'History of the Province of Gohud' [‎34r] (67/72)

67
■which he had been forced in direct violation of existing
Treaties; and in a manner totally subversive of the rights
of allies of the British Government. Accordingly, Eana
Bhugwunth Singh took occasion of the new Treaties being
formed with Gwalior in 1843 to prefer his claims for the
restoration of his hereditary dominions secured to his High
ness by the Treaties of 1779 and 1804. The Rana had
earned the respect and deep gratitude of the British Govern
ment at this time by heartily and zealously co-operating
with the British army in the field, with all his available
troops, and there is every reason, from the sentiments sub
sequently expressed by his Lordship, to believe, that had
the history of Gohud, as detailed in these pages, been known
to the Governor-General, the Earl of Ellenborough, then at
Gwalior, the claims of the Rana would have met with the
consideration they desired. But, unfortunately, the early
records in the Foreign Department of the Government of
India were at this time very little known, and as no com
pilation of Treaties, such as are now available, then existed,
the early history of Gohud and its connection with the
British Government was totally unknown. In illustration
of the very deficient information then possessed by the
Government respecting its relations with Foreign States, it
may be here stated, that it was from a printed work on the
history of the Mahrattas, casually found in the China Bazaar
at Calcutta, and brought to the notice of Lord Ellenborough,
that his Excellency derived the information on which he
based the policy pursued in respect to Scindiah after the
battle of Maharajpore in 1843. The State papers and
records of the Gohud State had been all destroyed in the
long wars with the Mahrattas, and the Maha Rana was
unable to produce any documents to illustrate or estab
lish his claim, and so this favourable opportunity was
lost. It is indeed only now that the Maha Rana has been
able to procure, from official State papers now open to the
public, the information embodied in this history. The facts