maritime activities economy and social customs of the muslims of ...

In 1736 the Nawab of Camatic, Dost All gave the French the right for minting coins
in P~ndicheny.'~~ The french brought bullions and Silver and minted coins. Pondicherry
had an extensive currency. French trade picked up. New factories were opened. The
growth of the French was at the expense of the Dutcl~ orld ihu Enyllrh."'
TheF~undorFrancoisMartin0~~~piedKamikkalin1688butthqrhadtosbandon~,tho
rat year, ddue to the presMe of the Dutch.llB The Maratha Sam of Thanjaw in 1738, gma a
~ofcoaionofKarslkkd,and~vllLagtotheFmxh. Thodepdprandedford
militsly dd. The ~nacncsment of the French occupation war reuziwd wlth W t by the entire
polxJatlon of KaraMd.llP &d Sayap sea Mtkhu he deed.lm The c!ed um eg& conflrmod
in 1739.Iz1 The Mamtha Raja of Thanjaw was getting bans from the Fmxh and in iieu of it the
French got more villages near Kamikkal. By 1760 the French settlement of Kamikkal had 113
v&a. Kimikhl served as a gmnery of Pondicheny. It was useful for pdonhg Pondichy ad
a&o for prcaing cargoes to its ships.lZ2
The Frenchard the Ergkhtraded side by side without much hitchbutby 1744theyented
into a life and death struggle due to the hostilities between London and Paris. Pondicherry
became the stronghold of the French in Coromandel. From 1745 the English fleets
began to harass the French. French ships were attacked in the waters of Southeast
Asian ports."'
Madras, was captured and Cuddalore was attacked by the French several
times between 1745 and 1748. The English had to withdraw from Cuddalore area. However
Madras was handed back to the English in 1748.12'
In 1749. Carnatlc wan, the famous struggle for supremacy between the French and
the English brokeout. We haw already narrated the envents of these wars elsewhere. The
exit of Chanda Sahib and Muzafar Jang by 1752 was a serious set back to the French. The
French were not fourtunate in Coromandel. Their offensive operations miscarried; all their
strong holds in Carnatic were lost one by one and finally they suffered a most decisive defeat
in 1760.1z5 The English captured Pondicherry in 1761. It was restored to the French in
1765. The English again captured it in 1782. In the same year the French came to
an understanding with Hyder Ali and this alliance was a real challenge to the
English.lz6 In =cordance with a peace Treaty of 1785, Cuddalore was restored