utterly ruined by the contractor of Salone, or to take
to his jungles and strongholds and fight against his Sovereign.*

[* The Rajah was too formidable to be treated lightly, and the Amil
was obliged to give in, and consent to take from him what he had paid
to his predecessor; but to effect this, the Rajah was, afterwards
obliged to go to Lucknow, and pay largely in gratuities.]

Rajah Rambuksh, of Dondhea Kheera, is in the same predicament. He
tells me, that a great part of his estate has been taken from him by
Chundun Lal, of Morowa, the banker already mentioned, in collusion
with the Nazim, Kotab-od Deen, who depends so much on him as the only
capitalist in his district; that he is obliged to conciliate him by
acquiescing in the spoliation of others; that he has already taken
much of his lands by fraud and collusion, and wishes to take the
whole in the same way; that this banker now holds lands in the
district yielding above two lacs of rupees a-year, can do what he
pleases, and is every day aggrandizing himself and family by the ruin
of others. There is some truth in what Rambuksh states, though he
exaggerates a little the wrong which he himself suffers; and it is
lamentable that all power and influence in Oude, of whatever kind or
however acquired, should be so sure to be abused, to the prejudice of
both sovereign and people. When these great capitalists become
landholders, as almost all do, they are apt to do much mischief in
the districts where their influence lies, for the Government officers
can do little in the collection of the revenue without their aid; and
as the collection of revenue is the only part of their duty to which
they attach much importance, they are ready to acquiesce in any wrong
that they may commit in order to conciliate them. The Nazim of
Byswara, Kotab-od Deen, is an old and infirm man, and very much
dependent upon Chundun Lal, who, in collusion with him, has certainly
deprived many of their hereditary possessions in the usual way in
order to aggrandize his own family. He has, at the same time,
purchased a great deal of land at auction in the Honourable Company's
districts where he has dealings, keeps the greater part of his
wealth, and is prepared to locate his family when the danger of
retaining any of either in Oude becomes pressing. The risk is always
great; but they bind the local authorities, civil and military, by
solemn oaths and written pledges, for the security of their own