Explain the reasons behind the Second Carnatic War.
Observing the intense rivalries and political disunity existent in India, the French Governor Joseph Francois Dupleix wanted to consolidate French power in the South. When wars of succession broke out in Carnatic and Hyderabad in 1748, he saw it as an opportunity which was not to be missed and hence involved the French in these quarrels.
After the death of the Nawab of Hyderabad in 1748, Dupleix supported the claim of Muzaffar Jung to the throne, whereas in Carnatic, he supported Chanda Sahib. This stand was diametrically opposite to that of the British, as they supported Nasir Jung and Muhammad Ali in Hyderabad and Carnatic, respectively.