Wandewash, battle of

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Wandewash, battle of, 1760. On 22 January 1760 Sir Eyre Coote defeated the forces of the Count de Lally at Wandewash, in south India, to signal the dominance of the English East India Company over its French equivalent. After Wandewash, Coote went on to capture the French capital of Pondicherry. The victories brought to an end hostilities which had begun in 1746. The French, especially under Governor Dupleix, enjoyed early success in the south. But Coote brought men and money from the rich province of Bengal, where the English already had power, which proved decisive.

David Anthony Washbrook

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