Battle of Wandiwash - Third Carnatic War [NCERT Notes on Modern Indian History For UPSC]

The battle of Wandiwash was an attempt by the French to acquire the Fort of Vandavasi present in Tamil Nadu. This attempt was foiled by the British Forces under the command of British Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote which led to the Battle of Wandiwash or Third Carnatic War.

Battle of Wandiwash – Third Carnatic War (UPSC Notes):- Download PDF Here

Third Carnatic War – Details

Facts about the Third Carnatic War or Battle of Wandiwash

• Fought between: The French and the British
• People involved: Count de Lally (French General), British Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote
• When: 1757 – 1763
• Where: Carnatic, South India
• Result: British victory

The course of the Third Carnatic War

• In 1756, the Seven Year’s War broke out in Europe and once again England and France were pitted against one another. No major engagements would take place between the two in the Indian Subcontinent until 1757.
• After the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the British forces wrested Chandannagar (in Bengal) from the French.
• The French, under Count de Lally, captured Fort St. George and attacked the English to acquire Madras.
• But he was defeated by English forces under Sir Eyre Coote in the Battle of Wandiwash in 1760.
• The French lost their Indian possessions including Pondicherry, Mahe, Gingee and Karaikal to the British.
• The war ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763.
• As per the Treaty, Chandannagar and Pondicherry were returned to France but they were barred from fortifying them or having troops in them. They could only have trading activities.

Third Carnatic War Results

Effects of the Third Carnatic War

• French hopes of building an empire in India were completely dashed.
• This established Britain as the paramount European power in India. The path was clear for the establishment of a British colonial rule in India.

Reasons for French failure

• The superior naval strength of the British. They could bring in soldiers from Europe and also provide supplies from Bengal. The French did not have any such avenue to replenish resources.
• The French Army had a strength 300 European Cavalry, 2,250 European infantry, 1,300 sepoys (soldiers), 3,000 Mahrattas and 16 pieces of artillery while the English deployed about 80 European Horses, 250 Native horses, 1,900 European Infantry, 2,100 sepoys.
• Britain had Madras, Bombay and Calcutta – three important posts. In contrast, the French had only one strong post, Pondicherry. This meant that if Pondicherry was captured, the French had little hope of recovery. But Britain could rely on any of the other two bases if one was captured.
• The victory at the Battle of Plassey opened up the British to a rich area, namely Bengal.
• The British had many capable and able soldiers like Robert Clive, Stringer Lawrence and Sir Eyre Coote.

This article provided relevant information about The Battle of Wandiwash.  These notes will also be useful for other competitive exams like banking PO, SSC, state civil services exams and so on.

Battle of Wandiwash – Third Carnatic War (UPSC Notes):- Download PDF Here

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