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Question 27 of 73 · Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule
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In the Battle of Wandiwash (1760), the decisive victory of the English over the French in the Third Carnatic War, the English forces were commanded by:

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Answer: Option C — Sir Eyre Coote

Detailed Solution

In the Battle of Wandiwash (Vandavasi), fought on 22 January 1760, the English forces were commanded by Sir Eyre Coote, who defeated the French forces under Count de Lally (Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally).

About the battle:

  • Wandiwash (Vandavasi) is in the Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu.
  • It was the decisive battle of the Third Carnatic War (1756-1763), which was part of the global Seven Years' War between Britain and France.
  • The French under Lally had attacked English settlements and besieged Madras (1758-59), but failed.
  • At Wandiwash, Coote's army won a complete victory.
  • The French general Bussy was captured.

Results:

  • The French were left only with Pondicherry, which the English besieged and captured in January 1761.
  • Lally surrendered and was sent to England as a prisoner; on returning to France, he was tried and executed in 1766.
  • The battle ended French hopes of building an empire in India.
  • The English East India Company became the strongest European power in India.

About Sir Eyre Coote:

  • He was an Irish-born British army officer.
  • He had also fought at Plassey (1757).
  • He later served as Commander-in-Chief in India.
  • During the Second Anglo-Mysore War, he won victories over Hyder Ali.
  • He died in Madras in 1783.

The Carnatic Wars:

  • First (1746-1748): linked to the War of the Austrian Succession.
  • Second (1749-1754): over succession disputes in the Carnatic and Hyderabad; Robert Clive won fame at Arcot.
  • Third (1756-1763): linked to the Seven Years' War; decided at Wandiwash.

Why the English won:

  • Stronger navy and better finances.
  • The resources of Bengal, which the English controlled after Plassey.
  • Lack of support for the French from their home government.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Robert Clive was in Bengal at the time.
  • ✗Stringer Lawrence commanded earlier in the Carnatic.
  • ✗Hector Munro commanded at Buxar.

Quick tip

Remember: Battle of Wandiwash (22 January 1760) = Sir Eyre Coote defeated Count de Lally (French); decisive battle of the Third Carnatic War.

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Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danes and French in India, the growth of the East India Company, and the battles, wars and treaties through which British power expanded, including the Battles of Plassey and Buxar, the Anglo-Mysore, Anglo-Maratha and Anglo-Sikh wars, and policies such as subsidiary alliance and the doctrine of lapse. Typical questions ask which battle was fought in which year and between whom, which treaty ended which war, and which Governor-General introduced a policy. For example, the Battle of Plassey (1757) was fought between Robert Clive and Siraj-ud-Daulah, and the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) gave the Company the diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Practise the arrival of Europeans and expansion of British rule questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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