Explanation:

Option (a) is correct Supplementary notes: First Carnatic War (1740-48)

Carnatic was the name given by the Europeans to the Coromandel Coast and its hinterland.  The First Carnatic War was an extension of the Anglo-French War in Europe which was caused by the Austrian War of Succession.

Although France, conscious of its relatively weaker position in India, did not favour an extension of hostilities to India, the English navy under Barnet seized some French ships to provoke France.

The First Carnatic War ended in 1748 when the Treaty of Aix-La Chapelle was signed bringing the Austrian War of Succession to a conclusion.

Under the terms of this treaty, Madras was handed back to the English, and the French, in turn, got their territories in North America.

A small French army under Captain Paradise defeated the strong Indian army under Mahfuz Khan at St. Thome on the banks of the River Adyar.

This was an eye-opener for the Europeans in India: it revealed that even a small disciplined army could easily defeat a much larger Indian army.