en absolutely declared on either side, Tippoo's open alliance with
the French rendered it certain that hostilities must commence ere
long; and Lord Mornington lost no time in proceeding to make
preparations for war. As Lord Cornwallis had done, he found the
greatest difficulty in inducing the supine government of Madras to
take any steps. They protested that, were they to make any show of
activity, Tippoo would descend the ghauts, and at once ravage the
whole country; and they declared that they had no force whatever that
could withstand him. They continued in their cowardly inactivity until
the governor general was forced to override their authority
altogether, and take the matter into his own hands.

The first step was to curb the Nizam's power, for everything pointed
to the probability that he intended to join Mysore, being inclined so
to do by Tippoo's promises, and by the influence of the officers of
the strong body of French troops in his service. Negotiations were
therefore opened by Lord Mornington, who offered to guarantee the
Nizam's dominions if he would join the English against Tippoo, and
promised that after the war he should obtain a large share of the
territory taken from Mysore.

The Nizam's position was a difficult one. On one side of him lay the
dominions of his warlike and powerful neighbour, Tippoo. On the other
he was exposed to the incursions of the Mahrattis, whose rising power
was a constant threat to his safety. He had, moreover, to cope with a
serious rebellion by his son, Ali Jah.

He was willing enough to obtain the guarantee of the English against
aggressions by the Mahrattis, but he hesitated in complying with the
preliminary demand that he should dispense with the French. The
fighting powers of this body rendered them valuable auxiliaries, but
he secretly feared them, and resented their pretensions; which pointed
to the fact that, ere long, instead of being his servants, they might
become his masters. When, therefore, the British government offered
him a subsidiary force of six battalions, and to guarantee him against
any further aggression by the Mahrattis, he accepted the proposal; but
in a half-hearted way, that showed he could not be relied upon for any
efficient assistance in disarming his French auxiliaries.

No time was lost, by the government, in marching the promised force to
Hyderabad. The French, 14,000 strong, refused to disband, and were
joined by the Nizam's household for