But the young tyrant of Moorshedabad was swayed by constantly
fluctuating feeling. At one moment his fears were uppermost; the next,
his anger and hate of the English. Instead of recalling the army of
Rajah Dulab Ram, as he had promised, he ordered it to halt at Plassey,
a large village twenty-two miles south of Moorshedabad.
The English were represented at his court by Mr. Watts, who had the
greatest difficulty in maintaining his position, in the constantly
changing moods of the nabob. One day the latter would threaten to
order him to be led to instant execution, the next he would load him
with presents.
Besides Mr. Watts, the English affairs were conducted by Omichund who,
aided by the Sets, or native bankers, whom Suraja-u-Dowlah had
plundered and despoiled, got up a conspiracy among the nabob's most
intimate followers.
The history of these intrigues is the most unpleasant feature in the
life of Clive. Meer Jaffier, the nabob's general, himself offered to
Mr. Watts to turn traitor, if the succession to the kingdom was
bestowed upon him. This was agreed to, upon his promise to pay, not
only immense sums to the Company, but enormous amounts to the
principal persons on the English side.
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