mmanding the troops were seldom disposed to do so; and neither was
competent to pass a sound judgment upon the justice and necessity of
complying with the requisitions made for the aid of the British
troops.

But when, under an imbecile and debauched sovereign, like Ghazee-od
Deen, and an unscrupulous minister, creatures and favourites began to
share so largely in the revenues of the country, this sort of
scrutiny on the part of the Resident and officers commanding troops,
employed in aid of the King's officers, became exceedingly
distasteful; and the minister gradually increased the military force
of Oude at his disposal, that he might do without it. During the last
few years of Ghazee-od Deen's reign, the Oude forces of all arms
amounted to about sixty thousand men. During the first few years of
his successor's, Nuseer-od Deen's, reign, these forces were augmented
by the ministers for the sake of the profit and patronage they gave
them; and in the year 1837, the forces of all arms, paid from the
treasury, amounted to more than sixty thousand men. A memorandum
given to the British Resident by the minister on the 8th of April
1837, showed the men of all descriptions, belonging to the Oude army,
to amount to sixty-seven thousand nine hundred and fifty-six. The
artillery, cavalry, and infantry, composing what they call the
regular army, amounted to twenty thousand, all badly paid, clothed,
armed, accoutred, and disciplined; and for the most part placed under
idle, incompetent, and corrupt commanders. The rest were nujeebs
employed in the provinces under local officers of the revenue and
police, and obliged to provide their own clothes, arms,
accoutrements, and ammunition. They were altogether without
discipline.

Government, on the 26th November, 1824, informs the Resident, "that
our troops are to be actively and energetically employed in the Oude
territory in cases of real internal commotion and disorder." And
again on the 22nd of July, 1825; Government condemns the Resident for
his disregard of the orders of the 26th of November, 1824, regarding
the employment of British troops in Oude, and states, "that it is
sincerely disposed to maintain the rights of the King of Oude to the
fullest extent, as guaranteed to him by the treaty with his father,
on the 20th of November, 1801; but observes, that upon the maturest
consideration of articles 3rd, 5th, and 6th of that treaty, and of
Lord Wellesley's memorandum in 1802, of