Third Carnatic War and the Treaty of Paris

At a Glance

• What it is The decisive third war between the English and the French in India
• Years 1758-63, within the Seven Years’ War (1756-63)
• Decisive battle Wandiwash, 22 January 1760: Eyre Coote beat Count de Lally
• Settlement Treaty of Paris, 1763: French kept trading posts but lost political influence
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Advent of the Europeans

Where Does It Fit?

This is the ninth topic of the category on the advent of the Europeans. The previous topic covered the first two Carnatic Wars. This topic covers the decisive third war. The next topic compares clive-and-the-anglo-french-struggle-a-comparison/" class="maargx-auto-link" data-preview="At a Glance What it is A profile of Dupleix and a comparison of why the English succeeded and the French failed…">Dupleix and Clive and explains the French failure. Previous topic: First and Second Carnatic Wars.

How Did the Third Carnatic War Start?

In Europe, when Austria wanted to recover Silesia in 1756, the Seven Years’ War (1756-63) started. Britain and France were again on opposite sides, and the contest was carried to India. In 1758 the French army under Count de Lally captured the English forts of St David and Vizianagaram. The English then took the offensive.

Why Was the Battle of Wandiwash Decisive?

The decisive battle of the Third Carnatic War was won by the English on 22 January 1760 at Wandiwash (Vandavasi) in Tamil Nadu. General Eyre Coote routed the French army under Count Thomas Arthur de Lally and took Bussy prisoner.

Lally defended Pondicherry gallantly for eight months before he surrendered on 16 January 1761. With the loss of Jinji and Mahe, French power in India fell to its lowest. Lally, taken prisoner and sent to London, later returned to France, where he was imprisoned and executed in 1766.

H.H. Dodwell explained the military advantage of the English: they drew food and money from Bengal and recruits from Europe, while the French received only what reached them laboriously by land. The English strength grew steadily and the French weakened, which let Coote hem Lally inside the walls of Pondicherry.

What Did the Treaty of Paris of 1763 Decide?

The Treaty of Paris of 1763 restored their factories in India to the French. But French political influence disappeared after the war. By the treaty the French were allowed to use their Indian settlements only for commercial purposes, and the fortification of the settlements was banned.

Thereafter the French, like the Portuguese and the Dutch before them, confined themselves to small enclaves and to commerce. The English became the supreme European power in the subcontinent, since the Dutch had already been defeated at the Battle of Biderra in 1759.

Plassey or Wandiwash: Which Was the Turning Point?

The Battle of Plassey in 1757 is usually seen by historians as the decisive event that led to British rule over India. But one cannot ignore the view that the real turning point for control of the subcontinent was the British victory over the French at Wandiwash in 1760. This victory left the English East India Company with no European rival in India. It was then ready to take over the rule of the entire country.

It is also noteworthy that natives served as sepoys in both armies at Wandiwash. Whichever side won, it made the fall of India to European invaders look inevitable. Indian rulers lacked an understanding of the geopolitics of the day and showed a lack of foresight.

What Did the Third Carnatic War Change?

• No European rival The English now had no European rival, since the Portuguese, Dutch and French had all been reduced to enclaves
• End of French ambition France lost the hope of an Indian empire, though it kept trading posts
• Sepoy armies Armies of drilled Indian soldiers under European officers proved their worth
• Base for further conquest With rivals gone, the Company could turn to Bengal and the Indian states

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Decided who ruled India The war ended the Anglo-French contest for India
• Direct facts Wandiwash (1760), Pondicherry (1761) and the Treaty of Paris (1763) are standard exam items
• Debate topic The Plassey versus Wandiwash question is a favourite Mains angle

What Came Next?

The next topic compares Dupleix and Clive and sets out why the French failed and the English succeeded in the Carnatic. Next topic: Dupleix, Clive and the Anglo-French Struggle: A Comparison.

Key People and Terms

• Seven Years’ War The European war of 1756-63 between Britain and France among others
• Count de Lally The French commander defeated at Wandiwash
• Eyre Coote The English general who won at Wandiwash
• Bussy The French officer taken prisoner at Wandiwash
• Treaty of Paris The 1763 treaty that left the French only trading rights in India
• Sepoy An Indian soldier serving in a European-trained army

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions ask for the importance of Wandiwash and the end of French power. These points add depth.

• Supply lines English control of Bengal and the sea fed their army while French supplies came with difficulty
• Political result The French lost influence even though they kept trading posts
• Interpretation Historians differ on whether Plassey or Wandiwash was the real turning point