chapter 3 (volume 1)._

"By Lord Wellesley's treaty with the then Nawab-Vizier of Oude, that prince had agreed to introduce into his then remaining territories, such a system of administration as should be conducive to the prosperity of his subjects, and to the security of the lives and property of the inhabitants; and always to advise with, and act in conformity to the counsel of, the officers of the Company's Government. Advantage had been taken of this clause, from time to time, to remonstrate with the Oude princes on their misgovernment. I have no doubt that the charges to this effect were in great measure correct. The house of Oude has never been remarkable for peculiar beneficence as governors. A work lately published, the 'Private Life of an Eastern King,' affords, I suppose, a true picture of what they may have been as men. Still, the charges against them came, for the most part, from interested lips. … Certain it is that all disinterested English observers—Bishop Heber, for instance—entering Oude fresh from Calcutta, and with their ears full of the current English talk about its miseries, were surprised to find a well–cultivated country, a manly and independent people. … Under Lord Dalhousie's rule, however, and after the proclamation of his annexation policy, complaints of Oude misgovernment became—at Calcutta—louder and louder. Within Oude itself, these complaints were met, and in part justified, by a rising Moslem fanaticism. Towards the middle of 1855, a sanguinary affray took place at Lucknow" between Hindoos and Mussulmans, "in which the King took part with his co-religionists, against the advice of Colonel Outram, the then Resident. Already British troops near Lucknow were held in readiness to act; already the newspapers were openly speculating on immediate annexation. … At Fyzabad, new disturbances broke out between Hindoos and Moslems. {2407} The former were victorious. A Moolavee, or doctor, of high repute, named Ameer Alee, proclaimed the holy war. Troops were ordered against him. … The talk of annexation grew riper and riper. The Indian Government assembled 16,000 men at Cawnpore. For months the Indian papers had been computing what revenue Oude yielded to its native prince—what revenue it might yield under the Company's management. Lord Dalhousie's successor, Lord Canning, was already at Bombay. But the former seems to have been anxious to secure for himself the glory of this step. The plea—the sole plea—for annexation, was maltreatment of their people by the Kings of Oude. … The King had been warned by Lord William Bentinck, by Lord Hardinge. He had declined to sign a new treaty, vesting the government of his country exclusively in the East India Company. He was now to be deposed; and all who withheld obedience to the Governor-General's mandate were to be rebels (7th February, 1856). The King followed the example of Pertaub Shean of Sattara—withdrew his guns, disarmed his troops, shut up his palace. Thus we entered into possession of 24,000 square miles of territory, with 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 inhabitants, yielding £1,000,000 of revenue. But it was expected by officials that it could be made to yield £1,500,000 of surplus. Can you wonder that it was annexed?"

_J. M. Ludlow, British India, part 2, lecture 15 (volume 2)._

ALSO IN: _E. Arnold, The Marquis of Dalhousie's Administration of British India,

_Sir W. W. Hunter, The Marquess of Dalhousie,

_W. M. Torrens, Empire in Asia: How we came by it,