The British were in a tough position in the early 1780s, as they had to fight the Marathas and Mysore at the same time.
Now say everything goes wrong for them.
- The Maratha plan to raid Bengal is carried out
- There is a famine and a large revolt in Bengal
- Peace with the French is delayed
So to protect Bengal the English divert forces away from the rest of India. This + continued and large-scale French involvement means the Marathas and Mysore both decisively win. Maybe the English even lose parts of Bengal to the Marathas.
What are the likely circumstances?
Now say everything goes wrong for them.
- The Maratha plan to raid Bengal is carried out
- There is a famine and a large revolt in Bengal
- Peace with the French is delayed
So to protect Bengal the English divert forces away from the rest of India. This + continued and large-scale French involvement means the Marathas and Mysore both decisively win. Maybe the English even lose parts of Bengal to the Marathas.
What are the likely circumstances?