Rule of the Nawabs of the Carnatic

With the fall of Ginjee (1698), the Southern provinces of the Mughul was established with Zulfikar Khan as the Chief. He was called the Nawab of the Carnatic and the founder of the Arcot Nawabship. As Zulfikar’s services were needed somewhere, he went to Delhi leaving behind him his able general Daud Khan to succeed him as the Nawab. Daud Khan resided for sometime in Ginjee and then in Arcot which later became the capital of the Carnatic Nawabs. In 1710 his own Civil Officer Sayyad Muzafar became the Nawab with the name of Sadat-ulla-khan. He was the first regular and acknowledged Nawab of the Carnatic. He gave hereditary character to the office of the Nawab.

The whole of Seventeenth Century was indeed an unfortunate period in the history of the Carnatic Subha. It was characterised by political uncertainty, insatability and consequent break in the administration of the land; constant; constant warfare, the extortions of the local Nayaks and each victor trying to exploit the maximum he could within his short time, plunged the people in great misery and poverty.^[1] “There was no one to take up the people cause. They silently suffered and not a record remains among them of of the horrors of that time”.^[2] However during the reign of Sadat-ulla-Khan, Nawab of Arcot and his successor Dost Ali for a period of almost 30 years (1710-1740), there was some peace and good administration Carnatic. He ruled up to 1732.

Sadat-ulla Khan’s brother Dost Ali Khan (1732-1740) became Nawab in 1732 and ruled the Arcot Subha for eight years. It was by this time, the Marathas, rose against the Mughals.^[3] 180. Thanjavur region was under the Maratha rule sicne 1676. This rule was often disturbed by the Nawabs of Arcot and eventually Pratap. Singh, the Mahratta ruler in Tanjore was pensioned off and aMuhammedan deputy was placed to take care of the kingdom. Hence a huge Mahratta army under under Rahoji Bhonsle advanced into the Carnatic and defeated and slew Nawab Dost All Khan. Afterwards under Rahoji Bhonsle made peace with the Nawab’s son SafdarAli and recognised him as the new Nawab in August 1740.^[4] 181. Shortly afterwards (1742), the Nawab Safdar Ali was assassinated in a scuffle at the instigation of a treacherous relation of his, Murtaza Ali, the Killedar of Vellore. But the army proclaimed his young son Muhammed Sayid (1742-1744) as the Nawab of the Carnatic in 1742 and the young Nawab was supported by the British. For a while, te Great Nizam-ul-Mulk arrived at Arcot with a large army and turned out the Marathas from Tiruchirappalli. The boy Nawab visited the Nizam who promised to consider his claims to the Nawabship when he would become a major and appointed a Diwan to Arcot. The first appointed Diwan died suddenly and his place was given to Anwar-ud-din Khan.

Soon after Anwar-ud-din came to Arcot, the boy prince was killed in an affray. Anwar-ud-din was absolved from all blame and confirmed in his office by the Nizam in 1744. Anwar-ud-din thus superseded the old Navayat family of Sadat-ullah-Khan which had been in power for over thirty years. Anwar-uddin’s rule was unpopular at first and greatly disliked by the adherents of the old family.

Nawab Anwardeen was alarmed at the prospect of a war between Madras and Pondicherry. The Nawab himself subsequently came to San Thome and received the English very cordially. The English fleet might have easily attacked and captured Pondicherry but it did not do so.^[5] Dupleix and De La Bourdonnais succeeded in occupying Madras and the city was under the ch control till August 1749, when it was restored to the British as per the iece Treaty of Aix-la-Chapell.

Soon after the French occupation of Madras, Nawab Anwar-ud-din olved to make good his claim to the city, by force and sent his son Maphuz Khan, to seize the surrounding country and prevent all ingress into Madras. The result was battle at Adayar in November 1746 in which the Nawab’s army was defeated. The battle transferred the prestige and the morale from the Muha mmadans to the European settlers.^[6]

Chanda Saheb, Nawab Dost AIi Khan’s son-in-law had an eye on the Nawab’s throne. When he was assisting his Father-in-law in Ambur battle (1740), he was taken prisoner by the Marathas. Later, he was released by intervention of Dupleix. Chanda Saheb invaded Arcot.The invasion was supported by the French at Ponidicherry. The army met the Nawab’s forces at Ambur on 3^rd August 1749 and in the battle that took place, Anwar-ud-din was killed. Chanda Saheb was declared the Nawab of Arcot. Meanwhile, the British forces supported Muhammed Ali, the son of Anwar-ud-din who was slain in the Ambur battle and recognised Muhammed Ali as the Nawab of Arcot.

Robert Clive, who rose to a high position in the East India Company hierarchy, from an ordinary writer, induced the Governor of Fort St. David (Cuddalore) to agree to his making a diversion by an attack on Chanda Saheb’s possessions in Arcot. Accordingly, on 29^th August 1751 Olive halted at Kancheepuram. Then Clive marched into Arcot to find the fort abandoned by the enemy. The occupation of Arcot had in the meantime produced the desired effect. Chanda Sahib sent his son, Raja Sahib, with 4000 Indian and 150 French troops. The defence of Arcot ended in the retreat of Raja Sahib. When the English force under Lieutenant Innes reached as far as Tiruvallur, they were surrounded by the troops of Raja Sahib. Anyhow, the English managed to succeed at heavy cost. They were obliged to retreat to the fort of Poonamallee as they had no canons. Eventually, Lieutenant lnnes’ party reached Arcot under the command of Captain Kilpatrick. Clive, after resting for two or three days, left Kilpatrick in command at Arcot and set out to reduce Kancheepuram. Clive inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy whose troops fled in all directions. These successes regained for Muhammad Ali a large portion of the Carnatic.^[7] Chanda Sahib was captured by the Commander of the Thanjavur troops which were assisting the English. The General at Thanjavur brutally murdered Chanda Sahib.

On the 28^th April 1758, Lally landed at Pondicherry and took office as Governor-General of the French possessions in India. As soon as he landed, attacked the Fort St. David. After the fall of Fort St. David, the Governor at Madras wanted to strengthen Madras and resolved to call in every available man to aid in the resistance which had determined to make. In pursuance of these, and Karunguli, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram together with Kaveripakkam and Arcot were finally evacuated. The French were very soon at work plundering the rich villages, -Salavakkam and Kancheepuram. Before advancing on Arcot, Lally had reached the country lying south of the Palar, (the Madurantakam taluk), and had visited in person the forts of Alampara in the south and Karunguli. The timely arrival of troops from England helped the Government of Madras to re-occupy Chengalpattu. Lally now began to concentrate his forces on Karunguli, Salavakkam and Kancheepuram. Lally arrived at Chengalpattu on the 4^th December 1758. On his way to Madras, he attacked Poonamallee and drove Ensign Crowley, who commanded the fort. Colonel Murphy was deputed by Lally to reduce Poonamallee. Crowley at first refused to surrender. Finally, he abandoned the fort at dead of night, marched towards Madras and joined the garrison at Fort St. George with his five companies of troops.^[8] The struggle between Lally and Major Calliaud resulted in the siege of Madras and with it, reached the turning point of French ascendancy in the Carnatic.^[9] The English tried to purchase their assistance of the Marathas against the French at that juncture. Muhammad All, the Nawab had come to Madras during the siege. Soon he found it very uncomfortable. He escaped by slip to Nagapattinam, from there he returned to his old quarters of Tiruchirappalli.

The French and English had laid inactive for twenty two days. The whole country south of the Palar, including the then taluk of Madurantakam was in the hands of the French. Major Brereton, therefore, formed the prudent resolve of marching into the south. The English quitted their camp on the 1^st April 1759 without any opposition from the French. On the 6^th, they took the possession on Wandiwash in North Arcot and began to throw up batteries against the fort. The English on their side put their troops into cantonments in Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Poonamallee and Sriperumbudur. Lally was in a difficult position. The Council at Madras determined to take advantage of Lally’s difficulties and gave orders for an advance of the force at Kancheepuram against Wandiwash. Colonel Sir Eyre Coote now arrived from England and was appointed to the Command at Madras. He proceeded to Kanchipuram where the main body of the army camped. The French force had been away to Tiruchirappalli. Coote resolved to take advantage of the absence of a part of a French force. Coote then made a feint on Arcot and sent Brereton to attack Tiruvattur in order to divert the attention of the enemy. Brereton arrived at Wandiwash on the 26^th November 1759, stormed and at once began to throw up batteries against the fort. Coote twice ineffectually offered battle in the open. He then marched towards the fort and occupied. Lally headed a charge of a French cavalry against Coote’s horses. In the end, the French fled.^[10]

Coote’s next design was against the forts of Chengalput and Arcot, which surrendered in 1760. The French settlement at Karaikal was the next to fall. This was followed by the reduction of Ginjee, and Mahe and nothing left of the French Empire in India except the mere trading factories at Calicut and Surat.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Raman, K.V., Varadarajaswami Temple-Kanchi-A Study of History, Art and Architecture, op.cit., p.37.

[2]:

Crole, Charles Stewart, op.cit., p.151.

[3]:

Ibid., p.153.

[4]:

Sen, Surendranath, op.cit., pp.252-253.

[5]:

Srinivasachari, C.S., History of the City of Madras, op.cit., p.185.

[6]:

Ibid., p.162.

[7]:

Crole, Charles Stewart, op.cit., pp.162 and 613..

[8]:

Ibid., pp.168-171.

[9]:

Ibid., pp.173-174.

[10]:

Ibid., pp.186-188..