The First Carnatic War

Introduction

The First Carnatic War took place from 1746 and continued till 1748. This war occurred between the French and English for the purpose of expanding their territory in India. The conflict began over the control of both companies on the land, respectively on their trading posts. In the meantime, the French naval force and British engaged with each other in a battle out of the coast. This war made the path for the next war, the second war of the Carnatic.

First Carnatic War

The First Carnatic War was fought between the British and the French. They both came to India for trading, but after some point, they changed their purpose and became interested in taking political control of the country.

The rivalry among them resulted in a conflict followed by a series of wars. Eventually, those wars decided the future and choose the suitable one who will establish rule over India. At the end of the three Carnatic wars, the British got the chance to run their mouths by conquering several victories.

Background − The Carnatic was the Coromandel Coast, and the Europeans gave the name. The first war was fought between the French and British and was considered the extension of the Anglo-French war.

Barnet, working under the English navy, ensnared some French ships. Dupleix, the French Governor of Pondicherry, went for a revenge attack on the English people, giving rise to the start of the First Carnatic War.

Image 1:Tenth Nawab of the Carnatic Azim-Ud-Daula (1801-1819)

The main cause of that war was the succession of the Austrian war. The war was between not only those two powers, but it also involved regional powers. East India Company appealed for help to the Nawab of Carnatic Anwar-ud-din. That is the reason the first war was fought between the forces of the French and Nawab.

Facts about the War

Some of the major facts about the first war of Carnatic are as listed here.

Image 1:The facts of the first Carnatic war

• Initially, the war was between the French and British over the political control of the subcontinent. Later, the British took help from the Nawab of Carnatic and his force fought with the French.

• This war involved many people, and it includes the governor-general of French of that time, Joseph François Dupleix, The British Major Stringer Lawrence and the Nawab of the Carnatic, Anwar-ud-din Khan.

• The first Carnatic was fought between 1746 to 1748.

• The war took place in Southern India mainly in the Carnatic region.

• The result of the war was never led to any conclusion.

Course of the First Carnatic War

The course of the first war of Carnatic war was −

• In 1740, the war of Austrian Succession happened between the British and French.

• In India, when both French and British came for trading purposes, the rivalry was converted into a conflict of supremacy and taking the power of control. They both got interested in the politics of India.

• In 1720. The French east India company get nationalised.

• British attacked one French fleet in 1745, which put Pondicherry in danger.

• The French troop led by Dupleix fought the British and took the control of Madras., which was earlier controlled by the British.

• The next attack that was made by the British on Pondicherry, results in a great loss.

• British appealed for help from the Nawab of Carnatic.

• Dupleix tried to convenience Nawab and offered him Madras on a larger scale.

• After this Nawab sent his huge army to fight the French troop, which was comparatively small.

• Nawab’s army gets defeated in that war by a small group of the French army.

• The war ended with the signing of the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.

Consequences of the First Carnatic War

• On the bank of the River Adyar, at St. Thome, comparatively, the small army of the French defeated the strong army of India led by Mahfuz Khan.

  The first war of the Carnatic ended in the year 1748. It ended by signing a treaty that brings the conclusion to the Austrian War of Succession. The treaty was named Aix-La Chapelle. There were some specific terms mentioned in the treaty such as Madras should be handed over to the British and in exchange, the French will get the territory on the northern side of America.

Conclusion

Many consequences of the first war of the Carnatic affected the whole history of India. Firstly, this war led the path for many other wars in the Carnatic Wars that decided the fate of the British. Secondly, it worked as an eye opener for the British east India Company as they witnessed, how one organised a small group of the army can conquer a much larger force like the Indian army. It also brought the importance of the naval force, which played a huge role in the “Anglo-French conflict”.

FAQs

Q1.What was the reason behind the Carnatic war?

Ans.The first war of the Carnatic was caused by the “Austrian succession”. It was one of the major conflicts, that occurred between the east India Company and the French.

Q2.What was the significance of the Carnatic wars?

Ans.The war of the Carnatic played the main role in the defeat of the French and it also ensures the end of regional powers. Because of the war, the British got full political control of India.

Q3.What is the Battle of St. Thome?

Ans.The battle of St. Thome is popular as the First Carnatic War, which was fought between the Nawab of Carnatic and the French.

Q4.How many wars were fought on Carnatic?

Ans.There is a series of wars which are known as the Carnatic wars. Between the years 1746 to 1763, three Carnatic wars were fought. The military conflict took place in the coastal Carnatic region of Hyderabad. It involved many individual rules who fought against both the French and British for a long time.