I
Chap. XI. J AFFAIRS IN TRt. CARNATIC. 595
Clive, convinced that he could not serve the interests of the Company so a u. 1757.
effectually as by overthrowing Surajah Dowlah, retained all the troops which
lie had taken with him, and ventured, on his own responsibility, to disregard
the orders repeatedly sent him to retui'n. Thus weakened by the absence of a
large part of their forces, the presidency of Madras remained on the defensive.
The French, in the meantime, were not disposed to avail themselves of any
superiority which they possessed. They expected the arrival of a powerful
armament, and deemed it imprudent, while they had the prospect of striking
a final blow at all the British settlements in India, to risk any loss, by engaging
in partial operations. A kind of neutrality had hence been established between -Veiitraiitv
, . ... between the
the companies, and it almost seemed as if the declaration of hostilities between companies, their respective governments had only made them desirous of remaining at peace. This neutrality, however, being only a temporizing expedient, the result not of choice but of accidental circumstances, was necessarily of short duration. It was soon found that neither party could safely remain on the defensive. The Nabob of Arcot, though now nominally in possession of almost the whole territory which he claimed under that title, was unable to derive any regular revenue from it ; and his British allies, who had obtained large tracts of land in assignment of the debts which they had incuiTcd in his behalf, were unable to make them effectual for payment. Two of the nabob's brothers, one in the north and another in the south, were in open revolt; and numerous tributaries, influenced by their example, plainly intimated their determination not to pay unless under compulsion. The necessity of an immediate effort being thus made apparent, the presidency ordered Captain Calliaud, commanding officer at Trichinopoly, to proceed southward with all his disposable troops, to effect the subjugation and settlement of Madura and Tinnevelly, and sent a detachment northward to NeUore. Neither expedition proved successful. In Deauit..ry an attempt to storm NeUore a serious repulse was received; and the siege of Madura was suddenly abandoned, in order to provide for the safety of Trichinopoly, against which the French, when made aware of the defenceless state in which it had been left, had secretly sent an overpowering force, col- lected on the spur of the moment by emptying Pondicherry and other places of their ganisons. The measure was dexterously planned, but very indif- ferently executed, and Trichinopoly was saved by Calliaud, who, by making his way into the city after the enemy supposed that they had rendered access to it impossible, performed the only memorable achievement in this desul- tory warfare, which, after its immediate objects had failed, continued to be carried on by both sides, as if in mere wantonness, with no advantage to tliemselves and infinite misery to the inhabitants. The result was, on the whole, unfavourable to the presidency, who, while their sources of revenue were dried up by the devastation of the country w^iich ought to have furnished them, were constrained to purchase the departure of the Mahrattas,
