The Carnatic Wars : History Explanation

Initially, there was intense competition amongst various European trading companies in India
The Carnatic Wars were a series of military contests during the 18th century between the British, the French, the Marathas, and Mysore for control of the coastal strip of Eastern India from Nellore ( north of Madras)southward. In the 18th century, the coastal Carnatic was a dependency of Hyderabad, within the Mughal empire.
The First Carnatic War was fought because France and Britain were on the opposing sides of the camp at the War of Austrian Succession ( the main cause of this war in Europe was because there was a conflict related to the question of Maria Theresa’s succession to the Austrian Habsburg crown) that had broken out in Europe in 1740. This Anglo-French rivalry led to their trading companies in India competing with each other for power and control. So the First Carnatic War (1746 to 1748) was considered as the Indian theatre of the War of the Austrian Succession. The First Carnatic War is also the first of a series of Carnatic Wars that established early British control on the east coast of the Indian subcontinent.
When the War of Austrian Succession broke out in Europe, it had its consequences in India too. The War began in 1742 when the British, supported by the Nawab of Carnatic, Anwaruddin Khan, captured some French ships. Pondicherry, the French base in India was also threatened. The French in turn led by Dupleix, the French Governor of Pondicherry, attacked the British settlement of Fort. St. George in Madras. Anwaruddin Khan, the Nawab of Carnatic, supported the British. In 1748, the War of Austrian Succession ended in Europe when the Treaty of Aix La Chappelle was negotiated and signed between England, France and other European powers. Through this treaty, the French got Louisburg region in North America and the British got back Madras. With the end of the War of Austrian Succession in Europe, the First Carnatic War in India also came to an end.
After the death of the first Nizam of Hyderabad ( Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I) in 1748, a civil war broke out. Nasir Jung and Muzaffar Jung who were two of his sons were fighting amongst themselves as each wanted to become the next Nizam of Hyderabad. Nasir Jung was supported by the English while his brother Muzaffar Jung was supported by the French. This was one battle which was going on in Hyderabad.
In the Carnatic region, there was another battle of succession going on. This war was between Chanda Sahib who was a subject of the Mughal empire and Muhammad Ali Khan who considered himself to be the ‘subedar of the Carnatic’. Each was contending the other to become the next Nawab of Carnatic. The French and the British decided to interfere in the internal affairs of the Carnatic region as well. The British supported Muhammad Ali while the French supported Chanda Sahib.
The French was defeated and the French Governor –General Dupleix had to leave for France. The British, led by Robert Clive, occupied Arcot, the capital of Carnatic. A puppet nawab ( Muhammad Ali) favored by the British was placed on the throne of Carnatic.
The Second Carnatic War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Pondicherry in 1754. This treaty demanded that all the territories captured by the French be returned. The Second Carnatic War removed all obstacles in the path of the British.
The result of this war was that Muzaffar Jung became Hyderabad’s Nizam. Muhammad Ali became the Nawab of the Carnatic.
In the year 1756, the Seven Years ’ War broke out in Europe. This resulted in renewed conflict between the French and the British forces in India. The Third Carnatic War spread beyond Southern India and into Bengal where British forces captured the French settlement of Chandernagore in 1757 . However, the war was decided in the south, as British commander Sir Eyre Coote decisively defeated the French under Count de Lally, the French Governor-General who had replaced Dupleix, at the Battle of Wandiwash in 1760. After Wandiwash, the French capital of Pondicherry fell to the British in 1761. The war concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, in 1763. The British returned Chandernagore and Pondicherry to France, and permitted the French to have factories in India but warned the French traders from administering them. The French agreed to accept British imperialism in India and they continued to stay in India under British protection.
Thus, it can be concluded that the Third Carnatic War brought an end to the French ambitions of setting up an empire in India.