The French wanted to spread their net of trade all over the coast. They even tried to build a fort in the land of Punathur Raja, who was a tributary to the Zamorin. However, the Zamorin was opposed to it. In December 1739 the French fortified and hoisted their flag at a place which commanded Mahe; this was the Fort St. George.
It was reported that the French purchased the place for Rs. 8,000 from the minor Vazhunnavar, without the consent of his mother. The Regent was very much annoyed at these activities of the French. Again, depending upon an oral grant from the minor heir, the French built two forts, Dauphin and Conde, out of their limits.
Thus, the Vazhunnavar and the French moved into opposite camps. The English Company was willing to aid the Regent. In June 1740 there were some skirmishes after which the French were forced to retire to their forts. In September they attacked a hill of the Vazhunnavar, but were repulsed.
Later on they went up the Mahe River with a strong force to attack a hill-fort. When the troops disembarked they were set upon by 700 of the Kadathanad Nayars who drove them into the river. The French withdrew to a small fortification opposite to the hill, and subsequently the Nayars pursued and harassed them down the river till past one of their new forts at Mahe. The English support to the Vazhunnavar had brought strong protest from both the Mahe and Pondicherry Councils.
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The ministers of Vazhunnavar, Head of the Nayar Corporation of 3000 and Prince Udayavarman joined together and took a pledge to drag out the Nambiars from the French alliance. The motive behind this move was to weaken the French, who were ably assisted by the Nambiars.
The Prince approached the English and sought their help for the realisation of their new venture. The factors took into consideration the danger involved in allowing the French to have a mastery over local affairs and ultimately decided to help the Prince with Rs. 4,000 per month.
In 1741 Monsieur Signard became the new Chief of Mahe, and he sought the English Company’s friendship. It was soon after this that news reached the English that six French ships had already set out from France for the Malabar Coast. The English were alarmed over the possible repercussions of the new move of the French and tried to entice the Vazhunnavar and the Nambiars to their side.
Very soon Labourdonnais came down the coast with the definite object of waging a war with Vazhunnavar. He suggested that “the wisest part at present is to draw a curtain over what’s past and to act with greater heartiness and frankness for the future.”
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He blockaded the entire coast of Kadathanad; all vessels coming within a league of it and entering the Kotta River with war-provisions, were liable to be confiscated and their crew treated as pirates; but the English Company’s vessels with proper certificates might pass, subject to an inspection on 19th November 1741 William Wake, the English Chief at Tellicherry, called on Labourdonnais to assess and discuss the general settlement of affairs in the land.
On 22nd November 1741, Labourdonnais attacked a hill and the entrenchments of the Vazhunnavar and took possession of them after a brief engagement. But instead of proceeding with the war further they wanted a negotiated settlement under which both the French and the English Companies could trade without mutual suspicion and unnecessary war expenditure. He drew up certain articles of settlement and it was approved and signed by Wake and Labourdonnais on 23rd December 1741.
Thus, both parties were to destroy and cvocuato their own respective forts and fortifications newly raised in Iravazhinad. The French had to demolish the forts at Peringathur, Connamala, Chembra, Poiterra, Quit Bilay and Maylat. Either Company was in future to fortify or build wares houses at the vacated places. Both Companies agreed to oppose with their whole force, any attempt by the natives or others to fortify the specified places.
And in order to secure freedom and openness of trade in Iravazhinad, it was agreed that neither party should keep magazines or depots of pepper or buy that article produced in the country at any place other than Mahe or Tellicherry. According to the eighth clause in the future differences between either settlement the English Company was to arbitrate in disputes between the Vazhunavar and the French, and the French were to do likewise in disputes between the Kolattiri Prince and the Company.
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Very soon the French concluded another peace treaty with the Vazhunnavar, by which the latter was permitted to keep the two hills viz., Conde and Dauphin. The French were to retire from such other places in the country as they possessed before; and neither party was to fortify the hill of Porto Peak, lately taken by the French. Another agreement was concluded with the Nambiars also. After settling all affairs amicably Labourdonnais left for Mauritius in January 1742.
The French reduced their garrison at Mahe and diverted it to elsewhere. In September 1742 they strengthened their fort at Kallay from where they could command Mahe. In the misunderstanding between the French and the English, it was later discovered that the French linguist had played a dubious role. Since the conclusion of the above agreement, both Companies tried unitedly to keep the price of pepper down as far as possible.
By the middle of the 18th century the Anglo-French relations elsewhere in India were marred by hostility and confrontation. But in the west coast the scene was, on the whole, one of peace. However, this was slightly disturbed in November 1756 when Commodore James captured a French ship, carrying 24 guns, 200 men and military stores to Mahe.
The French had already drained their economy by the intermittent wars with native powers; their trade prosperity was also at low ebb. Yet, they did their best to damage the grade of the English by selling quantities of pepper to the Portuguese ships and permitting their chief suppliers to transport it to Calicut for sale.