guarantied by the East India Company, and in the undutiful and unnatural
manner required, did totally supersede his authority in his own
dominions, considering himself as empowered so to act by the
instructions of the said Hastings, although he had reason to apprehend a
general insurrection in consequence thereof, and that he found it
necessary to remove his family, "which he did not wish to retain there,
in case of a rupture with the Nabob, or the necessity of employing the
British forces in the reduction of _his_ aumils and troops"; and he did
accordingly, as sovereign, issue his own edicts and warrants, in
defiance of the resistance of the Nabob, in the manner by him described
in the letters aforesaid,--in a letter of 6th December, 1781, that is to
say: "_Finding the Nabob wavering in his determination about the
resumption of the jaghires_, I this day, in presence of and with the
minister's concurrence, ordered the necessary purwannahs to be written
to the several aumils for that purpose; and it was my firm resolution to
have dispatched them this evening, with proper people to see them
punctually and implicitly carried into execution; but before they were
all transcribed, I received a message from the Nabob, who had been
informed by the minister of the resolution I had taken, entreating that
I would withhold the purwannahs until to-morrow morning, when he would
attend me, and afford me satisfaction on this point. As the loss of a
few hours in the dispatch of the purwannahs appeared of little moment,
and as it is possible the Nabob, _seeing that the business will at all
events be done, may make it an act of his own, I have consented to
indulge him in his request; but, be the remit of our interview whatever
it may, nothing shall prevent the orders being issued to-morrow, either
by him or myself, with the concurrence of the ministers_. Your pleasure
respecting the Begums I have learnt from Sir Elijah, and the measure
heretofore proposed will soon follow the resumption of the jaghires.
From both, or indeed from the former alone, I have no doubt of the
complete liquidation of the Company's balance." And also in another
letter, of the 7th December, 1781: "I had the honor to address you
yesterday, informing you of the steps I had taken in regard to the
resumption of _the jaghires. This morning the Vizier came to me
according to his agreement, but seemingly without any intention or
desire to yield me satisfaction on the subje