Arcot Tamil Nadu India
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The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had been succeeded on his death in 1707 by Bahadur Shah I, but there had been a general decline in central control over the empire during the tenure of Jahandar Shah and later Mughals.
Several erstwhile Mughal colonies have revolted.
The Carnatic, despite being under the legal purview of the Nizam of Hyderabad, had been ruled since 1732 ruled by Nawab Dost Ali, whose death in 1740 had sparked a power struggle between his son-in-law Chanda Sahib and the Nizam's nominee, Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan.
The death of the Nizam-ul-Mulk, the Nizam of Hyderabad, in 1748, had sparked a civil war for succession, now known as the Second Carnatic War, in the south between Mir Ahmad Ali Khan (Nasir Jung), the son of the Nizam-ul-Mulk, and Hidayat Muhi ud-Din Sa'adu'llah Khan (Muzaffar Jung), the grandson of Nizam-ul-Mulk.
This opens a window of opportunity for Chanda Sahib, who wants to become Nawab of Arcot.
He joins the cause of Muzaffar Jung and begins to conspire against the Nawab Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan in Arcot.
Together, they plan to gather their powers in the south with the help of the Nawab of Kadapa and ally themselves with the French.
Their plans score a success when Hindus from Kurnnool ally with them.
Robert Clive leads British troops to capture Arcot in 1751, his success leading to additional victories for the British and their Nizam and Arcot allies.
Ali invades the Carnatic in July 1780, A, and lays siege to Tellicherry and Arcot.
A seven thousand-strong Company relief force under William Baille is intercepted and destroyed by the Tipu Sultan on September 10; thus far the worst defeat suffered by a European army in India.
Instead of pressing on for a decisive victory against a second Company army at Madras, Ali renews the siege at Arcot, capturing it on November 3.
The delay allows British forces to regroup for campaigning the following year.