Ananda Ranga Pillai The ?Pepys? Of French India

Ananda Ranga Pillai was a courtier of F. Dupleix, and maintained a diary of the happenings and events of the French in India for about 25 Years from 1736 to 1760. The complete work (also available under AES imprint) is in 12 volumes and is an indispensable source for the history of Southern India. This work is a narrative, complied from the 12 volume work. It has 20 chapters and 3 appendices that describe the principal persons, events, wars, and engagements of the French in Southern India. Among the chapters, we find noticed La Bourdonnais, capture of Madras, operation round Cuddalore and Pondicherry, Chanda Sahab, Dupleix, Leyrit, Godeheu, Bussy, and the fall of Pondicherry. There is a map of Pondicherry and its surrounding county at the end of the book.