Treaty of Pondicherry and Second Carnatic War

The Second Carnatic War (1749–1754) originated from political rivalries among native rulers in South India rather than direct conflict in Europe. The deaths of Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I of Hyderabad and Saadatullah Khan I of the Carnatic in the 1740s created a power vacuum. Joseph François Dupleix, the Governor-General of French India, used European-trained troops to support specific contenders for local thrones. This policy aimed to secure territorial revenues, commercial privileges, and political authority for the French East India Company. The English East India Company responded by backing rival candidates to protect its commercial interests at Madras.

Dual Succession Crises in Hyderabad and Arcot

The conflict revolved around simultaneous succession disputes in the Deccan (Hyderabad) and the Carnatic (Arcot). European powers formed alliances with the competing native claimants.

Factions in the Deccan and Carnatic Succession Disputes

Course of Military Operations

Early French Successes

In August 1749, the combined forces of Dupleix, Muzaffar Jung, and Chanda Sahib defeated and killed Nawab Anwar-ud-din Khan at the Battle of Ambur. Chanda Sahib became the Nawab of Carnatic and rewarded the French with 80 villages around Pondicherry. Anwar-ud-din’s son, Muhammad Ali, fled to the rock fort of Tiruchirappalli. Following the death of Nasir Jung in December 1750, Muzaffar Jung assumed power as Nizam of Hyderabad. He awarded Dupleix the title of Governor of Mughal territories south of the Krishna River and ceded Masulipatnam. After Muzaffar Jung died in 1751, French commander Charles Castelnau de Bussy placed Salabat Jung on the throne. Salabat Jung granted the French control over the Northern Circars (Mustafanagar, Ellore, Rajahmundry, and Chicacole) to pay for French troops stationed at his court.

British Counter-Offensive: Capture and Defense of Arcot

By 1751, Chanda Sahib and the French laid siege to Muhammad Ali inside Tiruchirappalli. English Governor Thomas Saunders approved a plan proposed by Captain Robert Clive to relieve the pressure on Tiruchirappalli. In August 1751, Robert Clive led 200 European soldiers and 300 Indian sepoys to capture Arcot, the capital of the Carnatic. Clive endured a 53-day siege by Raza Sahib, the son of Chanda Sahib. This defense forced Chanda Sahib to divert troops away from Tiruchirappalli. British forces under Major Stringer Lawrence relieved Tiruchirappalli in 1752. Chanda Sahib surrendered to the Tanjore army and was executed, allowing the British to install Muhammad Ali as the Nawab of Carnatic.

Recall of Dupleix and the Treaty of Pondicherry (1754)

Heavy military expenditures concerned the directors of the French East India Company and government officials in Paris. They viewed Dupleix’s territorial conquests as a financial drain that risked full-scale war with Great Britain. The French government recalled Dupleix to Paris in August 1754. Charles-Robert Godeheu replaced him as Governor-General with orders to negotiate peace with the English. Godeheu signed the Treaty of Pondicherry with English Governor Thomas Saunders in December 1754.

Key Terms of the Treaty of Pondicherry

• Both European companies agreed to cease interference in the internal succession disputes of Indian native states.
• Both powers retained the commercial bases and territories in their possession at the time of signing.
• Both sides agreed to stop constructing new military fortifications in the region.
• Muhammad Ali received formal recognition as the legitimate Nawab of Carnatic, establishing British political influence over Arcot.

Summary of the Second Carnatic War

Essential Facts and Historical Trivia

Robert Clive entered service in India as a junior clerk for the English East India Company in 1744 before taking a military commission during the Carnatic campaigns. The Northern Circars granted to Bussy in 1753 comprised four coastal districts: Mustafanagar, Ellore, Rajahmundry, and Chicacole. These districts provided the revenue base for French forces in Hyderabad. Muzaffar Jung granted Dupleix the title Zafar Jung along with high rank (mansab) in the Mughal imperial system. Ananda Ranga Pillai, chief native interpreter (Dubash) to Governor Dupleix at Pondicherry, detailed the military movements, political decisions, and treaty terms in his daily private diaries. Major Stringer Lawrence introduced formal European drill techniques and organizational structures to native Indian soldiers, earning him recognition as the organizer of the early Indian army.