NOTES ON HYDERABAD AND THE ARMY OF THE NIZAM.

IN May, 1829, Nasir-al-Dowlah, the present Nizam, ascended the musnud of Hyderabad, on the death of his father. He, however, met with considerable opposition from Moubaras-al-Dowlah, his brother, who founded his claims to the succession on his priority of birth, being the elder son, though by a Nickah marriage, which, regarded by the Mahomedans as of an inferior sort, is not considered sufficiently sacred to legitimate its offspring.

Notwithstanding the fallacy of his pretensions, Moubaras-al-Dowlah availed himself of his extreme popularity in the city of Hyderabad, to raise a powerful party against his brother: in this design he was ably seconded by several powerful somrahs or nobles, whom he had won over by his enterprising and intriguing character; and who either openly joined him with their numerous armed followers, or secretly abetted his treasonable designs. These were much facilitated by the unsettled nature of the government: at all times more or less in this condition, Hyderabad, at this period of fermentation, presented a scene of confusion scarcely to be described.

The jarring interests of the somrahs, the discontent of the Seik and Arab troops, employed as mercenaries in the Nizam's service, and whose pay, as is customary with most native powers, had been long kept in arrears, together with that proneness to change, whether for good or evil, so characteristic of the rabble of a large city, bid fair to render Hyderabad a scene of bloodshed and confusion.

Moubaras-al-Dowlah failed not to take advantage of this state of things, and by his intrigues succeeded in a few months in raising so powerful a party against his brother, that the latter, alarmed for his personal safety, was fain to apply for the interference of Mr. Martin, the British resident at this court.

After several ineffectual attempts to induce Moubaras to listen to the dictates of reason, and dismiss his refractory retainers, it was at last resolved to effect by coercion what could not be obtained by persuasion. The whole of the Hyderabad subsidiary force was accordingly ordered out, and invested that part of the city occupied by the rebels, as they might justly be termed.

The subsidiary force, under Colonel Campbell, C.B. of the 46th regiment, consisted of the following corps :-The 5th light cavalry; his Majesty's 46th regiment; the Madras rifle corps; the 8th, 43d, and 52d regiments of native infantry; together with a troop of horse, and a battalion of foot artillery, amounting in all to between three and four thousand men these were reinforced by the Madras European regiment, which, at that time on its way to Nagpore, was ordered to join the force then encamped before Hyderabad.

Unwilling, even now, to proceed to extremities, which would necessarily have involved the ruin of Hyderabad, every means was employed by the Resident to induce Moubaras-al-Dowlah to recognize his brother's authority, and to surrender himself to his power, thereby avoiding that effusion of blood which might for a short time retard, though it could not eventually prevent, his downfall. He, however, for some time remained deaf to both threats and remonstrances, and mani

fested a determination to defend himself to the last. We had till now fancied that all would end in smoke, or rather without it; however, Moubaras' obstinacy was beginning to give us some expectation of seeing the interior of the city, and we were already discussing our chance of a peep at some of the black-eyed beauties of the seraglios, or that of securing some Bahadur's Kattaywar horse,-when an order directing us to be under arms by one, P.M., and naming the storming party, gave a fresh stimulus to our hopes. The town was merely defended by loopholed walls, which could be levelled in half an hour. A gun fired at the appointed time was to be the signal of attack: the artillery had been brought to bear on that point which it was intended to breach, the matches were lit, and we were getting our swords sharpened, and pistols ready, for the eventful moment,-when Moubaras' courage failed, and he consented to give himself up and be imprisoned in the fort of Golcondah, provided he were allowed to take his treasures with him.

These terms were acceded to, and we returned to cantonments, not a little dissatisfied at the pacific conclusion of our campaign; from which, at one time, we had been led to hope far different results.

The overthrow of Moubaras-al-Doulah allowed the Nizam to relapse into that state of indolence from which he had of late been obliged to rouse himself. He returned to his zenanah, surrounded by his women, of whom he had even formed a guard *, and entirely resigned the reins of government into the hands of his ministers, Mounier-al-Moolk and Chundoo Lall. The former, though nominally the first minister, leaves the entire management of affairs to Chundoo Lall, a Hindoo, but whose talents have, for many years enabled him to keep his precarious post at the head of a state subject to almost daily change. It is hinted that his subserviency to the Company has not a little contributed to maintain him thus long in power, and that he is completely devoted to the British

interests.

Be this as it may, it is tolerably evident that the once-powerful state of Hyderabad is allowed merely to exist on sufferance; and will probably, on the first favourable opportunity, be annexed to the Company's territories.

The state of the Nizam's army adds to his dependence on the Company. It consists of three distinct bodies of men: his regular forces, the irregulars, and the foreigners employed in his service. The former consist of several battalions of infantry, some artillery, and a few russalahs, or bodies of horse. They are all officered by Europeans, or by men of European extraction; the former being principally, likewise, in the Company's service. These troops are disciplined in the European manner; and, with the exception of the cavalry, are paid, armed, and

* These Amazons, forming the guard of the zenanah, or seraglio, are under a state of military discipline, can go through the manual and platoon exercises, and the general movements of Company drill. The following ludicrous circumstance occurred some time ago, on the visit of an European officer, whose curiosity had been excited to see this female prætorian band: he observed with astonishment that the big drummer, or rather the beater of the big drum, had her instrument suspended behind, instead of having it in the usual position, and was in this attitude hammering away with great execution; on inquiring the reason of this singularity, he was very gravely informed that it was merely occasioned by the gallant drummer being at that time enceinte, U. S. JOURN. No. 60, Nov. 1833.

clothed in the same way as the Company's sepoys, whom, however, they surpass in appearance, as they principally come from the upper provinces of Hindostan, which produce larger and finer men than the southern parts of India. The greater number of them are Mussulmans, particularly in the cavalry, which body is entirely composed of men of this persuasion; and, though classed among the regular forces, is called the Nizam's irregular horse they are a fine body of men, well armed and mounted; and though their dress is partly European and partly Asiatic, it has a military appearance and imposing effect. They are clad in dark green, with red turbans of a peculiar shape, tight pantaloons, and high jack-boots: their arms consist of pistols, a sabre suspended from the waist by a broad black belt, and a spear of great length, in the use of which they are extremely expert; when mounted on one of their large Hindostan horses, and fully equipped, scarcely anything can be imagined of a more soldierlike aspect than one of the Nizam's souwars or horsemen.

Though attached to their European officers, they have, on several occasions, proved that they will not suffer their peculiar customs or prejudices to be infringed even by them with impunity. This was exemplified a few years ago in the case of Major Davies, a gallant officer, and in general much beloved, but who, by an ill-judged threat to cut off, as a punishment, the beards of some of the men of the russalah under his command, exasperated them to such a degree that a mutiny was the consequence, in the course of which he was put to death*.

The officers of this branch are composed entirely of those in the Company's service, receive splendid allowances in addition to their pay as Company's servants, and require no small degree of interest to get appointed. The patronage rests almost entirely with the British Resident at Hyderabad, who appoints to the Nizam's troops such officers as he deems fit, and whose advancement in this service depends wholly on him in fact, there is no regular grade of promotion; the different corps are, in general, commanded by captains; and, on a vacancy occurring, it is filled up by interest, not seniority.

Formerly, King's officers, their regiments being in India, were eligible to the Nizam's service: this is, however, at present, like all the good things in the country, monopolized by the Company; in consequence of which several officers of the former class, in order to retain their appointments in the Nizam's, have sold out, and retired from our service.

The principal stations of the Nizam's regular forces are Bolarum,

*Several instances of this feeling have occurred in the Company's cavalry, likewise composed mostly of Mussulmans, who are readier to avenge a real or supposed injury than their more tractable Hindoo brethren. Major Wallis was, in 1827, shot at Hyderabad by a trooper of the 2d Cavalry, of the name of Mahomed Cassim, and Major S-h, of the 5th, has since then had a narrow escape at Trinchinopoly. In the case of Mahomed Cassim, the popular feeling was so strongly in his favour, that fakeers, or religious devotees, came to the foot of the gibbet on which he was suspended in chains, to offer their prayers and homage as they would at the shrine of a departed saint; and a guard was found necessary to prevent his body from being carried away by his numerous admirers.

about ten miles from Hyderabad, Hingolee, Mhommenabad, and Aurungabad. At each of these places they have regular cantonments, the several duties of which are carried on with the greatest order and regularity, and the strictest discipline enforced.

It is not likely that, without ulterior views in its own favour, the Company should sanction, nay encourage, the maintenance of troops of the above description in a foreign state, by allowing them to be commanded and disciplined by its own officers, who, in the event of any collision between the Nizam and their government, would probably find little difficulty in inducing the men under their command to declare in favour of the latter; and no very strong powers of persuasion would be requisite to effect this, so well are they aware of the superior advantages of receiving regular pay, which, even at present, the Company is in a great measure the means of ensuring to them.

The Nizam's irregular troops consist of men badly armed, and worse clothed, who have more the semblance of a disorderly rabble than of soldiers. They are mostly provided with matchlocks, and both officers and men have the most ragged appearance. The former, (all of whom are natives,) from a practice of imitating the European dress, succeed frequently in cutting the most ridiculous figure. It is no unusual thing to behold the commanding officer riding at the head of his regiment, equipped in a cocked hat and feathers, with jack-boots and leather breeches, and an old coatee, with or without epaulettes, probably the long since cast-off relic of some officer in the cantonment. The following description, by Wilks, of a body of the Nizam's troops, which joined the army under Lord Cornwallis in 1791, may be very aptly applied to the present state of His Highness's irregular forces:-" It is probable that no national or private collection of ancient armour in Europe contains any weapon or article of personal equipment which might not be traced in this motley crowd: the Parthian bow and arrow, the iron club of Scythia, sabres of every age and nation, lances of every length and description, and matchlocks of every form, metallic helmets of every pattern."

These troops are mostly employed in doing duty in the city of Hyderabad, and garrisoning the various hill-forts and strongholds in the Nizam's territories. They still retain some traces of the discipline first introduced by General Raymond, a Frenchman, of no ordinary talents and military skill, to whom the late Nizam had recourse on the invasion of his territories by the Mahrattas in 1792, when Sir John Shore, who had lately succeeded Lord Cornwallis, influenced by the pacific nature of his instructions, deemed himself justified in refusing those succours which the Nizam had been led to expect from the British government, in consequence of the engagements which had been mutually entered into previous to the Mysore war. It was in this emergency that Raymond, with the assistance of other French officers, succeeded, in a short time, in organizing and disciplining a body of no less than 14,000 men, in such a manner as to render them superior to the forces of any other native power. These were subsequently disbanded by the articles of the treaty of 1798, on the introduction of the British subsidiary force; but Raymond's memory is still regarded with so much veneration by the natives, that lights are kept constantly burning at his tomb, to main

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tain which a certain number of fakeers are in continual attendance; rather an unusual mark of homage from Mahomedans to a Christian.

The Arabs and Seiks in the Nizam's pay are reckoned capital irregular troops. The former have established a well-earned reputation for bravery, and have always distinguished themselves in the defence of fortified places. To adduce one example out of many, it was principally owing to the Arabs who garrisoned the town of Bhurtpore, that the failure of Lord Lake may be attributed. The Seiks are natives of Lahore and the Punjab; and, though Hindoos, by being divested of most of the prejudices of caste, they are more fitted for the military profession than the generality of their brethren; the only restrictions enjoined by their sect being those of abstaining from the use of tobacco, and from feeding on the flesh of the cow. They are a fine, soldier-likelooking race of men; are distinguished by the length of their beards, of which they are particularly proud, and the preservation of which is one of the articles of their creed. Their arms consist of a matchlock, sabre, and creese (dagger), and of a weapon which, I believe, is peculiar to them. This is a circular brass or iron ring, in shape not unlike a quoit, the outward edge of which is sharpened. This is carried on the summit of the cap or turban, and is used very effectually as an offensive weapon, by being rapidly turned round the forefinger, and generally thrown with unerring aim; the circular motion with which it is impelled causing it to inflict the most ghastly wounds on the object it strikes.

The origin of the Seiks as a separate religious sect is comparatively of modern date. History first mentions them as such under their first leader, Nannuck, during the reign of Baber, at the commencement of the sixteenth century. They were constantly opposed to the Mogul power; and, by frequent irruptions from their fastnesses in the Himmalah mountains, proved no slight source of annoyance to the emperors of Delhi. This was particularly the case during the reign of Aurungzebe; who, although successful in taking and putting to death their chief, Taiz Bahadur, experienced considerable opposition from his son, Gooroo Govind. Under Shah Alum, Aurungzebe's successor, their power received a considerable check by the capture of Daberah, their principal stronghold in the Himmalah range. They, however, are said to have again greatly extended their influence, under the weak reigns of Ahmed Shah and Alumgheer; and during the last forty years, Rungeet Sing, the celebrated Lahore chief, has so greatly increased their dominion and territories, as to have rendered them the most formidable native principality in India.

The Seiks and Arabs at Hyderabad are in a constant state of animosity, caused, probably, by a spirit of rivalry, and their difference of faith. This frequently leads to quarrels, that are seldom settled without having recourse to the sword, and in the course of which blood is generally shed, and the city plunged into the greatest confusion and dismay. This, a short time ago, was carried to such an extent, that the Arabs drove all the Seiks out of Hyderabad, when the latter began to plunder and lay waste the country; and it was only by furnishing to both parties a portion of their arrears of pay, that order was restored, and the Arabs permitted their adversaries to return to Hyderabad.

Chundoo Lall, it is said, would gladly get rid of both parties, which his inability to pay them the full amount of their arrears alone prevents