The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

by him assigned had any existence.

XX.—MAHRATTA WAR AND PEACE.

I. That by an act passed in 1773 it was expressly ordered and provided, "that it should not
be lawful for any President and Council of Madras, Bombay, or Bencoolen, for the time
being, to make any orders for commencing hostilities, or declaring or making war, against
any Indian princes or powers, or for negotiating or concluding any treaty of peace, or other
treaty, with any such Indian princes or powers, without the consent and approbation of the
Governor-General and Council first had and obtained, except in such cases of imminent
necessity as would render it dangerous to postpone such hostilities or treaties until the
orders from the Governor-General and Council might arrive." That, nevertheless, the
President and Council of Bombay did, in December, 1774, without the consent and
approbation of the Governor-General and Council of Fort William, and in the midst of
profound peace, commence an unjust and unprovoked war against the Mahratta
government, did conclude a treaty with a certain person, a fugitive from that government,
and proscribed by it, named Ragonaut Row, or Ragoba, and did, under various base and
treacherous pretences, invade and conquer the island of Salsette, belonging to the Mahratta
government.

II. That Warren Hastings, on the first advices received in Bengal of the above transactions,
did condemn the same in the strongest terms,—declaring that "the measures adopted by the
Presidency of Bombay had a tendency to a very extensive and indefinite scene of troubles,

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