Which one of the following was the immediate cause of the First Carnatic War?

Correct answer: (d) Capture of French ships by the British

Explanation

The First Carnatic War (1746-48) was merely an extension of the War of the Austrian Succession, which began in 1740. Even against the orders of their home governments, war between the two parties (English and French) began in 1746. The immediate cause of the war was the seizure of some French ships by the English navy under Commodore Curtis Barnett. During the First Carnatic War itself, the Nawab of Carnatic, Anwaruddin, sent an army under Mahfuz Khan to attack the French. Under Captain Paradis, the French army defeated the Nawab at a place called St. Thomé, situated on the Adyar River. With the end of war in Europe, the First Carnatic War also came to an end. By the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748), the War of the Austrian Succession ended, and Madras was restored to the English. The First Carnatic War is remembered for the Battle of St. Thomé.