| George Thomas was born in Tipperary, Ireland, | | | | The Begum allied herself with a Neapolitan |
| he joined the British Navy when he was just a | | | | adventurer named Levassoo, Thomas fled the |
| boy. By the age of twenty-five he had risen to | | | | province taking his own personal cavalry and |
| the rank of quartermaster. In 1782 while the ship | | | | bodyguard with him. He touted his services to |
| on which he was serving was anchored off | | | | various nobility and gentry, eventually been hired |
| Madras, India he jumped ship and deserted. He | | | | by Appu Khandi Rao. He took Hansi the capital of |
| joined the private armies of one of the poligars of | | | | the province of Hariana and installed himself as |
| the Carnatic coast. | | | | Rajah. From there, he took on and defeated the |
| In 1787 he was fighting in the small army of the | | | | great Sikh armies of the Punjab, becoming a |
| Begum of Sardhana, he became intimate with the | | | | virtual dictator of the whole Punjab and forcing |
| Begum and she elevated him to Commander of | | | | the Sikhs to pay him two million rupees. However, |
| her armies, he led them with distinction and she | | | | the Sikhs rallied and Thomas was beaten back to |
| promoted him to Grand Vizier. However, he soon | | | | his fortress at Hansi which was laid siege to. |
| fell out of favour with her when he decided to | | | | Thomas sued for peace, he was allowed retain |
| marry her adopted daughter but they both | | | | the bullion that he had gathered and was granted |
| realised that there was not a lot she could do as | | | | safe passage to the neutral territory of the British |
| Thomas now controlled her armies. | | | | East India Company. |