The aid of the British
troops has, by degrees, been altogether withdrawn, and the
landholders of this class despise the Oude Government, and many of
them resist its troops whenever they attempt to enforce the payment
of even its most moderate demands. The revenues of the State fall off
as the armed bands of these landholders increase, and families who,
in his time, kept up only fifty armed men, have now five hundred, or
even a thousand or two thousand, and spend what they owe to
Government in maintaining them. To pay such bands they withhold the
just demands of the State, rob their weaker neighbours of their
possessions, and plunder travellers on the highway, and men of
substance, wherever they can find them.
"When Saadut Allee made over one-half of his dominions to the British
Government in 1801, he was bound to reduce his military force and
rely altogether upon the support of your Government. He did so; but
the force he retained, though small, was good; and while that support
was afforded things went on well--he was a wise man, and made the
most of the means he had. Since that time, sir, the Oude force has
been increased four-fold, as your aid has been withdrawn; but the
whole is not equal to the fourth part which served under Saadut
Allee. You see how insignificant it everywhere is, and how much it is
despised even by the third-class Rajpoot landholders. You see, also,
how they everywhere prey upon the people, and are dreaded and
detested by them: the only estates free from their inroads are those
under the 'Huzoor Tuhseel,' into which the Amils and their disorderly
hosts dare not enter.
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