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THE COALITION AGAINST TIPU SULTAN
Lord Cornwallis could not enter into an offensive and defensive alliance with the Marathas in 1787 because, in the absence of any provocation from Tipu, that would have been a violation of the India Act of 1784. But the so-called attack on the Travancore lines having freed the Governor-General from the restraints imposed by the Act, he immediately set himself to the task of organising a confederacy against Tipu. He was anxious to obtain the support of the Indian princes, and particularly of the Peshwa, in order that "the war should be speedily terminated not only from the point of view of the Company's finances, but also in order to preclude the coming of help from France." To achieve the success of his negotiations, he used cajolery and induce ments. He even employed threats, and appealed to the religious sentiments of the Hindu rulers.
Malet, the Company's agent at Poona, was instructed to inform the Peshwa about Tipu's aggression against an ally of the Company, and to "excite him to embrace this favourable opportunity to revenge the injuries that the Mahrattas have suffered from Tipu and his father by engaging heartily and vigorously with us in carrying on the war against him."2 In case Nana refused the alliance, Cornwallis asked Malet to warn him that "we have no doubt of our own strength being sufficient to bring the war to an honourable issue, but that if the burden of it shall be left entirely upon ourselves, we shall probably not think it incumbent upon us in the course of future negotiations to attend to the interests of those of our friends who have contented themselves with looking on a scene.
and recover their territories that were unjustly seized by his lase father, and will join in punishing a man who is the enemy of all mankind, and whose heart is bent on the destruction of every sect as well Hindoo as every other." Similar letters were sent to Mahadji Sindhia and Tukoji Holkar, who were requested to use their influence at Poona to bring about an alliance between the Pedewa and the Company.
The response of Holkar to the advances of Cornwallis was dis appointing; for he not only himself refused to join the English, but advised the Nizam and the Peshwa to do the same. He was in favour of an alliance with Tipu
Sindhia, on the other hand, was willing to offer his personal services in the war against Tipu, and was ready to proceed to Poona in order to obviate any delay in the negotiations for a union between the Peshwa and the English. But his condition was that, during his absence, the English should protect his kingdom in Hindustan, and Cornwallis should persuade the Rajas of Jaipur and Jodhpur to return to the dependence of the Marathas. But Cornwallis refused these conditions on the ground that their acceptance would involve the Company into a labyrinth of difficulties.
Moreover, Cornwallis did not require Sindhia's mediation, for his proposal for an alliance was favourably received by the Poona Govern ment which, on February 7, 1790, officially declared to Malet that it was ready to take part with the Company in hostilities against Tipu' Nevertheless, it was not without some difficulty that the final terms of the treaty were adjusted; for Nana, taking advantage of the English desire for a union with the Marathas, wanted extort favourable terms from them before joining the coalition against Tipu.
After holding a number of meetings with Malet, Nana, on February 23, sent to him through Behro Pant, both in the name of the Peshwa and the Nizam, the preliminaries consisting of ten articles. Their chief provisions were: That the ancient possessions of the Peshwa, now held by Tipu, shall be restored to the Peshwa, and the principality of Cuddapah shall be restured to the Nizam; that the ancient camindars and poligar of different districts shall be reinstated therein; that the nagrana on such reinatement shall be equally divided between the three contracting.
Tipu and the Nizam
Meanwhile Tipu Sultan was not inactive. As we have seen, he tried his best to counter the intrigues of Malet at Poona and to prevent the Marathas from joining the English against him. Similarly, he left no stone unturned to induce the Nizam to join him instead of joining the English. But just as his efforts failed at Poona, so at Hyderabad too they did not bear any fruit.
Tipu in August 1787. This was done through his nephew, Imtiaz-ud daulah, and Shams-ul-umara, the Commander of his Household troops, and the principal jagirdar of the kingdom. As Tipu's response to the overtures was encouraging, the Nizam sent Hafiz Farid-ud-din and Bahadur Khan to Seringapatam in October 1787 with letters and presents for the Sultan. Ostensibly the ambassadors were despatched by Imtiaz-ud-daulah.