Page:History of the French in India.djvu/379

RISK INCURRED BY DUPLEIX. 355 jewelled ornaments of the peacock-throne seemed near chap. • VIII enough to excite the fancy and to stimulate to irre- sistible action ! 1751. This tempting vision offered yet another advantage. It seemed so easy of accomplishment. Knowing the native character so thoroughly as did Dupleix, he was well aware that notwithstanding the obligations under which the reigning Subadar might be to the French, they would all be forgotten unless he were continually reminded of their power as a people — unless he had constantly before his eyes evidence of their superiority. It was therefore, primarily, not less to maintain French influence at the court of the Subadar, than to support the pretensions of Muzaffar Jang, that Bussy had been directed to accompany that prince to Aurangabad. Dupleix did not doubt that with the French troops under a soldier-diplomatist in occupation of his capital, engaged to support the Subadar ; and, what was of more consequence, with the Subadar himself feeling that he could depend upon them alone to support him ; the soldier-diplomatist, if he were skilful and able, would inevitably draw to himself the whole influence of the province, that he would shape its foreign policy, and inspire its political action — that he, in fact, would become the omnipotent mayor of the palace, the Subadar subside into the powerless automaton. Thus to divide his forces and to lose the services of his ablest general in the presence of such an enemy as the English, who had the sea as their base of oper- ations, was undoubtedly to run a great risk. Yet before we condemn Dupleix too harshly for running such a risk, we must point to the situation of affairs on the coast at that time. The two nations were nominally at peace. The entire Karnatik and TrichinapalH, with the sole exception of the town of that name, had acknowledged Chanda Sahib as Nawwab. The English had positively refused to assist Muhammad Ali in the A A 2