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F10195_0062
27. course, & that most advantageous both to the Nawab Wazir himself & to the country, would be to place all control exclusively in the hands of the Company. The Wazir, finding that he was gaining nothing by his declared intention, accordingly withdrew it. Wellesley saw that he had never seriously entertained the idea of retirement, was incensed at his conduct. He remained insistent that the Wazir should properly support the British army in Oudh, & that he should either reform or abolish his own rabble. Still matters moved slowly. At last Wellesley, seeing that the Wazir had no intention of complying with his wishes, became sterner, & in January 1801 gave him the choice of two alternatives, either to agree to a subsidiary treaty exactly the same as was in force in Tanjore, or to forfeit to the Company the districts of Doab & Rohilkhand in payment for the additional troops which would in any case be sent into Oudh. The forfeiture of these provinces would mean the complete surrounding of Oudh by the Company's possession. The poor Nawab Wazir was very loth to comply with either of two such unpleas-
F10195_0064
28. ing suggestions. In two more letters he tried his hardest to escape from the dilemma. Wellesley would wait no longer. He gave orders to have the districts taken possession of by force. The Nawab Wazir now tried to break off with the Company altogether. He even refused to pay his subsidies. In July Wellesley had sent his brother Henry to help Colonel Scott to form a treaty with the Wazir on the usual subsidiary lines. Henry, however, did not arrive at Lucknow until September. Even then it was some time before the Wazir would consent even to a conference. At last, however, under the influence of Henry Wellesley's diplomacy he yielded, & signed a treaty which gave to the Company the districts required & arranged for the substitution of the British system of government for the former misgovernment of the Wazir. Wellesley, therefore, achieved his ends in Oudh. But he had cause for great personal indignation against the Directors who chose to accuse him openly of undue favouritism towards his brother Henry. This, as we shall see, was not the only ground for the bitter hatred
