As much as they appreciated the income from trade, they primarily desired the military might the Europeans could supply to tip the local balance of power in their favour.

In the Deccan proper, the Asaf Jah I (also known as Nizam-ul-Mulk) had founded a hereditary dynasty with Hyderabad as its capital, which claimed to exercise authority over the entire South.

The Carnatic – that is, the lowland tract between the central plateau and the Bay of Bengal – was ruled by the Nizam's deputy, the Nawab of Arcot.

The net result of the above two important events was the British factory and port situated at Madras was surrounded by hostile territory.

Chanda Sahib, after consolidating his control of Arcot, wanted to eliminate his last major British-supported rival, Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah, who was at Trichinopoly.

The garrison left by Chanda Sahib to defend Arcot, struck with panic at the sudden coming of the foe, at once abandoned the fort, despite their larger numbers.

On 23 September Raza Sahib entered the town and invested the fort with an army of 2,000 native regular troops, 5,000 irregulars, 120 Europeans, and 300 cavalry.

Arcot, a city of 100,000 at the time, quickly came under Clive's control, since he ordered that there be no looting and he returned property Chanda Sahib had confiscated to its rightful owners.

The Arcot fort was about a mile in circuit, with a low, unsubstantial parapet; some of its towers were in dilapidated condition and virtually useless as artillery positions.

Clive sent almost his entire force to escort the guns to the city, and the handful that remained drove off two night attacks, taking advantage of the darkness to disguise their low numbers.

Clive occupied the fort in the city centre, allowing Raza's troops to man taller buildings overlooking the walls.

"The native troops, it should be said, showed no less zeal and energy in the defence than their European comrades; and, with a fine generosity of feeling, they proposed to give that all the grain in store should be reserved for the use of the latter, who required more nourishment than Asiatics; for themselves, the liquor in which the rice was steeped would be sufficient.

Robert Clive sent a messenger to inform Maratha general Murari Rao of his situation to immediately march to Arcot to relieve the besieged garrison.

The messenger returned to the fort safely and brought a letter from Murari Rao to Clive in which he said he would immediately send a detachment of Marathas to assist the defenders of Arcot.

[8][9] Raza Sahib resolved to venture an assault, and fixed it for 14 November, a day on which is celebrated the great Muhammadan festival of the Moharram, in memory of Hassan, the son of Wallajah.

But the huge beasts no sooner felt the English musket-balls, than they turned round and rushed furiously away, trampling the multitude which had urged them forward.

Under cover of fire, Raza Sahib had raised the siege and withdrawn his army to Vellore, leaving behind several guns and a large quantity of ammunition.

Clive's force had achieved an amazing feat in the face of the overwhelming numerical odds against them, but in India numbers were not always the telling factor.

Whatever the combination of circumstances that brought about Clive's victory, the siege of Arcot marked a sea change in the British experience in India.