scarcely two marches distant from Gwalior. Daulat Ráo was completely surprised by this skilful and unexpected manœuvre; he had barely 8,000 men with him at his capital, the rest of his troops were distributed elsewhere, and he suddenly found himself surrounded and cut off from the other portions of his dominions by two British divisions, who, having seized the passes over the rocky hills between the Chambal and the Sind rivers, blocked his communications to the south. All his hopes of evading the demands which were pressed upon him now disappeared, and he perceived with consternation that while he attempted to engage the Governor-General with unprofitable discussions, the latter had secretly and swiftly swept down upon him, when he was unprepared, and left him no option but to agree at once to the terms which were offered. Sindhia reluctantly concluded the treaty of Gwalior (5th November), the stipulations of which have already been mentioned, but he took care to obstruct its execution by every means in his power; this result was only what was to be expected, and the direct and full effect of the treaty was not immediately felt: that is to say, a decided advantage was gained, and Sindhia who could best support the Pindárís was controlled and neutralised, and was moreover discredited in the eyes of the other Maráthá chiefs; but force alone held him to his contract[1].
Lord Hastings was much elated by the ratification
- ↑ The text of the Treaty of Gwalior is given in Thornton's History of the British Empire in India, 2nd ed., London, 1859, p. 431.
