1755 - French expedition in Carnatic

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The campaign lasted from ??? to ??? 1755

Description

After the intervention of the East India Company in the dominion of the Nawab of Arcot to reunite the towns of Madura (present-day Madurai) and Tinnevelly (present-day Tirunelveli) to his dominion, the French protested against this act as a violation of the truce signed on January 5 1755.

The French Governor of Pondicherry (present-day Puducherry), M. de Leyrit, decided to follow the British example. Accordingly he assented to the demand of Mysore for assistance to force the local chieftain of the Country of Terriore (unidentified location), some 50 km north of Trichinopoly (present-day Tiruchirapalli), to pay tribute. The French were acting as agents of Mysore in Carnatic (present-day Karnātakā).

M. de Leyrit sent 1,500 men under M. Maissin to collect tribute from Terriore. The expedition successfully recovered tributes. M. Maissin then continued his advance eastward to Palamcottah (present-day Palayamkottai), a place considered as belonging to the dominion of the Nawab of Arcot, a British Ally. The East India Company threatened to intervene military. The French Governor then ordered his troops to retire from the contested region.

Both signatories had now infringed the January 5 truce. Renewal of hostilities was now almost a certainty.

References

This article incorporates texts from the book of Fortescue, J. W., A History of the British Army Vol. II, MacMillan, London, 1899, pp. 407-408. A publication now in the public domain.