But the overwhelming success brought in its train discord and disunion. La Bourdonnais had promised to restore Madras for a suitable ransom, but Dupleix was strongly against this policy. After a prolonged quarrel, Dupleix seemed ready to submit, when a hurricane caused severe damage to the French fleet and forced La Bourdonnais to retire with his ships from the Indian seas. Dupleix now formally denounced the treaty which La Bourdonnais had made with the Council of Madras and plundered Madras “from top to bottom”.
But the success of his policy was dearly purchased. With the departure of La Bourdonnais the English obtained the command of the sea. The first effect of this change was the failure of Dupleix to take Fort St. David in spite of a prolonged siege of eighteen months. In June, 1748, a large squadron was sent out from England under Rear-Admiral Boscawen to avenge the capture of Madras, and now the English in their turn besieged Pondicherry, both by land and sea. Fortune again smiled on Dupleix. Pondicherry was saved by the lack of military skill of the besieging army, and in October Boscawen was forced to raise the siege on the approach of the monsoon. Before he could renew the siege the War of the Austrian Succession had been concluded by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748). Under the terms of the Treaty, Madras was restored to the English, and Boscawen sailed back to Europe. Thus closed the first stage of the struggle without any territorial gain on either side.
The Second Carnatic War
Outwardly the two parties were left by the Treaty exactly where they were before, but events soon proved that the situation had really changed a great deal. The recent struggle had some obvious lessons which the quick mind of Dupleix did not fail to grasp. They formed the basis of a new and daring policy which in its ultimate effects changed the whole course of Indian history.
The war had illustrated the great importance of sea power. It demonstrated beyond doubt that, situated as they were, neither the French nor the English could hope to obtain a decisive and permanent success unless they could control the sea. The recognised supremacy of the English in this respect offered, therefore, but a gloomy prospect to the French. Besides, the French power was practically limited to the Carnatic, whereas the English had important settlements both in Bombay and Bengal. In any struggle for supremacy the French would therefore be at a great disadvantage, as regards both supplies from home and command of resources in India itself. The chances of ultimate success of the French against the English appeared thus to be very small indeed.
Any other person would have been dismayed by these sombre prospects. But the genius of Dupleix shone forth and suggested to him the only way out of the difficulty. The episode of Anwar-ud-din’s discomfiture before Madras made a deep impression upon his mind and suggested immense possibilities in a new direction. The utter rout of Anwar-ud-din’s huge forces by the small French army on land proved that in warfare better discipline and up-to-date equipment –counted far more than mere numbers; and that vast Asiatic armies were no longer a match for even a handful of European troops. In his small but brave and disciplined army he thus possessed an effective weapon which would prove a decisive factor in any quarrel between two Indian princes. And in those days of political unrest, Indian princes would not be wanting who would be prepared to offer any price to Dupleix for turning the scale in their favour. Backed by the prestige and resources of such an Indian authority the French would ultimately be more than a match for the English.
So argued Dupleix, and as the events showed, reasonably enough. Fortune favoured him, and placed before him a unique opportunity to work out his new policy. We have already refereed to the fact that the appointment of Anwar-ud-din Khan as the Nawab of the Carnatic gave rise to discontent among the friends and relations of the late Nawab Dost ‘Ali.
Dupleix was eagerly waiting for a situation like this. He concluded a secret treaty with Chanda Sahib and Muzaffar Jang with a view to placing them on the thrones of the Carnatic and the Deccan respectively. On the 3rd of August, 1749, the three allies defeated and killed Anwar-ud-din at the battle of Ambur, to the south-east of Vellore. Muhammad ‘Ali, the son of Anwar-ud-din, fled to Trichinopoly and a French army was sent to reduce that town.
The English could not fail to realise the great danger which threatened them, but they lacked the energy of Dupleix. They sent urgent invitations to Nasir Jang to come and crush his enemies in the Carnatic and sent some help to Muhammad ‘Ali- at, Trichinopoly. But they could not organize an effective confederacy against the one headed by Dupleix. The result was that Nasir Jang, in spite of some initial successes in the Carnatic, was ultimately killed (December, 1750). Muzaffar Jang, who had been kept a prisoner, was now set free and proclaimed Subahdar of the Deccan. The grateful Subahdar suitably rewarded the services of his French ally. He appointed Dupleix governor of all the Mughul territories south of the Krishna river and ceded to him territories near Pondicherry as well as on the Orissa coast, including the famous market-town of Masulipatam. In return, at the request of Muzaffar Jang, Dupleix placed at his disposal the service of his best officer, Bussy, with a French army. It proved to be the surest means to guarantee French influence at the court of the Nizam.
So far, things had gone admirably for the French, and Dupleix’s policy triumphed beyond his most sanguine expectations. His proteges, Muzaffar Jang and Chanda Sahib, occupied the thrones at Hyderabad and Arcot. In less than two years an insignificant body of foreign merchants was raised to the position of supreme political authority in the Deccan and the Carnatic. To friends and foes alike Dupleix’s success appeared nothing short of a miracle.
In order to complete his success it was necessary for Dupleix to come to a settlement with Muhammad ‘Ali, who had taken refuge at the strong fort of Trichinopoly. The French force sent to reduce that city had wasted its energy in a fruitless effort to reduce Tanjore. Dupleix, therefore, decided to try the effect of diplomacy. He would perhaps have succeeded but for the intervention of the English, whose help and encouragement stiffened the resistance of Muhammad Ali.
