up the fort of Vellum to the English, and to cede to them two
districts in the neighbourhood of Mandura. But this did not prevent the
ravages of the English. In the year 1772 another army was sent to reduce
the poly-gars of the Mara wars, who paid the Rajah of Tanjore a doubtful
alliance, and the whole of the Marawars were put into the possession of
the Nabob of the Carnatic. Nor did this satisfy the rapacity of Mohammed
Ali and the English. Before this war was finished, the Nabob of the
Carnatic complained to the presidency of Madras that the Rajah of
Tanjore had violated the recent treaty, by delaying payment of money,
and by seeking the aid of the Mahrattas and Hyder Ali, and although
the company, by a treaty in 1762, had given the rajah security for his
throne, he was hunted down by the English, taken prisoner with all his
family, and his territories were annexed to the dominions of the Nabob
of the Carnatic.

In this foul act the presidency of Madras had acted upon their own
responsibility, without any reference to the court of directors in
Leadenhall-street. Their act seemed, however, to meet with the approval
of these directors; but in the year 1775 Lord Pigot was nominated
Governor of Madras, and had full powers given him to reform the
presidency of Madras, and to restore the rajah to his throne. Lord Pigot
arrived at Madras, at the close of the year, and he immediately repaired
to Tanjore, when the rajah was re-proclaimed in his capital. Fierce
quarrels now arose among the civil authorities at Madras, and
the council went so far as to arrest Lord Pigot, and place him in
confinement. These proceedings excited great indignation in England, and
though some of the directors in Leadenhall-street approved of them,
or at least disapproved of Lord Pigot's policy, he was restored to his
office, and the members of the council were recalled. At the same time
Lord Pigot was ordered to return home, and his old opponent, a Mr.
Rumbold, was nominated his successor. Mr. Rumbold arrived at Madras
early in the year 1773, when he found that Lord Pigot had been brought
to his grave by the violence offered to his person. At that time Hyder
Ali, who had formed an alliance with the French, again threatened the
Carnatic, but before narrating his operations it is necessary to notice
some important proceedings in other parts of India.

{GEORGE III. 1786-1787}

It has been seen that the government of Bengal was left in the hands of
M