a friend to the Maharaja, bound by treaty to respect
his highness's person, and to maintain his sovereign authority against
all who were disobedient and disturbers of the public peace." Having
established a strong government at Gwalior, capable of maintaining the
authority of the Maharaja, the British armies were subsequently ordered
to withdraw to their own territory. They were not, however, destined to
return without a severe conflict with the Mahratta forces. They had left
Agra in the early part of December; and on the 23rd they crossed the
Chumbul river, and halted at Hingona, about twenty miles distance from
Gwalior. The governor-general was with the British troops; and during
the interval of five days' halt at Hingona, the Mahratta Vakeels, or
agents for the Gwalior Durbar, had an interview with him. He supposed
that they were desirous of peace, but war was in their hearts. They were
evidently desirous only of gaining time by negociation to assemble
and concentrate their forces. This at last became so evident that the
governor-general determined on active measures of hostility. While the
main body of our army moved on under the command of Sir Hugh Gough from
Agra, another division, under Major-general Grey, advanced on Gwalior
from Bundle Khand. The main division crossed the Khoraee river early in
the evening of the 29th of December; and they found the Mahratta forces
drawn up in front of the village of Mahrajpoor, in a strong position.
The British troops were about 14,000 strong, with forty pieces of
artillery; and the Mahrattas numbered 18,000 men, including 3000
cavalry, and one hundred guns. An obstinate battle was fought, in which
the British lost about one hundred killed, and had about seven hundred
wounded; while the Mahrattas are said to have lost more than three
thousand men. The British were victorious, not only defeating the enemy,
but capturing many of their standards, and most of their guns. On the
same day, Major-general Grey, with a force of only 2000 men gained
another victory at Punniar over a Mahratta force, estimated at 12,000
in number. The consequence of these victories was the submission of the
Mahratta Durbar to the demands of the Indian government; Colonel Stubbs
was appointed by the Maha Ranee governor of the fort of Gwalior, which
commands the city; the Mahratta troops were disbanded: and a British
contingent, consisting of seven regiments of infantry and two of
cavalry, was to be maintain