n to oppose his_
[the said chiefs] _inclinations_": the said Hastings well knowing, as in
his letter to Colonel Muir of the ---- he has confessed, that the
inclinations of the said Sindia were to seize on the Mogul's
territories, and that he himself did secretly concur therein, though he
did not formally insert his concurrence in the treaty with the said
Mahratta chief. It is plain, therefore, that he did all along concur
with the Mahrattas in their designs against the said king and his
ministers, under the treacherous pretence of supporting the authority of
the former against the latter, and did contrive and effect the ruin of
them all. For, first, he did give evil and fraudulent counsel to the
heir-apparent of the Mogul "to make advances to the Mahrattas," when he
well knew, and had expressly concurred in, the designs of that state
against his father's, the Mogul's, dominions; and further to engage and
entrap the said prince, did assert that "our government" (meaning the
British government) "was in intimate and sworn connection with Mahdajee
Sindia," when no alliance, offensive or defensive, appears to exist
between the said Sindia and the East India Company, nor can exist,
otherwise than in virtue of some secret agreement between him, the said
Sindia, and Warren Hastings, entered into by the latter without the
knowledge of his colleagues and the government, and never communicated
to the Court of Directors. And, secondly, he did, in order to further
the designs of the Mahrattas, contrive and effect the ruin of the said
Mogul and his authority, by setting on foot, through the aforesaid Major
Browne, sundry perplexed and intricate negotiations, contrary to public
faith, and to the honor of the British nation; by which he did
exceedingly increase the confusion and disorders of the Mogul's court,
exposing the said Mogul to new indignities, insults, and distresses, and
almost all of the northern parts of India to great and ruinous
convulsions, until three out of four of the principal chieftains, some
of them possessing the territories lately belonging to Nudjif Khan, and
maintaining among them eighty thousand troops of horse and foot, and
some of which chiefs wore the ministers aforesaid, being cut off by
their mutual dissensions, and the fort of Delhi being at length
delivered to the Mahrattas, the said Sindia became the uncontrolled
ruler of the royal army, and the person of the Mogul, with the use of
all his pretensions