CHAPTER IV.

Refloration to her authority of the Begum Somroo -account of Sirdhannah-death and character of Appakandarow-capture of SamliMr. Thomas marches to Panniput.

RESUMING our narrative after the foregoing digreffion, it is neceffary to remark that about this time Begum Somroo, whofe depofition from authority we have before noticed, still remained a prisoner at Sirdhannah. In a manner the most abject and defponding, fhe addreffed Mr. Thomas; fhe ftated her apprehenfions of being poifoned, or otherwise put to death; affirmed that her only dependance was on him, implored him to come to her affiftance, and, finally, offered to pay any fum of money the Mahrattas fhould require, on condition they would reinftate her in her Jaghire.

On receipt of thefe letters, Mr. Thomas, by

an offer of 120,000 rupees, prevailed on Bappoo Scindia to make a movement towards Sirdhannah. Convinced from his former experience, that unless he could gain over a part of the troops under Zaffer Yab Khan to the Begum's intereft, not only his exertions would be fruitless, but that the herself would be expofed to the greatest perfonal danger, he therefore set on foot a negotiation for this purpose, in which having fucceeded, he marched and encamped with his whole force at the village of Kathoolee, eight cofs to the northeast of Sirdhannah. Here Mr. Thomas publicly gave out that unless the Begum was reinstated in her authority, those who refifted muft expect no mercy; and to give additional weight to this declaration, he apprised them that he was acting under the orders of the Mahratta chiefs.

This intimation was at firft attended with defired effect. Part of the troops belonging to the garrifon instantly mutinied, confined Zaffer Yab Kkan, and declared for the begum. Mr. Thomas, however, who well knew that no reliance could be placed on the capricious

temper of troops accustomed to frequent mutinies, loft no time in advancing to Sirdhannah, but before he reached that place, a counter-revolution had already proclaimed the reftoration of Sumroo's fon.`

Efcorted by only fifty horfe of approved fidelity, Mr. Thomas entered the cantonments, having at the time he fet out directed four hundred of his infantry to follow him with all poffible expedition; the arrival of the latter force was particularly fortunate, as Zaffer Yab Khan, on Mr. Thomas's first appearance, perceiving him flightly attended, thought he had now got him into his power, and instructed his foldiers to threaten him with inftant death; but at that moment the reinforcement abovementioned arriving, and the mutineers thinking the whole Mahratta force was at hand, not only gave over their design, but now became as fubmiffive as they had before been infolent,

Abandoning the caufe of Somroo's fon, they endeavoured, through the Begum's mediation, to deprecate the refentment of the Mahratta commanders: to this the Begum having con

fented, an oath of fidelity was administered to the troops, and fhe was finally reinstated in the full authority of her Jaghire.

Somroo's fon, after being plundered of his effects, was reconducted a prifoner to Delhi, Part of the fum ftipulated was now paid to Bappoo Scindia, and the remainder promifed. An interview took place between the Begum and the Mahratta chiefs, when every thing being amicably adjusted, the army quitting Sirdhannah repaired to their respective desti

nations.

The restoration of the Begum to her authority, affords us an opportunity of giving a detailed account of her Jaghire.

Sirdhannah, the refidence of Begum Somroo, is the capital of a fmall principality, fituated in the centre of the Dooab, in latitude 29° 10′ north, and about thirty-five coffes diftant from Delhi. This Jaghire was from early times rich and fruitful: it was firft peopled by a Hindoo rajah named Sirkhut. When the famous Mahmood of Ghuzna invaded Hindoo

[A. D. 1795. stan, he settled a colony of Muffulmans in this diftrict, and diftributed lands to them in feveral parts of the country. When the pofterity of Timoor became firmly feated on the throne of India, Sirdhannah was firft attached to the province of Sehaurunpore, fituated at the head of the Dooab, and at the foot of the mountains called Sewalick. In the reign of Mahmood Shah it was affigned as a Jaghire to the famous Kummur Uddeen Khan; and fubfequent to that period it was held by an omrah named Yacoob Ali Khan, of the court of Alumgeer the Second.

On the death of that monarch, the province of Schaurunpore was poffeffed by the Nawaub Nujuff Khan, prime minifter to the present king, and he allotted Sirdhannah and its dependancy to Somroo, a German, who had been in the fervice of Coffim Ali Khan, the depofed fubah of Bengal. This man is well known to the English by the fhare he bore in the dreadful catastrophe of Patna. On the death of Somroo, which happened in the year 1776, Nujuff Khan delivered over the pergunnah to his widow the present Begum, on condition of