cts, if he was not supported by the company's servants. But if the
Nabob of Oude had no money, his mother and grandmother had; for Sujah
Dowla had left a considerable part of the treasures which he had in
hand to these two ladies, and had bequeathed them, in addition, certain
jaghires. In an interview, therefore, with Asoff-ul-Dowla, in the
fortress of Chunar, Hastings consented that some of the company's troops
should remain in Oude for his defence against his enemies; but only
on this condition, that he should rob his mother and grandmother. The
undutiful nabob had before endeavoured to gain their treasures for
himself, and had, in fact, obtained large contributions from their
purses; but though he showed himself a true robber, yet when he found
that the money was to go into the hands of the company, he was reluctant
to rob any more. He consented, indeed, to seize the treasures for the
use of the company, on condition that he should possess the ladies'
jaghires himself; but when he returned to Lucknow his heart misgave
him. Hastings, however, was not to be disappointed. On discovering the
nabob's reluctance, he wrote to him and to Middleton, the British
agent at that place, urging him to fulfil his agreement, and ordering
Middleton to do the work himself if Asoff-ul-Dowla still delayed. To
save his authority the nabob now seized the jaghires, but he still
spared the treasures; and Middleton took this work into his own hands,
or, at least, acted in conjunction with the nabob. The victims lived at
Fyzabad; or, the "Beautiful Residence," about eighty miles to the
east of Lucknow; and the robbers, accompanied by some sepoys, repaired
thither; and by throwing two old eunuchs in the palace, who had been the
confidential servants of Sujah Dowla, into a dungeon, they succeeded in
extorting from the ladies treasures to the amount of more than L500,000
sterling. But this was not sufficient for the support of the ruinous war
in the Carnatic; and Hastings laid claim to the revenues of the jaghires
which the nabob had seized as his portion of the robbery. But Hastings,
in his transactions with the Nabob of Oude, did not seek money for the
company alone; for, during the conferences at Chunar, he accepted a
present of L100,000, which, on the part of the governor-general,
was altogether illegal, and therefore subjected him to the charge of
venality In the conferences of Chunar, it was agreed that the Nabob
of Oude should, "when time sh