Carnatic wars

• 1. Imperial Power Struggles

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  The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb died in 1707. His death triggered a general decline in central control over the empire during the tenure of Jahandar Shah and later emperors. Nizam-ul-Mulk established Hyderabad as an independent kingdom after this period of weakening authority. A power struggle ensued after his death between his son, Nasir Jung, and his grandson, Muzaffar Jung. This internal conflict soon involved foreign powers eager to expand their influence into the region. France aided Muzaffar Jung while Britain aided Nasir Jung. Several erstwhile Mughal territories were autonomous such as the Carnatic, ruled by Nawab Dost Ali Khan despite being under the legal purview of the Nizam of Hyderabad. French and British support soon became intertwined with the affairs of the Nawab. Dost Ali's death sparked a power struggle between his son-in-law Chanda Sahib, supported by the French, and Muhammad Ali, supported by the British.

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• 2. Dupleix And Clive Rivalry

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  One major instigator of the Carnatic wars was the Frenchman Joseph François Dupleix who arrived in India in 1715. He rose to become the French East India Company's governor in 1742. Dupleix sought to expand French influence in India which was limited to a few trading outposts. The chief one being Pondicherry on the Coromandel Coast. Immediately upon his arrival in India he organized Indian recruits under French officers for the first time. He engaged in intrigues with local rulers to expand French influence. However he was met by the equally challenging and determined young officer from the British Army Robert Clive. Their contrasting strategies defined the early phase of these conflicts. Dupleix aimed to build an empire while Clive focused on securing trade dominance through military force.

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• 3. First War Escalation

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  In 1740 the War of the Austrian Succession broke out in Europe. Great Britain was drawn into the war in 1744 opposed to France and its allies. The trading companies of both countries maintained cordial relations in India while their parent countries were bitter enemies on the European continent. Dodwell writes that such were the friendly relations between the English and the French that the French sent their goods and merchandise from Pondicherry to Madras for safe custody. Although French company officials were ordered to avoid conflict British officials were not. They were furthermore notified that a Royal Navy fleet was en route. After the British initially captured a few French merchant ships the French called for backup from as far afield as Isle de France now Mauritius. This began an escalation in naval forces in the area. In July 1746 French commander La Bourdonnais and British Admiral Edward Peyton fought an indecisive action off Negapatam after which the British fleet withdrew to Bengal. On the 21st of September 1746 the French captured the British outpost at Madras.

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• 4. Proxy Conflict Dynamics

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  Though a state of war did not exist in Europe the proxy war continued in India during the Second Carnatic War period. On one side was Nasir Jung the Nizam and his protege Muhammad Ali supported by the British. On the other was Chanda Sahib and Muzaffar Jung supported by the French vying to become the Nawab of Arcot. Muzaffar Jung and Chanda Sahib were able to capture Arcot while Nasir Jung's subsequent death allowed Muzaffar Jung to take control of Hyderabad. Muzaffar's reign was short as he was soon killed and Salabat Jung became Nizam. In 1751 however Robert Clive led British troops to capture Arcot and successfully defend it. The war ended with the Treaty of Pondicherry signed in 1754 which recognised Muhammad Ali Khan Walajah as the Nawab of the Carnatic. Charles Godeheu replaced Dupleix who died in poverty back in France.

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• 5. Seven Years War Impact

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  The outbreak of the Seven Years' War in Europe in 1756 resulted in renewed conflict between French and British forces in India. In this time the French were facing many financial problems. The Third Carnatic War spread beyond southern India and into Bengal where British forces captured the French settlement of Chandernagore in 1757. However the war was decided in the south where the British successfully defended Madras. Sir Eyre Coote decisively defeated the French commanded by the Comte de Lally at the Battle of Wandiwash in 1760. After Wandiwash Pondicherry fell to the British in 1761. British Admiral Edward Boscawen besieged Pondicherry in the later months of 1748 but lifted the siege with the advent of the monsoon rains in October during the earlier phase of these conflicts.

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• 6. Treaty Of Paris Aftermath

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  The war concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763 which returned Chandernagore and Pondicherry to France. It allowed the French to have trading posts in India but forbade French traders from administering them. The French agreed to support British client governments thus ending French ambitions of an Indian empire. This agreement made the British the dominant foreign power in India. As a result of these military contests the British East India Company established its dominance among the European trading companies within India. The French company was pushed to a corner and was confined primarily to Pondicherry. The East India Company's dominance eventually led to control by the British Company over most of India and eventually to the establishment of the British Raj.

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