Cite
MLA
“Siege of Pondicherry (1748).” Hindu History, 2026, https://www.hinduhistory.in/battles/siege-of-pondicherry-1748/. Accessed .
APA
Hindu History. (2026). Siege of Pondicherry (1748). Retrieved , from https://www.hinduhistory.in/battles/siege-of-pondicherry-1748/
The siege failed and was raised in October as the monsoon broke.
01Boscawen arrives
To avenge the loss of Madras, Britain sent Rear-Admiral Edward Boscawen to India with a strong squadron and several regiments. In August 1748 he landed his troops near Pondicherry, joined by the Company’s soldiers from Fort St David, among them the young ensign Robert Clive. The British first had to take the small fort of Ariyankuppam to the south, which cost them weeks, and only then began their trenches against the town.
02The siege fails
The trenches were opened on the north-west side, where marshes kept the batteries too far from the walls. The French guns outranged the British, and Dupleix’s garrison made bold sorties. Sickness spread in the British camp. In October, with the monsoon about to break and his ships at risk on the open coast, Boscawen raised the siege. Dupleix had the Te Deum sung, and his fame rose across India. Weeks later news came of the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle.
The successful defence of Pondicherry made Dupleix the leading European in India and emboldened him to back Chanda Sahib in 1749.
