First Carnatic War ( 1740 - 48 )

Background

Carnatic was the name given by the Europeans to the Coromandel Coast and its hinterland. The First Carnatic War was an extension of the Anglo-French War in Europe which was caused by the Austrian War of Succession. 

Immediate Cause 

Although France, conscious of its relatively weaker position in India, did not favour an extension of hostilities to India, The English navy under Barnet seized some French ships to provoke French. French retaliated by seizing Madras in 1746 with the help of the fleet from Mauritius, the Isle of French, under Admiral La Bourdonnais, the French governor of Mauritius. Thus began the First Carnatic War.

Result 

The First Carnatic War ended in 1748 when the Treaty of Aix-La Chapelle was signed, bringing the Austrian War of Succession to a conclusion. Under the terms of this treaty, Madras was handed back to the English, and the French, in turn, got their territories in North America. 

Significance 

The First Carnatic War is remembered for the Battle of St. Thome fought between the French forces and the forces of Anwaruddin, the Nawab of Carnatic, to whom the English appealed for help. A small French rmy under Captain Paradise defeated the strong Indian army under Mahfuz Khan at St. Thome on the banks of the river Adyar. This was eye-opener for the Europeans in India: it revealed that even a small disciplined army could easily defeat a much larger Indian army. Further, this war adequately brought out the importance of navel force in the Anglo- French conflict in the Deccan.