Siege of Pondicherry (1793) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Pondicherry |
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| Part of the French Revolutionary Wars | |||||||
 Defences of Pondicherry, 1778 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Great Britain |
 France |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Colonel John Braithwaite Rear-Admiral William Cornwallis |
Colonel Prosper de Clermont | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1,659 | |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 93 killed, 131 wounded | negligible losses, all captured. Pondicherry surrendered. | ||||||
The Siege of Pondicherry was a military event in India during the early French Revolutionary Wars. This war was fought between Great Britain and France. Both countries had colonies in India. When France declared war on Britain in February 1793, both sides were ready for conflict.
British India was managed by the East India Company. Its main ports were Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta. French India was governed from Pondicherry (now Puducherry). British forces in India were much stronger than the French. They had the British Indian Army, British soldiers, and a Royal Navy fleet. Pondicherry's defenses were strong, but it did not have enough soldiers. A French naval fleet was far away, so it could not protect the French coast in India.
News of the war took five months to reach India. British forces were already prepared from a recent war. They quickly took over other French ports in India. Only Pondicherry was able to resist. The siege began on August 1, 1793. Colonel John Braithwaite led the land attack. Rear-Admiral William Cornwallis set up a naval blockade. British forces built trenches and gun positions. They worked under heavy fire for several weeks. After 20 days, Braithwaite started firing cannons at the city. The French commander, Colonel Prosper de Chermont, asked for a truce. The next morning, the French surrendered without conditions.
Contents
Why the Siege Happened: Background
In the 1790s, Great Britain was the biggest colonial power in India. Its main base was Calcutta. They also had important cities like Madras and Bombay. The East India Company managed British India. It had its own army, supported by regular British soldiers. This army had just finished a war called the Third Anglo-Mysore War. The British Navy, led by Rear-Admiral William Cornwallis, supported them.
France had a weaker military position in India. They had not invested much in their colonies since 1754. France held small trading ports like Karaikal and Mahé. But their most important colony was Pondicherry. It was near Madras. Pondicherry had strong, modern defenses. However, its army was too small to defend the walls well. The French Navy in the Indian Ocean was far away. It was based at Mauritius, not in India.
How War Started in Europe
Tensions grew in Europe after the French Revolution in 1789. In 1792, the French Revolutionary Wars began. France fought against the Austrian and Prussian Empires. Great Britain was not in this war at first. But its relationship with France quickly worsened. On February 1, 1793, France declared war on Britain. This happened after the French king was executed.
News Reaches India
It took five months for the news of war to reach India. The news arrived in Madras on June 2. It reached Calcutta on June 11. The British Governor-General of India, Lord Cornwallis, gave orders. He wanted British forces to attack French territories in India.
The Siege of Pondicherry: What Happened
Admiral Cornwallis was at Trincomalee when he heard about the war. He immediately sailed to Pondicherry. He set up a blockade around the city. This meant no ships could enter or leave. He soon captured a French ship carrying ammunition. His ships also captured a French privateer ship. This ship was leaving Pondicherry.
British Army Advances
On land, Colonel John Braithwaite led the army from Madras. He marched his troops towards Pondicherry. He took control of areas around the city. This cut off Pondicherry from its supplies. On July 28, Braithwaite reached the city. He set up positions on a hill overlooking Pondicherry. He demanded that Colonel Prosper de Chermont surrender. The French commander refused.
Braithwaite then sent soldiers to positions south of the city walls. This caused heavy firing from the French defenses. But this was a trick. Braithwaite planned his main attack on the northeast side. The defenses there were weaker.
Building Batteries and Bombardment
The British tried to build gun batteries to the west and north of the city. Heavy rain made this difficult. The rain delayed building earthworks for protection. This allowed French soldiers to keep firing at the British workers. Many British soldiers were hurt.
The firing was very heavy on the north side. On August 12, French gunners easily targeted the British lines. Building batteries continued for several days, even with losses. On August 15, Lieutenant Colonel George Maule was killed. He was Braithwaite's chief engineer. He was hit by a cannonball.
On the night of August 21, the main British battery was damaged. But repairs were successful. On the morning of August 22, its large cannons began firing at the city.
French Surrender
Within hours, the French defenses opposite the British battery became silent. Only distant French guns still fired. British firing increased at noon. Mortars began shelling the city. At 4:30 PM, white flags of truce appeared over the city. Colonel de Chermont asked for a 24-hour ceasefire to talk. But Braithwaite only allowed until 8:00 AM the next morning. During this time, the British continued building their earthworks.
Aftermath: What Happened Next
British losses during the siege were 88 killed and 131 wounded. French casualties were very low. Few French defenders were exposed to fire during the one day of bombardment.
The British captured 645 French soldiers and 1,014 Indian soldiers (sepoys). They also took 167 cannons and lots of ammunition. Other French colonies in India surrendered without a fight. This made Britain the most powerful European country in India.
Some people noted that the British navy in the area was weak. If the French had brought their ships together, they might have extended the siege. They could have also damaged British merchant ships. France did not try to take back their lost Indian lands during the war. But they got them back in 1802, after the war ended.
