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42 CHAPTER III.

Origin of the East India Company – First Establishments in India – Madras taken by the French – Presidency transferred to Fort St. David – Madras restored to the English – English Expedition to Tanjore – Clive first distinguishes himself at Deir Cottah – Contests for Supremacy in the Deccan – Rival Candidates for the Musnud of the Carnatic – The English embrace the Cause of Mahomed Ali; the French that of Chunda Sahib – Gloomy Prospects of the English – Revived by Clive, who captures Arcot – Gallant Defence of Arcot by Clive – Terms of Surrender offered to and rejected by him – Storming of Arcot – Signal Defeat of the Enemy – Raising of the Siege – Successful Operations of Clive – Battle of Canverypank – The English march to relieve Trichinopoly – Desperate Attack on Clive's Position – His singular Escape – Surrender of Chunda Sahib – Surrender of the French Troops – Successful Termination of the War.

The first appearance of the English in India, where they planted their feet as humble traders, gave no promise of their future grandeur; Bantam, in Java, for the trade of the Indian islands, and Surat for that of the Continent, being long their principal stations. In the latter place an English factory was established so early as 1612. The first East India Company was incorporated, for commercial purposes only, towards the latter end of the reign of Elizabeth; and a new one was established in the reign of William III., the capital of which was to be lent to the crown; but as this led to disputes abroad, and materially affected the interests of the new trade, an union of the two contending Companies was effected in 1702.

For nearly forty years after this union of the Companies, the history of the British connexion with India presents nothing but a detail of the operations of trade; varied only by the efforts of the united Company to obtain protection from native princes, to exclude those who sought to invade their privileges, and to regulate the conduct of their servants. On the Coromandel coast,