Q. Consider the following events and their chronology during the Anglo-French conflict in India:
1.The defeat of the French Commander Count de Lally in the Battle of Wandiwash was followed chronologically by the capture of the English factory at Calcutta.
2.Count de Lally’s centralized command structure, which led to the recall of Bussy from the Nizam’s court, significantly weakened the French position in the Deccan.
3.The final action that marked the end of the war in India was the French surrender of their chief settlement of Pondicherry after a prolonged siege by the English forces.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: B
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is incorrect (Chronology Fails). The capture of the English factory at Calcutta (by Siraj-ud-Daula) occurred much earlier in 1756 (leading to the Black Hole tragedy), which was before the Battle of Wandiwash in 1760.
- Statement 2 is correct. Count de Lally, upon his arrival, centralized military control and insisted on recalling Bussy from Hyderabad in 1758 to participate in the attack on Madras. This decision was a strategic blunder as it immediately led to the Nizam siding with the English, and the French lost the Northern Circars.
- Statement 3 is correct. Following the decisive defeat at Wandiwash (1760), the French forces retreated to Pondicherry, which was then besieged by the English under Sir Eyre Coote. The fall of Pondicherry in 1761 was the final military action that effectively sealed the fate of the French in India.
