Chanda Sahib and Carnatic Succession Politics

Chanda Sahib, born Husayn Dost Khan, emerged as a prominent political and military figure in mid-eighteenth-century South India. He was the son-in-law of Dost Ali Khan, the Nawab of the Carnatic. Chanda Sahib served as a skilled military commander and diplomat, expanding his family’s influence across the Coromandel coast. In 1736, Chanda Sahib intervened in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Madurai. Under the pretense of aiding Rani Meenakshi, he gained access to the fortress city, ousted the queen, and declared himself the ruler of Madurai. This action brought the region of Tanjore and Madurai under the influence of the Navayath dynasty of the Carnatic.

Maratha Invasion and Imprisonment

The rapid expansion of the Navayath family alarmed neighboring powers, including the Marathas and Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad. In 1740, a Maratha army under Raghuji Bhonsle invaded the Carnatic to extract Chauth and Sardeshmukhi.

Capture of Trichinopoly

• Battle of Damalcheruvu (1740): Maratha forces defeated and killed Nawab Dost Ali Khan in battle.
• Siege of Trichinopoly (1741): Maratha general Raghuji Bhonsle besieged Trichinopoly, where Chanda Sahib had fortified his positions.
• Imprisonment at Satara: Chanda Sahib surrendered in March 1741. The Marathas took him to Satara as a prisoner of war, holding him for seven years.
• Nizam’s Intervention: Nizam-ul-Mulk appointed Anwar-ud-din Khan as the new Nawab of the Carnatic in 1744, sidelining the old Navayath line.

Release and the Triple Alliance

In 1748, Joseph François Dupleix, the Governor-General of French India, arranged for Chanda Sahib’s release by paying a ransom of seven lakh rupees to the Marathas. Dupleix sought to use Chanda Sahib to overthrow Anwar-ud-din Khan and establish French dominance in the Carnatic. At the same time, a succession dispute broke out in Hyderabad following the death of Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I in May 1748. Muzaffar Jung claimed the throne of Hyderabad against his uncle, Nasir Jung. Dupleix formed a tripartite military alliance uniting French forces, Chanda Sahib, and Muzaffar Jung.

Role in the Second Carnatic War

The formation of the French-backed alliance triggered the Second Carnatic War (1749–1754). The English East India Company supported the rival claimants, Nasir Jung in Hyderabad and Anwar-ud-din Khan in the Carnatic.

Battle of Ambur (1749)

In August 1749, the combined armies of Dupleix, Chanda Sahib, and Muzaffar Jung engaged Nawab Anwar-ud-din Khan at Ambur near Vellore. The European-trained French infantry defeated the Nawab’s troops, and Anwar-ud-din was killed in battle. Chanda Sahib declared himself the Nawab of the Carnatic at Arcot, while Anwar-ud-din’s son, Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah, fled to the rock fort of Tiruchirappalli.

Territorial Rewards to the French

Following his victory at Ambur, Chanda Sahib rewarded the French East India Company with a grant of 80 villages around Pondicherry. He also confirmed French possession of the port town of Karaikal.

Alignment of Opposing Factions

The Siege of Arcot and Downfall

By mid-1751, Chanda Sahib and French detachments laid siege to Muhammad Ali inside the fort of Tiruchirappalli. To save Muhammad Ali, English Governor Thomas Saunders accepted a tactical plan proposed by Captain Robert Clive.

Capture and Defense of Arcot (1751)

In August 1751, Robert Clive led 200 European troops and 300 Indian sepoys to capture Arcot, the capital of the Carnatic. Clive took the citadel without initial opposition. Chanda Sahib dispatched a force of 4,000 men under his son, Raza Sahib, to retake his capital. Clive endured a 53-day siege at Arcot, repelling repeated assaults until Raza Sahib withdrew.

Siege of Tiruchirappalli and Execution

The successful defense of Arcot diverted troops away from Tiruchirappalli and broke Chanda Sahib’s military momentum. British reinforcements under Major Stringer Lawrence and Robert Clive arrived at Tiruchirappalli in 1752, forcing the French and Chanda Sahib to surrender. Chanda Sahib attempted to escape by surrendering to Manoji, the general of the Tanjore army (an ally of the British). Manoji executed Chanda Sahib in June 1752, ending his claim to the throne.

Essential Facts and Historical Trivia

Chanda Sahib belonged to the Navayath clan, an Arab-descent merchant family that dominated South Indian governance prior to the rise of the Wallajah dynasty. Rani Meenakshi of Madurai committed ritual suicide after Chanda Sahib breached his oaths of protection and seized control of her kingdom in 1736. Chanda Sahib’s son, Raza Sahib, led the siege against Robert Clive at Arcot in 1751 with a force supported by French artillery units. Following Chanda Sahib’s execution, the British established Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah as the undisputed Nawab of the Carnatic, leading to the signing of the Treaty of Pondicherry in 1754. The Tanjore ruler executed Chanda Sahib to prevent him from regaining power and re-asserting claims over Tanjore’s agricultural revenues.