The Anglo-French
Rivalry
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The Anglo-French
Rivalry
|
The Portuguese
and the Dutch having lost their hold in India, there remained only one rival of
the English, the French. As long as the Mughal empire remained powerful, they dared not quarrel with one another. In case they ever fought, their struggle
remained confined up to the seashore. But with the death of Aurangzeb the
Mughal Empire began to deteriorate. It enhanced the political ambitions of the
foreign traders. Gradually, their rivalry created such a situation that the
survival of the most powerful became the motto of the two remaining powers.
A severe
tug of war continued between the English and the French for about twenty years
(A.D. 1744-1763). At last the French were defeated in this war. Both the enemies
faced each other in Karnataka region. This place is spread between the Eastern
Ghats and the Bay of Bengal in the middle of the seashore. It was a small
kingdom, the capital of which was Arcot. The Nawab of Karnataka was under the supremacy
of the Nizam of Hyderabad but he ruled as an independent ruler. There was great
instability in Karnataka near about A.D. 1746 which encouraged both the
Companies and they began to fight each other for trade monopoly and political
influence. The battle which continued between the two for twenty years passed through
three stages : the First Karnataka War, the Second Karnataka war and the Third Karnataka
war. In the beginning of A.D. 1763 the condition of the French became so
deplorable that it led to the establishment of the English rule both in trade
and politics but the French were finally crushed in A.D. 1818.
The condition in the fifth decade of the 18th century were more favorable to the
English than the French. Bombay was the most famous colony of the English on
the western shore. The French had no colony there. The English also had two
colonies in Calcutta and madras on the Eastern shore and the French had
established themselves in Pondicherry and Chandranagar. Comparatively, the colonies
of England were much more significant than the French colonies. The English
trade was quite developed during this period. The French knew well that they
would not be able to defeat the English in trade, so they thought it worthwhile
to take advantage of the deplorable contemporary political situation. The English
were also not lagging behind for they had their own ambitions.
The European
races could fulfill their trade and political ambitions through military and
diplomatic means; therefore, they began to increase their military power. The French
recruited the Indians in their army and trained them in French military system and
the English trained the Indians in their own style. At that time the Indians
had no national awakening. They joined the foreign forces only for mercenary
reasons.
Fundamental
Causes of rivalry between the English and the French
1. Both
the English and the French companies wanted to establish their monopoly in the
external trade of India.
2. Both
wanted to oust the other from India so that their monopoly could be established
and political ambitions might also be fulfilled. Both wanted to take advantage
of the weak political condition of India.
3. Both
England and France were staunch rivals in Europe. France was anxious to
establish its supremacy in Europe and England in order to maintain balance of
power in Europe opposed the efforts of France.
4. Both
England and France were having deep and open rivalry in the field of colonization.
Both had their colonies in North America and both were anxious to swallow up
the colonies of the other.
Under such
circumstances it was natural that neither of the two would leave any stone
unturned to turn out the other from India. The mutual rivalry among the two was
forcing them to have a conflict with each other.
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