeared on the frontier of Berar. Against the former, the nabob in person led an army, partly composed of British troops, but the campaign in this quarter proved unsuccessful. The logul was opposed by a British army, commanded by a British officer, but the operations of the latter were much impeded by the obstinacy of the nabob's son, who commanded an auxiliary force, so that the Mogul, though defeated near Patna, escaped into the south-western districts of Bengal, where he effected a junction with the Maltratta general who had invaded Burdwan. He was soon, however, compelled to retreat into Berar. This campaign, which presented nothing else remarkable, was closed in July, by the setting in of the rains, and the death of the young nabob, who was struck dead with lightning in his tent.
By this time, the plans of the British against Meer Jaf fier were complete ; accusations of various kinds, besides the non-payment of the money, were brought against him ; and in September 1760, a treaty was privately made at Calcutta between the British and Meer Cosscim, son-in-law and general of the nabob. By this treaty it was stipulated, that Cosseim, under the title of dewan or deputy to the na bob, should obtain the real possession of the nabohship, and that he should grant to the English, for the pay of the ar my, the districts of Burdwan, Midnapore, and Chittagong.
It is also said that he promised the projectors of this revo lution two millions of rupees ; this, however, was express ly denied in the examination before the Select Committee of the House of Commons. 'Meer Jaffier was soon after wards brought to Calcutta, and thus deprived even of the name and appearance of power.
Meer Cosseim had not been long possessed of the nabob ship, when he entered into projects' unfavourable to the English ; levying high duties on their merchandize contra ry to treaty ; and at last massacring the English deputies who were sent to him to adjust matters. The English, therefore, in order to punish him, resolved to restore Meer Jaffier to the dignity from which he had been degraded. As a condition of his re-instatement, he consented to cede to them the districts already granted them by Cosseim, of Burdwan, Midnapore, and Chittagong, and also to grant to them those commercial privileges which Cosseim had withheld. On the 7th of June 1763, he was proclaimed soubhadar of the three provinces; and the British govern ment also declared war against Cosseim. On the 19th of July, one of Cosseim's generals was totally defeated by a British force, half way between Calcutta and Moorsheda bad, and on the 24th the latter place was taken. Advanc ing rapidly after these successes, on the 2d of August they encountered, on the plain of Goriah, the whole of the hos tile force at that time in the lower part of Bengal. It was composed of about 15,000 black cavalry, and 10,000 regu larly disciplined sepoys, with 17 pieces of cannon, managed by 170 Europeans. After an obstinate contest of four hours, the enemy were completely routed. Cosseim was himself in the province of Bahar, and thither the British pursued him. In the beginning of October they gained possession of Monghir, and in November of Patna, Cossehn still fleeing from danger, having escaped into the dominions of the nabob of Oude, carrying with him treasure and jewels to the value of two millions sterling.
The same year which witnessed the expulsion of Cosseim from the three provinces also produced, in Europe, a pacifi cation between France and England. By the treaty of peace,
France, whuse recent acquisitions, as well as her ancient possessions in India, had been wrested from her, was re stored to the factories of which she had been mistress in the year 1749, but she renounced any pretensions to the territories which she had recently acquired on the coast of Coromandel and Orissa, and engaged neither to erect for tifications, nor maintain troops in the souhah of Bengal. Alahomedveili was acknowledged lawful sovereign of the Carnatic. The English sacrificed hut a small part of the territory which they had gained ; they retained unimpaired their authority at the courts of the Carnatic and Bengal ; they retained, in addition to their old settlements, the new ly acquired possessions of the Circar of Masulipatain, and its dependent districts, which they had conquered from the French ; also the castle of Surat, the Jaghire, or territory round Madras, the Calcutta zemindary, and the districts of Burdwan, Midnapore, and Chittagong.
In the pursuit of Cosseim, the British army had reached the interminous frontier of the territories of Bengal and Oude: the fugitive prince had taken refuge iri the court of Sujah Dowlah, otherwise called the Nabob Vizier, which, at the same time, harboured a more illustrious exile, the young Mogul. The British camp now became the scene of complicated nepociations ; an alliance was proposed to Sujah Dowlah, which he rejected. While these negoci ations were going on, discontents prevailed in the British army. Encouraged by this, Sujah Dowlah, who had al ready collected an army on the frontiers of Oude, deter mined on hostility ; and lie was joined by the Rajah of Be nares. In March 1764, Major Carnac took the command of the British forces, and having restored discipline and subordination, repulsed the vizier in an obstinate engage ment near Patna. The war was now carried into the pro vince of Oude, and.Major Carnac was succeeded by Major Monro. On the 24th of October was fought the celebrated battle of Buxar, on the river Carumnasa, about 100 miles above the city of Patna. The British army consisted of 856 Europeans, and 6215 sepoys ; the combined troops of Sujah Dowlah and Cosseim consisted of 40,000 men. Af ter an arduous contest of three hours, the army of the vizier retired in disorder, leaving on the field 133 pieces of can non, and blowing up some of their powder magazines ; 2000 troops were slain on the field of battle. The loss of Major Monro's army was trifling, being only 87 Europeans and 712 sepoys. The flight of the allies was so rapid, that they did not stop at Buxar, but hastened to a river beyond it. Over this was a bridge of boats, which, how ever, they had not all crossed, when Sujah Dowlah direct ed the bridge to be destroyed. By this act of generalship he sacrificed, indeed, the rear division of his army, which, to the number of nearly 2000 men, were drowned ; but he saved his main body from certain destruction, and at the same time preserved from capture the immense treasures of Cosseim as well as his own. A native historian describes the camp of the two chiefs in the following terms : u A bridge of boats being thrown over the Ganges, the allied armies began their march in numbers not to be reckoned ; but, from the ignorance of the generals and want of dis cipline, murdering and plundering each other. It was not an army, but rather a moving nation." On the following day the Mogul, who had taken no part in the battle, sought and obtained the protection of the British, offering them terms highly favourable to their views and plans of ag grandizement and extent of territory.