Kanchi Shankara Mutt

[Sudalaimuthu Palaniappan]

In a message dated 8/22/00 10:48:47 PM Central Daylight Time,
vsundaresan at HOTMAIL.COM writes:

<< . Pratapasimha ousted the legitimate king, Shahuji, only in 1749. A date of
 1739 is too early for him, as Shahuji's mother was regent from 1737 to 1740,
 and Shahuji ruled 1740 - 1749. >>


"Dupleix and Clive" by Henry Dodwell (1962 reprint of 1920 publication) gives
the following information (p. 42-44).

"Towards the end of 1748, Shahji, who had been driven from the throne of
Tanjore in 1739, applied to the English for help to recover the kingdom,
asserting that he would find plenty of support once he entered Tanjore with
an English force. He had already made one or two attempts to engaage the
French in his favour,1 but at that time Dupleix had both the English war and
Chanda Sahib's intrigue on his hands; he therefore refused. The English,
however, free from engagements. They had just received news that peace was
being made in Europe. They decided therefore to help Shahji with a body of
men on condition of a grant of Devikottai, a small fort at the mouth of the
Coleroon, and the reimbursement of their expenses.2...

Of the expedition itself little need be said. It was nearly overwhelmed by a
cyclone before it reached the Coleroon; not a soul in Tanjore was prepared to
support Shahji; after an inglorious appearance before Devikottai and a still
more inglorious retreat, a second expedition was dispatched by sea. This was
commanded by Lawrence. He took Devikottai easily enough; and when Pratap
Singh, the actual Raja of Tanjore, offered terms, they were accepted, and
Shahji was pensioned off into obscurity from which he should never have
emerged."


Footnote 1. Leriche to Dupleix, april 26 and October 29, 1747 (P. R., No.83);
Diary of Ananda Ranga Pillai, vol. iv. pp. 350 and 387, etc.

Footnote 2. Country Correspondence, 1748, p. 83; Fort. St. David Cons., April
10, 1749.

Regards
S. Palaniappan