e great sovereigns of Europe; and the
delegates of these viceroys had a wider extent of territory than is
included in most of the minor states of Germany. This empire began to
lose its unity toward the close of the seventeenth century. The
different viceroys, while professing a nominal allegiance to the crown
of Delhi, established a substantial independence; several of their
immediate vassals treated them as they had done the emperor; and
several warlike tribes took advantage of this disorganization to
plunder the defenceless provinces. Of these the most formidable were
the Mahrattas, whose name was long the terror of the peninsula.

Dupleix, whose name has already been mentioned as the French governor
of Pondicherry, was the first who conceived the possibility of
establishing a European dominion on the ruins of the Delhi empire;
and, for this purpose, he wisely resolved to attempt no direct
conquest, but to place at the head of the different principalities,
men who owed their elevation to his aid, and whose continuance in
power would be dependent on his assistance. With this view he
supported a claimant to the viceroyalty of the Deccan, and another to
the subordinate government of the Carnatic; or, as the Indians term
it, a rival nizam, and a rival nabob, against the princes already in
possession of these territories. His efforts were equally splendid and
successful; the competitors whom he had selected became masters of the
kingdom, and he, as the bestower of such mighty prizes, began to be
regarded as the greatest authority in India. The English were struck
with astonishment, and, as there was peace with France, they were at a
loss to determine on the line of conduct that they ought to pursue.
Mohammed Ali, whom the English recognized as Nabob of the Carnatic,
was reduced to the possession of the single town of Trichinopoly, and
even that was invested by Chunda Sahib, the rival nabob, and his
French auxiliaries. Under these circumstances Clive proposed to the
Madras authorities the desperate expedient of seizing on Arcot, the
capital of the Carnatic, and thus recalling Chunda Sahib from the
siege of Trichinopoly. With a force of 200 Europeans and 300 Sepoys,
under eight officers, four of whom had been taken from the
counting-house, Clive surprised Arcot in the midst of a terrific
storm, and the garrison fled without striking a blow. Being reinforced
by large bodies of troops, the expelled garrison, swelled to the
nu