As Lord Cornwallis had done, he found the
greatest difficulty in inducing the supine government of Madras to
take any steps. They protested that, were they to make any show of
activity, Tippoo would descend the ghauts, and at once ravage the
whole country; and they declared that they had no force whatever that
could withstand him. They continued in their cowardly inactivity until
the governor general was forced to override their authority
altogether, and take the matter into his own hands.
The first step was to curb the Nizam's power, for everything pointed
to the probability that he intended to join Mysore, being inclined so
to do by Tippoo's promises, and by the influence of the officers of
the strong body of French troops in his service. Negotiations were
therefore opened by Lord Mornington, who offered to guarantee the
Nizam's dominions if he would join the English against Tippoo, and
promised that after the war he should obtain a large share of the
territory taken from Mysore.
The Nizam's position was a difficult one. On one side of him lay the
dominions of his warlike and powerful neighbour, Tippoo. On the other
he was exposed to the incursions of the Mahrattis, whose rising power
was a constant threat to his safety.
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