The Carnatic War(1744-1763) Explained: A Quick Easy Overview

The Carnatic War set the rise of the Britishers in Indian politics while making the sunset for the French in the Indian colony. In the history of colonial rule, this war put the British on the world map. The Carnatic War fought in a series of three wars, was born due to the direct rivalry between England and France in Europe and India.

They fought over the prized Carnatic region, a specific region of southern India between the Eastern Ghats and the Coromandel coast during the 18th century. This intense rivalry led to the war continuing from 1744 till 1763. The wars were fought over the possession of territories and the succession of the regional kings. However, the result went in the favour of the Britishers, who succeeded in taking the first step to colonize India. Now, let’s understand what the Carnatic War is, its reason, significance, and impact on the Indian subcontinent.

The Carnatic Wars: Overview

• Initially, the British East India Company and the Indian rulers engaged in combat during the Carnatic wars. The first Carnatic war, which was initially entangled in the Australian succession, was fought in 1744.
• The main combatants in the conflict were “France, Spain, Sweden, Prussia,” and “the Dutch Republic, Russia, and England.” Nonetheless, the competition between the “British East India Company and the French” was unavoidable given that Russia and France were on opposing sides.
• The Wawb of Arcot was initially trusted by the French to maintain their military superiority in this war. However, the 10,000 armies could be repelled mainly with the help of more than 500 soldiers. Additionally, this may initially increase the French influence’s dominance.

Historical Background of the Carnatic War

When Bahadur Shah I ascended the throne of the frailing Mughal Empire, the control of the Mughals in central India was already weak. By 1724, Hyderabad saw its first Nizam, Asaf Jah I, by declaring this southern state as an independent kingdom. During the initial years of the 18th century, the French had already nationalized the French East India Company to expand its imperial interests. This was where the path for the Carnatic war was set between the British and French in India.

The Austrian War of Succession in Europe during the 1740s led to the military and diplomatic struggle between the British and French. Till this point, every foreign trading company used to maintain a cordial relationship with each other. Eventually, the rivalry between these two nations in the European war created ripples in the Indian subcontinent, and the world got to witness a Carnatic war.

The status of the foreign nationals was nothing but traders initially. However, the power struggle kept the foreign nationals and the native kings on their toes. The Anglo-French rivalry that took birth in Europe got settled in a Third-world country like India through these successive wars.

First Carnatic War (1740 AD -1748 AD)

Background of the Carnatic War

• Carnatic Region: The term “Carnatic” was used by Europeans to describe the Coromandel coast and surrounding areas.
• First Carnatic War: This conflict was part of the larger Anglo-French War in Europe, sparked by the Austrian War of Succession. It is notable for the Battle of St. Thome in Madras, where French forces fought the troops of Anwar-ud-din, the Nawab of Carnatic, who had sought English assistance.

The War of Austrian Succession

Timeline: From 1740 to 1748, major European powers clashed over the succession of Maria Theresa to the Austrian Habsburg throne.

Participants: The war involved France, Prussia, Spain, Bavaria, and Saxony opposing Austria and Britain.

Key Conflicts: The First (1740–42) and Second Silesian Wars (1744–45) focused on Austria and Prussia. The third phase centred on the ongoing colonial rivalry between France and Britain, particularly in India and North America.

British Performance: British troops demonstrated their military capability during the conflict.

Conclusion: The war ended with the Peace Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in October 1748. France ceded Madras back to Britain in exchange for Louisbourg and recognized Maria Theresa as the rightful Austrian ruler.

The sequence of events took place as follows:

• In 1745, the British Royal Navy attacked the French fleet and thus erupted the first war. The French Governor General Dupleix captured the Madras outpost from the British.
• The naval forces commanded by La Bourdonnais also displayed tremendous courage in the battle. They defeated the Nawab of Arcot, Anwar-ud-din, who supported the British in the battle with 10,000 men.
• In history, this battle where Nawab’s army was defeated is known as the Battle of Adyar. Meanwhile, many notable British officers, including Robert Clive, became war captives to the French.
• Eventually, the Austrian War ended in 1748, restoring peace in Europe. The First Carnatic War saw the strength of the French army in India.
• The British returned the Madras in exchange for releasing a French fort captured by them in North America.

Cause of the War:

Despite France’s initial reluctance to expand European conflicts to India, tensions rose when a British naval squadron led by Commodore Curtis Bennett seized French ships. This act of aggression by the British directly provoked France.

The French Governor-General, Joseph-François Dupleix, sought protection from the Nawab of Carnatic, Anwar-ud-Din. The Nawab, however, declared his territory neutral and warned both sides against hostilities.

Undeterred, France retaliated in 1746. Admiral Pierre André de La Bourdonnais, the French governor of Mauritius, led a fleet to capture Madras, a major British East India Company outpost.

A Fractured French Response:

The capture of Madras exposed a rift within French leadership. Dupleix, favouring diplomacy, proposed returning Madras to the Nawab in exchange for concessions. La Bourdonnais, however, advocated for ransoming the city back to the British for a hefty sum. This disagreement stalled negotiations and allowed the situation to deteriorate further.

Nawab’s Intervention:

By October, the Nawab, frustrated by the ongoing occupation, decided to intervene. He dispatched a 10,000-strong army under his son, Mahfuzz Khan, to lay siege to the French in Madras.

Result of the First Carnatic War

• A small French force, led by Captain Paradise, defeated Mahfuz Khan’s larger Indian army at St. Thome, near the River Adyar.
• The war concluded in 1748 with the signing of the Treaty of Aix-La Chapelle, which also ended the Austrian War of Succession.
• According to the treaty, Madras was returned to the British, while the French gained control of their territories in North America.

Significance

• The war highlighted to Europeans in India that a smaller, well-trained army could defeat a much larger Indian force.
• It also underscored the importance of naval power in the Anglo-French conflict in the Deccan region.

Second Carnatic War (1749 AD -1754 AD)

Background of the Second Carnatic War

• The Second Carnatic War arose from the ongoing Anglo-French rivalry in India.
• After the First Carnatic War, peace was brief.
  • In 1748, Nizam-ul-Mulk, the Mughal governor of the Deccan and Nawab of Hyderabad, died.
  • His succession sparked a contest, pulling the British and French into a conflict among rival candidates.
• Dupleix, the French governor who had led French forces in the First Carnatic War, aimed to expand French influence in southern India by meddling in local power struggles to undermine the British.
• The Second Carnatic War lasted from 1749 to 1754, during which the British solidified their position in southern India.

The below paragraphs explain the Second Carnatic War, the Anglo-French relationship soured beyond repair. Both of them sought to establish their dominance through the political turmoil. This unrest erupted in south India after the death of Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah I, who died in 1748. The French decided to support Chanda Sahib for Arcot and Nizam’s grandson Muzaffar Zang for the seat of Hyderabad. On the other hand, the British sought to control these regions through Muhammad Ali for Arcot and Nasir Zang for Hyderabad.

• In 1749, the Nawab of Carnatic, Anwar-ud-din, was killed by Muzaffar Zang and Chanda Sahib in the Battle of Ambur in 1749 with the help of the French.
• Eventually, French dominance became visible as Zang became the Nizam of Hyderabad, and Sahib ascended the throne of Carnatic.
• However, the power struggle of the French weakened when Zang was killed in a skirmish.
• The British commander, Robert Clive, sought his opportunity, attacked Arcot, and conquered it. The siege of Arcot in 1751 played a pivotal role in this war.

This second war ended with the Treaty of Pondicherry in 1754. This victory strengthened the British ground on Indian soil and made Clive a National Hero in this homeland.

Result:

• Frustrated by the heavy financial losses from Dupleix’s policies, the French authorities recalled him in 1754.
• Charles Robert Godeheu replaced Dupleix as the French Governor-General in India.
• Godeheu shifted to a negotiation strategy and signed the Treaty of Pondicherry with the English. This treaty stipulated that both sides would not interfere in local disputes and allowed each to keep the territories they controlled at the time.

Implications:

• It became clear that European success no longer relied on Indian authority; instead, Indian rulers became dependent on European support.
• Muhammad Ali in the Carnatic and Salabat Jang in Hyderabad became more like clients than independent leaders.

Third Carnatic War (1758 AD -1763 AD)

Background:

The Seven Years War (1756-63) began in Europe when Austria sought to regain Silesia in 1756, with Britain and France once again on opposing sides.

Effects of War in India:

In 1758, the French army, led by General Count Thomas Arthur de Lally, captured the English forts at St. David and Vizianagaram. In response, the English launched a counteroffensive, dealing heavy losses to the French fleet commanded by Admiral D’Ache at Masulipatnam.

The Third Carnatic War ( The Battle of Wandiwash) coincided with the Seven Years’ War that broke out in Europe in 1756. This war rekindled the Anglo-French rivalry.

• In 1757, the British forces quickly overtook the French settlements in Chandannagar. This led to the spreading of this war beyond southern India.
• During this time, the French struggled financially, and their dwindling dream to establish imperial rule in India stopped.
• Sir Eyre Coote’s tremendous British forces defeated the French army in 1760, leading to the loss of Pondicherry in the Battle of Wandiwash.
• The battle came to an end with the Treaty of Paris. France later regained control of Pondicherry and Chandannagar.
• However, the French agreed never to operate with the military on Indian soil.
• Authorities forbade French businessmen from operating commercial posts in India.
• This final war in the series ensured British dominance across the nation and eliminated the French dream of building a colony in India.
• The British ensured the English people’s dominance remained intact by removing the Dutch in the Battle of Bedara.

The foothold of the British became strong, ensuring no other forces dared to enter Indian politics. The third Carnatic War became successful for the British army and established their unquestionable presence in the nation.

Result and Significance:

• The Third Carnatic War was decisive.
• It ended with the Treaty of Paris (1763), which returned Pondicherry and Chandannagar to France, but they could only engage in trading activities there.
• While the treaty restored French trading posts in India, their political influence faded after the war.
• Following this, the French, like the Portuguese and Dutch, limited themselves to small enclaves and trade.
• The English emerged as the dominant European power in the Indian subcontinent.

Conclusion:

• The victory at Wandiwash left the English East India Company with no European rivals in India, positioning them to take control of the entire country.
• Notably, both armies at the Battle of Wandiwash included native sepoys.
• This raises the question of whether the fall of India to European invaders was inevitable, regardless of the outcome.

The Battle of Wandiwash and the Fall of Pondicherry

• Attack on Kanchipuram: There was still a French contingent in Arcot when Lally retired to Pondicherry. Under the command of Sir Eyre Coote, the British forces moved in the direction of Wandiwash but, unanticipatedly, turned aside and took Kanchipuram. 
• The battle: The pivotal conflict between Lally and Eyre Coote occurred in January 1760 at Vandavasi (Wandiwash). Bussy was routed and taken prisoner, while Lally withdrew to Pondicherry. 
• Seize of Pondicherry: After several months of siege, Pondicherry was finally overrun by the British in February of 1761.
• The capture of Mahe: In the same year, the British took over Mahe, another French possession on the west coast. Following these defeats, the British took control of all French territories in India.
• Treaty of Paris: The Seven Years’ War came to an end in 1763 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which put an end to the hostilities. As per the terms of the treaty, the French regained Pondicherry and Chandranagore.
• French confinements: After that, the French were confined to Chandranagore (in Chandannagar, Bengal), Mahe (in the Kannur district of Kerala), and Pondicherry, Karaikal, and Yanaon (all in the Union Territory of Puducherry).
• English as dominant power: Following the war’s end, the English became India’s most powerful colonial force. By transforming from a trading company to a territorial power, the East India Company cemented British dominance over a sizable portion of the Indian subcontinent.

Anglo-French Rivalry

The Anglo-French rivalry that ensued in Europe spread to the Indian subcontinent purely to establish dominance. Even though the British and French came to India for trade, their zeal to control the subcontinent dragged them into Indian politics. Their pivotal interests lay in establishing their supremacy in the Carnatic region – the coastal areas. The rivalry between these two great colonial forces dates back to their customary rivalry in Europe. The Austrian War of Succession sparked this rivalry in Europe and ignited military and diplomatic war in India.

The Carnatic wars decided the fate of one foreign nation to gain access to the Indian political landscape. After the wars ended in 1763, British supremacy staggeringly rose in the southern states of India, eliminating other foreign powers. They gained control over ports like Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras – top ports to operate the sea routes, trade, and political influence. At the same time, this series of wars exposed the weakness and divided condition of the Indian rulers. It also showed how a relatively well-organized army could take down the extensive armies of the Indian states. The war ensured the unquestionable predominance of the British forces across the Carnatic region vis-à-vis Hyderabad.

Impact of the Carnatic War

• British Ascendancy: The Carnatic Wars marked a turning point, establishing British dominance in India. The French, their main European rivals, were gradually weakened and eventually marginalized. This paved the way for the British East India Company to expand its influence and ultimately gain control over much of the subcontinent.
• Strategic Ports: The capture of key port cities like Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras provided the British with vital economic and military advantages. These ports facilitated trade, communication, and troop movement, solidifying their presence in India.
• Military Weaknesses Exposed: The wars highlighted the vulnerabilities of Indian armies. Traditional military structures often struggled against the disciplined and well-drilled European forces, equipped with advanced weaponry. This realization prompted some Indian rulers to modernize their armies, but ultimately it created an opportunity for the British to exploit these weaknesses.
• Naval Power Rises: The Carnatic Wars emphasized the importance of naval power, particularly in the Deccan and Carnatic regions. Control of the seas proved crucial for transporting troops, and supplies, and securing trade routes. This realization by both European powers influenced future conflicts in India.

Additional Points to Consider:

• The wars also contributed to the decline of the Mughal Empire, which had previously held significant power in India. This political fragmentation further facilitated British expansion.
• The Carnatic Wars weren’t solely European conflicts. Indian rulers were often drawn into these wars by alliances or forced to take sides. This ultimately weakened their own positions.

Also Read:-

Indo-Pak War 1971: A Simple Overview

1857 First War of Independence: Revolt of 1857

Who won the Kargil war? Kargil War Information.

Significance of the Carnatic Wars

The military and diplomatic competition between the English and French led to the 17-year-long battle. Like every war has specific importance in history, the Carnatic War retains massive significance, such as:

• The first Carnatic War exposed the divided condition of the Indian rulers. The Europeans understood that even a well-organized small army could defeat a large army.
• Throughout this battle of progression, the importance of naval power in the Anglo-French rivalry was evident.
• The second Carnatic War unearthed the weaknesses and incapabilities of the French administration. The British force under the command of Robert Clive sought to crush the French dream of ruling the Indian states.
• The third Carnatic War became a great victory for the British force again. They not only removed the French from the race to wield political and administrative power in the Indian states but also their counterparts like the Portuguese and the Dutch.

Key Figures and Modern-Day Relevance

Several significant characters from different sides became more prominent and contributed to this decade-long war. 

• The battle involved Indian states such as Hyderabad and the Carnatic and foreign powers like the British and French. Even though the Indian states fought among themselves for the ultimate dominance in southern India, the foreigners took part in the war to gain access to Indian politics.
• Hyderabad became an epicentre of this struggle when Asaf Jah I established the Nizam rule here. After his death, a power struggle ensued among the successors of Nizam, such as Nasir Jung and Muzaffar Jung.
• General Dupleix led the French army, while Robert Clive commanded the British forces when foreign powers entered this battleground.
• Despite the British defeat in the first Carnatic War, their quick thinking and effective use of naval forces enabled them to secure consecutive victories in the next two wars.
• Without shedding much blood, Robert Clive was able to secure their dominance on Indian soil by eliminating all the opposing forces, such as the French, Portuguese, and Dutch.
• The importance of the well-trained force in the battles became more prominent. Other European countries who were looking to gain colonial control derived lessons from this battle.

The Carnatic Wars for UPSC

The Carnatic Wars (1746-1763) were a series of conflicts fought between the British and French East India Companies on the southeastern coast of India, specifically in the Carnatic region. Understanding these wars is crucial for aspirants preparing for the UPSC exam, particularly in the Modern History section.

Why are the Carnatic Wars important for UPSC?

• Shifting Power Dynamics: The wars marked a turning point in European influence in India. The British emerged as the dominant power, eventually leading to their colonization of the subcontinent.
• Military Modernization: The wars exposed the weaknesses of Indian armies compared to disciplined European forces. This knowledge can help analyze the subsequent modernization efforts of Indian rulers.
• Mughal Decline: The conflicts coincided with the decline of the Mughal Empire, creating a power vacuum that European companies exploited. This connects to understanding the broader political landscape of 18th-century India.
• Early Alliances: The wars involved Indian rulers forming alliances with European powers. Analyzing these alliances helps us understand the complex political dynamics of the period.

How to effectively prepare for the Carnatic Wars in UPSC?

• NCERT Textbooks: NCERT books form a strong foundation for UPSC history. Utilize them to grasp the core details and context of the Carnatic Wars.
• Supplementary Texts: Supplement your knowledge with well-regarded history books focusing on the Carnatic Wars or the broader theme of European expansion in India.
• Previous Year Papers: Analyze past UPSC questions related to the Carnatic Wars. This will familiarize you with the types of questions asked and the level of detail expected in your answers.
• Focus on Key Aspects: Develop a strong understanding of the causes, course, and consequences of the wars. Analyze the impact on European dominance, Indian politics, and military strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions: