What made the English and French as Competitors in Malabar?

In the hectic scramble among the European powers for commercial centers and facilities in India, the French were rather late. Though the French traders were already in Malabar they had not succeeded in securing a foot-hold anywhere on the coast. However in March 1722, they seem to have prevailed upon the Raja (Vazhunnavar) of Kadathanad, a principality of north Malabar and secured permission to erect a warehouse on the mouth of the Mahanadi River. From the point of view of commerce, the French selection of Mahe was excellent.

The English, who had already initiated their commercial activities on the Malabar Coast, were very much offended at this step of the Vazhunnavar, with whom they were on friendly terms. Within three months after their settlement the French managed to construct a factory at Mahe.

As the English had already been established at Tellicherry, only six kilometres north of Mahe, the French were very cautious in their movements and anxious to thwart all possibilities of a rapprochement between them and the Vazhunnavar; they instigated that petty ruler to disengage himself from the English.

In this attempt they achieved considerable success they wrested from the English Company a large part of their pepper trade. With a purely commercial motive, the French built a fort at Mahe in 1724.

An intermittent and fitful warfare between the Vazhunnavar and the English Company continued till the beginning of 1725. On 17th February of that year they entered into an agreement, by which the Vazhunnavar promised not to perpetuate friendship with or afford protection to any European power in his country, and to supply the pepper of his country to the English alone.

Later on the Vazhunnavar took steps to expel the French from their new settlement at Mahe. This sudden change of friendship shocked the French and they wanted to take revenge on the Vazhunnavar.

This was also the time when Kadathanad was passing through political stresses and strains. Actually this must have been the impulse behind the Vazhunnavar’s readiness to make friendship with the English by the aforesaid agreement. His urge for reconciliation was not one sprang up ab imo pectore but one from the dire necessity of time.

The First and Second Vazhunnavar were at loggerheads, the ministers being opposed to both. Besides, there was the friction between the Nayar Corporations of the Thousand and the Three Thousand. The English were particularly interested in patching up the differences and bringing the contending parties to an amicable settlement, for, internal peace and political stability were indispensable for their trade prospects in the area.

Moreover, as the French were hostile, Kadathanad could expect invasion at any time. A successful invasion of Kadathanad would have jeopardised English trade. Therefore the English at Tellicherry deputed their linguist to effect a settlement among the warring groups, but the Nambiar and the Kurangot Nayar, two local chieftains of Iravazhinad, continued their strife and refused to come to a settlement.

By the close of 1725 the English got news of the French preparations at Pondicherry for an attack on Mahe. Three French ships, with soldiers, had already arrived at Ponnani, a place under the sovereignty of the Zamorin of Calicut.

On 20th November, 1725 Adams, the Chief of Tellicherry received a letter from Pardaillan Gondrin, the Commandant of the French squadron, requesting for “a perfect union reciprocally between us”. The English in return promised “strict neutrality” in the impending struggle, “consonant to the perfect union between the two nations in Europe” but expected fair treatment to their boats in Mahe.

Having made his position safe Gondrin came opposite to the town of Mahe and asked the Vazhunnavar to capitulate. As Malleson noted, “On high ground rising up from the sea, and washed on the northern side by a little river, the entrance to which, as it ran into the sea, was closed by rocks even for the smallest boats, Maihi seemed to be able to bide defiance to any enemy who should attack it on the side of the sea.” The hesitant French Commander was encouraged to strike by Captain Francois Mahe de Labourdonnais of one of his ships who placed before him a grand scheme for execution.

The scheme was to land the troops on raft dry-shod in order of battle under cover of the squadron’s fire. Accord­ingly, the troops landed, scaled the height and stormed the town. Gondrin was proud and happy over the miraculous ways in which he embraced victory. He wrote to Adams: “The Gracious Letter which you had the goodness to write me obliges me to give you an account of the Descent I made today and forced the Entrenchment which appears to me different from what the Indians are accustomed to make.”

Next day, the French entered the Kallay fort of the Vazhunnavar which gave them command of the locality. Before capturing it the French ordered the local forces to leave the fort without arms and on their refusal there ensured a bloody combat; on entering it they set fire to all the houses and bazaars.

Thus, Mahe was founded by force. The French honoured Labourdonnais by slightly changing the Indian Maihi into Mahe, the first name of the Captain and thus the term became common and part of subsequent history. The grand daring feat of landing and the flamboyance of the French made a profound impact upon the local people; and as an Englishman wrote to Adams from Calicut nothing was “talked of at present at Calicut but of their power.”

The French affairs in Mahe were handled by Andrew Mollandin and Council, and Gondrin confined his activities to military matters. The Kurangot Nayar’s leniency for the French was well known, but the English wanted no more chiefs and nobles to join the side of the French.

The Kottayam Raja wanted to take advantage of the predicamental situation of the Kadathanad Raja; but the English factors wanted to avoid a confrontation between the two so that the Vazhunnavar’s embarrassment could be lessened considerably. By this time a French ship was found to anchor off the Kodoly River, apparently to supply ammunition to the Kotayam Raja.

The English factors strongly protested to the Mahe Council and deprecated this hasty step, within days after their victory at Mahe. Moreover, the Kottayam Raja was asked to “prefer an old friend to the New or at least not esteem the new equal to the old.”

The attempt of the Kottayam Raja to ally himself with the French does not seem to have borne fruit. The situation was tactically exploited by Adams who effected reconciliation between the Raja and the Vazhunnavar in August 1726. This settlement strengthened the hands of the Vazhunnavar and he could meet the French with undivided attention.

The French started their hostilities on 4 August 1726; on that day they marched out of their fort at Mahe and occupied a neighbouring hill. They blockaded the whole coast of Kadathanad and prevented the English from rendering any help to the Raja.

However the English tried to turn the situation in their favour. They asked the Raja to settle all accounts with them as a prior condition for assistance. But instead of yielding to the English pressure, he thought of coming to an amicable settlement with the French. This was contrary to the expectation as well as the need of the English Company.

The Kadathanad Raja was also highly erratic. He explored the possibility and do ability of reconciling with the English once again. But the parties could not agree on terms and conditions. Dissatisfied with the English response he negotiated with the French and accepted the good offices of the Zamorin as the mediator.

The terms of the agreement were not made known, but presumably the French gained their commercial ends, and were obliged to defend and protect the Vazhunnavar. The French henceforth regarded them­selves as established by treaty and grant in Kadathanad.

The English were afraid of a possible attack on their settlement at Moylan by the natives, backed by the French, who were supplying guns and gunners to the Kura got Nayar who was a sworn enemy of the English. Meanwhile the French were fortifying Kariakunnu, a nearby hillock in a hurry.

They informed the English Factory that “in the name of the King and for the Company of France we are going to the take possession and keep the hill of Cariacunnu in the country of Cuny (Kura got) Nayar, our friend and Allie with his consent.” The French claimed Kariakunnu and Ponella, two hills, as grant from Kura got Nayar as part of their former settlements. Actually, they wanted to use Kura got Nayar as a tool to confront the English effectively.

The close collusion between the Kura got Nayar and the French compelled the English to secure the friendly hand of Iravazhinad Namibia’s. On 6th December, 1726 the parties entered into an agreement. The Factors agreed “to keep a good amity and friendship” with the Nambiars and not to come into terms with the Kurangot Nayar without consulting them.

Besides they also agreed to assist the Nambiars, should the Nayar resort to force to their detriment. In return the English were promised all assistance against the Nayar, with whom the Nambiars might come to terms only after giving notice to the Company.

Besides, in a declaration, they affirmed their loyalty and homage to Udayavarman, the Prince Regent of Kadathanad The friendship of Nambiars was, no doubt, advantageous to the English, whose position had already been weakened by the hostility of the Nayar and the French.

At the suggestion of the French, the English Company empowered two deputies to spell out the existing differences between them and explore ways and means for mutual friendship. The Bombay Government was very much concerned with the huge expenses incurred for the maintenance of the Tellicherry settlement on account of frequent clashes between the English and the French.

The French at Mahe were also instructed by the Pondicherry Council to normalise relations with the English. The French had no desire to hold more places in the country, but were anxious to maintain unobstructed contact with Kurangot. Some method was to be evolved for the purchase of pepper, so that the native merchants might not defraud both company, and an open and consistent policy adopted towards the local chiefs so as to eschew political maneuvering.