Chapter 504: The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Poor
"This is absolutely impossible!" shouted Cornwallis, the Governor-General of India, slamming the table. "Vijayanagara now belongs to the East India Company."
The British had spent an enormous amount on the war, capturing only two and a half provinces in northwest Mysore. Meanwhile, trade along India's west coast had been at a standstill for more than six months, plunging the British into financial losses. There was no way they would relinquish their hard-won spoils.
Tipu Sultan ignored Cornwallis and instead turned to Hyderabad's vizier, Abuzam:
"Will you stand by and watch as the people of Vijayanagara fall under the rule of infidels?"
Hyderabad, like Mysore, was an Islamic state and had even been allied with Mysore decades earlier.
Abuzam recognized Tipu's attempt to drive a wedge between Hyderabad and the British. Still, Hyderabad had lost over 30,000 soldiers fighting for the British in this war. Receiving Vijayanagara as compensation seemed only fair.
Clearing his throat, Abuzam cautiously addressed Sir Sealy, the British representative:
"My lord, if we were to manage Vijayanagara on your behalf, we could increase tax revenue by 30%..."
"There's no need for your opinion," Sealy interrupted harshly, banging the table. "Vijayanagara is not up for negotiation."
"Hmph!" Tipu Sultan stood abruptly. "In that case, we'll settle this on the battlefield."
In truth, he wasn't entirely confident about this declaration. The British currently held a clear advantage on the battlefield, and Srirangapatna was on the verge of falling. However, Tipu remained steadfast in Marquis Lafayette's prediction: the British would retreat before the monsoon season ended. Thus, he maintained a strong front during negotiations.
Sealy's eyes flashed with a hint of helplessness—supplies for the British expeditionary force would last less than two weeks. If they didn't retreat to Canara soon, their withdrawal could turn into a full-scale rout.
After much back-and-forth, Sealy finally agreed to allow Hyderabad to "administer" the area north of Bellary and to permit residents of other parts of Vijayanagara to relocate to Hyderabad.
Abuzam exchanged a grateful glance with Tipu Sultan, though his feelings toward the British soured further.
Next, Sealy and Tipu began discussing the fate of Carnatic. According to a prior Anglo-French agreement, Carnatic, located in Mysore's eastern region, would end its alliance with Britain and remain neutral.
During the war, British forces had concentrated primarily in the northwest, leaving Carnatic without any meaningful support. Mysore forces had taken advantage of this to strike hard.
Had Tipu not heeded Joseph's advice to refocus on defending Mysore's core territories, Carnatic's southern provinces might have been entirely lost.
Thus, Carnatic had no objection to ending its alliance with Britain. What use was an ally that did nothing but collect taxes while failing to provide protection?
After the three parties finalized Carnatic's new status, Tipu Sultan turned to Carnatic's representative and said:
"There should never have been a war between Mysore and Carnatic."
Glancing at Cornwallis and Sealy, he stopped short of outright blaming the British for the conflict and continued:
"Therefore, I am willing to return Tiruchirapalli to you."
Tiruchirapalli, a southern province of Carnatic, had been occupied by Mysore early in the war.
On the advice of the French, Tipu understood that ruling this territory would be resource-intensive and would only fuel Carnatic's resentment. Returning it might instead earn Carnatic's gratitude.
The French stronghold of Pondicherry was adjacent to Carnatic. If Carnatic were cooperative, Mysore could covertly establish contact with the French.
The Carnatic envoy was clearly stunned by the offer. He immediately bowed deeply to Tipu Sultan and said excitedly:
"On behalf of His Majesty the King, I extend our sincerest gratitude!"
October 2nd.
After days of negotiations, Britain and Mysore signed a ceasefire agreement.
Mysore had lost nearly three provinces but retained its core strength.
Historically, even after Tipu Sultan lost half his territory, including Srirangapatna and Bangalore, he had dared to fight the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. With his resources still largely intact now, it was only a matter of time before he sought revenge against the British.
Meanwhile, Britain appeared to have won by seizing some territory and maintaining its dominance on the Indian subcontinent. However, the cost of the war had been enormous, and they had gained no war reparations.
Moreover, the war had been justified by Britain's claim that Mysore had annexed Travancore. Yet, as the dust settled, no one even mentioned Travancore anymore. The British might feign amnesia, but the Indian princely states had noticed.
Britain remained the hegemon but had lost much of its former luster.
France, near Paris.
On the outskirts of Paris, a group of over a dozen tax farmers and their entourages of servants and hunting dogs rode cheerfully toward the Fulde hunting grounds.
Hope, riding alongside them, smiled and said to his companions:
"You can't imagine the despair on Brienne's face when Mr. Charles informed him, 'Due to business concerns, the previously discussed loan can no longer be provided.'"
A middle-aged man on Hope's left grinned smugly.
"There are only two months left in the year. How is our finance minister going to come up with 200 million francs?"
Another laughed, "Soon, the government departments and governors will demand next year's budget. That's when he'll truly understand what despair feels like."
The middle-aged man turned to Hope.
"Mr. Hope, does this mean we should accelerate the tax farm negotiations?"
"On the contrary," Hope said, glancing toward the hunting ground's wooden fence in the distance. "Look, we're almost there. It's Brienne who's under pressure now. We can afford to let Viscount Berland fall 'ill' for a while.
"By mid-November, Brienne will be so desperate he won't even have the energy to haggle. We might even secure this year's contract at the same price as last year's."
Bororay spurred his horse closer and said loudly:
"I see no difference between the finance minister and those poor souls who borrow at usurious rates. As long as we hold the purse strings, they'll grovel before us and accept any terms we set!"
"You're absolutely right," Hope replied.
As the group passed through the wooden gates of the hunting ground, they began directing their servants to set up a temporary camp while dispatching teams to send out the dogs in search of prey.
Hope and Fulde were discussing the best game to hunt in late autumn when a carriage sped toward them. The uneven terrain caused it to jolt and bounce violently.
Moments later, the carriage came to a halt, and a tall man in his forties jumped out.
Seeing the man's face, Fulde frowned slightly.
"Viscount Berland?"
The tax farmers' representative, Viscount Berland, hurried over, panting heavily as he addressed Fulde:
"Mr. Fulde, there's a problem… This morning, the finance minister's assistant informed me that the tax farm negotiations have been officially canceled."
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