had long given him uneasiness. He was joined by the Nizam
of the Deccan, while the Rajah of Berar united his forces to those of
Scindiah. Lord Wellesley calculated that he might detach Perron from his
old Indian master by bribery; for when General Lake took the field with
an army of 10,000 men, he instructed him to make every possible effort
to destroy, scatter, or win over Perron and his officers. Proclamations
were made to this end, but without effect; Perron took the field with
about 17,000 infantry, disciplined in the usual European manner, besides
a large body of irregular infantry, about 20,000 Mahratta horse, and
a numerous and well-appointed train of artillery. In the mean time a
younger brother of the governor-general had rescued Poonah from the
Mahratta troops of Holkar, and had re-established the Peishwa in
his capital. Holkar joined Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar; and this
confederacy was the more dangerous, as Scindiah possessed several
sea-ports from whence he could receive assistance from the French. This
confederacy, however, was soon dissolved. General Lake defeated, routed,
and annihilated that army of Perron which caused the governor-general
such great and reasonable alarm; and, between him and General Wellesley,
all the perilous portion of the Mahratta confederacy was shaken, and
the power of Scindiah broken. Both the Rajah of Berar and Scindiah were
compelled to sue for peace, which was granted; the Rajah agreeing to add
the important province of Cuttack, with the district of Balasore, to the
company; and Scindiah to yield to them all the country between the
Jumna and the Ganges, besides numerous forts, territories, rights,
and interests. Both the Rajah of Berar and Scindiah likewise agreed to
dismiss all the French or other European officers in their service,
and the latter was never to take them into his service again, without
consent of the British government. In the course of the same year, two
other armies were sent into the Mahratta dominions, which resulted in
the conquest of much Indian territory. The varied successes of this
year, indeed, gave to the British empire, not only the Mahratta
dominions between the Jumna and the Ganges, but other and still more
important advantages. By them the British secured the possession of
Delhi, Agra, and Calpee, which gave them the mastery and free navigation
of the Jumna, with an important tract of country along the right bank
of the river. They secured,