80 THE RISE OF THE FRENCH POWER IN INDIA. chap, stating that he had always intended to cede the territory , at the proper time ; and professing his readiness now to 1739. execute in full the treaty of Chelambram. As a proof of his sincerity, he sent at the same time two instru- ments, dated April 25, 1739, one of which contained a ratification of the former treaty, and the other, an order to the inhabitants of the districts he had yielded, to acknowledge and obey the French in future as their masters. It is probable that the complaisance of Sahuji in this matter was quickened by the fact that one of the clauses of the treaty of Chelambram con- tained a stipulation for the payment to him of 100,000 rupees — a stipulation which the French, now in pos- session, might, according to oriental notions, have been inclined to evade. Before, however, his propositions reached Pondichery, a domestic revolution hurled Sahuji from his throne. But his successor and half- brother, Partab Singh, not only confirmed the agree- ment of Chelambram, but added to it a greater extent of territory. In a personal interview he held with M. Dumas in the beginning of the year 1741, Partab Singh even recommended him to fortify the towns in his new possessions. From this date, the district of Karikal may be regarded as an integral portion of the French possessions in India.* But meanwhile events of great importance had oc- curred. The Muhammadan conquests in the south of India had aroused the jealousy of the Marathas, and an army of 50,000f men of these famous warriors had
- The ceded districts consisted of 5,000 inhabitants. The fort of
the town of KarikAl, the fortress of Kirkangarhi was about gunshot dis- Kirkangarhi, ten villages on the tance from Karikal. Both are on sea- coast, and a tract of country fif- the river Karikal, a branch of the teen or sixteen miles in extent, very Kolrun, navigable for vessels of fertile in rice, and producing also about, 200 tons burden. Karikal is cotton and indigo, inhabited by ten 75 miles south of Pondichery and 12 or twelve thousand people, and yield- miles north of Nagapatan. ing a yearly rent of ten thousand t Grand Duff {History of the pagodas, equal to about £4,500 ster- Mardthds).— Captain Duff took the ling. The town of Karikal. at the numbers from Maratha manuscripts; time of cession, contained 638 houses they differ somewhat from those of stone and brick, and upwards of given by Orme and other writers.
