The Diary of Ananda Ranga Filial% Edited by H. Dodwell.
Vol. VI. (Madras : Government Press. 5s. 6d.)—The diary of the confidential Tamil servant of Dupleix, the great French Governor of Pondicherry, grows in interest with each volume of the translation, admirably edited by the Curator of the Madras Record Office, where the manuscript is preserved. The sixth volume, extending (with gaps) from October, 1748, to March, 1750, describes the political schemes of Dupleix and his native allies for establishing a French sphere of influence round Madras, just before the Madras Council began to resort to arms and entered on the campaigns which made Clive's reputation. The editor remarks that this volume and the remainder of the diary up to 1761 have not been used by any European historian, and he points out in his Introduction some of the more important new facts. The general effect of these is to show that the British officials at Madras had a very shrewd idea of the real aims of Dupleix, and took action against them far more promptly than has been supposed. But the whole diary is a docu- ment of the highest value for this critical period of British-Indian history.
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