Second Carnatic War

Second Carnatic War 1749-54

France and England were at Peace during the Second Carnatic War. In 1748, the Nizam of Hyderabad Asaf Jah I died and there was a civil war for succession broke out.

• This Civil war of succession is known as Second Carnatic War.

The Belligerents were Mir Ahmad Ali Khan (Nasir Jung), who was the son of the Nizam-ul-Mulk, and Hidayat Muhi ud-Din Sa’adu’llah Khan (Muzaffar Jung), who was the grandson of Nizam-ul-Mulk.

During the first Carnatic War, the Nawab or Arcot was Muhammad Anwaruddin, who received overtures for support from both from the English and the French. The French wanted to reduce the growing influence of the English in the Carnatic. So they supported Husain Dost Khan (Chanda Sahib) as the rightful Nawab of the Carnatic against Muhammad Anwaruddin, who was supported by the British.

For Chanda Sahib, this was an opportunity to become Nawab of Arcot with the support of the French. He joined the cause of Muzaffar Jung and began to conspire against the Nawab Anwaruddin Muhammad Khan in Arcot.

• The French allied with Chanda Sahib and Muzaffar Jung to bring them into power in Arcot and Hyderabad respectively.

But the British were not sitting idle.

• To offset the French influence, they began supporting Nasir Jung and Nawab Muhammad Anwaruddin.

This old man Nawab Muhammad Anwaruddin, supported by the English, met the French army at Ambur in August 1749 and was killed in the battle. Now the British supported the son of Nawab Muhammad Anwaruddin named Muhammad Ali Khan Walajah.

In 1751, Robert Clive led British troops to capture Arcot. This is famous as Siege of Arcot. In this Clive was successful and English protégé, Mohammed Ali Khan Walajah, was recognized as Nawab of Arcot. The war ended with the Treaty of Pondicherry, signed in 1754. Muhammad Ali Khan Walajah was recognized as the Nawab of Arcot.

• The Siege of Arcot (1751) was a heroic feat, more important than the Battle of Plessey.

It spread the fame of English valor throughout India. Shortly afterward Clive returned to England in ill-health, but the war continued for some more years. The result was that English influence predominated in the Coromandal Coast and Carnatic. Mohammad Ali maintained his position, but the French were able to get the Northern Circars, the maritime tract. At Hyderabad, Nasir Jang Mir Ahmad, the English protégé was killed in the battle, the French helped in placing Asaf ad-Dawlah Mir Ali Salabat Jang the third son of Asaf Jah as Nawab of Hyderabad.