Second Carnatic War and Indian Succession Disputes

The Second Carnatic War (1749–1754) grew out of succession conflicts among native Indian rulers rather than European wars. The death of two major South Indian rulers in 1748 created political instability across the Deccan and the Coromandel coast:

• Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I, the founder of the autonomous state of Hyderabad, died in May 1748.
• Saadatullah Khan I‘s lineage in the Carnatic faced internal instability following the earlier Maratha invasions.

The English East India Company and the French East India Company saw an opportunity to extend their political power. Joseph François Dupleix, the French Governor-General, pioneered the policy of taking sides in domestic royal disputes. He offered European troops and military support to local claimants in exchange for territorial grants, revenues, and political influence.

Dual Succession Crises: Hyderabad and Arcot

Simultaneous succession disputes broke out in Hyderabad and the Carnatic in 1748. This created two rival political blocs, each backed by a European power.

Factions in the Deccan and Carnatic Conflicts

Initial Military Campaigns and French Victories

Battle of Ambur (August 1749)

Combined forces of Dupleix, Muzaffar Jung, and Chanda Sahib defeated and killed Nawab Anwar-ud-din Khan at Ambur near Vellore. Chanda Sahib became the Nawab of Carnatic and rewarded the French with a grant of 80 villages around Pondicherry. Anwar-ud-din’s son, Muhammad Ali, fled to the safety of the rock fort of Tiruchirappalli (Trichinopoly).

Consolidation of French Control in Hyderabad

Nasir Jung lost his life in a clash in December 1750, leaving Muzaffar Jung as the Nizam of Hyderabad. The new Nizam awarded Dupleix the honorary title of Governor of Mughal territories south of the Krishna River. He also ceded the port of Masulipatnam to the French. When Muzaffar Jung died in a clash early in 1751, French commander Charles Castelnau de Bussy placed Salabat Jung (another son of Asaf Jah I) on the throne. Bussy maintained a French contingent at Hyderabad to guard the Nizam. To fund these troops, Salabat Jung granted the French control over the Northern Circars—a coastal strip comprising Mustafanagar, Ellore, Rajahmundry, and Chicacole.

The English Counter-Offensive and the Turn of the Tide

By mid-1751, French influence reached its peak. Chanda Sahib and the French laid siege to Muhammad Ali inside the fort of Tiruchirappalli. Recognizing that the fall of Tiruchirappalli would eliminate English influence in South India, the English Governor at Madras, Thomas Saunders, backed a bold plan proposed by Robert Clive.

Capture and Defense of Arcot (1751)

Robert Clive, then a young military captain, led a force of 200 European soldiers and 300 Indian sepoys to capture Arcot, the capital of the Carnatic. His strategy aimed to force Chanda Sahib to lift or weaken the siege at Tiruchirappalli to save his capital.

• Clive captured Arcot without facing major initial resistance in August 1751.
• Chanda Sahib dispatched a force of 4,000 troops under his son, Raza Sahib, to retake Arcot.
• Clive withstood a 53-day siege against heavy odds until reinforcements arrived.
• The successful defense of Arcot broke the momentum of the French-led alliance and damaged Chanda Sahib’s credibility.

Fall of Chanda Sahib

British forces led by Stringer Lawrence and Robert Clive relieved Tiruchirappalli in 1752. Chanda Sahib surrendered to the Tanjore army, an ally of the British, and was executed. The British placed Muhammad Ali on the throne as the Nawab of Carnatic.

Treaty of Pondicherry (1754) and War Outcomes

The continuous military expenditure worried the directors of the French East India Company and government officials in Paris. They viewed Dupleix’s territorial ambitions as a drain on corporate finances that risked open war with Britain. In August 1754, the French government recalled Dupleix to Paris. Charles-Robert Godeheu replaced him as Governor-General and opened negotiations with the English.

Key Provisions of the Treaty of Pondicherry (1754)

• Both companies agreed to stop interfering in the internal succession disputes of native Indian states.
• Both powers retained their existing commercial bases and possessions held at the signing of the treaty.
• Both sides agreed to stop building new military fortifications in the region.
• Muhammad Ali received formal recognition as the Nawab of Carnatic, establishing English political supremacy in Arcot.

Fact Summary of the Second Carnatic War

Essential Facts and Historical Trivia

Robert Clive began his service in India as a junior clerk (writer) for the English East India Company in 1744 before transferring to the military service during the First Carnatic War. The Northern Circars granted to Bussy in 1753 included four key coastal districts: Mustafanagar, Ellore, Rajahmundry, and Chicacole. These regions provided the French with stable land revenue to maintain their armies. Muzaffar Jung gave Dupleix the personal title of Zafar Jung along with high rank (mansab) in the Mughal court network after his elevation as Nizam. Ananda Ranga Pillai recorded internal political decisions, military movements, and personal reflections on Dupleix’s policies in his detailed private diary in Pondicherry. The British military leader Stringer Lawrence earned the title “Father of the Indian Army” for his role in organizing, training, and commanding regular native sepoy units during these Carnatic campaigns.