Carnatic war : Anglo-French colonial (Europeans) rivalry in India

The Carnatic Wars or Anglo-Carnatic Wars were a series of conflicts that arose from the long-run competition and prolonged wars between the English and French colonialists (Europeans) in India through the control over the local rulers.

🔰 Number and Duration of Wars

There were three Carnatic wars fought over time:

• 1st Carnatic War: 1740-1748
• 2nd Carnatic War: 1749-1754
• 3rd Carnatic War: 1757-1763

🔰 Geographical Significance

The Carnatic was a sub-division of Hyderabad, which was under the Nizam’s dominion.

🔰 Factors Contributing to the Wars

The conflicts were driven by a combination of external and internal factors:

• External Factors: Primarily the aggression of the English and French powers in the world order.
  
• Internal Factors: These included issues related to the succession of the Nizam, the expansionist attacks of the Marathas in the Carnatic region, and the broader effort to establish colonial powers in India by the English East India Company and the French East India Company.

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🔰 Anglo-Carnatic wars/ Anglo-French Rivalry

The Anglo-Carnatic Wars were a series of conflicts driven by the broader Anglo-French rivalry for monopoly in the world order. This global competition between the French and English powers created significant tension among rulers, specifically leading to the Anglo-French rivalry in India, which came to be known as the Anglo-Carnatic rivalry.

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🎖️ The First Carnatic War (1740-1748)

The First Carnatic War occurred between 1740 and 1748. That concluded with the Peace Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748.

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⚜️ Internal cause:

🔹 The Carnatic Region; The Theatre of Actions:

The Carnatic region became the primary theatre of these actions. Historically, during the glorious period of Mughals, the Carnatic region was a sub-division of Hyderabad’s Nizam, under Mughal Empire. The region eventually proclaimed its autonomy from the Mughals under Nizam-Ul-Mulk (Asaf Jah I) in 1724. Nizam-Ul-Mulk subsequently managed it as a semi-independent state (Autonomous state) under Dost Ali, who served as the Nawab of Carnatic from 1730 to 1740 from Arcot as the capital or power centre.  
However, the relationship between the Nawab of Carnatic and the Nizam was not always cordial. They later faced internal issues, which the Marathas exploited to their advantage.

🔹 Maratha Intervention and the 1741 Siege of Trichinopoly:

In 1740, Raghuji I Bhonsle commanded a Maratha army of 50,000 soldiers. Their objective was to regain the position of Maratha over Tanjavur (Tanjore) under Tukkoji Bhonsle of Trichinopoly, who lost in 1728 from Nizams. This led to the Siege of Trichinopoly in 1741.

🔹 Death of Dost Ali and Capture of Chanda Saheb:

During this conflict, Dost Ali, who had served as the Nawab of Carnatic then, died in the Battle of Damalcherry (1740/1741). Chanda Saheb, who was serving as the nawab of Trichinopoly then, was captured.

🔹 Exploitation of Nizam’s Absence:

The Marathas took advantage of the Nizams’ absence, who were in Delhi to combat the invasion of Nadir Shah alongside the Mughals under Mohammad Shah “Rangeela” between 1738-39.

🔹 Tribute and Maratha Rule:

Following these events, Safdar Ali Khan, son of Dost Ali Khan, conceded to pay tribute payments to the Marathas. Subsequently, Murari Rao Ghorpade was appointed to rule as the Maratha governor of Trichinopoly in 1741.

🔹 Nizam’s Return and the 1743 Siege of Trichinopoly:

Later, in 1743, the Nizam Asaf Jah I returned from Delhi and launched an attack on Trichinopoly. This resulted in the Siege of Trichinopoly of 1743. With a formidable army of 200,000 soldiers, 80,000 sowars (horse-cavalry), and 150 war elephants, the Nizam defeated the Marathas.
The Maratha defeat was attributed to an internal conflict between Raghoji I and Balaji Baji Rao Peshwa.

🔹 Nizam’s re-establishment of power over Arcot and Trichinopoly:

Nizams regained the control over Carnatic, through Arcot, and Trichinopoly and appointed Anwaruddin Khan as the regent of Carnatic and Trichinopoly. Later, in July 1744, he became the Nawab of Arcot, as autonomous ruler of Carnatic.

Anwaruddin Khan was an Afghan who had arrived in India with the Mughals and fought alongside them against Nader Shah. He served as a Faujdar of Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I and became very favourite aide of Asaf Jah for which he given a sobriquet “Yameen-Us-Saltanat” (loosely interpreted as the Right hand).

These details highlight the complex and dynamic power struggles involving the Marathas, the Nawabs of Carnatic, and the Nizams, which formed the backdrop for the larger Anglo-Carnatic Wars.

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⚜️ External Cause:

The underlying external situation that brought this war to the Indian subcontinent was the fight for monopoly between the English East India Company and the French East India Company.

🟡 Connection to the War of Austrian Succession:

This conflict in India was a direct consequence of the War of Austrian Succession in Europe. This European war, which included the First Silesian War (1740-42) and the Second Silesian War (1744-45) between Austria and Prussia, was fundamentally a conflict over the question of Maria Theresa’s succession to the Austrian-Habsburg crown after the death of Emperor Charles VI.

The key contenders and their alliances in the War of Austrian Succession were:

• Maria Theresa of Austria (daughter of the emperor Charles VI), along with Francis I (Holy Roman Emperor of Austria), was supported by the English under George II.
• Frederick II of Prussia, along with Emperor Charles VII of Bavaria, was supported by France under Louis XV.

This European war involved numerous powers, including Prussia, Spain, France, Bavaria, and Saxony, aligned against Austria and Britain.

🟡 Immediate Trigger in India:

The conflict spilled over into the Indian subcontinent when, in 1745, the English navy under Commodore Curtis seized some French ships near Pondicherry port.

🟡 Dupleix’s Appeal and French Response:

This act of aggression by the English led Joseph Marquis Dupleix, the Governor General of French East India, posted in Pondicherry, to appeal for protection to the Nawab of Arcot, Anwaruddin Khan.

Meanwhile, on 4 September 1746, Dupleix received crucial backup from Admiral La Bourdonnais, the French governor of Mauritius, who arrived with a fleet from Mauritius (Isle de France).

🟡 French Counter-Offensive and Outcomes:

With this support, the French were able to repulse British attacks from French territory.

They successfully captured British areas, including the Fort St. George Madras factory.

The British forces were forced to retreat to Fort St. David, which was their port at Cuddalore.

This series of events led to a victory of French-Mughal allies under Duplex and Anwaruddin Khan.

🟡 Post-Seize Agreement:

Initially, it was agreed in negotiations that the British town of St. George would be restored to the British stating on oath that the British should not take up arms against the French.

However, Dupleix opposed this deal. This opposition was also shared by a handful of people, including Robert Clive, from the English side as well.

Following this, Dupleix further restricted the British to Port St. David.

🟡 A failed promise of Dupleix to the Nawab of Arcot:

Prior to an assault, Dupleix had promised the Nawab of Arcotthat Port St. George would be handed over to him which Dupleix later refused to fulfil this promise.

In response, Anwaruddin Khan, Nawab of Arcot, sent his son, Mahfuzz Khan, with an army of 10,000 to seize the fort by force from Dupleix at St. Thome, near Fort St. George, located on the banks of the Adyar River.

🟡 Battle of St Thomé/ Battle of Adyar, 1746:

This confrontation occurred on October 22, 1746, against approximately 930 French troops (350 French and 700 French trained Indian soldiers).

The French forces, led by Louis Paradis and Dupleix, defeated the Nawab’s army on October 24, 1746.

This victory resulted in the French gaining victory over the Nawab of Arcot and establishing control of Port St. George / St. Thome.

🟡 Dupleix’s further attack on the English:

In December 1746, Duplex launched another offensive on St. David, which was, however, successfully repelled by the British forces in Cuddalore, led by Major Stringer Lawrence.

Subsequently, in late 1748, the English besieged Pondicherry but with heavy loss. During this period, the Nawab of Arcot, whose second son Muhammad Ali Khan went to support the English at St. David, was forced to withdraw due to casualties inflicted by the French.

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♦️ Conclusion :

The First Carnatic War concluded with the lifting of sieges by both sides. This resolution was formalized by the Peace Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. According to this treaty:

• The French withdrew from St. George.
• The British withdrew from Pondicherry.
• Cape Breton Island (Louisbourg) was returned to France.
• Madras was restored to the British.

Furthermore, the succession war in Europe concluded in favour of the British and Princess Theresa was made the empress of the Austrian-Habsburg empire.
However, here in the Carnatic war itself, the French had an upper hand over the English, since former was able to contain the latter in the prolong conflict.

The internal conflicts continued further as the succession of Nizam-ul-Mulk, with the involvement of both English and French on the opposite side, concluding to the Second phase of the Carnatic Wars (1749-1754).

This conflict saw the rise of Robert Clive as a general of the company in the successive wars and later as the Governor of Bengal in the conclusion of the Carnatic wars.

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