That the said Nabob of Oude did, in consequence of the said agreement,
and with the assistance of British troops, which were ordered to march
and subjected to his disposal by the said Warren Hastings and the
Council, unjustly enter into and invade the country of the Rohillas, and
did there make war in a barbarous and inhuman manner, "by an abuse of
victory," "by the unnecessary destruction of the country," "by a wanton
display of violence and oppression, of inhumanity and cruelty," and "by
the sudden expulsion and casting down of an whole race of people, to
whom the slightest benevolence was denied." When prayer was made not to
dishonor the Begum (a princess of great rank, whose husband had been
killed in battle) and other women, by _dragging them about the country,
to be loaded with the scoffs of the Nabob's rabble, and otherwise still
worse used_, the Nabob refused to listen to the entreaties of a British
commander-in-chief in their favor; and the said women of high rank were
exposed not only to the vilest personal indignities, but even to
absolute want: and these transactions being by Colonel Champion
communicated to the said Warren Hastings, instead of commendations for
his intelligence, and orders to redress the said evils, and to prevent
the like in future, by means which were suggested, and which appear to
have been proper and feasible, he received a reprimand from the said
Warren Hastings, who declared that we had no authority to control the
conduct of the Vizier in the treatment of his subjects; and that Colonel
Champion desisted from making further representations on this subject to
the said Warren Hastings, being apprehensive of having already run some
risk of displeasing by perhaps a too free communication of sentiments.
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